The following reflections are from my time in Meditative or Imaginative prayer.  I share them with you in the hope that they will be helpful in your own Spiritual Journey and to encourage you to spend time sitting and praying with the Scripture, actively listening to what the Lord wants to say to you through them.

Most of my daily reflections on based on the Daily Gospel Readings available through the USCCB website. Before opening any Scripture verse, I ask our Holy Mother, Mary, to request on my behalf that her Son, Jesus, would send the Holy Spirit to aid me in my selection of the verse or words to focus on, guide me in my reflection, help me in understanding what He is saying, and in recognizing how what I learn applies in my life or the lives of others. I encourage to come up with your own prayer for this purpose.

Although I try to make sure to reflect and journal every day. There are days when it's a struggle and I feel like my reflections are forced. When that happens, I don't post those but note the dryness of that time in prayer for myself.

Hometown Prophet

July 31, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 13:54-58

“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.”

It is human nature to form opinions about people, especially those we encounter frequently. We assume that we know them from the experience of our interactions with them. We categorize or label them, typically by their weaknesses or limitations. As a result, we often anticipate how they will respond in situations and predetermine what if anything they say may be worth listening to.

No matter how justified we may think our assumptions are, I have come to recognize that this is a sin. We have judged them. We have closed our hearts to the possibility of God working in them or through them. Through the grace of God, we are all potentially on a journey of Spiritual growth. But it is not one with a steady, smooth upward trajectory. On the contrary, it is usually filled with periods of plateauing and descending followed by sudden upward movements. Therefore, we should expect that those we think we know well are on the same journey that we hope we are on. We should leave ourselves open to the possibility of seeing a new work of God being done in them.

Likewise, we know that God uses the foolish to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:27) So, it is the message and not the messenger that should be the focus of our discernment efforts. If the citizens of Nazareth had done this, what mighty works might Jesus have been able to perform among them. 

Clay in His Hands

July 30, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of Jeremiah 18:1-6

“ Whenever the object of clay which he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again.”

This is a beautiful image of the love and patience of God. It is amazing that He continues to work with us, desiring to make something useful and beautiful out of us. As Job notes, “you fashion me like clay.” (Job 10:9) However, my Pastor noted in his homily today that this can only be done when the clay is soft. By this, he was referring to our hearts. A hard heart like hardened clay cannot be molded or formed. So, unless it can be softened once more, it is not fit for its purpose and must be discarded.

Just as water can soften clay, God’s living waters can soften a hard heart if we will allow it. It is sin that hardens our hearts, like hot dry air drying the clay out a little at a time with each occurrence. With each sin, we are giving the Lord a little less of ourselves to work with.

It is humility that softens our hearts, that invites the restoring waters of grace, through the acknowledgement and confession of our sins. It is beautiful to think of the Lord never tiring to make something of us. Think of the myriad shapes and uses of vessels and objects made of clay, each one with its own purpose. Then we are invited to look around and see God at work in the people we encounter.  

Look and See

July 23, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 13:10-17

“ they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.”

I don't know how many times that I have read through several pages of a book before realizing that I could not recall a single thing of what I had just read; or had someone speaking to me and realized that I did not know what they had just told me. In every case it was because I was not fully present and engaged with my mind and heart. To see, or listen, and understand requires our active engagement. There must be a desire to understand.

But too often with things of a spiritual nature, we lack that desire. Why? Perhaps because we have placed our desires elsewhere or we value what we see more than that which we cannot see. This is a great tragedy because spiritual goods are of far greater value than material ones. (Recall the parable of the pearl of great price. Matt 13:45-46) If we would just open ourselves, through God's grace, to be fully present to Jesus’ Word and His example we would begin to understand. We would begin to see with greater clarity.

I believe it is helpful to think of this world, this reality as a womb. Just as the first womb was for our physical development, this second womb is for our spiritual development. Just as we developed from an embryo to a fetus to a baby, we now develop from the Purgative, to the Illuminative, to the Unitive state of our spiritual life. The goal is to become like God here on earth, a true child of God ready to join Him in heaven. It is His love that forms us in this way and His grace that makes it possible, if we would only desire it and actively engage in accepting it.

The First Slave

July 25, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 20:20-28

“ whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.”

Saint Paul's verse, “but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness,” (Phil 2:7) came to mind as I started to reflect on this gospel. Jesus, the first among firsts, sets the example and models what it takes to be like Him. Typical of Jesus’ teachings, we find that the path up is the path down.

In His choice of words, the implication is that we must be a slave to all, not just someone we love. That's the sort of slave Jesus modeled for us. Yet, as I consider this, only Jesus was capable of being a slave to all people because of His divine nature. He served all of us through all eternity as our Redeemer. As St Paul writes, “so that he might come to have first place in everything.” (Col 1:18b)

So, we in our serving can only serve the people God places in our lives. But to make ourselves a slave to those people is a tough task. We must place their needs above our own. We must empty ourselves as Jesus did. We must empty our ego, our dreams, our desires, and attachments to material things to be readily at the service of others. We must be content with whatever the Master chooses to give us. This is no small sacrifice that Jesus is suggesting here. But the reward is far greater than the sacrifice. On this feast of Saint James the apostle, I am reminded that through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we are capable of carrying this out. 

