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“For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.”Ephesians 2:10As far as Paul is concerned, we all have an important role to play. And our calling comes into sharper relief as we continue through the days and weeks of Lent.Of course, we all have choices to make about how we witness our faith. That’s why Lent is so helpful—and hopeful. It’s the gift we give ourselves. We pray for guidance to be better family members and neighbors, better co-workers and more engaged members of our parishes and communities. And we pray that by giving ourselves selflessly—in time, words, prayers and deeds—we will encourage others to become the children of God that they were called to be.If the days of Lent have started to feel long, don’t be discouraged. God is still at work, infusing us with new life. Each act of charity, and every moment you dedicate to prayer takes you closer to your personal transformation. I understand: Sometimes we are called to do things that aren’t always easy, and that includes me. The past year and its lingering impact have asked us all to be selfless and heroic in ways we couldn’t have imagined. But our examples of collective good will and determination continue to inspire the faithful—and society itself. Working through suffering is the story of Easter—the birth of new life that follows and the promise of redemption in Christ.Friend, you are God’s fullest expression of life destined for greatness by doing good. Your gifts are unique to you. Share them and you are doing the work of salvation, drawing closer to eternal life—the promise of Easter. Life is always new, always becoming. And you are thereason why.

In this companion to her popular Hidden Women of the Gospels, Kathy Coffey offers thought-provoking stories of women who appear in the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles.Order your copy today >> https://maryknoll.link/805dcFor readers seeking to encounter these figures and their stories in a new way this book will open the door.

“Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear.”Isaiah 50:4After all the weeks of Lent and preparation, we come to the heart of who we are and what it means to be a Christian. This is Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion.Today’s events, and the events of Holy Week soon to follow, are as meaningful now as they were 2,000 years ago. We recognize that God is inviting us to be transformed: to pass from death to new life. This is the week we say “Yes, Lord. I am ready.”I know that for some of us the traditional liturgies and celebrations of Holy Week will be compromised. Whether we express our faith privately at home or in safe groups, Holy Week represents the core of our faith. What we remember is Christ giving himself up totally for us—and calling us to give ourselves up for one another.Today we receive the palm, which the crowds waved as they welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem. Later this week we will celebrate the Last Supper and the gift of the Eucharist, the lasting presence of God among us. Then on Good Friday we will recite the Stations of the Cross, remembering the suffering and death of Our Lord. As we experience the promise of Holy Week, now is a good time to focus on forgiveness—for ourselves and one another—and on acts of charity that heal. We do both by responding to God’s call to love and serve one another freely and without measure. As missioners, there is no holding back.Friend, when we turn to God for help, it will be as Isaiah says: The Lord will open our ears, we will be called, and we will hear. May you have a blessed Holy Week in preparation for the greatest feast day of all, Easter Sunday.

“From the shining cloud the Father’s voice is heard: This is my beloved Son, listen to Him.”Matthew 17:5Today’s Gospel reading is a comfort to contemplate… The Son of God transfigured in all His glory, His divinity revealed as a sign of the eternal glory each of us is destined to enjoy. Here we are in the second week of Lent, anxious to show God that our good works and our sacrifices are all offered with the intention of drawing closer in worthiness to the gift of salvation. We see that the transfiguration of the Lord is a glimpse into our future, too. Matthew’s recounting assures us that we can be transformed in God’s image as well and become worthy of eternal life.Transformation may sound like a tall order right now. Everyday life still poses its challenges—for all of us. But let’s remember that God loves and accepts us as we are, especially because our goal during Lent is to always offer up a little more and find new ways to give praise. While we still have the spiritual energy, let’s promise ourselves that we will keep the momentum going. One way to do that is by trying to discern the gifts that God is trying to reveal in us. Is it a special kinship with children or the elderly? Do you have a unique talent that you could share—or share more of? Is there a prayer group that could enrich your Lenten practice—and convince someone else to do the same? Friend, it’s only the second full week of Lent, I know. But with the example of today’s Gospel, it’s a perfect time to look inward and see how you might be transformed in God’s image. The one promise I can make is that when you welcome God with the intention of being renewed, you’re not the only one who will experience a change. Your example will have the power to transform someone else’s life, too. Maybe more than one life. Maybe many lives. Lent is a time when we can set new goals and find out. May your journey this...

“Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.”
 Psalm 25:4-5The Psalmist is reading our minds today. On the first Sunday of Lent—and the days that follow—we ask God to make the paths of truth and righteousness known to us so that we might become worthy of salvation. That is our Lenten prayer.But how can we become worthy in the eyes of God? That seems like such a tall order, doesn’t it? We know the traditions: fasting, Stations of the Cross, daily Mass, and acts of charity that go beyond the usual. Of course, giving up something that we love—a tradition for many of us since childhood—is a form of penance. But Lent is more than that. Beyond the sacrifice, Lent is an opportunity to open up our hearts to God and give witness to the love we have received in baptism. Actively witnessing God’s love is as rewarding—if not more so—than, say, forgoing tonight’s dessert. Something I experienced during my mission days in the Altiplano of Peru taught me how deeply we can practice our faith when we welcome Christ home. A man in our parish said he was giving up some food from his daily meal that Lent in order to give it to someone he knew who needed it more. The man was poor himself. But in order to prepare for Easter, he was ready to give away the little he had. That’s a sacrifice that showed me how deeply one person can love another.Friend, before he began his public ministry Jesus fasted for 40 days. He was tempted by the devil but never gave in. Our 40-days of Lent will have its challenges, too, and we will need each other for support and encouragement. That’s what prayer partners are for. So please know I am praying with and for you. May this Lent deepen your faith and mine—and make known the paths of the Lord so that one day we will all be worthy in God’s eyes.

Learn more or order your copy today: https://maryknoll.link/42036In relating the story of the Black Lives Matter movement through a Christian lens, readers—Catholic and others—will gain insights and a deeper understanding of the movement and why it can help the church, and the country, move closer to racial equality.

“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31“L-o-v-e” is a simple word, but rich and layered in meaning. These four magical letters, written in this precise order, define God’s relationship to us and our relationship to one another. Could anything be more uncomplicated? In the end, it all comes down to love.My thoughts on Valentine’s Day are probably a lot like yours. Today we celebrate all expressions of God’s love: in our friendships and marriages... through the caring partnerships forged in brotherhood and sisterhood… in religious life… and through the teachings of the Gospel itself. Thanks to Christ’s example, we understand that the richest experiences of human fulfillment come from loving one another. We saw this lesson expressed time and again over the past year—expressions of caring and love from our frontline healthcare workers that knew no bounds. Maybe you are one of those workers, or perhaps a caregiver who was called to serve in a new or unexpected way. Friend, when we give ourselves over to someone else—freely and without expectation of any return—those are moments when we grow as disciples of Our Lord. So happy Valentine’s Day. Honor the gift of love with every special remembrance—traditional or otherwise. Then celebrate all year long by being an imitator of Christ.

“Praise the Lord who heals the brokenhearted.”
Psalm 147:1Life, as we know, is full of paradoxes. Where there is joy, there will also be pain. Where there is order, there will always be things that need fixing. Our lives are like that—contrasts and opposites. But they are also opportunities along the way to find God and the healing we long for.The first reading today is from the Book of Job, a blameless man who knew setbacks and flat-out misery. Can you relate? Most of us can. Yet even in moments of despair Job never lost sight of God’s presence. We can take comfort from a man who gave himself over to God with the wisdom of faith and the knowledge that his Creator would never abandon him. Here’s what Job said: “Yet he knows my way:if he tested me, I should come forth like gold.My foot has always walked in his steps;I have kept his way and not turned aside.From the commands of his lips I have not departed;the words of his mouth I have treasured in my heart.”- Job 23:10-12

Another masterful work by this renowned and popular author, Wholeness and Holiness guides the reader through grace into the possibilities of a deeper spirituality and relationship with oneself, the world, and God. With his lifetime experience in psychology and spirituality, David Richo takes us on a three-step journey to become psychologically healthy, spiritually aware and active, and sometimes saintly. All three are possible!

Oh, that today you would hear his voice: “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.”Psalm 95: 7-9Do I really want to be tested? Does anyone? The answer to my Sunday morning rumination is obvious. “God, please don’t test me too much! Just enough to know I’m worthy of your love.”When the Israelites left Egypt, their journey became more difficult than what they bargained for. Some wanted to turn back. And isn’t that us at times? When life takes an unwanted turn, we immediately want to know where God is and ask, “Why is this happening to me? How do I get out of this mess?”

“Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.”Psalm 25:4-5Last week we talked about the first intuition we had of God’s presence in our lives—and how that insight matches perfectly with our own very human desire for fulfillment. Today, I’d like to dwell on the scripture from the Book of Psalms that gives us a path forward.“Teach me your ways…” We say this in prayer all the time. We ask the Lord to show us how to better reflect his love and compassion. And we pray for the strength to witness that love even when it’s hard.This is what we pray for—an understanding of what God is calling us to be, and the courage to accept the invitation. We pray about it because witnessing God’s love isn’t always easy, right? Jonah is a good example of how our lives can go off track. Today’s reading needs a little context but it’s still a teaching moment. Jonah had disobeyed God and found himself in a tight spot. But God being God, Jonah got a second chance. When he obeyed God’s will by going to Nineveh to preach repentance, two things happened: that act not only saved the lives of the Ninevites, it was going to save Jonah’s life, too. But Jonah had trouble being magnanimous. He was mad because God spared the Ninevites, too. What does this story say about forgiveness—one of the central practices of our faith? Is it only good “for me” but “not for you”? The lesson is that God cares for all of us, even the sinner, and maybe especially the sinner. God’s grace and offer of salvation are infinite. Our calling is nothing more than to receive these gifts with gratitude and then pass them on.Any of us, including Jonah and the Ninevites, can enter the Kingdom of God. That’s because God practices mercy. And that’s why we should, tooFriend, when you pray, asking God to show you the way toward salvation, accept that finding your unique path is...

This compelling account of the life-and-death struggles migrants face in the United States demonstrates how broken the system is, and the deep harm that it does to struggling families and communities. Author and lawyer Linda Dakin-Grim, who represents children and families pro-bono in immigration proceedings, offers a proposal informed by Catholic faith for a comprehensive immigration reform and shows how ordinary people can contribute to solving this difficult and polarizing issue.

“Come, and you will see. “So they went and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.”’John 1:39John’s Gospel is so precise about the exact time the apostles stayed with Jesus and came to understand that he was the Messiah. How did John know that?I have always been amused by this scripture. And it makes me think: What time was it when I first saw God? When I first understood that I was being called to glory? Here’s one I can think of: When I was just a kid in grammar school, my hero was a priest that I knew. The way he loved and cared for people was amazing to me and I wanted to be just like him. Another moment came later in life. As a young adult in formation to become a Maryknoll priest, I was assigned to Peru for overseas training. The first time I got off the boat, after crossing Lake Titicaca, I knew immediately that I had come home. And eventually that’s where I would spend 20 years of my life, serving the Aymaran community and experiencing the power of God’s presence.In the end, the exact moment each of us comes to know God may not be as important as the journey we’re on… the lifetime we devote to living the Gospel. We are the apostles of today, longing for the completion that only God can provide. When we are fulfilled, two all-consuming realities give us comfort: We not only rest well in God’s hands, but by sharing our joy we are building God’s kingdom on earth. However we choose to share God’s love—with acts of kindness, with the ability to forgive, with understanding—we know that our relationships will only deepen. And so will our faith. We just need to be open to God’s many invitations to grow in love and compassion. In my experience, they happen all the time.Friend, St. Augustine says we are restless until we rest in God. You might not remember the exact day or hour that you came...

“Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life.”Isaiah 55:3Today’s scripture offers calming words for troubled souls. So many of us are grieving losses and setbacks after a painful year that left no one unchallenged. Yet we know that God is with us.The invitation to life—eternal life—is the central core of our faith. The best way I know to find God is to focus on all the blessings we have received, and to get reacquainted with our priorities. What is most important in our lives? What is God calling us to be? Can we discern God’s presence even when times become difficult?Prayer is a key part of the discernment process. Being still—allowing for the presence of God in quiet moments of meditation—and being open to the work of the Holy Spirit can renew us. For me, being still means expressing gratitude for so many things: my family, my vocation, my fellow Maryknollers, my unforgettable years as a missioner in Peru, and for acts of kindness that have come my way… at times from the most unexpected of sources. But to be honest, my priorities for this year are not my own. I fully expected to return to mission in 2021 after serving in leadership for six years. But the pandemic made it impossible for us to hold our General Chapter last fall to elect a new leadership team. So here I am. Not doing what I necessarily want to. But fulfilling an unexpected role that God has given me.What are you grateful for? And what are your priorities for the New Year? Taking a moment in prayer each day is a great way to “listen heedfully” and be renewed in God’s love. New paths open up to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands. Regardless of where I am, I know my role is to bring the joy of our faith to more people, and to be a better missioner. That’s what I pray for every day.Friend, it’s a sign of humility when we can admit that God’s priorities are always better than our own. The “someone” that...

Ilia Delio, OSF, a Franciscan Sister of Washington, DC, is Josephine C. Connelly Endowed Chair in Theology at Villanova University and founder of the Center for Christogenesis Her many books include Christ in Evolution, The Emergent Christ, The Unbearable Wholeness of Being, and Birth of a Dancing Star: My Journey from Cradle Catholic to Cyborg Christian. She is editor of the Orbis Books series Catholicity in an Emerging Universe.