Our readings today tell us about how much those who are poor and marginalized have to teach us about faith. Fr. Joseph Dickan, SJ, reflects on how God chooses to teach how to listen and follow him through those who the world might otherwise ignore. Based on the readings for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.
In the Footsteps of the Martyrs: Three Jesuits Reflect on their Retreat
Each fall, the Catholic Church in the US and Canada remembers the lives and witness of the nine Jesuit missionaries’ whose martyrdoms helped plant the seeds of faith in the vast regions of North America. In today’s piece, three Jesuits share the graces they encountered praying in the footsteps of the Jesuit North American Martyrs during their annual 8-day retreat at the Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, ON.
Conversion from Loneliness to Solitude
How are we meant to deal with the experience of loneliness? Daniel Park, SJ, reflects on his own experience of finding God’s presence amidst loneliness, and invites us to reframe the way we think about being alone.
Evangelization in the City
Pope Leo XIV has asked the Church to pray for evangelization in the city. Paul Gillam, SJ, reflects on our call to embrace the full incarnate reality of the city as we seek to proclaim the Gospel amidst its complexities.
Easter is a Family Reunion
Being at home with my family during the pandemic has made me appreciate the familial dimensions of the Resurrection. This is the latest in our signs of Easter series!
This is What Happened When Jesus Found Me Wallowing in the Lilac Patches
My abrupt final days as a tutor at McQuaid Jesuit High School coincided with the famed Rochester Lilac Festival when a glorious garden in the middle of the city is filled with flowers and fragrance and visitors coming to soak it all in. A few weeks later I yearned to be back with the students and our jokes and routines and even the boring vocabulary tests.
Finding Freedom in a Lockdown:The Common Good and Liberty Don’t Have to be at Odds
Protesters have demanded an end to stay-at-home orders. Public health officials warn that reopening now will lead to more deaths. How do we reconcile this conflict between liberty and the common good? By re-thinking what it means to be free.
Mental Health Awareness Month: Why I Go to Therapy Now
It took me a long time to start going to therapy. My biggest obstacles were stubbornness and stigmas about mental health. Here’s how I am getting over them.
7 Things to Brighten Your Day
We could all use a pick-me-up in the midst of the coronavirus and round-the-clock news coverage. Here is a hodge-podge of positivity. Some signs of Easter surrounding us. A comical collection of videos, poems, art, and Tweets. Something to put a smile on your face.
I Used to Hate ‘Standing Room Only’ Masses, Now I Want It More Than Ever
Churches are empty these days. Even if they open up again soon, the norms of physical distancing will necessarily limit the way that we pray together. No more hugs and handshakes. No more chalices. No more songbooks, holy water fonts, or donuts after Mass. At least, not yet.