Prayer & Reflection - March 21, 2023 - And it will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live…and will grow all kinds of trees for food… whose fruit will be for food and whose leaves for healing.Ez 47: 9 In today’s Gospel Jesus is persecuted for healing on the Sabbath. He encounters a…

Prayer & Reflection - March 20, 2023 - Over the centuries, Saint Joseph has been known by many names and titles: Patron Saint of the Universal Church, of Workers, of Fathers, of the Unborn, and of a Happy Death, among others. Yet on this Saint Joseph’s Day 2023, his role as Patron of Migrants takes on particular significance. We know little from the…

Prayer & Reflection - March 16, 2023 - “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Today’s readings and response are centered around turning towards God and opening up our hearts to Him and His will. We hear that of all the people, ever since their “fathers left the land of Egypt,” no one has obeyed God. They have toiled over…

Prayer & Reflection - March 12, 2023 - “Is God in our midst or not?” What a provocative question in today’s first reading! Especially when confronted by the pain we see in our world today. To understand today’s gospel story, we must appreciate the history of Samaria and Israel. After being conquered by Assyria, Samaritans worshiped Assyrian gods while continuing to worship the…

Prayer & Reflection - March 7, 2023 - Today’s Gospel is the source for the very familiar saying, “Practice what you preach.” We hear Jesus admonish the Scribes and Pharisees, as their words and actions are not aligned, and their works are done only “to be seen.” The real issue Jesus addresses is that of integrity. Honesty in living and relating to others…

Prayer & Reflection - February 26, 2023 - We who have been “around” for a while know that on the first Sunday of Lent we get the two “big” temptation stories: the Garden of Eden and Jesus tested in the desert. Sometimes we skim over these familiar readings and decide we know what is going to happen anyway. But how would it go…

Prayer & Reflection - February 25, 2023 - In his message for Lent, Lenten Penance and the Synodal Journey, Pope Francis calls us to “journey together” (synod). He links this journey to the Transfiguration: “Like the ascent of Jesus and the disciples to Mount Tabor, we can say that our Lenten journey is “synodal,” since we make it together along the same path,…

Prayer & Reflection - February 22, 2023 - “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned,” says the psalmist. Today we begin the holy season of Lent, the 40 days of preparation for the great feast of Easter, when death is conquered and heaven and earth are reconciled. But wait, says the Lord. Not so fast. First we are told to repent. “Repent”…

Prayer & Reflection - December 30, 2022 - When I reflect on the celebration of today’s feast, what often comes to mind is how fitting it is that we commemorate the Holy Family during the Christmas season. Of course, they are the protagonists in the birth of Jesus we celebrate on Christmas Day. Christmas and the days surrounding it are often cherished because…

Prayer & Reflection - December 28, 2022 - “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song!” For some, the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection in the Gospels are beautiful stories of an event experienced by the disciples long ago. We believe that Jesus has risen from the dead based on these accounts, but do we realize resurrection’s implications in our own lives?…

Prayer & Reflection - December 24, 2022 - Today’s gospel from Luke 1:67-79, known as “The Canticle of Zechariah,” is a hymn of praise to God. Zechariah was jubilant that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would finally have a child. The couple had all but given up on being parents, but God had other plans. Not only would they have a child, but…

Prayer & Reflection - December 17, 2022 - As a child, I remember how long Advent felt as I anticipated presents on Christmas morning and a week off school. As an adult, I have the opposite feeling, marveling at how quickly Advent flies by. Instead of something to anticipate, Christmas feels like a deadline with so much to do and not enough time…