Good Fruit

July 24, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 13:18-23

“ But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit,”

I listened to a brief podcast video by Father Mike Schmitz last night on the fruit produced by the seed in rich soil. He questioned whether that fruit is the fruits of the Holy Spirit that grow within us in response to our acceptance, understanding, and adherence to God’s Word. Some other teachers might suggest that the fruit is the spread of God’s Word to others. But in typical Catholic fashion, I would suggest that it is both and. For it occurs to me that fruit is useful in several ways: it provides nourishment and feeds God's creatures, it is also a means by which God nourishes and enriches the soil, and it is the source of additional seed for sowing.

The key point of course in this parable is to be one of those who hear and understand. We must pray for the grace of wisdom and understanding. We must spend time with God's Word; reflect on it and let it grow in our hearts. We must also put His Word into practice, so that it puts down deep roots in our soul. Then God will take care of the rest.

On a separate note, related to this parable, it occurred to me earlier in the week, that one reason the seed may be spread so randomly on both good and bad soil, is that God is using us to do the sowing. It struck me that the Sower must be blind to throw good seeds on the path or on rocky soil. Obviously, God is not blind. The soil is a person’s heart, and God sees and knows their heart. But we don’t; we are blind to men’s hearts. God knows this, but since He wants us to cooperate in His work with Him, He lets us do the sowing on His behalf.

We are not accountable for the fruit that gets produced by others, only for our work in sowing. We must trust that some seeds will hit good soil. We should also recognize that a few well-placed seeds will yield more fruit than thousands on the path. So, it is not the quantity of seeds sown but sowing what God gives us to sow; in the place he assigns us to sow it. And never stop trying to sow. Finally, since the outcome is completely out of our control, we can take no pride in the fruit that appears; only solace to the extent that we have cooperated with God in the process. 

Look and See

July 23, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 13:10-17

“ they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.”

I don't know how many times that I have read through several pages of a book before realizing that I could not recall a single thing of what I had just read; or had someone speaking to me and realized that I did not know what they had just told me. In every case it was because I was not fully present and engaged with my mind and heart. To see, or listen, and understand requires our active engagement. There must be a desire to understand.

But too often with things of a spiritual nature, we lack that desire. Why? Perhaps because we have placed our desires elsewhere or we value what we see more than that which we cannot see. This is a great tragedy because spiritual goods are of far greater value than material ones. (Recall the parable of the pearl of great price. Matt 13:45-46) If we would just open ourselves, through God's grace, to be fully present to Jesus’ Word and His example we would begin to understand. We would begin to see with greater clarity.

I believe it is helpful to think of this world, this reality as a womb. Just as the first womb was for our physical development, this second womb is for our spiritual development. Just as we developed from an embryo to a fetus to a baby, we now develop from the Purgative, to the Illuminative, to the Unitive state of our spiritual life. The goal is to become like God here on earth, a true child of God ready to join Him in heaven. It is His love that forms us in this way and His grace that makes it possible, if we would only desire it and actively engage in accepting it.

All Evildoers

July 19, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 13:24-43

“ all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.”

These are the ones that Jesus says, the angels will gather up and cast into the fire. In the context of the parable that opens this gospel, these are the “weeds.” We probably believe that we have a pretty good idea of what an evildoer looks like: a murderer, a robber, an atheist, and so on. For if we can see “the splinter in a brother's eye,” we can't miss the log. I also suspect that most of us are confident that we don't and won't fit into the category of being an evildoer. Therefore, we might feel safe from the “eternal fire.” But the verse also includes those “who caused others to sin.” That part should give us pause. Who has not caused someone else to sin? Whether by what we've done or failed to do? How often do we even consider that, let alone confess our part in that sin?

For each of us, the day of harvest comes sooner rather than later. It comes at a time when we least expect it. We are not judged on some average of our behaviors over time, but the state of our soul at the time of harvest. (See Ezekiel 18: 21- 29 ) In his homily today, my pastor reminded us of the witness of Saint Maria Goretti and the young man who murdered her. In brief, she forgave him as she lay dying from her wounds and prayed that he would one day be in heaven with her. While still unrepentant and serving his time in prison, he experienced a vision of her bringing lilies to him in forgiveness of each of the wounds that he had inflicted on her. Full of remorse after that experience, he turned his life around. Ultimately, he died as a lay member of the Franciscans. It appears that Maria received what she asked for. This “evildoer” who looked like a weed turned out to be a stalk of wheat.  So, in just this one example we see the wisdom and mercy of God in letting the weeds grow with the wheat.

