Category: Connecting Point

This week’s readings (and Connecting Point) continue the theme of transformation. Last week in the gospel, Jesus healed the blind man and transformed his life. This week, Jesus is once […]

How can seeing the world as Jesus does allow me to be transformed? This weekend, we hear the story of the man born blind. Back then, the popular belief was […]

How is the living water of my baptism transforming me today? Water is necessary for life. It is so essential that scientists search for its presence on other planets in […]

How do I live out the holy life to which God is calling me? “He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works, but […]

How will I resist even the smallest temptations this Lent?  In the Gospel today, Jesus is alone in the desert and shows complete obedience to his Father’s will.  Jesus tells […]

Who do I need to pray for and love? In the Gospel, from Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us how we are to respond when people are violent […]

How can I seek God’s wisdom in daily challenges? We make many decisions throughout the course of our day.  Some decisions require more wisdom than others, ranging from how much […]

When have I witnessed Christ’s light shining through someone? “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5: 14 Fr. Ron […]

How can my light guide others toward Christ? In today’s first reading the Prophet Malachi tells us that God says, “I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before […]

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 […]