Spiritual Reflections

Most of us here have experienced the Catholic Church as it was before Vatican II and after it. Think about the focus on externals before the council. Rituals were very…

I love the story of the woman who was telling her grandchild about the “Flight into Egypt” — how an angel told Joseph to take the child and his mother…

Zep 2:3, 3:12-13 1 Cor. 1:31            Matthew 5:1-12 “Seek justice, seek humility …. I will leave a people humble and lowly.”  Zephaniah advises the people…

Many of our own accounts of joining Loretto begin with an attraction to the sisters. How much fun they had. They were happy. They had endless patience with us. They…

The liturgy of the Word for today is so rich, that I found it rather challenging to focus on only one part. The Prophet Isaiah is my favorite prophet, so…

In our current liturgical cycle there are four manifestations of the Christ in the Sunday readings. The first revelation was on Christmas Day to the shepherds — the simple and…

Numbers 6:22-27 Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2:16-21 It is an article of our faith that Mary brought Jesus to life in a relationship entirely and exclusively with God.  We take for…

It has happened to each of us, that day we were born. There we were, as was Jesus so long ago. Like each of us, beginning our time on this…

The readings today talk about things that we are familiar with and that are an integral part of Christmas. They are the parts of our faith that we need in…

Rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice! Every word of today’s readings tells us to rejoice because our feet are firmly planted in the goodness of God’s…

“Brothers and sisters, whatever was written before was written for our instruction that we might have hope!” That’s what Paul says today.  Then he says, “May the God of endurance…

Today, on this first Sunday of Advent, our readings offer us a vision and a challenge to “wake up!” I am reminded of my days as a student at Bethlehem…