Podcast

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.

“See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears his glory.”Isaiah 60:2Our faith tells us, and Isaiah does, too: No matter the circumstance of our lives, we are surrounded in God’s glory. May the light of the Lord shine upon you today on the feast of the Epiphany!Please accept my blessings for the New Year, one that we pray brings us deep spiritual renewal and strength for the journey.The new life we crave is born in our call to mission, a reaching out to the entire world in the name of Christ our Savior. The Magi were the first to recognize the Messiah with precious gifts—and signs of humility. Just imagine: three kings honoring an infant born in a stable! In our own way, we are called to acknowledge the blessing of salvation in the Christ Child, and make the Good News known to the ends of the earth.An epiphany, we know, is an insight into the essential meaning of something. An intuition that is undeniable. The Epiphany of Our Lord is all that and more. Today’s feast day acknowledges the divine nature of the Infant Jesus, a blessing from God that offers us the promise of salvation and eternal life.This is the light Isaiah speaks of that pierces through the darkness. Today, we recommit ourselves to delivering the message of Christmas with joy in our hearts. God’s love has been revealed. Sharing the love and building God’s kingdom on earth is how the Christmas spirit will live on all year long.The Epiphany reminds me how the light of Christ was offered to the world one day many years ago in another most remarkable way. On the feast of the Epiphany in 1912, three laywomen arrived at Maryknoll to found the Maryknoll Sisters. To this day, we call them the Three Wise Women! God called them to leadership and service, and they led by example. Their legacy of mission and healing continues to inspire women to Sisterhood all over the world. Friend, the past year has challenged us...

“Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another.”(Colossians 3:12)The celebrations that surround Christmas have been wonderful—liturgies, caroling, being with family and friends. But I still have to ask myself: What exactly changed? Am I a better person now? Has the Christ Child shown me something I didn’t know before?Today on the feast of the Holy Family we have a lot to contemplate about the role love plays within our families—and the role it plays beyond. We are called to witness God’s love in many spaces: communities, towns, our nation and the world. A single act of courage or kindness is never wasted. Neither is a single act of forgiveness. They can change someone’s life forever—including lives we may never know personally. The circle of love widens at each turn because that’s how love works. That’s how God works. Lessons of love start within our families. When Mary gave birth to the Christ Child, we saw the model of a loving family. Mary and Joseph welcomed Jesus completely even as events clouded their future together. Soon after the arrival of the Magi, they fled home, traveling to Egypt to protect their infant son from imminent danger. Mary and Joseph did everything they could to remain an intact family during and after their exile.The ripple effect of their love is the central theme of every Gospel story we read about today—and Christmas is where it all began. God’s love is inevitable. It strengthens and grows each time we become Christ-like, too, in our families, in our communities, in our world.Friend, to answer my own question: What has changed for me is the belief that Christmas is not just a celebration; it’s an obligation to nurture loving relationships in honor of the Holy Family. It’s an obligation to share God’s love at every turn within our nuclear families and beyond—even when things seem risky. With prayer, I know you and I will be up for the task. And with that… No more questions for 2020. May God...

“Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.”(Luke 1:38)Pausing at the words of Luke’s Gospel makes me ask the “What if” question of the day: What indeed if Mary had said “no”?

Jim Forest has spent a lifetime in the cause of peace and reconciliation. In this memoir he traces his story through his intimate encounters with some of the great peacemakers of our time, including Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Daniel Berrigan, Henri Nouwen, and Thich Nhat Hanh. The son of ardent Communists, his remarkable journey led to his enlistment in the Navy, and then his discharge as a conscientious objector following his conversion to Catholicism.

“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to announce a year of favor from the Lord.”(Isaiah 61:1-2)

“We await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.”(2 Peter 3:14)There is a difference between waiting and being idle. One act can have purpose; the other doesn’t. That’s an important lesson to keep in mind during the weeks of Advent because our souls need attention, too—just as much as our social calendars. Right now we anticipate the arrival of the Christ Child, our Lord and Savior. Preparations abound in our homes but there are things we can do each day to make the waiting an act of spiritual fulfillment.As part of your Advent practice of “waiting with purpose,” think about the one thing you want to grow in—not just in the weeks before Christmas but all year long. Maybe it’s patience or forgiveness. Perhaps it’s seeing the good in someone or a circumstance before (or instead of) focusing on the negative. Advent is a good time to make purposeful waiting an act of spiritual growth, realizing that God is already here to help. Accepting the presence of God in our lives means we can never really fail. We just get better at reflecting the compassion of Our Lord. Pope Francis often reminds us that even before we seek Christ, he is present lifting us back up after we fall, and helping us grow stronger in faith. “Turn your heart to God,” is how our pontiff puts it, and be fulfilled. Friend, as you prepare for the Christ Child, know that in the second week of Advent the Lord is already here… never late… always on time… available to comfort and reassure anytime and every time you pray. Knowing that will make waiting for Christmas Day truly a season of joy and fulfillment.