But this story illustrates another point that my pastor made: to think of our hearts as the field where the weeds and wheat are sown. This made me consider my desire to be rid of every vice and sinful thought: my personal “weeds.” Yet, if I was successful at this too quickly, even with God's help, I know I would be in the greater danger of self-righteous pride. Because it is these faults that keep me humble. Therefore, I must let God be the one to carefully pull each weed at the proper time.

The Kingdom of God is in each of our hearts and not just a place to be visited at the end of time. I believe that each of the parables in this gospel describe something of the nature of that Kingdom and the ongoing battle we will face against our enemy. (In other Scripture verses, “birds of the sky” and “leaven or yeast” are symbolically used to represent the enemy or evil.) So, our prayer must be that we will always nurture and cherish what is good in our hearts; that we will not cause others to sin or be caught among the evildoers on the day of our harvest.

I Desire Mercy

July 17, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 12:1-8

“ I desire mercy not sacrifice.”

There is a certain irony in this verse because mercy is a sacrifice. It is a sacrifice made by the one who offers it. It is a sacrifice of the justice that the person is entitled to. I believe that God desires mercy for it is an attribute of His love, of who He is. When we offer Him our gift of mercy by extending it towards another member of His creation, we are offering something that is unique to the one true God. Humans have been sacrificing animals, other humans, and assorted physical possessions to every fake form of a god that they could imagine. But mercy? That is something truly one-of-a-kind. Unlike other sacrifices, there is no material substance to it. Yet, it can be harder to extend this offering than anything else in our possession at times. Because of its nature, it cannot be quantified in the usual ways. Rather, it is a gift that only the true God can measure the value of. I can think of only one very good reason to be merciful to someone else; it's because God, our Father, was first, is, and always will be merciful to us.

Rest in Me

July 16, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 11:28-30

“ Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest.”

As I was reflecting on this verse, I considered the various types of burdens that we carry: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Jesus is offering rest for all of these, and He invites us to come to Him in all these modes. For example, when I come to him physically and kneel before him in the sanctuary, especially during times of Adoration, I never fail to come away from that time more “rested” than when I arrived. Something similar happens when I take time to shut down all other thoughts and I try to put my mind and focus on God's presence. So, coming to Jesus physically or mentally, even without a single word being spoken, can yield the rest He offers. But for whatever form of prayer we practice to have the desired effect, we must be mentally present with Him in that prayer. Sometimes we pray and our minds are somewhere else. We've not really “come to” Him. 

Another beautiful way that we can go to Him and experience this rest is through the sacrament of Reconciliation. There are many wonderful testimonies of people bringing the burden of a sinful life to Jesus in the confessional and afterwards walking out of there with tears of joy streaming down their cheeks. They experience a lightness of heart as their burdens have been removed when they hear the voice of Christ saying, “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Peace but not peace

July 13, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 10:34-11:1

“ I have come to bring not peace but the sword.”

Jesus, the “Prince of peace,” whose “peace surpasses all understanding,” and who greets His apostles with, “peace be with you,” does not come to bring peace? I noted that he added “upon the earth.” “Not as the world gives peace do I give it,” He says. His peace is an interior peace, a tranquility of the spirit within us; that enables us to be at peace even amidst conflict.

He says that He comes to bring the sword. I recall the image from the Book of Revelation of the two-edged sword coming from His mouth. It is His Word that divides people, that pits son against father, etc. His Word is sharper than any “two-edged sword;” it divides joints from marrow, soul from spirit, and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrew 4: 12 ) Earlier, he described His Word as seed sown randomly. Even the sown seed divides, for it separates good soil from bad based on the fruitfulness of its produce.

But if He speaks Words of peace, why should His Word stir up conflict? Why do those who reject His Word get angry with those who accept it? Surely, it is not a two-way animosity; for His Word instructs believers to love their enemies. I can think of only one rational source: it must come from the one who has hated Him from the beginning. It must come from the enemy of all humanity. If Christ’s message is disturbing, we should consider the source of that disturbance.

Choked by thorns

July 12, 2026

Reflections on the Gospel of Matthew 13:1-23

“but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.”

There is a gradual progression in the hardness of heart, that we hear in this parable, of those who hear the word of God. Although every group who fails to bear fruit is a cause for sorrow, I think the saddest group is the one above. They have everything necessary to be fruitful: the soil and the roots. But they choose the less good, the created, over the Creator. Their lives are filled with fear and the unsatisfying pursuit of pleasure. In the first group cited, the enemy snatches away any understanding of God's word before it even has a chance at growth. In the group above though, he chokes it off right when it has a chance at attaining its full potential in the person. These thorn bushes that choke us are of course our own doing. They are a consequence of the fall of Adam and Eve.

So, let us then be soft-hearted, good soil, and good gardeners. Let us help one another to keep the thorns and thistles away. Let us substitute trust for fear and joy for pleasure. Let us yield a fruitful harvest as God intended.

Shrewd as Serpents

July 10, 2026

Reflections on the Gospel of Matthew 10:16-23

“so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.”

