“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18   I’ve noticed is a dangerous image of the church among many Christians. It is an image that focuses on the church as a defensive tool that will guard and protect those within from invading forces that seek to erode it.  It’s a view of the church as a reactive and defensive… Read more

“The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.” Mk 1:12-13   I hate temptation. Life would be so much easier without it. I would love it if my kids never behaved in a way that tempted me to yell at them. I would love it if I always felt fulfilled with all I had and never got… Read more

  After the tragic early death of his parents, Saint Peter Damian began his life caring for pigs. I find this interesting because for the rest of his life Saint Peter Damian didn’t seem to mind getting messy. He rejected the path to fame and wealth and even forsook more comfortable accommodations as a monk in order to live the life he believed God had called him to. He was not a quiet monk. He had no problem confronting corruption and… Read more

I lived in Maryland for a few years when I was working on my doctoral degree. My family and I rented a small house just outside of Washington D.C. It was a lovely home with a big yard where my sons would play and I would garden. The soil was really rich. I’ve never grown so many tomatoes so easily! One unfortunate thing about the great growing conditions was the bamboo. We had a bamboo infestation in the back corner… Read more

“Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs from the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking off every yoke? Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry, bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own flesh?” Is 58:6-7 One of the historical pillars of Lenten practice is fasting. People take time throughout Lent to abstain… Read more

  Sometimes the mystery of God can be seen in our everyday surroundings. This is the lesson that  Alvarez of Córdoba continues to teach millions of Christians each Lent. He is honored by the church today, and his most lasting legacy is the promotion of the Way of the Cross. He brought the devotional into the gardens, where he could place images to assist people in following the stations of Jesus’ journey to crucifixion. It created a way for normal Christians to… Read more

Jesus tells us that the eye is the lamp of the body. If we are to truly pray with our whole selves – body and soul what we look at matters. Something beautiful can deepen our prayer. A creative artist can help us see God in new ways and open our imagination to the vastness of divine beauty. Today the church honors Fra Angelico, a Dominican who brought great beauty into the world through his art. He helped bring to… Read more

A common lenten prayer practice that is used by millions of Christians throughout the world in the season of Lent is to reflect on the steps and stages that Jesus took as he carried his cross to Golgotha, the hill on which Jesus was crucified. People reflect on what Jesus did, but also ask how they can follow Jesus’ call to follow him on the way of the cross. Recently I’ve been thinking about Jesus’ death and was struck by the… Read more

  “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” Mt. 6:3-4 Sometimes Jesus can be frustrating. I want to follow Jesus closely and obey his commands, but the call of the gospel demands a lot of us – more than I feel like I can give some days. Matthew 6:3-4 is one of those… Read more

  St. Fintan was an Irish monk that connected his spiritual life to how and what he ate. He ate what we might call a vegan diet today. He refrained from all animal products in his diet. He viewed this as a spiritual practice that helped him connect more meaningfully to God and to God’s creation. He found it so beneficial, in fact, that he even tried to force the practice on some of the monks he lived with. This didn’t… Read more