To You, oh Lord, I lift up a songfrom a place deep dark in my soul. It sings itself, this Advent song, quiet and humble and pure. My heart opens from within;it streams out in peace.From a silent place it sings its notesof longing and stillness and grief. Grief that the world is dark at times,and for the things I’ve lost this year.Stillness and silence I yearn to hold,frenzy and noise break piece by piece.…
Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it (Mark 8:35). This Sunday’s Gospel reading is the heart of discipleship: deny yourself and lift up your crosses every single day in imitation of Jesus. To follow Jesus—to truly be His disciples, day-in…
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 This time of winter is always a little “low” for me. Can you relate? The weather is often cold and dreary, although we’ve had some really nice days lately. Illnesses, stress, and grief seem to weigh on our hearts a little harder in February. It leaves me wondering what happened to all that Christmas joy from just a few weeks ago? It seems to…
“You, Lord, are our father, our redeemer you are named forever.” – Isaiah 63:16 Happy Advent! I love this time of year, a time of quiet, watchful waiting. It’s a beautiful time to focus on and pray for God to fill us with the Advent virtues of hope, peace, joy, and love. Then when Christmas comes, we are like an overflowing reservoir that spills these fruits of the Holy Spirit out to those we encounter,…
Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope… (1 Peter 3:15) Easter is a season of joy and hope. During Lent I was focused on allowing God to bring me to healing in a couple of areas, but as Easter approached I felt Him moving me away from that work and toward joy and hope. I think He knew I needed a break from the…
Imagine walking with the two disciples on the way back home to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). It was the day of the Resurrection, a mere three days after Jesus was crucified. He had indeed risen, as He had promised, but these two disciples had already given up hope. They were downcast and they had lost hope. Notice the past tense: “But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel” (21). How strange:…
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. – Matthew 17:1-2 Our Lenten adventure includes a mountain hike this Sunday! We follow Jesus, Peter, James, and John as they climb the mountain of encounter with the Holy Trinity. A theophany is a manifestation of God, a direct…
O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!- Isaiah 2:5 Advent is a beautiful time of silence, patience, and prayer. We prepare for Christ, the Light (John 8:12), to come to us in the darkness. We prepare for the fullness of life–zoe in Greek–that Jesus, the Life (John 14:6) offers us: “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). We light the…
God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord. Psalm 47:6/9 St. Augustine said, “Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him.” What does this mean to you, to have your heart ascend with Christ? In the Mass, during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the celebrant prompts, “Lift up your hearts.” We respond, “We lift them up to the Lord.” This is a…
Our first reading tells of the apostles in the early days of the Church. It was a time of togetherness, sincerity, and joyful praise. They met in their homes to worship, pray, and eat together. They shared all that they had, and Love—yes Love with a capital “L”—united them. The Holy Spirit had come upon them just before this at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). It was this Spirit of peace and unity that gave them the…