Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary TimeMt 8:1-4When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it. Be made clean.”

"Cyprian grounds his theology in the earth, the body, and the feminine, presenting God as a quaternity of Silence, Word, Music, and Dance. In a “divine alchemy,” which should be our normative experience, “the water of our humanity is changed into the wine of divinity.” This complex and profound work challenges us to move beyond our limited Eurocentrism and understand God as Great Mother, Tao-Made-Flesh, and the energy of Shekinah."- Tessa Bielecki, author of Holy Daring and co-director of the Desert FoundationIt appears that an island floats in the water, but actually every island is the tip of a mountain rooted deep in the ocean. Even more rooted in the fathomless are our names for God: they are merely the island we see sticking out of the sea.This work explores ways of understanding the Persons of the Trinity inspired by the thought of Raimon Panikkar and Bruno Barnhart. Cyprian Consiglio presents some of what lies beneath the names as we know them––Father, Son, and Spirit––to the universal energies that each of the Persons represent, as these energies are found in us, and in other spiritual traditions of the world. This includes an opening up of the feminine dimension of each of the Persons. With an emphasis on our participation in divinity, Consiglio explores what it might mean to evolve in our understanding of God and realize untapped potentials of our Christian spirituality. Cyprian Consiglio is a Camaldolese Benedictine monk, musician, composer, author, and teacher. He has shared his time between a hermitage in Big Sur, CA, and traveling in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, studying, teaching, and performing. Currently prior of his community, his other books include Prayer in the Cave of the Heart and Spirit, Soul, Body: Toward an Integral Christian Spirituality.

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles Mt 16:13-19Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Once again today we hear Jesus proclaiming that his disciples should not surrender to fear as they carry out their mission. He even tells his followers that they are worth more than an entire flock of sparrows and that every hair on their head has been counted. Jesus assures us that God’s loving, fatherly care accompanies us in all of life’s diverse situations.

Our Gospel reading today presents the beginning of the famous “mission discourse” by the Evangelist Matthew; it covers all of chapter ten of Matthew’s Gospel. Since our Catholic Church is missionary by her very nature and identity, much has been written about missionary evangelization over the centuries. To enhance your meditation and reflection, this presentation simply provides a series of quotes from various sources to enrich your missionary journey of faith.

On this special episode of Among The People, we recognize the celebration of International Children's day by interviewing Father Frank Breen, M.M. Father Breen shares with us his extensive work in Africa and here in the United States serving immigrants and refugees.

Orbis Books Publisher, Robert Ellsberg, as he discusses "The Healing Path:, with author James Finley in this One On One Interview.This is a contemplative reflection on the spirituality of healing, the fruit of the author’s lifetime in conducting spiritual direction and psychotherapy, drawing on his lessons from Thomas Merton and study of the mystical path. It is largely written in the form of a memoir of his own recovery from the traumatic wounds of his early life. But it is not just about his story—it is an invitation to the reader to reflect and resonate with the lessons that apply to their own stories.Get your copy of the book: https://orbisbooks.com/products/the-healing-pathCheck out the author's podcast - Turning to the Mystics - Hosted by James Finley https://cac.org/podcast/turning-to-the-mysticsLearn more about Orbis Books, visit https://www.orbisbooks.com#orbisbooks #catholic #maryknoll #JamesFinley #spiritual #christian #contemplative

Our feast today is Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ; more formally, it is termed: The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Today’s Gospel is drawn from chapter six of John’s Gospel, often termed the “bread of life” chapter. Here Jesus declares: “I am the bread of life…. I am the bread that came down from heaven…. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.” Hearing Jesus’ words, many of his ordinary followers abandoned him. The Twelve stayed with Jesus; Peter declared: “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary TimeMk 12:35-37As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said, "How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said: The Lord said to my lord, 'Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet.' David himself calls him 'lord'; so how is he his son?" The great crowd heard this with delight.

Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary TimeMk 12:18-27"As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled."

Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and MartyrMk 12:1-12"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?”