April 7, 2023 Today’s story of the Passion describes Jesus as “knowing everything that was going to happen to him.” Sometimes, we receive insights and premonitions about the future as well. Is it better to know or not? Christian spirituality over the centuries suggests that we put everything into God’s heart and hands, and weContinue reading “Good Friday: God walks with us”
Category Archives: Meaning
V Sunday of Lent: “There is more to life! Come out of the tomb.”
March 26, 2023 A few minutes ago, in the prayer that opened our time together today, we prayed to be unbound and set free (not to be twisted in spiritual and personal knots). The old burial customs of the ancient peoples wrapped our bodies in strips of cloth. There were no such things as caskets. Continue reading “V Sunday of Lent: “There is more to life! Come out of the tomb.””
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Tame our ego, look for the truth, have some personal discipline and invite God to help
September 11, 2022 As a younger child, I used to go to “confession” every Saturday night, and I repeated the same sins of fighting with my brothers and sister and disobeying my parents – for years. I did not substitute a molten calf for Jesus in the blessed sacrament. I was not a “stiff neckedContinue reading “24th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Tame our ego, look for the truth, have some personal discipline and invite God to help”
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time: “The real treasure of life is ourselves”
August 7, 2022 What we have just heard is a “mouthful” – a lot of wisdom and know-how, to make it through life. It all has to do with how God has created us to function well and to get the most out of life. So, let’s begin to unpack it all. The starting pointContinue reading “19th Sunday in Ordinary Time: “The real treasure of life is ourselves”“
Trinity Sunday: “My God is not a judge”
June 12, 2022 (first version) Living a better life with God and becoming better at living because of God’s Divine Presence in my life are the purposes to which I dedicate myself as a priest to helping others. This has become very clear to me over the last 10 years as we continue to moveContinue reading “Trinity Sunday: “My God is not a judge”“
Ascension Sunday
May 29, 2022 (Final version) “He, Jesus, was lifted up and a cloud took him from their sight.” What did that look like? Actually, no one can tell us, and all we know are paintings from various imaginations. What we do know is that the presence of Jesus has morphed, has changed into a presenceContinue reading “Ascension Sunday“
Fifth Sunday of Easter: “Love one another as I have loved you. This is how all will know that you are my disciples.”
June 15, 2022 You may or may not have noticed that our Church tradition, both in its Sunday Scripture readings as well as weekdays has featured the Acts of the Apostles and the Book of Revelation – during this Easter Season. The Book of Revelation was put together by a very old John, the GospelContinue reading “Fifth Sunday of Easter: “Love one another as I have loved you. This is how all will know that you are my disciples.”“
Prayer: A Personal Response to God’s Presence
(A resource from Fr. Richard Mangini) By Father Armand Nigro, SJ 1975 The conviction I want to share with you now is that PRAYER IS A PERSONAL RESPONSE TO GOD’S PRESENCE. Let me explain this: Either we are more important than God or God is more important than we are. The answer is obvious. HeContinue reading “Prayer: A Personal Response to God’s Presence”
“Contemplation Highest Form of Prayer, Jesuit Says”
by Religious News Service (Domestic Service). Friday, July 11, 1975. Page 8 DENVER (RNS) — “Contemplation is a form of prayer, probably the highest form of prayer,” according to Father Walter J. Burghardt, SJ recently. The Jesuit scholar from the Catholic University of America where he teaches historical theology and is editor of Theological Studies,Continue reading ““Contemplation Highest Form of Prayer, Jesuit Says” “
Fifth Sunday of Lent: “Dying once is sufficient…”
April 3, 2022 This is where we begin, this earth; but this is not where we end. While Jesus resuscitates Lazarus for a time, Lazarus will die. The gospels make no mention of Lazarus again. The very first words of Jesus today are: “This illness is not to end in death, but is for theContinue reading “Fifth Sunday of Lent: “Dying once is sufficient…”“
Harvest and Hope 