Ebenezer Scrooge. Such a grouch, such a curmudgeon, such a grumpy source, Rex. And often, we see the Heavenly Father as an Ebenezer Scrooge figure. He is just waiting for us to make a mistake. He’s rolling his eyes, saying, I wish you were more virtuous. I want you to sin less often. In the gospel, Jesus turns it on its head and says, You have a good Father. What? A good father would not give good gifts to…
Week 4 of a series on A 30-Day Personal Retreat with the Litany of Trust, by Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, S.V. Trust is hard for everybody. The grace to trust — especially for the long haul — is always given to us by the Lord. There’s always human effort in the spiritual life, but it’s all gift; all grace. It can feel like we’re never…
If Iron Man got rid of his suit, who would he be? Genius, billionaire, Playboy from? Okay. Yeah. He would be all of those things. But Tony Stark is more than what he does, and it’s the same for us. Our identity is not what we do, but how we work. Take those things away. Who are we? And the gospel for this Sunday. Martha is identifying with her work. Her work is good, but her identity is not her work. Her identity…
Week 2 of a series on a 30-Day Personal Retreat with the Litany of Trust, by Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, S.V. Grace is in the present; there is no grace in the past or in the future. The challenge, though, is that we’re all professional escape artists. We can get antsy and we don’t know how to be present, which means we…
Week 3 of a series on A 30-Day Personal Retreat with the Litany of Trust, by Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, S.V. There are some sins that we just can’t seem to shake — habitual sins that keep us coming back to the confessional over and over (and over) again. But no matter how consistent this sin seems, there’s one who is more…
Do you remember the first time anyone ever whispered in your ear? Probably not. Me neither, except it was probably my mom. Who whispered? Your brother’s my favorite. Anyway, there is a Jewish tradition where parents of a newborn child will whisper into their ear here, oh, Israel, the Lord is your God. The Lord alone. Therefore, you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all…
Week 2 of a series on a 30-Day Personal Retreat with the Litany of Trust, by Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, S.V. Grace is in the present; there is no grace in the past or in the future. The challenge, though, is that we’re all professional escape artists. We can get antsy and we don’t know how to be present, which means we…
My dad mastered the art of getting me out of bed when I was a kid. If I were sleeping in, my dad would rush into my room, jump onto the bed, tackle me, and say that it was time to get up. And the crazy thing is I never felt attacked. I felt safe and loved, and then I felt encouraged to get up. Jesus does something very, very similar in the gospel for this Sunday. He’s calling the disciples to get up, to get out, and to…
This episode kicks off a four-part series on a new retreat based on the Litany of Trust from the Sisters of Life. There are some virtues we can work on and grow in — but trust isn’t like that. It’s not your own project. You don’t work on it directly, because it’s the fruit of relationship with the Lord. If you want to develop more…
So Jesus sounds like Yoda for this Sunday’s gospel. He says the foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay His head. It sounds cryptic. What Jesus is not saying has anything to do with Airbnb accommodations, but the part of Jesus’ heart that he is sharing with us is that when it comes to following him, sometimes we have to be uncomfortable. I’m very awkward. I have no power…
It is easy to fall into the temptation and believe that we can’t do it, that we can’t live a holy life. Although the ordinary life is simple, hidden, and seems kind of normal, there’s so much sanctity in our vocations that are being lived faithfully. It might not be flashy or spectacular but it’s one of the most real ways we can grow in holiness. We may not be in the chapel or church making a eucharistic holy hour, but no matter what our day-to-day experiences look like or what daily lives we are accustomed to, God is there.
