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 too much to do and so little time to “get-r-done”. …
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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 begins, perhaps a resolution would be to remember that we …
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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. There is a lot of mystery surrounding who they actually …
Read MoreMost 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. I don’t mean structured prayer (the rosary, for example) but …
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“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 of our mutual love and support: they are the …
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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 was pregnant and would be the Mother of our Savior, …
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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 darkness. When the pressure of everyday life leads to sleepless …
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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. We know what kind of change to expect with seasons. …
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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 in intense situations. Old habits of responding out of our …
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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 first reading and Gospel this Sunday. Jesus quotes the …
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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 from birth and grew up a beggar. Bartimaeus’ blindness kept …
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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 order to be a member of these communities. We will …
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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 and on the Sacrament of marriage.
My wife and I …
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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, exercise, technology, etc. that we miss opportunities to perform good …
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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 by works alone. We are saved by faith and works …
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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 lack of knowledge or understanding”.
For some of us, the …
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“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 easier to want to criticize when we see something new …
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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 disciples and not many could accept it. Can we?
In …
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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 admit that we have done this at some point, right?…
“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 power that a small light can provide. Living as creatures …
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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. Ignatius, our first superior general, was from the …
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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 St. Paul says, “Through the power of Christ we are …
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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 Jesus was the focus of his life. He drew people …
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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 wrong. They are the people who instill a work ethic. …
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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 when we aren’t necessarily “lovable”. ..and yes, even when we …
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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 do something, to act, to accomplish. Another way is that …
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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 was a long established “rule” that you didn’t discuss politics …
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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 need it; who need to know God’s love.
Growing up …
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“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, fear, and self-centerness. God calls us to let go of …
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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 in our lives. We sing, pray and proclaim the “Glory …
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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 desires and worries to him so that he can guide …
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“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 also the first words the angel Gabriel addressed to the …
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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 letting God take the rest is what we call FAITH. …
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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 lives, and make concrete plans to live fuller, healthier lives. …
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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 his plan is for us. In our journey we are …
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Which Commandment is greater?
Love your God or love your neighbor?
They’re actually more related than you might think.
Find out how in Matt’s Connecting Point reflection for this week.
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Our first reading this weekend gives us the Church’s answer to the Gospel’s question about what belongs to God and what belongs to Caesar. All the power that the Persian ruler Cyrus holds comes from God. Just so with Caesar. …
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The danger of our being a Christian is when we start to feel secured and comfortable; that mentality can oftentimes blind us and lead us to what we call “cheap grace,” grace without good works, grace without authentic discipleship, grace …
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Throughout my life, I can define moments when I believed that I was held back from achieving a goal because of some fault of my own, or factors out of my control. I loved sports and wanted to play them …
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Forgiveness can be an uncomfortable challenge. Jesus tells this story after Peter proposes an extravagant limit of forgiveness. He uses the biblical number of perfection, “seven times”. Jesus changes seven to seventy-seven indicating infinity and challenging us to even surpass …
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Asking for forgiveness is not easy, but find out what is even a greater challenge.
Matt explains in his reflection of this week’s Connecting Point.
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In John’s Gospel 1:45-51, Nathanael says to Philip, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Nathanael (aka Bartholomew) had a bad attitude toward Jesus even before he actually met him simply because of where he was from.
In contrast, Jesus had …
In today’s gospel we are challenged to open our hearts and minds to hear God’s Word and discern how God is using us in this world. We can, through prayer and meditation, determine God’s “plan” for us. God’s gift of …
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When we get to know someone well, and care about them, we often do things simply to please the other person. These relationships are important pieces in our lives. When we understand ourselves as Christians, we identify with Jesus. Putting …
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Is communion truly the Body of Jesus and his Blood? How can it be when you see and taste wine and a little round host? They are symbols of Jesus’ body and blood, right? WRONG! We bring our gifts of …
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It’s cloudy this June 9, 2017 Michigan morning, yet the birds know and I know the sun has risen.
I write this reflection in consideration of the many blessings we will be celebrating this evening:
60 Years of sharing our …
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When we think of Pentecost, the first thing that comes to mind is the Holy Spirit .
So why is our Connecting Point about forgiveness?
At the end of the gospel that we hear this weekend, Jesus tells his disciples …
“How can I bring the Word to the community.”
The Great Commission should be a part of how we live our lives every day as Catholics. However, it takes a different approach today to reach people than it did 2000 …
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If we as followers of Christ reflect the Gospel message we reflect his character through the Holy Spirit. “This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples – when they see the love you have for each other.”(John …
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