Saint Maximilian of Tebessa was an African saint from the third century. When he was compelled to enlist in the Roman army his conscience would not allow him to swear allegiance to the emperor. As a result, he was beheaded. He is the first documented conscientious objector but he would not be the last. Indeed, the Order of Maximilian, a group of anti-war clergy formed in the 1970s took their name from him and were inspired by his example. May God... Read more

“Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Mk 12:29-31 Human life requires us to be a lot more like jazz musicians than classically trained musicians. We don’t get a... Read more

  Does where you pray each day matter? St. Óengus of Tallaght is a great mystical saint of Ireland from the ninth century. From his early years on, he dedicated much of his life to prayer and writing. He chose to move into remote places near Irish rivers. This helped him form a spiritual practice that was deeply rooted in his place. Each day he would pray through the whole Psalter. Fifty he would pray in his cell, fifty he would... Read more

“Thus says the LORD: This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk-in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper.” Jer 7:23 Do you know the voice of God? One of the biggest hindrances to hearing God’s voice is when we make the assumption that we have it all figured out already. In today’s passage, Jerimiah confronts this very problem.... Read more

How much does speaking about Jesus mean to you? John Ogilvie is the only post-reformation Catholic saint from Scotland. Born a Presbyterian, converted to Catholicism as a teenager and soon became a Jesuit. He returned to his homeland and was eventually executed because of his instance of proclaiming his faith to others. His death was marked by signs of how dearly he was rooted in a life of prayer. As he spoke to the crowd at his execution he asked... Read more

“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” Mt 5:19   What is your spiritual life rooted in? It could be a daily time of prayer, going to church, looking to the examples of men and women of faith before you, spiritual disciplines like fasting, what you... Read more

Have you ever been dealt a hand you didn’t want? Frances had desired to become a nun, but her family pushed her into the state of marriage instead. For many people, this would have caused resentment and pain, but for Frances, it just indicated that God was going to use her in a way she hadn’t expected. She remained happily married for many years and began to look at ways to live out her vocation in other ways that would... Read more

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. Mt 18:21-22   Are you competitive? I have to confess I am. There are few things I like more than winning. I regularly have to remind myself that there are some things in life where there doesn’t need to be a winner. In the... Read more

  Have you ever wanted God to simply show you his whole plan, but discovered God seems to be more interested in leading us step-by-step? João Duarte Cidade has a story like this. After an early life was marked by trauma, he spent his youth in search of adventure traveling, fighting and trying to make sense of his life. He eventually began to look for something more. He spent a season wondering looking for what God would have for him.... Read more

“Now the Arameans had captured in a raid on the land of Israel a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman’s wife. “If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria,” she said to her mistress, “he would cure him of his leprosy”. Naaman went and told his lord just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said.” 2 Kgs 5:3-4   Do you let your pain limit your love? The ancient world... Read more