ST. MONICA AND ST. AUGUSTINE
How often do we give up on friends or family members who are obstinate or dismissive when it comes to our faith? This can be painful and it feels like a personal attack. St. Monica (c. 332 – 387) faced these situations…
Category Feast Day
IT IS GOOD FOR US TO BE HERE
All three synoptic Gospels tell us of the Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1–8, Mark 9:2–13, Luke 9:28–36). Jesus is on the Mount of Olives with his friends. They witness him start to glow with beams of light. Moses (the giver of the Law)…
MARY, MARTHA AND LAZARUS: THE OTHER HOLY FAMILY
Besides Mary, Joseph and Jesus, there is another exemplary family that played an important role in the life of Jesus. That is the family of his dear friends – Mary, Martha and Lazarus. John’s glimpse into their lives is both…
ST. ANNE AND ST. JOACHIM: A TIME NOT OUR OWN
Saints Anne and Joachim were parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus. Though not mentioned in the Bible, their story has been part of the Catholic tradition for millennia. They were a religiously devout couple. They were…
ST. MARY MAGDALENE: BELOVED AND BELONGING
The feast of St. Mary Magdalene has a double meaning for me. In one sense, the person of Mary Magdalene is an enigma in many ways. There are lots of different ideas about who she was, what she experienced to…
CELEBRATING THE FEAST OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
I was fortunate enough to work for several years at a parish that was richly diverse in culture. The church was located near a major airport and demographically expressed the patterns of immigration. For many years, it has been predominantly…
VISITATIONS
On this final day of May, the month of Mary, we celebrate the feast of the Visitation. We contemplate this passage from Luke’s Gospel that comes immediately after the account of the Annunciation. In those days Mary set out and…
“KINDNESS BEYOND EXPECTATION”
My deep gratitude and appreciation for that simple sentence was born during a time of quiet prayer. In a grace-filled moment, the Holy Spirit gently nudged me to consult a dictionary for the actual meaning of the word mercy. Raised…
ST. PATRICK
How much do you know about St. Patrick? Did you know that he was not born in Ireland? He was born a Romano-British citizen in the 5th century and so much of what is said about Patrick is a legend.…
WHEN LIFE THROWS YOU OFF YOUR HORSE: THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL
“The conversion of St. Paul was a turning point in the history of the early Church.” This powerful statement, offered in the Living with Christ missalette, highlights the commentary for the feast we celebrate today. St. Paul continues to be…