Tag: reflections
The threads of our lives (Journaling)
Sometimes when I think of God, the image of a weaver comes into my mind. Then I imagine and infinite number of threads being brought together to make some sort of tapestry. All kinds of threads; some thick, others so thin that you can barely see them, some of the strings so strong that they… Read More ›
Three Tips For Getting More Out of the Homily
Let’s be honest: We’ve all attended Masses with less than stellar homilies, right? Not all priests (or deacons) are naturally gifted orators, but when their monotone, let’s-repeat-the-Gospel message emerges, we tend to tune out. By the time Mass ends, we realize we may have missed an important point from the homily, but is the homily really… Read More ›
How to Discern: a Guide by St. Alphonsus de Liguori
If we are truly going to discern by focusing on the Lord, whether it be what our vocation is in life or whether or not we should go on that weekend trip, there are some practical measures we can take so that His will in our lives remains clear. Our friend the great Italian 18th… Read More ›
Reaping the Whirlwind: A reflection on the deepening darkness that celebrates homosexual unions and activity
There is, among faithful Catholics [Christians], a dismay, and even an understandable anger at the events unfolding at the Supreme Court these past days related to to gay unions. And even if the court were to uphold traditional marriage (which does not seem likely), or merely return the matter to the States, it seems quite… Read More ›
Psalm 150: Music, hymnody should be worthy of the greatness of the Liturgy
1. Psalm 150, which we have just proclaimed, rings out for the second time in the Liturgy of Lauds: a festive hymn, an “alleluia” to the rhythm of music. It sets a spiritual seal on the whole Psalter, the book of praise, of song, of the liturgy of Israel. The text is marvelously simple and… Read More ›
Suggested Reading for Lent
“On the days of Lent, from morning until the end of the third hour let them apply themselves to their reading, and from then until the end of the tenth hour let them do the work assigned them. And in these days of Lent they shall each receive a book from the library, which they… Read More ›
Moving toward a low-impact environment
Large numbers of people are staying away from mainline church services precisely because they do not want to be put to sleep; much organized religion is seen as all too boring. The absence of religion does not necessarily make them more socially aware. An alternative source of desensitization has emerged. Our excitement-prone generation is looking… Read More ›
St. Bernard: “a sword has truly pierced your soul!”
In another famous Sermon on the Sunday in the Octave of the Assumption the Holy Abbot described with passionate words Mary’s intimate participation in the redeeming sacrifice of her Son. “O Blessed Mother”, he exclaimed, “a sword has truly pierced your soul!… So deeply has the violence of pain pierced your soul, that we may… Read More ›
Small Things and Possibility: An Advent Reflection
We live in a world in which bigger and better define our expectations for much of life. We have become so enamored by super size, super stars, and high definition that we tend to view life through a lens that so magnifies what we expect out of the world that we tend not to see… Read More ›
Thank you for…
Gratitude is not only the posture of praise but it is also the basic element of real belief in God. When we bow our heads in gratitude, we acknowledge that the works of God are good. We recognize that we cannot, of ourselves, save ourselves. We proclaim that our existence and all its goods come… Read More ›