“Anyone who loves their family more than me is not worthy of me. But who can be worthy of you, Lord,with such high standards? My family—father, mother, brother, daughter—are dear to me and essential for truly living.” They inspire me to be true and authentic, motivating me to be my best self. We, even though…
Happy Father’s Day! In today’s readings we see the ups and downs of the lives of a prophets, sent by God to be His messengers. On this special day, let’s compare prophets and fathers, their journeys, and their relationship with God. The first similarity between prophets and fathers is they are both called to a…
“Do not be afraid, do not fear, do not be intimidated.” These are the three principles of a good educator:do not be afraid, do not instill fear, and free others from fear. Jesus’ deeply human approach to education: what matters is a new relationship, one in which there is no room for fear. And yet…
“When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them.” Everything that follows springs from compassion, a term of infinite power and intensity: the Master feels pain for the world’s pain, for humanity’s great suffering. Jesus is compassion, the weeping of God made flesh. To weep is to love with one’s eyes. “The harvest is…
Corpus Christi illustrates a desert journey marked by fatigue and discouragement, because in the inhospitable desert, life could fail at any moment, yet not with God overlooking the needs of his people. “Remember the journey,” whispers the first reading. Remember! For forgetfulness is the root of all evil. Remember the desert and the mountain, the…
In our reading from Exodus, Moses is conversing with God about the future of his people and their relationship with Him. Moses says, “Accompany us in life. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own.” This is an example of how we invite God into…
To describe the Trinity, Jesus uses names very familiar in our Catholic faith—household names—names that embrace and forge bonds: Father, Son, Holy Spirit—the breath that instills life. The Feast of the Trinity is the proclamation that God is not solitude in himself, but communion, bond, and embrace. That he reaches out to us and gives…
The Holy Spirit symbolizes God’s freedom, breaking monotony and embracing harmony. Its renewing nature acts like the shore to a ship, and a longing for the sea for those at home. God often works in unexpected ways, providing Mary with an unconventional son and Elizabeth with a prophetic son; the Word of God conveys the…
Ascension: the time of bread and fish around the fire on the lakeshore is over. The time of names spoken one by one —names that seemed to burn on his lips—is over. The Ascension is the feast of His presencein a different way: Jesus has not gone far away,but forward and deep within; not beyond…
Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers! The concept that “Mother knows best,” in all matters related to her children, has been around almost as long as mothers have, and seems to be part of God’s design for motherhood. A mother is called to combine a life of frequent multitasking, remembering birthdays, doctor appointments, and…