In reflecting on this verse, I thought of the rules of Saint Ignatius that teach us how to discern the movements and temptations of the enemy. The discernment of spirits is a form of the shrewdness that Jesus recommends. If we know and recognize the tactics of the “serpent,” we can reject them and avoid the pitfalls he is leading us toward. But the second part of the verse describes more the behaviors we should manifest: to be meek, humble, and peaceable in our dealings with others. There is something gentle in a dove’s nature, and the cooing sound it makes has a gentle and pleasing character. So should the sound of our conversations be with others. Jesus also calls us to live simply. This is the model of his own home life and upbringing. Finally, a dove does not fight back when it is attacked; its natural defense is to flee. Likewise, Jesus calls us to turn the other cheek and not resist 

Lost sheep

July 7, 2026

Reflections on the Gospel of Matthew 9:32-38

“because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.”

It occurs to me that there are two paths that lead to the situation described above: the sheep can wander away from the shepherd, while the shepherd is distracted and not watching the sheep, or the shepherd wanders away from the sheep. I believe in Jesus time it was more the latter. The “shepherds,” the priests, scribes and Pharisees, had left the people shepherd less. They had abandoned their primary function as shepherds, which was to look out for the spiritual welfare of the sheep; and, instead focused on their own physical welfare. I believe This is why Saint John the Baptist and Jesus were so hard on them. They had abandoned the souls in their care.

I selected this verse partly because it seemed to describe many people today. Although, there is certainly an element of our religious leadership not living up to their duties as shepherds, I believe most people who are troubled and abandoned are in that state because they wandered away from Jesus, the True Shepherd and their earthly shepherds have been too distracted or stretched too thin to notice. Therefore, it is incumbent on all of us, sheep and shepherds, to help lead them back to Him. 

Old Wineskins

July 4, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 9:14-17

“People do not put new wine into old wineskins.”

I believe this verse applies to our hearts as they prepare to receive God's grace, his love. It is why our hearts must be softened first. As the prayer goes, “Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts…” The Holy Spirit is the new wine and our hearts the wineskin. I reflected on the fact that old wineskins are like old habits and practices. When we sense that God is moving us in a new direction, we need to set aside our old ways, likes, and interests. It is the necessary detachment that is required for the Spirit to fill us with his new wine. This is not a comparison of the old wine vs the new; rather it is a recognition that the vessel must be new before we can receive what is new.

As a practical application of this point, I was planning today to go see some old friends and engage in some activities connected with my former involvement in youth futsal coaching. As I considered the time commitment for the trip and its impact on my open list of Spiritual Direction to-do’s, this verse came to mind. I realized that the “new wine” God had given me was not going to fit into that “old wineskin.” A little reluctantly, but knowing the truth of what I was hearing, I canceled the trip and ultimately felt better for having done that. Perhaps in the future there will be a time to bring something “old” out of the cellar, but for now the focus is on the new as it should be for all of us.  

Who is He?

June 29, 2026

Reflections on the Gospel of Matthew 16:13-19

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

In our modern age, some might say a “myth” or “mythological figure,” Some might say, “a religious or political leader” who rose up in response to the Roman occupation of Israel. I would hope and expect that most Christians would reply as Peter did by saying, “the Son of God.” Yet in my reflection today, I recalled the phrase, “actions speak louder than words.” So, who do we say Jesus is by our actions?

I believe He invites us all to consider, does my behavior reflect my true belief that Jesus is the Son of God? Am I continually reflecting on His words and living in accordance with His teachings, His commandments? Jesus said, “they will know you are my disciples by the love you have for one another.” So, does my love proclaim my belief in who Jesus is, or does it simply reinforce what others say about Him? This is the deeper question that He asks us in this Gospel.

Without cost!

June 14, 2026

Reflections on the Gospel of Matthew 9:36—10:8

“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

I was struck immediately by the fact that everything we have received has been without cost. By that I mean that it has been unmerited, unearned on our part. This is most especially true of the love of God, of His graces, and charisms. He has given us these things out of His goodness, out of love for us. His love is not restricted or held back only to be bestowed on the righteous. He loves all, the just and the unjust. For that reason, He expects us to love all too. In fact, every gift that He gives is meant to be given away, shared with others. We are not to judge or restrict the gifts that He gives to those we think have earned it or deserve it. That is what it means to say, “without cost.” We receive; we give. It becomes a virtuous cycle. I imagine it like breathing: we breathe in and we receive; we breathe out and we give. It is in this form or pattern of breathing that we can be fully alive: our hearts are now beating.

Why have you done this to us?

June 13, 2026

Reflections on the Gospel of Luke 2:41-51

"Son, why have you done this to us?”

With the tragedy at East Lake Community Church fresh on my mind, I could not help reflecting on how many times people have said similar words to Jesus. This is Mary, the Mother of God, asking this question. But I think she is merely demonstrating her humanity. It is in our human nature to react when something negative happens to us, with the focus on its personal impact. Although it must be noted that Mary in her goodness, does not say, “how could you do this to me?” Rather, she is concerned about the impact on Joseph too. Yet, when we hear Jesus’ reply, we recognize that he was not intentionally doing anything to Mary or Joseph at all. It was not about them but about He and the Father. It is easy to forget this lesson. When something negative happens to us, we should stop and ask ourselves: “how is this helping the Father's business? What good thing might God be doing in our midst”?

