“The serpent asked the woman, ‘Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’” (Gn 3:1) “The tempter approached and said to Jesus, ‘If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.’” (Mt 4:3) There’s a reason these passages are paired in […]
RETURN: GOD IS CALLING YOU!
“Even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart…” (Joel 2:12) “Return.” The whole idea behind “returning” somewhere is that you go back to where you were before. And in the case of returning to God, even if you have never loved or followed him, he has always loved you. Before you […]
5 Ways to Draw Close to God this Lent
It’s always bittersweet, taking down the Christmas decorations. The living room looks cold and bare without the twinkling tree and I miss the crèche above the mantel. “God is with us”! it seemed to say whenever I passed by. Today I hear a different voice: “Come.” As in, Come on back. Now that I’m here: […]
PSALMS FOR LENT: Find GRACE in the Penitential Psalms
The Psalms are unique in the Bible because on one hand, they are prayers of people pouring out their hearts to God; but at the same time, they are the words of God. When we pray with them, our thirst for him meets his thirst for us. The psalms reveal HIS heart while they bare […]
HANG ON TO HIS WORDS: JESUS IS COMING!
Toward the end of Luke’s gospel, Jesus drives the merchants out of the temple and then goes there, every day, to teach. And all the while, the Jewish leaders look for a way to kill him — but they never get the chance. Why? “Because all the people were hanging on his words.” “Hanging on […]
LOOKING FOR JESUS? Lessons from the Magi
I can’t stop thinking about the Epiphany this week, as I — like the Magi — seek to find Jesus. There are times I can’t find him. Or he’s there, and I can’t see him. I don’t recognize his presence in people around me, in situations that are hard. Shouldn’t it be easy, to find […]
WHAT’S YOUR [BIBLE] WORD FOR 2024?
What do you want most in the new year? I’ve been asking myself that for a month. Every thought I’ve had comes down to one word: NEW. 2023 was tough, as I grappled with grief and loss and searched for silver linings. So in 2024, I want a new horizon. A new focus. A new […]
READ THE BIBLE EVERY DAY THIS YEAR
How would your life be different if you read the Bible every day — or if you turned to it as often as you do your smartphone? Pope Francis asked that question and had this to say: “If we had the Word of God always in the heart, no temptation would be able to estrange […]
ADD SCRIPTURE TO YOUR LENTEN DIET
How about adding something to your Lenten diet this year, in place of the things you abstain from? I’m not talking about adding food. As Jesus famously said, we don’t live just on bread, but on “every word” that comes from God (see Matthew 4:4). Lent is a great time to see the truth of […]
FOCUSING ON THE CHRIST CHILD with the O Antiphons
Having recently lost someone dear to me has shifted my focus to beyond the grave, where I imagine him filled with the peace and joy he longed for. It increases my own longing for heaven, too, although I hope to stick around for a good long time! Thankfully we don’t have to wait for eternity, […]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 7
- Next Page »
