St. Vincent was painfully aware of the dire situations he faced. Vincent’s response was extraordinary. What can we learn from the way Vincent and Pope Francis responded?
Month: February 2022
St. Vincent, Pope Francis, and Synodality?
One of my favorite images of the synodal process is “a journey of dialogue in which we learn how to recognize the presence of Christ walking besides us.”
Mothers and Mary – Model For Us As Church
We believe we are the body of Christ. Mary models for us how to be present in both the joyful and painful experiences Christ experiences in us as his Body TODAY.
Post-COVID Modern Day Rip Van Winkles
“If the poor remain without access to information technology, they will be further marginalized and locked into a cycle of poverty.” (1998 CM General Assembly)
Another way my thinking about Lent has changed
Looking back I thank God for the “wake up” call to pay attention to whether my actions are signs of God’s love.
How My Idea of Lent Has Changed
How has your idea of Lent changed? Instead of giving something up I now see as a time to wake up and grow up to an image of God’s love in the world today.
Mothers – Lessons Mary Learned and Teaches
How did Mary learn to be Mother of the Church”? What can we learn from her as Mother of the Church?
Lourdes and the Common Extremism of the Saints
Jesus rightly earned the title of extremist. Washing the feet of his followers could certainly be called an extreme. Giving his life to demonstrate what it means to love everyone… even those who had murderous hatred for him.
Valentine’s Day, Baptism, and Eucharist?
A woman wrote of the beginning years of her marriage: “I have become aware of what it means to be loved and it is that awareness of being loved that I am trying to share with others.” What a beautiful way of getting at yet another dimension of loving.
Please Don’t Feed the Trolls
Pope Francis and even Jesus got trolled. What can we learn from them about handling trolls?
A Transforming Surprise – Encounter With Jesus
Jesus’ disciples experienced a transforming surprise.
God does not come to us in the way we want God to come. God comes to us in the ordinariness of our daily lives… if we open our eyes to see and hear, especially the cries of the poor… we will see God.
A Parable of the Bike
“People in cars—nice, non-aggressive people—put me in danger all the time because they see the road from the privileged perspective of a car.”
Master Class – Encounter Between Old and Young
I never appreciated the fourth mystery of the rosary as an encounter between the old and the young. But it is a theme that runs through many of Pope Francis’ homilies on February 2.
Challenges of Change
A thread stitches almost all these posts together. Change! They all focused on something that called for a change. We are all on a journey of change together.
Rom 16, 13 reads: "Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother—a mother to me also." If this…
Have a blessed Holy Week!
I have never thought about the people that were named in the Gospels. I would agree that they may be…
Generally, I love the laconic nature of Mark's Gospel. The Passion narrative is very compelling in its starkness, with one…
Father John, Blessings to you as you step cautiously down that new path. Grace and Peace be with you!