Category: Connecting Point

How can I be a light to foster unity in a divided world? In the first and second readings this weekend there are two themes that jump out to me. […]

How can I make the Lord known to others? Last week we celebrated the Baptism of the Lord.  It is an important time when Jesus begins his ministry.  Salvation has […]

What parts of my life are pleasing to God? “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”  Matthew 3:17  In Jesus, the Son of God, we see […]

How can I welcome neighbors and friends who do not share our faith? “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with […]

How can my family help others? “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father […]

Having heard the angels sing, having followed the shepherds to the manger; having gathered with our faith community to celebrate that most sacred night; having come together with family and friends to […]

Where is God calling me to greater trust? Trust can be a very difficult thing, especially when we have been betrayed by someone close to us.  Maybe we are the […]

John the Baptist, the messenger, has been sent and he has prepared us for the coming of our Lord. We can feel a sense of rejoicing begin as we move […]

What obstacles are keeping me from being welcoming to all? I don’t think there is anyone who would say that they aren’t welcoming. Whether talking about our church or our home, […]

What am I hiding that I don’t want others to see? This week’s connecting point is for the first Sunday in Advent.  It is a time of reminding ourselves that […]

How can I recognize God’s love and give thanks? One of my favorite stories about recognizing Jesus is the “road to Emmaus.” Jesus opens the scriptures and tells the disciples […]

How can my life be a testimony of God’s goodness? You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. […]

How do I remain faithful through the trials I believe that it is our dreams which give meaning to our lives. Our dreams move us and sustain us through difficult […]

Who around me is in need today? “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.  For the Son of Man has come […]

We can all be arrogant, so how can I cast mine off? Arrogance can be defined as “unpleasantly behaving as if you are more important than, or know more than […]

How can I find the strength to pray even when I’m burned out? Like most people, I work hard to meet deadlines, fulfill obligations, and spend time with family & […]

How can I give thanks when God answers my prayer?  In today’s reading Jesus comes across ten lepers who cry out asking for the Lord to have pity on them.  […]

How can I trust that God hears me when I pray? Habakkuk, in the first reading, is in great anguish crying for the Lord to respond for help.  It seems […]

How can deeper awareness lead to acts of compassion? Our Connecting Point question emerges from the content and dynamics of the story/parable/allegory from Jesus known as “the Rich Man and […]

How does prayer guide me to do the right thing? We learn to pray at certain moments by hearing the Word of the Lord and sharing in his Paschal mystery, […]

How can my living attract someone who is lost? I remember when I was in my twenties someone asked me what I thought was the most attractive feature of a […]

How can I rely more on God’s wisdom and less on my own?” We live in a time when knowledge and information are easily accessible. If you want to find […]

I write my Connecting Point reflections in the evening after taking about an hour to sit and pray with Jesus. For this reflection, I prayed for quite a few days […]

How can I up my game to enter the kingdom? From Luke’s Gospel, we read that Jesus responded to the question, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” by […]

How can I get fired up for Christ’s mission? It was that time of year again. Football Season! Michigan State vs. University of Michigan. The food was prepared and the […]

How do I find the courage to live my faith? Music; especially prayerful, powerful sacred music. Life can be frightening with all the bad stuff happening around us,  but we […]

How can I use my hard work to glorify God? ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;and the things you have prepared, to whom will they […]

What impact does prayer have on my daily life? “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of […]

How can I choose to be more attentive in the moment? Have you ever been in a situation where you’re in a group having a conversation with friends or family, […]

What more can I do to show others mercy? Jesus is tested by a law scholar on how to inherit eternal life. When Jesus asks him what the law says, […]

How do I find the trust to take a risk? In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends the seventy disciples to continue his work of “casting out demons.”  In this context, ‘demons’ […]

How can following the Lord lead me to true freedom?  When I think of freedom, many ideas and images enter by mind. I think of the brave men and women that […]

How can I do more with what little I have? Today we hear the well-known story of Jesus feeding the multitude gathered before him with only five loaves and two […]

How does the Trinity shape wisdom, faith and truth in my life? As a lifelong Catholic and a long time employee of the Church, I feel that I should have […]

“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you […]

How do I live as a witness to Christ’s message? My father passed away when I was 16 years old.  I was in the tenth grade, frozen with fear, and not […]

How can I find Christ’s Peace when I am not feeling peaceful? Finding peace has been very difficult for me lately.  Most days I am literally one hot mess of […]

Love one another. God instructs us to “Love one another.” It seems difficult, this act of offering love to all. What does it mean to love one another? Have you […]

How is a good mother like a good shepherd? In recent months two of my nieces, both of whom grew up and received all of their sacraments at St. Isidore, […]

How can I realize Christ when I’m struggling? Jesus is on the shore off in the distance while the disciples were on the boat fishing all night. They did not […]

I think we all have people in our lives, often including close friends and family, who are just not ready to believe in Christ. We hope that Christ will one […]

Keep your eyes open to see Christ Today! In John’s account of the Resurrection, we are told that as the Beloved Disciple entered the empty tomb he “saw and believed.”  […]

How can I commit myself to Jesus to honor his sacrifice this week? There are several opportunities for you to honor all Christ has done for us this week. Sacred […]

“How can I show compassion for those I am tempted to condemn?” In today’s society we see people placing judgment and giving condemnation in the news, at school, in the […]

What relationship in my life do I need to unconditionally reconcile? This weekend we find ourselves halfway through the Season of Lent.  We began the Season on Ash Wednesday by […]

What can I do to adjust my attitude and be a more positive influence on others? Be Positive! I remember one of the first cell phones that I ever purchased […]

How can I adjust my attitude to be a more positive influence on others? Be Positive! I remember one of the first cell phones that I ever purchased allowed users […]

Where are the dark places in my life that need light? This week’s Gospel reading discusses the Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The word “transfigured” comes from […]

How can I block temptations and focus on deeper desires? Where do we look for help to deal with temptations? How do we block out the daily temptations that plague […]

When has my focus on the shortcomings of others blinded me to my own? This is a difficult question to answer. If we are truly blind to our own shortcomings, […]