Sunday, June 21, 2020
The Examen is a daily Jesuit self-examination designed to help those who practice it keep their priorities and passions in order. I have found that by praying it in the evenings, I am able to give my day over more fully to God. Praying the Examen helps me...
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Our faith is handed down from one generation to the next. We have a lineage that goes all the way back to Jesus, who handed it on to the apostles and sent them out. You and I are a part of that line, and it is our responsibility to hand on our faith to those who will...
Friday, June 19, 2020
The children of Israel have been wandering in the desert for forty long years, and they are tired. God has promised them a land flowing with milk and honey, and now they are on the precipice of attaining it. Fortified cities and strong armies stand in their way....
Thursday, June 18, 2020
From the Archives: May 12, 1941Yesterday, you made a great promise. In the cold light of today, you may be saying, “I’ve promised, but how can I carry it out? I’ve promised, but even so, I do not see what to do.”….(View this reading and more resources for prayer...
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
When I was a young acolyte, I would don an ill-fitting cassock and gather with the clergy and servers before Mass in a small sacristy. We stood in a circle and recited Psalm 43, which begins, “Give judgment for me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people....
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
The story of the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness sounds like the most dysfunctional family trip ever. The people forget so quickly that God saved them from slavery. God gets mad and punishes them. They complain about the quality of the food—they want...
Monday, June 15, 2020
There is a lovely version of this psalm that has always stirred my heart, set to music adapted from the composer Palestrina that we sing every year to begin Lessons and Carols. The psalmist cries, “Stir up your strength and come to help us.” As soon as Christmas...
Sunday, June 14, 2020
In the Boy Scouts, I learned how to tie knots, sail and backpack, cook, and give first aid. But the most important thing I learned was the Boy Scout Motto: Be Prepared. In many ways, this is what Jesus is saying when he sends the disciples on their...
Saturday, June 13, 2020
God consecrates the tribe of Levi to serve at the tabernacle and later at the temple, set apart forever for holy service. The job of the Levites is to offer sacrifices to the Lord. And the first sacrifice they offer is themselves, their own lives, consecrated to God....
Friday, June 12, 2020
So often, Peter seems be bumbling around, not really understanding what Jesus is saying, sticking his foot in his mouth. Today, as Jesus tells the disciples about the suffering he is about to endure, Peter rebukes him. Jesus is not happy about this and calls Peter a...
