As anyone who has followed the Lord for some time can attest, there are certain aspects of our Faith that simply cannot be grasped right away. It takes time, prayer, and spiritual growth to ready our hearts for these more mysterious realities. One of the greatest of these mysteries is the wisdom of the Cross – that is, the intimate connection between suffering and love.
Read MoreHe is coming! This refrain re-echoes in the Church’s liturgy throughout the Advent season, but during this final week before Christmas, the expectant Bride of Christ redoubles her enthusiastic expectation. The readings for this Sunday focused in a special way on the First Coming of Christ – the Incarnation – and how God prepared the way for His Son to enter into human history.
Read MoreOnce we have faithfully supplied what little we can to feed our lamp, then we can “sleep” with confidence that our Father will provide for us in the midst of our weakness.
Read More“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind … you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But what exactly is love?
Read MoreGod can and does make use of everything and everyone in accomplishing His loving Will! St. Paul of the Cross often exhorted his spiritual directees to “take everything directly from the hands of a loving God.” Even in adverse circumstances, He is working for our good!
Read MoreThe First Reading from Ezekiel and the Gospel from Matthew have the same overarching message: God sees us as we are, not as we were.
Read MoreThe Apostles themselves are certainly the first “laborers in the vineyard,” yet they must not for that reason consider themselves superior. They must, rather, be prepared to rejoice in God’s equal generosity with those who are not called to such strenuous labors on behalf of the Kingdom of God.
Read MoreWriting as he is to potential martyrs, the Apostle wants to instill in them – and in us! – what the saints have often called “holy indifference.” That is, we can be at peace and even joyful in both good and bad circumstances, since we see in all of them the will of our Heavenly Father Whom we trust with all our hearts.
Read MoreIt is the Passionists’ particular mission in the Church, as well as our great joy, to teach people in our deeply wounded world how their pain has meaning when united with the Passion of Christ
Read More“The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” On the one hand, this could be seen as an assurance that the Church will have impregnable defenses against the Evil One. In the other hand, it could mean that the powers of darkness will be unable to resist when the Church goes on the offense!
Read More“It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” What on earth could have prompted Jesus to respond in such an uncharacteristic fashion?
Read MoreAt first glance, St. Peter’s “bid me come to You on the water” in today’s Gospel seems like a crazy request. Should he, storm-tossed and terrified, be asking to leave behind the last scrap of safety he has by stepping out of the boat?
Read MoreNot only are we searching for God, but He is searching for us! And if we “sell everything we have” to embrace the Kingdom, it is only because He first “sold everything” in the Incarnation and Redemption to purchase the priceless “pearl” that is each human soul!
Read MoreThe complexity of the human heart means that our ability and willingness to receive the Word vary tremendously.
Read MoreAt first glance, today’s readings can seem a bit intimidating – persecution, betrayal, fear, and “fiery Gehenna!” A closer look, however, reveals some beautiful lessons about how to endure suffering in this life with peace and even joy.
Read MoreThis Sunday we celebrated the most central and yet hardest-to-grasp mystery of our Christian faith: the Holy Trinity. This inner secret of the life of God, though only revealed in its fullness through Christ, is foreshadowed in many hidden ways even in the Old Testament.
Read MoreWhile the Church may not celebrate today with quite as much external “pomp and splendor” as she does the Resurrection or the coming of the Holy Spirit, a close reading of the liturgy reveals that the Ascension is far more important than we might initially think!
Read MoreToday’s readings reflect the Church’s excitement that Pentecost – her “birthday” – is drawing ever closer!
Read MoreThis Sunday’s Gospel is taken from Jesus’ beautiful Last Supper discourse in the Gospel of John. We began our discussion at the very start of the passage, where Our Lord states clearly, “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”
Read MoreThe One Who is the narrow Gate is also the loving Shepherd, and as our Psalm says, “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.” He has chosen to enter into our suffering so that we might never be alone.
Read More
