Jesus’ teachings on discipleship seem tough, but Matthew Zurcher, SJ, reminds us that Jesus is looking for a relationship with us, and that requires commitment. Based on the readings for Sunday, June 26, 2022. What does true commitment look like? Hi, I’m...
The view is, on first glance, nothing short of devastating. Rounding a corner in the road, the trees give way not to some scenic view of the valley but to a strange waste. Instead of the southern Appalachian forest, thick and green in late summer, a carved-up field...
Gaze – Listening – UnderstandingA friendly gaze is the most humane way to be present in the life of those who are going through the harshness of deserts Attentive listening is the most disinterested way to be light in the lives...
On this Solemnity of Corpus Christi (the Body and Blood of Jesus), Christopher Smith, SJ, reminds us of the great gift that we have in the Eucharist. Based on the readings for Sunday, June 16, 2022. People have camped out for days to buy tickets to see a rockstar, and...
The following reflection is part of our “Jesuit 101” series, celebrating the Ignatian Year. This piece helps us to better understand the vocation of Jesuit Brothers. To learn more, check out our explainer article: “Jesuit 101: Jesuit Brothers.” When folks find...
The entire purpose of the Christian life is for us to become sons or daughters of God. To say that another way, the whole purpose of the Christian life is for us to become so overwhelmingly loving, so profoundly charitable, that who we are, at our very core, is love....
I was reading the very first pages of Martin Hengel’s book Studies in Early Christianity for Christology class, and all I could think of were the aliens from the movie Toy Story. The hypnosis of the aliens regarding the claw, seems comical. They cannot see past it. It...
Today is Holy Trinity Sunday! The concept and theology of the Trinity can be quite complex. Fr. Danny Gustafson, SJ, makes it a little simpler in this week’s One-Minute Homily. Based on the readings for Sunday, June 12, 2022. It’s…it’s Holy Trinity Sunday…and I...
The following reflection is part of our “Jesuit 101” series, celebrating the Ignatian Year. This piece helps us to better understand the vocation of Jesuit Brothers. To learn more, check out our explainer article: “Jesuit 101: Jesuit Brothers. Synodality: For many...
This is the thirteenth installment of A Deacon’s Diary. In the twelfth installment, Steve wasn’t sure if he was excited for his impending ordination. I. I get up early-ish and sit at the blue-clothed dining table in the half-light of morning. Unfussy in my pajamas...