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Our ‘deserts’ are places where we are transformed into the story God wants

Sister Rachel Bergschneider, OSB

By Sister Rachel Bergschneider, OSB Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist/June 24 Isaiah 49:1-6; Psalm 139:1b-3,13-14ab,14c-15; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66,80 Each life God has created is a story. Whether or not we are aware, we tell a story by our words and actions. We may not know the impact or the meaning of […]

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Blame keeps us from partnering with Jesus

Sister Rachel Bergschneider, OSB

By Sister Rachel Bergschneider, OSB Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time/June 10 Genesis 3:9-15; Psalm 130:1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8; 2 Corinthians 4:13 — 5:1; Mark 3:20-35 The first reading in today’s Scriptures is, in my opinion, one of the most insightful and brilliant passages of the Bible. Every word helps illuminate the dilemma that humanity finds itself in regarding sin […]

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The Holy Trinity may be beyond our understanding, but not beyond faith

Tim Irwin

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity/May 27 Deuteronomy 4:32-34,39-40; Psalm 33:4-5,6,9,18-19,20,22; Romans 8:14-17; Matthew 28:16-20 Christianity is a religion of mysteries and foremost among them is the one we celebrate this week, the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Christians profess that the Triune God is Love. Not just that God acts in loving ways. Rather, […]

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Following Jesus will take us to unexpected places

Tim Irwin

By Tim Irwin Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord/May 13 Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47:2-3,6-7,8-9; Ephesians 1:17-23 or Ephesians 4:1-13; Mark 16:15-20 The next two Sundays recount the most profound change to have ever occurred in the history of Christianity. The departure of Jesus this week and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost next […]

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Church, like a vine, is about connection, communion, and communicating new life

Father Timothy Hepner

By Father Timothy Hepner Fifth Sunday of Easter/April 29 Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22:26-27,28,30,31-32; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8 “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) In “The Soul of the Apostolate,” Jean-Baptiste Chautard writes […]

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Want to see the church grow? Be a ‘witness of Christ’

Father Timothy Hepner

By Father Timothy Hepner Third Sunday of Easter/April 15 Acts 3:13-15,17-19; Psalm 4:2,4,7-8,9; 1 John 2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48 Throughout the Easter season in the readings from the Acts of the Apostles we get to see the early church grow explosively in a culture that is hostile to it by means of disciples who were not particularly […]

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Have you had the encounter that will change your life?

Father Timothy Hepner

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord/April 1 Acts 10:34a,37-43; Psalm 118:1-2,16-17,22-23; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8; Sequence: Victimae Paschali Laudes; John 20:1-9 or Mark 16:1-7 Let’s take a test. The only right answer is the honest one. Which of these best describes your encounter with Jesus? A) Mary Magdalene: A sudden encounter, like being […]

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Only heart open to transformation ‘produces much fruit’

By Shawn Reeves Fifth Sunday of Lent/March 18 Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 51:3-4,12-13,14-15; Hebrews 5:7-9; John 12:20-33 When I was a kid, some of my favorite toys were Transformers. I would spend hours reenacting scenes from the popular cartoon. There was something captivating about cars and aircraft transmuting into robots, because there is something captivating about […]

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Only power and wisdom of God endure

Shawn Reeves

By Shawn Reeves Third Sunday of Lent/March 4 Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19:8,9,10,11; 1 Corinthians 1:22-25; John 2:13-25 Out of necessity, I’ve become somewhat of a handyman in our home over the past 16 years, and I’m always pleased when I find the repair depends on a standardized part. Standardization has provided industry with a swiftness and […]

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God pursues us, again and again, inviting and guiding us to what is good

Shawn Reeves

By Shawn Reeves First Sunday of Lent/Feb. 18 Genesis 9:8-15; Psalm 25:4-5,6-7,8-9; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:12-15 Catholics are often accused of a mentality of “earning” our salvation, of emphasizing our response to God as if we were the singular cause of graces received. However, my observation is that all Christians fall prey to an exaggeration […]

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