John
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I used to think that faith was what people believed (or didn’t believe) about God the creator, or that faith was a particular system of religious belief (e.g. the Christian Faith). Some people even use the meaning of trust or confidence: “I don’t have any faith that my team can win this weekend.” But those…
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We are all familiar with the sign of peace offered to those sitting around us right before communion. Before COVID-19 we typically would offer a handshake, but today it is more likely a nod, a fist bump, or a peace sign. We might still offer a kiss or handshake to close relatives. I’ve wondered how…
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The Bread of Life is one of the the most prominent of Jesus’ figurative expressions of himself for it is about the Eucharist, which the Church recognizes as “the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself” (CCC 1324). Yet, in an earlier post I wrote that a 2022 study suggests that only 2/3…
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When my children were in primary school they often sung the song This Little Light of.Mine in school and mass. I thought it was a nice hymn but never paid much attention to the meaning behind it until my own faith renewal. The song is based on one of Jesus’ seven figurative expressions of Himself…
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St. John the Baptist holds a special place in our faith as both his birthday (June 24) and the day of his martyrdom (August 29) are celebrated and memorialized (Diocese of Baton Rouge). He is an enigma for many, past and present, due to the way he lived his life in the desert (Matthew 3:1-4). …
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The last ten years have brought many reasons to fear, feel downcast, and to wish for better times: a pandemic, political and social divisions, natural disasters. For many, these trials in addition to those of human life that include illness, death of loved ones, and troubles for our children weigh heavily on our hearts. A…
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The images, visions, and thoughts of what happened on Good Friday are hard to bear. Why the Cross? What does it mean for me and my path as a human being? Pope Benedict (2011, chapter eight) addresses these questions and shows us how we can understand God correctly. He explains that the mystery of the…
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We know that Jesus wants us to love one another as ourselves, but how can we do that? Is it possible especially given the great divisions that exist between people today? It is not uncommon to hear of friction even between family members because of differing political and worldviews. What type of love did Jesus…
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From John 3:1-21 — Nicodemus. I’m sure that most of us reading this post know the Gospel verse John 3:16 very well. However, a prayerful reading of the entire Nicodemus section reveals many of our foundational beliefs and truths. It includes one that is also a core truth of our Christian brothers and sisters. There…