A Meek God

June 12, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 11:25-30

“for I am meek and humble of heart.”

It is amazing to think that the God of all creation describes Himself as meek and humble. Yet, He has proven that He is humble by taking on the form of a slave.” He was willing to lower Himself and restrict His powers to save us from ourselves. In trying to define meek in my own words, I found myself substituting the word “unimposing” for it. In effect, He restricts Himself by not imposing on our freedom of choice, our free will. He has the power, and as our Creator, the right to force His will upon us. But He restrains that power out of love. When I finally did look up the word meek in a dictionary, it described its Greek origin as “self-controlled power or strength.” That seems an apt application in God's case.

So, if God could make Himself meek and humble for our sake, it is no wonder that He has such distaste for the arrogant. How utterly absurd we must appear to Him when we are acting out of a prideful mindset. In closing, I considered the final words of this verse, “of heart,” as suggesting that God is meek and humble at the very core of his being. So should we be.

Eternal life

June 7, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of John 6:51-58

“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.”

There were two aspects that caused me to write down this verse for reflection. First, was the ending because of Jesus' opening comment about those in the desert eating manna and still dying. It could be extrapolated that Jesus was somehow promising a physical immortality, a life uninterrupted by physical death for those who eat His flesh. But His ending statement, “I will raise him…” makes clear that is not what He is offering us. It is life after death that he promises. Second, I wondered if it could really be that easy; that just by receiving the Eucharist eternal life is guaranteed. What about all the other Commandments? In reading my Catholic commentary on this, I was reminded that John uses a Greek word that graphically describes how animals eat in this sentence, by gnawing and chewing. Animals eat for sustenance, nourishment. Humans on the other hand sometimes eat for pleasure or out of a sense of duty. Sometimes, we eat in a disordered fashion that borders on or is sinful. I recognized that without the right disposition, it was entirely possible for a person to consume the Eucharist and have it pass right through their digestive system without having any impact on them. On the other hand, when we approach the Eucharist as necessary nourishment, there is humility in that recognition. Then the Eucharist can begin to change us, so that as Christ dwells in us, we become more like Christ.

The First Step,

June 4, 2026

Reflecting on the Gospel of Mark 12:34

“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

Understanding what God desires of us; knowing what His will is, is the first step towards His Kingdom. But it is the carrying out of His will that brings us to the goal. It is not usually done in one big step, although it can be. Rather, for most of us it is a daily and even hourly assessment and action. One tiny step after another and sometimes a backward step in between. It is this process by which we close the gap between ourselves and God's Kingdom. Where did the Scribe get his understanding to recognize the truth in Jesus’s response? It was from the grace of God. The Scribe stands for all of us who seek God's truth. He may not realize it, but his question is a prayer. He is praying to God in the person of Jesus for truth and understanding of God's commandments. Jesus says, “seek and you shall find.” He will always answer the prayer of those who genuinely seek truth. So, I must correct my earlier statement. It is seeking to know God's will that is the first step; Understanding and acting must then follow.

Layers

 June 1, 2026                                             

Reflection on the Letter of 2 Peter 1: 27                         

“make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love.”

I was struck by the feeling of growth in this counsel from Saint Peter; a sense of layers being added to the foundation of faith. It seems that he is recommending the materials and structure upon which we are building ourselves as temples for the Holy Spirit; the home in which Jesus and the Father will dwell.

It starts with the belief in Jesus: who he is, why he came, and what He promised. Then we add actions that demonstrate our belief. These are the virtues we practice, which necessitate the emptying of our vices. We add to that, time spent studying His Word, spiritual reading, and other media that will increase our knowledge. These steps help to solidify our faith against attacks. Self-control involves the efforts we make to subject our senses; so, we are not ruled by the desires of the flesh. Endurance describes the ongoing struggle to persist through periods of desolation or aridity; through the temptations and falls that will occur. Devotion is the time we set aside for God; To be alone with God, especially in Adoration. Mutual affection is the kindness and compassion we show to others as brothers and sisters in Christ. Love is the perfect unconditional love of God and neighbor.

In the Name of the Father

May 21, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of John 17:20-26

“I made known to them your name, and I will make it known.”

It struck me that the name of God that Jesus makes known to us, is “Father.” This is a powerful revelation to us by Jesus. It not only tells us something about who God is but who we are to Him. Yes, God is omnipotent and the creator of all things. He is beyond our sense of time and space, with no beginning or end. Therefore, to call him Lord, Creator, God almighty, or Master, would more naturally occur to us. But Father is something altogether different: it's personal. It is a name we would not dare come up with on our own. Jesus gives us not just a name but a relationship with God. Just as importantly, if not more so, with this name He gives us dignity. Despite our seeming nothingness in the expanse of the created universe, we are uniquely special to Him. We matter and our lives matter because God is our Father, and not just our Creator.

