God opens our ears before he opens our mouths. The order of these actions is significant. If we do not listen first, we will not speak wisely. We notice this in the natural world when we find somebody who has difficulty hearing–his or her speech is also usually affected. Jesus opened the ears and mouth of this man who was deaf with a speech impediment (cf. Mk. 7:31-37). We re-live this Gospel scene at baptisms. It is an optional rite... Read more
Today’s liturgy invites us to purify our hearts and make sure that they are centered on the Lord. We could think of it as a spiritual decontamination. I think that the spiritual contamination we suffer can often mirror the environmental contamination we hear about in the news, like this story from Los Angeles: Under the watchful eyes of neighbors, scientists in white lab coats knelt to spread a flour-like mineral over a lawn in Huntington Park. The dusting of zeolite... Read more
Today’s first reading is about the Chosen People going home to the Promised Land and the Gospel is about Christ forming small groups that make the Church feel like a home. We need to build community. Looking at data from Christians of other denominations, we find that Three out of five house church adults (61%) were “completely satisfied” with the level of community and personal connectedness they experience, compared to only two out of five adults who are involved in... Read more
Forsake foolishness and advance in understanding (cf. Proverbs 9:6). Lawrence of Arabia is known as one of the great seekers of wisdom. He was a romantic figure because he went to exotic places at a time when most men in the West were content with staying at home. His memoirs became the base for movies, biographies, and plays about his life and the outlandish features of the unknown world. We admire men like him who have the courage to set... Read more
Something that everyone of faith has to deal with is doubt. It is a ubiquitous theme that I have to deal with when giving young adults spiritual direction. For some, it feels surprising, as they are clearly trying to live out their faith well. They go to Mass, confession, maybe even adoration. How is it possible that they have persistent doubts about the faith? It doesn’t sound fair, and it can feel very painful. I remember one young woman, Katerina.... Read more
Jesus was a master of taking the most mundane human experiences and using them to teach about what is most vital to salvation. How often do we think of eating? Many of us are theoretically in the habit of eating three times a day. But perhaps we snack in between. I was able to accompany a group of young adult pilgrims on the totally awesome, incredible National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. One day, some of them asked in our Whatsapp... Read more
How do you respond to change? Look at your hands; do you live with your hands open or closed? Open hands signify a heart open to God’s grace. Closed hands signify being closed to his grace and his plans for your life. We can learn a lesson from the raccoon. Once upon a time, I read the book Where the Red Fern Grows. Somehow, I have managed to forget everything about the book except that there is a section detailing... Read more
Evangelization is a hot topic. Should we evangelize? The biggest argument in favor is that Jesus sent out his apostle two by two to preach the Gospel. Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two (Mk. 6:7). Importance of Evangelization Jesus sends his apostles out to evangelize, so it must be important in some way. What do we need to evangelize? Over the course of the centuries, the Church has grown and developed a certain... Read more
Faith is a completely different way to live our life and to perceive our surroundings. One of my favorite images to explain faith comes from the first Star Wars movie. Luke is practicing with his light saber and his mentor, Obi Wan Kenobi, forces him to do it blind so that he can practice being attuned with the Force. As Christians, we do not believe in the Force, but the experience is as removed from our ordinary experience as living... Read more
Suffering and peace go together, though not always right away. I remember when I was younger and my Mom got sick. When my brothers and I got up in the morning, our neighbor was in our kitchen. This time seemed to be different. I remember asking, why is she here and where are Mom and Dad? She eventually went back home and I helped take care of the house and my three siblings.; I was the oldest and did a... Read more
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