Tag: connecting point

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, […]

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 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 […]

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, […]

How can I show love for those that bother me? Today’s Gospel is another well-known passage that contains a motto by which we should live as Christians:  …love your enemies, […]

How do I recognize God’s blessings in times of need? This week’s readings are full of Jesus’ teachings about the many gifts and blessings He has given to each of […]

One of my favorite sayings is “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.”  If you are like me, you have at times felt insecure in becoming more involved […]

I often take time to thank God for the gifts God has given me, and try to find ways to share those gifts with others. I thank God for the […]

Rejoice!! This Sunday’s readings bring us a message of rejoicing for we learn that the Spirit is upon Jesus AND upon us.  Jesus shows us clearly in the Gospel Reading […]

How can I trust that God’s got my back? This is for everyone – yes that means you, too – the overworked, high-stressed, short on time – busy person with […]

You are a beloved child of God…. And we are, “not because of any righteous deeds we have done but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:5) As this new year […]

Epiphany a good chance to reflect on the the story of the wisemen, three wealthy foreign “kings” who traveled a long way to seek Christ and offer him their gifts. […]

Most families manage well in times of anxiety and stress. Daily expressions of love can overcome most anything. The first place people go when under some stress is to prayer. […]

“How do I receive Jesus as the most important gift of Christmas?” Giving and receiving gifts at Christmas is a spiritual activity of the highest order.  Gifts are an expression […]

How can I make room for unexpected God moments? The Scripture from Luke this week tells of the moment when Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth to let her know she […]

How can I find strength to work through my daily anxieties? When I look back over the high & lows of my life, I sometimes wondered why God kept the […]

What can I learn from the changing of the seasons? Seasons remind us that change isn’t bad, especially when we’re prepared for it. Seasons are the epitome of predictable change. […]

Are we naturally creatures of responsive love or are we reactionary creatures of a variety of emotional responses good, bad and ugly? Habitual responses can be difficult to break especially […]

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. We find this quote in both the […]

This week in the Gospel we have the story of Bartimaeus the blind man. Bartimaeus was healed by Jesus because of his faith. Before he met Jesus Bartimaeus was blind […]

The school year has begun!  Our families dive into the many different communities; school, athletic, and dance; just to name a few. We will spend what we need to in […]

How can I let go of my selfish desires to support marriage covenants? The Scripture this week allows for reflection on the beauty of the covenant between Adam and Eve […]

When am I so focused on what I’m doing that I miss the service of others? In our own lives, we get wrapped up in our day-to-day routines, family, work, […]

In our Second Reading this weekend, St. James insists that authentic Christian Faith is always accompanied by good works.  We are not saved by faith alone.  We are not saved […]

When do fear and ignorance cause deafness in me? Fear is the anticipation of the possibility that something unpleasant will occur. Some types are actually due to ignorance or a […]

“How does my instinct to criticize others limit my awareness?” Sometimes the noise of everyday life can blind us to the positive ways many things are changing around us.  It’s […]

Many of us have difficulty dealing with unpleasant situations. We look for ways to avoid confrontations and conflict. In today’s Gospel, and over the past few weeks, Jesus challenged his […]

Sometimes I pretend not to know the truth or ignore a situation instead of helping. Sometimes when I see an injustice, I look the other way. I think most can […]

“How can I give life to a lifeless situation?” Have you ever taken a walk at night with only a flashlight to guide you?  If so, you have seen the […]

What difference does the Eucharist make in my life? I am a Jesuit (Society of Jesus) priest. We were founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius of Loyola and his companions. […]

We live in a country that values achievement and success. In trying to be successful sometimes, our weaknesses come out and expose us to the world. In this Sunday’s readings […]

Today the Church celebrates the Nativity of John the Baptist, whom Jesus himself called “the greatest man born of a woman.” (Matthew 11:11).  John’s greatness lied in the fact that […]

In what small ways can I honor a father? Our parents play a very special role in our lives.  Often times, they are the people who teach us right from […]

Fortunately, I grew up in a Catholic household nurtured and knowing from my earliest memories that God loves us very much and very perfectly.  He loves us even in moments […]

There is so much awesome power in the Holy Spirit! And on Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, we celebrate that power. Power, at its simplest, is the ability to […]

It is not just in our “modern day” that we are discouraged from speaking up and defending the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In my early days in the workforce, it […]

How can I grow in confidence to support others who need to know God? In order for us to “bear fruit” and be his disciples, we must support others who […]

“How do I let go of self-center ways to become the best version of myself?” Feelings come and go. Human emotions can sometime control you; leaving you to feel worry, […]

This, I believe, is not just a difficulty for “church professionals” but for people in general. We use phrases so often that the phrase loses the significance it should have […]

How can I reach out to people I normally avoid? The major issue is that we avoid people at all.  Jesus ate with tax collectors, accepted water and shared hope […]

In this past Sunday’s Gospel, we hear about Jesus’ authority. Jesus is in the temple preaching, teaching, and driving out demons. He is asking us to bring all of our […]

“Be not afraid!” are the very first words with which the angel greets the lowly shepherds as they keep watch over the sheep in the dead of night. They are […]

Most of the times, what we really need is only a heart of surrender and always trust what God has plan for our life. Doing the best we can and […]

The beginning of a new year is often a time when we take a close look at ourselves, assess our relationships, our physical well-being, and other important areas of our […]

Wisdom is a gift God has granted to all of us. We search for God in our lives even though we may not always have a clear idea of what […]