Jesus says, “and I will make it known.” We have an opportunity and obligation in that work: to make it known that God is our Father and we are His children, through Jesus Christ.

Go and Bear Fruit

May 14th, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of John 15:9-17.

“And appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain.”

Jesus has appointed them and us to go. He will later add “to all nations” as a clarification for His apostles. But for us now, it is enough to go into the world. We are to take his commandments, live them, and share the gospel with the world. For most of us our world consists of our family, friends, community, or place of work. We are called to bear fruit. Jesus says to do that we must remain on the vine with Him. If we love Him and keep his commandments, we remain with Him and He with us. We can expect to be pruned in the process. He will remove the useless things from our lives that distract us from our mission. He will help to free us from our disordered attachments. The fruit that we will bear is spiritual. We know that nothing physical will last in this world. Our spiritual fruit though remains forever. We ourselves are blessed today by the spiritual fruits of the apostles, martyrs, and the Saints who came after them. We are being fed daily by their spiritual fruits, and we should pray that others will be fed by the spiritual fruits that we produce through Jesus.

Reflections on Grace and Salvation

May 10, 2026,

Reflection on the Gospel of John 14:15-21

Catholics and Protestants both believe that the Bible contains the inspired Word of God, but we differ in who can interpret it and how we interpret God’s Word when it comes to doctrine. One example is our beliefs about God's grace. We both believe that the Scriptures teach us that grace is initiated by God and is an unmerited gift from God. It is not something that a person can initiate or earn, even through good works. We differ though in our understanding of how grace works in our lives.

Many Protestant denominations see it as received only through faith in Jesus and as foundational to salvation; therefore, faith alone is sufficient for salvation. They consider grace to be a free gift of love and forgiveness. It is an assertion that sins are forgiven once and for all and a person is made righteous through their declaration of faith in Jesus. As such salvation can never be lost. In this Protestant view, grace puts a white garment over a man's sins and sinfulness, like a clean white robe on a dirty body. It does not necessarily change the man’s dirtiness under that robe, although this may occur as a side effect of grace over time. There are many Scripture verses that are cited that coincide with this version of the operation of grace. For example, St. Paul writes: “⁶ So also David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:

⁷ “Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven,
    and whose sins are covered;
⁸ blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.” (Romans 4:6-8)

He is speaking of sins being covered and of God reckoning the person as being righteous apart from any effort on their part.

But there are also Scripture verses that are at odds with this concept. For example, St. Peter writes: 2 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. ² Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:1-3). Here St. Peter alludes to salvation as a process over time and encourages us to rid ourselves of our sinful ways.

St. Peter’s exhortation is in line with the Catholic perspective on justification through grace. That it is an ongoing process, not a one and done. It requires ongoing cooperation with God and can be lost. The Catholic view is that grace starts a renewal process with the complete internal cleansing of a person at baptism. But because of man's sinfulness and weakness, both justification and salvation require the continued cooperation of man with God’s grace, especially through the sacraments. The goal of grace in the Catholic view is the renewal and sanctification of a person from the inside out; that the person will ultimately become more Christ-like in every way. (Note: the lives of the Saints bear witness to this process and our Christ-like potential.)

The Catholic view is consistent with the notion of man's free will and our belief that God wants to be in a personal relationship with us. God, in His love for us, gives us the freedom to choose or reject his grace throughout our lives. It is an ongoing loving relationship between God and us that is reaffirmed by our obedience to His commandments and His outpouring of the Holy Spirit on us. On the other hand, the “justified by faith alone” view appears at odds with the principle of free will once a man says, I accept Jesus as my Lord and savior. If nothing further is required of the person, and their salvation from that point on is secure, then one could argue that they no longer have the freedom to choose. This idea of free will is important because true love cannot exist where the will is not free.

(Note: There is much variation among Protestant denominations on this topic and not all Protestants accept the idea that grace and salvation cannot be lost or is as easy as just saying the words, which some call “cheap grace,” or that if you believe in your heart at the start, then you are saved forever.)

In my reflection on this subject today, I found it helpful to relate the Catholic view of grace to the sun shining on a planted cutting of a grapevine and inviting it to turn and soak in all the growth that comes from facing the sunlight. It's unconditional; the cutting doesn't have to do anything to earn it. That's how, what Catholic’s call, God’s “actual grace” works: unmerited, never ending. God’s “actual grace” is also like the rain in that He periodically intervenes to assist in our growth, conversion, and salvation.

“for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” (Matt 5:45b) Sunlight and rain, like actual grace, are always on offer and inviting conversion; but we must turn and accept His grace to receive its benefits. Our turning and acceptance are manifested by faith in Jesus and participation in the Sacrament of Baptism.

