The angel Gabriel assured Mary, "nothing will be impossible for God." This was not a one time proclamation, as Jesus himself reassured his disciples in Matthew 19 that "for God, all things are possible". He is Emmanual, God with us, and as we learn to live more intentionally in the presence of God with faith, wisdom and courage, we will see the impossible bow at the name of Jesus.
In the Gospel of John we John the Baptist echoing the prophet Isaiah "make strait the way of the Lord". The Living God speaks these words anew to us in Advent, inviting us into a deeper, more ardent desire for God...a desire that God both gives us and blesses come Christmas with new life in His Holy Spirit.
From the lips of John the Baptist, and Jesus himself, we hear of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Pope Benedict spoke of this gift as "being aware of what we have received in Baptism and Confirmation." On our Advent journey prepare, and ask for, an entirely new awareness of God's presence in our lives come Christmas. This is the gift God desires to give us...which points toward God's ultimate desire for us.
We will all stand before Christ the King to be judged one day, what will make us ready? He wants us to know...
In the parable of the talents, Jesus teaches us the true riches of His love are not to be hidden away, but given away, so that all might know Him! Looking at some of the important points of Blessed Solanus Casey's spirituality, we consider how we too can bring the healing love of Jesus to all we encounter...
In the parable of the 10 virgins, Jesus teaches us to be ready for the final wedding described in the scriptures...the wedding feast of the Lamb. There, Jesus will receive his bride, the Church, into the eternal wedding feast of heaven. How are we to get ready? The lamps the 10 virgins carry in the parable are symbolic for us. By living in the fire of God's love (Hebrews 12:29), and nourishing our lives lived with God through the oil of devotion, we are made ready for Jesus, the bridegroom (Mark 2:19).
As Jesus calls out the hypocrisy of some of the Scribes & Pharisees in Matthew's gospel, He calls out to us as well to live as a priestly people He has won for His own. And when we do, there we find, receive & share in God's amazing blessings...
At a special mass for the youth of St. Moses the Black, the children voice their dreams for their lives & listen to God's dream for theirs as well.
God has a destiny for you. God chose you before the foundations of the world (Eph 1:4). You were made in God's image & likeness (Gen 1:26). To be a Christian is to be an "anointed one". To live in the anointing is to lean into your destiny...
So often we are distracted from the gift of the present moment. So often our awareness of God's loving presence seems to slip away. Jesus tells us he is The Vine and we are the branches, called to bear fruit for God's glory. He wants to give us the grace to live every moment in His presence...
At The Engaging the Young Church Conference at St. Anastasia Catholic Church in Troy, the radical power of prayer is looked at...
At a gathering of ministry leaders at St. Clare of Montefalco we consider what a parish full of joyful missionary disciples would be like...
At a gathering of ministry leaders at St. Clare of Montefalco, the topic of living as a joyful missionary disciple is looked at...
In St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians, St Paul tells the Christians he is writing to, to have within them the same attitude that Jesus has. Through grace, God offers us this very reality...
As children of our merciful heavenly Father, Jesus teaches us that we too must extend his mercy and forgiveness to those who have wronged us. This can be extremely difficult, but by participating in His merciful love (His grace) we are able to forgive, which in turn sets us free from tangled webs of unforgiveness.
"The love of Christ impels us" St. Paul once wrote. It is the love of Jesus that can give us the courage to reach address the sin of another, not as their judge, but as their brother or sister in the Lord seeking to help them. Disciples share in the very life of Jesus and the Church continues his rescue mission...
From the lofty heights of being called "blessed" and "the rock" upon which Jesus will build His Church, where hear Peter in today's gospel tumble to the depths of being called "Satan" and "a stumbling block" by Jesus. What led to such different responses from Jesus? Inspired thought vs. human thinking. The Lord implores us to deny ourselves for His sake and to not be conformed to this age, but transformed by the renewal of our minds.
Two priests went walking through downtown Detroit at night agreeing to cooperate with God to bring the good news of Jesus to people in anyway He would see fit...
+Alpha starts soon at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament!
God's heart desires that all would come to know Him, and as we pray psalm 67, asking God to let his face shine upon us, the grace is granted for us to become the revelation of God's love to those around us...heaven meets earth and signs and wonders abound.
The image of Peter walking on water is an image of the supernatural life Jesus both calls us to, and empowers us to live. Following the example of Jesus, who said "a son can not do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing" (Jn 5:19), we consider how pursuing and receiving the revelation of the Father's will, leads us to live moment to moment, the supernatural life...walking on the water with God.
Having traveled up Mt. Tabor with Jesus, Peter witness the amazing transfiguration of Jesus, the radiant manifestation of the divinity of Christ. He, along with James & John, heard God the Father say, "this is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." Years later, Peter would write about how being attentive to God's Word (the prophetic message) allows the morning star (Jesus) to rise in our hearts...leading to our continual transformation in Christ.
In St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, we read "we know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose" and that "those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son." We look into these words now, guided by the Church, to further understand how we deal with the problem of evil, understand predestination, and seek to listen to God and live even now the Kingdom Life, bringing God's amazing love to all around us!
In the famous parable of The Sower, Jesus describes four responses to His gospel. In the parable, Jesus is the sower and the seeds are His words. In the great love letter with a heartbeat, the bible, we have a treasure chest of God's living Word just waiting for us! Considering the simple and effective WRAP method of Lectio Divina (divine reading), Pope Benedict's "secret" to the springtime of the Church is made readily accessible to all!
Jesus said, "come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Mt 11:30). The offer stands...
After calling the 12 Apostles to himself, Jesus sent them out to preach, letting them know quite clearly they would experience persecution. Nevertheless, Jesus told them to fear no one, for God cares intimately for them and us (knowing even the number of hairs on our heard.) In the midst of challenge, temptations to fear and anxiety, the apostles lived with hope and courage, the Lord invites us to the same freedom in the Spirit..