Writings for the Journey

Advent is a time of waiting. What are we waiting for? Mary and Elisabeth were waiting for the birth of Jesus and John the Baptist. Their waiting had purpose. Their children were growing within them. It was a matter of life or death. In Advent, we are asked to wait. We...

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, please read some quotes from Brother David Steindl-Rast: “The root of joy is gratefulness. It is not joy that makes us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” “We are never more than one grateful thought away from peace of...

In our life, we face many possibilities. We have to make choices as to what we are going to do, when we are going to act, with whom we are going to spend our time. There are many decisions to make. There are people who urge us to join them in their cause. There are...

In a very short time Pope Leo has published a second Apostolic Letter on the meaning and purpose of Christian education. In his letter he emphasizes that education must refer to the whole person, not only a person’s mind. He wants to make sure that Christian education...

As we travel on our spiritual road, we do not travel alone. There are those who have gone before us. What they provide is a sustaining legacy that does not die with them. They have passed on to us not only what they have said but who they were. This legacy comes to us...

Where do we find Christ? He can come to us in many ways. He is present in the sacraments, through nature, through the normal experiences of our lives. But let us consider that Christ also comes to us in mystical experiences. This is the opportunity to be open through...

Pope Leo has written his first letter to Christians around the world. He is writing to make us aware of our Christian obligation to poor people. When we meet the poor and listen to them, we are meeting and listening to Christ. If Christ loves us, then we are called to...

Just as in Jesus’ life, we experience both vulnerability and fulfillment. As humans we cannot avoid being made aware of our vulnerability. There are times when we become all too aware of how vulnerable we really are. We lose something. We miss an opportunity to go...

Jesus says, “Unless you become like children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” What is he telling us? If we pray out of a strong ego in our desire of becoming holy or perfect, we are placing our focus on ourselves. Little children place all of their attention...

“Give us THIS DAY our daily bread.” We pray Jesus’ prayer in the “Our Father.” Most of the time we find ourselves preoccupied with what has happened or what is going to happen. What about this day? What about this moment? It is here and now that God wants to meet us....