At that point, we become recipients of what the Catholic Church calls, “sanctifying grace.” This is a habitual grace and gift that disposes us to live and act in accordance with God’s will and calling. This grace brings us into the Church and opens to us the graces of the sacraments which the Church offers as a means of overcoming our sinful tendencies and growing in holiness.

This is similar in concept to a grapevine cutting being grafted onto an established vine, in this case, Christ. No longer does the cutting have to struggle to survive on its own. It now draws continually from the vine and is more likely to bear abundant fruit. Being grafted onto the vine is not sufficient though. Our sinful tendencies are like occlusions that block the flow of grace from the vine. They weaken the graft and inhibit its ability to bear fruit. This is where we benefit from the sacramental graces. They enable us to repair the damage and retore the flow.  

Although sanctifying grace is habitual it is not permanent. We can lose sanctifying grace and access to sacramental grace by committing mortal sin. Mortal sin is like a complete occlusion of all grace from the vine. We have chosen to separate ourselves from the vine. If it is not addressed, we essentially wither and die. Fortunately, the Catholic Church offers a way to be grafted back on or to break through the occlusion by means of the sacrament of Reconciliation.

In all of this, God’s active grace never wavers. God manifests His active grace in our lives through the invitations that lead to our initial conversion, through the prompts of our conscience that lead to repentance, and other forms of intervention that keep us on the path of sanctification.

There are also special graces that God makes available to us for the purpose of building up the Body of Christ and to collaborate in His work. These are spiritual gifts or charisms that can be useful for the salvation of others.

In every case, these graces are not earned in the sense that a debt is incurred. It is love responding to love and manifesting itself in different ways. It is a virtuous cycle of love with each loving action generating a loving response, and each response prompting a new loving action. It consists of an ever-deepening relationship between the two parties. It is consistent with the notion that God desires to be in a loving relationship with each of us.

In the Gospel of John 14:15-21, Jesus speaks of love in the form of obedience and not just belief. But he also promises at the end to reveal Himself to those who love Him in this way. One of the ways that He reveals Himself is through the fruits of the Holy Spirit that He promises to send to us. These fruits that St. Paul describes as, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control,” (Galatians 5:22-23), are a sign of Christ’s presence in a person. They are a sign that we are firmly attached to the Vine. They are the fruits exhibited by everyone we Catholics call a “Saint.” These fruits are signs that we are being changed and not just covered up.

God’s grace in all its forms assists us in our continuing desire and effort to be obedient to God’s commandments, to discern and adhere to His will, and to grow in our love of Him, and our love of our neighbor. In short, His grace makes us more like Christ: inside and out. 

May 3rd, 2026,

Reflection on the Gospel of John 14:1-12

“Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”

I had to lead a presentation today on the second Glorious Mystery, “the Ascension.” So, I had plenty of opportunity to reflect on the significance of Christ’s going to the Father. Sometimes we think that Christ’s work was done with the Crucifixion, or maybe the Resurrection; but it is in the Ascension that we see the fulfillment of His mission. It is in the elevation of our humanity into His divinity with the Father, that our right relationship with the Father is restored and full communion with God is open to us once more. We discussed in the class why Jesus had to go away in terms of His human form. For all the amazing things that He did while here on earth, He was limited by His physical nature to a particular time and place. As Jesus said, “it is better for you that I go away,” and indeed it is. For through the grace of the Holy Spirit and His presence in the Holy Eucharist, He now, in His ascended form, transcends all space and time. We can enjoy Him in a more intimate way than even His followers enjoyed when they were with Him. The access that we have to the Father through Jesus, makes the works that are done in His name greater by the very communion involved. How blessed we are to know Jesus now at this time and in this way. Blessed are all His believers.

April 28th, 2026

Reflection on the Gospel of John 10: 22-30

“The works I do in my father's name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.”

We see this same thing playing out in the world today. Good works continue to be done in Jesus’ name that testify to the truth of who He is; but people do not believe in Him because they are not among His sheep. To be among His sheep is to hear and know His voice. We must ask God for this grace. It is the grace of faith: to know and love Him as He knows and loves us. “Seek and you shall find.”

There's another way to think about the phrase “among my sheep,” and that is as a call to surround ourselves with people who believe, who are members of the flock. By observing them and listening to them, specifically those who sincerely live their faith, our own ability to recognize, hear His voice and follow Him is improved. Where are we most likely to find his flock? It is in the church. That is one of many good reasons to attend and actively participate in a parish community. By definition, a flock is a group, a crowd of people gathered together. He calls us to gather there with Him. 

