Remain in me, as I remain in you. John 15:4 What does it mean to “remain” in Jesus? And what does it mean that Jesus “remains” in us? The word “remain” occurs eight times in our Gospel reading for this Sunday (John 15:1-8). In the allegory of the Vine and the Branches, Jesus teaches His disciples what it means to be in union with Him. We are called to be one with each other and…
“Look to the Lord in his strength; constantly seek his face.” – Psalm 105:4 I love the simplicity of the Nativity scene. Each person in the scene is directed toward Jesus in the manger. Everyone surrounds and looks lovingly at the Christ child. The One the entire universe was created through made manifest in a tiny baby: All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be” (John 1:3). Today we…
“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,…
I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life. – John 8:12 Jesus loves analogies, similes, and metaphors. He uses these figures of speech to help His listeners–including us–grasp complex and lofty concepts, such as what it means to live in the Kingdom of God and be a Christian disciple. He gives us two metaphors for discipleship in Sunday’s Gospel passage: “You are the salt…
Blessed are they…-Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes are a rule of life that can help us live a life that is truly happy and holy. It’s a picture of a life lived virtuously, full of faith in the Lord, confident hope in His promises, and love of God and neighbor. Following the Beatitudes is like a blueprint for conforming our hearts to Christ’s Sacred Heart. Christ is the exemplary image of each one of the Beatitudes.…
By your perseverance you will secure your lives. – Luke 21:19 As I read the scripture readings for this Sunday, I noticed a common theme: persevering through grace in times of adversity. In the first reading, those who fear the Lord must endure God’s just judgment that will come “blazing like an oven” for those who are proud and do evil (Malachi 3:19). St. Paul worked “in toil and drudgery, night and day” while building…
For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. – Luke 14:11 Humility is how you see yourself in relation to God. God is omnipotent and perfect; I am His creation, flawed but also His daughter. God’s will is infinitely good, full of love and mercy; mine strives to be loving and good, yet it often falls into restless self-seeking. When I humbly put my will…
What’s going on with the barren fig tree in today’s Gospel? It’s growing in an orchard and a gardener cares for it. It should have everything it needs to bear fruit, but it’s barren. So what’s the problem? When the orchard owner tells the gardener to cut down the barren tree, the gardener asks him to spare it: “Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize…
…from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks – Luke 6:45 This scripture passage is convicting to me. It’s not enough to “watch my mouth” and try to limit my speaking only to what is true, good, and beautiful. I must think about what is true, good, and beautiful first. Even before that, this makes me realize that the types of things that I “plant” in my mind will bear fruit in my thoughts,…
Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one. – 1 Corinthians 15:49 Imagine an artist creates a clay sculpture of a person. It bears a striking resemblance to the model it was sculpted after. Now imagine that the sculpture was damaged in an earthquake. It toppled and fell to the floor. It was not entirely broken, for it still bears resemblance to…