A reflection for the Third Sunday of Lent We all have some part of us that we wish was different. Something in ourselves that we wish was otherwise. Often this part of us can be a source of shame, of fear, of regret, of embarrassment. It is something we wish would just go away, that ...read more

A reflection for the Second Sunday of Lent What keeps us going through difficult times? What inspires our hope when the situation is bleak? What makes us persevere when it would be easier to give up? In the Gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Lent, we see Jesus ascend Mount Tabor with His three ...read more

A reflection for the First Sunday of Lent It seems almost scandalous to think that Jesus experienced temptation. We think of temptation as something shameful, something that only happens to us and not to others, something that distances us from God. But in the Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent we see Jesus tempted ...read more

Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter Laudato Sì: Reflecting One Year Later In May 2006, former US Vice President Al Gore released the groundbreaking documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.” While climate change debate has continued ever since, while concrete solutions seem to drip slower than maple sap in March. The question remains: are we willing to deal with this ...read more

Reflecting on the Fifth Chapter of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, ...read more

Reflecting on the Fourth Chapter of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family “Love and marriage, love and marriage, they go together like a horse and carriage!” So crooned Francis Albert “Frank” Sinatra in the 1950s. Sixty years later, another Francis is repeating the same lyrics, albeit with a slightly more magisterial melody. ...read more

Reflecting on the Third Chapter of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family Jesus Christ is at the heart of the family. Only in the light of his love can the love of the family be fully illuminated. This is the message of Pope Francis in the third chapter of Amoris Laetitia. He ...read more

Reflecting on the Second Chapter of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family “We have long thought that simply by stressing doctrinal, bioethical and moral issues, without encouraging openness to grace, we were providing sufficient support to families, strengthening the marriage bond and giving meaning to marital life. We find it difficult to ...read more

Reflecting on the First Chapter of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family Pope Francis’ recent Apostolic Exhortation on love in the family, Amoris Laetitia (“The Joy of Love”), is a treasure trove reflecting the beauty of family life. In his introductory paragraphs the Holy Father uses the image of a “multifaceted gem” ...read more

Memorial: August 20 Considered the last of the Fathers of the Church, St. Bernard of Clairvaux has been celebrated for centuries as a man of great intellect and greater holiness. As is evident in his prolific writings, Bernard was one for whom the Word of God impregnated every aspect of the human experience. He knew ...read more