April 19, 2026

Reflection on the readings from the 3rd Sunday of Easter - "Opening the Scriptures"

“He foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of Christ.” (Acts 2:14, 22-33)

“And opened the scriptures to us.” (Luke 24:13-35)

The first verse comes from today's opening reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Peter is standing in front of the gathered crowd, teaching them the true meaning of David's Psalm. It is a meaning that he himself was ignorant of until after the resurrection of Jesus. Even then, he could not speak about it until the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This links it to the second verse taken from today's Gospel of Luke and the encounter of the two men walking on the road to Emmaus with Jesus. No doubt these men were familiar with the Psalms and had heard them read and possibly recited them hundreds or thousands of times without grasping their meaning or significance. In that sense they are not much different than those modern Catholics or Christians who have never had the scriptures “opened” to them, despite reading and hearing them recited many times over the course of their lives. It is only through Jesus and the fulfillment of the prophecies in the Old Testament about Him that their true meaning is revealed. Yet, without the aid of the Holy Spirit, even now, we do not fully grasp all that was written of the Word. We need to fervently pray and ask for that understanding through the Holy Spirit, so that whether it is Jesus, Himself, or someone he sends to help us, we can better grasp His Word and its application to our life.

March 31, 2026 Tuesday of Holy Week 2026 (John 13:21-33, 36-38)

Peter said to him, "Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times."

In our communal reflection, Tuesday evening on this Gospel, one of the participants noted that Peter’s fall came after he had lost his support group. I think that this is an important concept to reflect on. We know that Peter was no coward. He drew his sword and struck the High Priest’s servant to defend Jesus from the mob. He did this knowing that they were outnumbered and “outgunned” as it were. But he also did it knowing that he had Jesus at his side along with the other disciples. Supported by their presence, Peter had no fear.

But when he is tested in the courtyard, he is alone. The disciples have scattered and Jesus is no longer at his side. He is confused and troubled by what is happening and undoubtedly his confidence has been shaken. It is then that the enemy makes his move, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” (John 18:25) Isolated and apprehensive, he responds, “I am not” and the enemy’s effort has been effective.

There are lessons here for us. First is to recognize that we are most vulnerable when we are isolated, insecure, anxious, or apprehensive.  Like a wolf with sheep, it is the enemy’s desire to separate us from our spiritual support group. He attacks us when we feel alone. We will fall like Peter, if we attempt to respond in these situations without God’s help, guidance, or support.

So, anticipating the devil’s tactics, let us surround ourselves with good spiritual companions, mentors, or guides, and lean on them for support in times of difficulty. Let us keep Jesus always at our side and seek His help at the first sign of fear. But when we fall as Peter did, let us approach the Confessional with confidence and humbly respond, to Jesus, when He says, “Do you love me?” “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

March 10- 2026

The following reflection comes from the Gospel of Matthew 18:21-35, but is based on the final verse in that Gospel, “unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

I was struck by the fact that “each” of us, no exceptions to this, must forgive from our heart. I reflected that to forgive from the heart is a different level of forgiveness. We typically forgive someone mentally, or try to, because we know it is the right thing to do. In such cases, we may find ourselves trying to forgive the same person repeatedly for the same thing because our forgiveness doesn't stick. Perhaps doing it because it is the “right thing to do” isn’t a strong enough motive for lasting forgiveness.

On the other hand, to forgive from the heart requires humility. It requires recognition of our own weakness as sinners and a recollection of the many times we have hurt others in similar ways. It is an acknowledgement of the mercy and forgiveness that we have received from God, completely unmerited. It is also an act of love as we recognize that the person we are forgiving is a beloved child of God, just as we are. We are called to forgive them for that reason alone.

(It is important to note here that “to forgive” does not mean we must forget. God does not ask us to suddenly trust someone who has been untrustworthy.)

When we forgive someone from the heart as described above, we are better able to let go of the anger and hurt that we feel. This anger and hurt does nothing to the source of that hurt, the person who brought it about. Rather it is a poison in our own hearts that can do us much harm as it will spread and affect other areas of our lives.

When we forgive our brother from our heart, we purge ourselves of this poison. We are healed; we are free. We are more capable of loving others as God loves us. This is one possible reason why Jesus encourages us to “forgive your brother from your heart.”

Easter Reflection – April 20, 2025

It is Matthew’s Gospel of the Resurrection. The women, having found the tomb empty, are following the instructions of the angel and running to tell the disciples that Jesus would meet them in Galilee. “⁹ And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.” (Matt 28:9 NABRE)

I had just finished this verse when a question popped into my head that I could not ignore: “Jesus, what is it about Your feet?” I recalled John the Baptist, when he said, “I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs on His sandals.” Then there was the repentant woman who bathed his feet with her tears. Afterwards, Mary anointed his feet with perfumed oil. Then Jesus washed the disciples’ feet to demonstrate how to serve others and now these women were clasping tightly to those same feet.

Jesus, what is it about Your feet? I reflected for several minutes without success and was about to move on when this answer came to me: The feet are the lowest, and in those days, the dirtiest part of the body. In the Body of Christ, they are symbolic of those who are destitute, the poor, the lowly (and those feeling low) who walk into our lives.

And this call rose in my heart:  That, like the Baptist, we should stoop in humility before them knowing that we are not worthy to help anyone, bathe them with our tears, anoint them with the oil of gladness, and help Jesus as He washes them clean. Let us embrace them like the women did and say to them, “Come up my friend to a better place” and take your seat with me.

Let us embrace the feet of Jesus as He walks through the door today.