Imagine that you have a cat or a dog sitting in your lap. You know the animal’s name and have fond memories of playing together, of laughing at its silliness, and of delighting in its tricks. You cuddle with it when you feel sad. Your pet means the world to you. Now,...
The Transfiguration was such a spectacular moment that Peter wanted to stay, but Jesus knew that he needed to proceed to another mountain: Calvary. Josef Rodriguez, SJ, reflects on mountaintop experiences. Based on the readings for Sunday, February 28, 2021. Have you...
What would you do if someone asked you to create a song about someone they loved who’d recently died? I’m talking on the spot. Don’t put it on paper. Just start speaking words with the hope that you could say something meaningful–something that touched the heart....
Ayan Ali is a researcher with the Slavery, History, Memory, and Reconciliation (SHMR) Project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. As we close Black History Month, I spoke with her about the focus of the SHMR Project, what she has learned from the...
If you’ve ever tried to throw a bowl (or anything) on a pottery wheel, you’ve inevitably had the experience of trying to center the clay. This is the foundational task: as the wheel spins, use your hands to steady the clay and center it on the wheel. Everything else...
“Have you been saved?” Picture yourself seated next to someone on a flight. Before you can get your headphones in, they lean towards you and ask the question. “Have you been saved?” If you’re like me in this scenario, you give a quick “oh, yes, thank you,” and then...
My father has only been angry at me once for my faith. This is the man who drove me every Sunday to Mass before I could drive, who taught me the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be. One Sunday, my RCIA teacher had grown tired of my questions. For those who...
Before Jesus started his ministry of proclaiming the Kingdom of God through his teaching and deeds, he spent 40 days in the desert praying and fasting. Hunter, D’Armond, SJ, reminds us that we, too, need time to pray and reflect in order to go out and live as...
I met Javier – aka Zoom-Zoom – at Otisville State Penitentiary, 80 miles north of New York City. I was there coordinating a retreat for Thrive For Life Prison Project. Javier spoke perfect Spanglish and stood five-foot-nothing, though I soon noticed his outsized...
Remember that you are dust…and deeply loved. Josef Rodriguez, SJ, reflects on what it means to “celebrate” Ash Wednesday. Remember that you are dust…Dust worth dying for! I’m Josef Rodriguez, and this is my One-Minute Reflection. Today we...
