On the Inside; On the Outside


 

We Need a God with Some Skin

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Today we are celebrating a birth – the birth of the church. Pentecost marks the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. For that reason, it is often called the “the birthday of the Church.”

During the past six months of the church year, we have been on a journey – a journey of the events in the life of Jesus. It’s the story of the central mystery of our faith – the story of the incarnation where God became human, though still remaining God. When we think of the incarnation, most of us think of it this way: God physically walked on this earth, he died, he rose, and then he returned to heaven. When he left, he sent the Holy Spirit to be present among us – but the actual physical body of Jesus was gone forever. And yet, we often find ourselves wishing that Jesus were still here – right now – in the flesh, so that we could touch him, hear his voice and see the compassion in his eyes.  Read More

I Am Clear of Responsibility – or Am I?

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Sometimes, things don’t always go according to plan. Sometimes, we become frustrated, disappointed, and upset. Sometimes, we think we’re doing a bang-up job when someone comes along and gives us a slap on the side of the head with a major dose of reality. This is what St. Paul encountered in Macedonia in today’s scripture reading (Acts 18:1-8). Read More

Are You Excited?

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The word “excitement” means: “to be stirred or thrilled, the state of being emotionally worked up, the feeling of active and cheerful joy.” Some would say they have excitement at times, but it all depends on what they are doing, what they are “into” at the moment.

For example, many get excited at sporting events. Some will be thrilled at getting a new outfit, or a good meal out. Everybody gets excited with their gifts at Christmas or a good holiday. However, do we have that same level of excitement when it comes to God our Father? Read More

Status “Quo”te

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“Do not depend on the hope of results. When you are doing the sort of work you have taken on…you may have to face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and even achieve no result at all, if not perhaps results opposite to what you expect. As you get used to this idea, you start more and more to concentrate not on the results but on the value, the rightness, the truth of the work itself.”

~Thomas Merton

In God We Doubt?

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Have you ever accidentally missed a big moment? It feels terrible! You got distracted right before your child scored a goal. You missed the winning touchdown because your cellphone rang. You were driving to the hospital to witness the birth of a grandchild, and the baby arrived before you did. Maybe you missed the two Popes being canonized this morning because you overslept. It’s a terrible feeling, and this is exactly how Thomas feels in today’s Gospel (John 20:19-31). Read More

Patiently Waiting

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What are we waiting for?

Holy Saturday is a time of waiting, of living in the uncomfortable middle between the necessary death of Jesus and his Resurrection. It’s a day of grief and mourning, of patient waiting and hoping. It is a day of holy waiting, which requires a spirit of patience and prayerfulness. Yet, for most of us, we are so busy with Easter baking, last minute cleaning, preparing for guests, or prepping for Easter liturgies. So how can we hold onto the spirit of patience and prayerfulness in the midst of such busyness? Read More

Status “Quo”te

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“In the external scheme of things, shining moments are as brief as the twinkling of an eye. Yet such twinklings is what eternity is made of. Moments when we human beings can say, ‘I love you. I’m proud of you. I forgive you. I’m grateful for you.’ That’s what eternity is made of: invisible, imperishable good stuff!” ~Fred Rogers 

Listening to God’s Voice

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Have you ever wondered what God is saying to us? Are we even listening? Many of us feel as if we can’t hear God, and as a listen222result we walk around aimless, clueless, and lost. What we need to do is to ask if the words of Jeremiah apply to us (Jeremiah 7:23-28). How carefully do we listen? How well do we carry out the will of God in our lives? How clearly can we discern the presence of God in our daily lives?

To help answer these questions, here are five steps that we need to follow to help us walk in God’s ways: Read More

St. Joseph: Model of Obedience

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Prayer to St. Joseph: Model of Obedience

Saint Joseph, one of the most visible traits of your soul is obedience to God. Woven into your entire life is faithfulness, obedience, and confidence in the Lord who loves you.

At the beginning of the Gospel, Mary, your betrothed, finds herself pregnant. As a compassionate man, you decide to let her go home secretly so as not to expose her. But God asks you to take her to you, nonetheless, as a faithful spouse. Mindful of this first message from God, you join him in embarking on the ever mysterious path of the Incarnation. Read More

Remember, Repent and Repeat

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A few years ago, I was attending a team meeting for work, one where our management team got everyone together to rally the troops and motivate us to perform better. We had a motivational speaker who was giving us a presentation. As I was listening, I noticed that my boss (who was sitting turned-somewhat sideways in the front row) was picking her nose – and not daintily, but very aggressively. As much as I didn’t want to look at her, I couldn’t help but to do so. I became so fixated on her actions that I had stopped listening to the speaker. Read More