A new year, a new beginning.  This time of year is so full of hope and promise.|I always get a boost of energy from new beginnings... a new month, a new semester, a new fiscal year, and the ultimate new beginning is the ...

"God chose us in him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4)."|The initiative in faith is God's! God chooses us! And we all need to be reminded of this truth. We may tell ourselves that the initiative for our faith ...

Come Back to Life "You will grieve, but your grief will become joy." (John 16: 20) "You who were lost have now been found."  Paul rammed into the Spirit and his old convictions crumbled.  With God's help, he was freed from ...

"Be holy because I am holy." If ever there was a statement that was easier said than done, this one might be at the top of the list. Especially when you consider that it was said by Jesus. Talk about a role model without ...

Those who have never been told of him shall see,|and those who have never heard of him shall understand|Today's first reading is a powerful reminder to spread the Gospel of Christ not to the converted, but to those who ...

During these liturgical days after Easter, we have been walking slowly and meditatively through John's account of the graduation talk Jesus gave to His disciples the night of His arrest.  The Gospel for today's Eucharistic ...

Try to imagine what was going through the minds of the disciples.  Imagine their total despair and shattered dreams during the long wait between Good Friday and Easter.  But as their sorrow turned to joy on that glorious ...

This reflection will be coming soon. Until then, here is a reflection for this Solemnity from Andy Alexander, S.J. from 2003.|This is a wonderful feast to celebrate early in our Advent journey. It is a very "Catholic" ...

Every year on March twenty-fifth, the Catholic Church celebrates the Immaculate Conception of Jesus in the womb of the sinless young woman of Nazareth, Mary.  Every year on today's  date, the Catholic Church celebrates its ...

|As I am reflecting on and writing about these readings for Jan. 2 – the dawn of a new year and the dawn of a new decade – Christmas music and Christmas bustle are swirling all around me. At the same time, our nation is ...