December 20, 2023 | by Lori Ranner | St. Paul tells us that God’s “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:8); but today’s reflection reminds us that God’s power is also brought to perfection in waiting—and that our waiting and our weakness are inextricably interwoven. Indeed, that interweaving may be precisely why Advent is such a holy, such a human, season.
Breath of the Spirit
December 13, 2023
December 13, 2023 | by Cait Gardiner | Too often the authenticity of one’s faith is confused for their adherence to accepted doctrine. Today’s reflection reminds us that we follow in the footsteps of our saints not when we are unswervingly loyal to the status quo, but when we hold within ourselves the dynamism of a percolating faith and a longing for justice.
December 6, 2023
December 6, 2023 | by Richard Young | St. Francis of Assisi famously exhorted his community to “preach constantly and, when necessary, use words.” Today’s reflection offers us a similar challenge: to both speak words of Love’s presence and to become that loving presence; to speak of justice and to act justly. As such, Advent invites us to a greater integrity: when our words reflect not only what we believe but who we are.
November 30, 2023
November 29, 2023 | by Sam Barnes | So often people assume the holidays will be joyful. But for many, especially our LGBTQIA+ siblings, this is simply not the case. This week’s readings invite us to begin diligent preparations for our celebration of Jesus’ birth—a celebration in which all are invited to share. How do we prepare our own queer hearts for closed-minded familial reunions while incorporating LGBTQIA+ inclusivity and love into our holiday season?
November 15, 2023
November 15, 2023 | by Jon Schum | It is so tempting to look for “the” meaning in a Scriptural passage. But today’s reflection reminds us that Jesus’s parables are not intended to offer easy solutions so much as upend them. We are invited to discern what meaning today’s Parable of the Talents might hold for us, a process grounded not in human cleverness so much as in awe at Divine love and majesty.
November 8, 2023
November 8, 2023 | by David Jackson | There is a strand of Christian piety that sees life on earth as a short prelude to our “real” life after we leave this world. But Jesus’ words do not bear out such a quietist perspective. Instead, as today’s reflection reminds us, waiting for the disciple is an active, engaged state of being in which we are not only preparing for the life to come, we are cooperating in bringing it about.
November 1, 2023
November 1, 2023 | by Ann Penick | It is always tempting to hear Jesus’ diatribes against hypocrisy as intended for other listeners. Today’s reflection reminds us that we, too, are an intended audience. If we hope to be nourished at the Table of Love’s Law, then we must let it penetrate deeper than mere observance.
October 25, 2023
October 25, 2023 | by Thomas DeVoyd | As Christians, we believe the Scriptures’ moral code is grounded in the Divine Delight in all creation, and in the dignity Love imbues to every corner of the universe. Today’s reflection reminds us that such lofty faith must be rooted in concrete actions. Our salvation and survival depend on it.
October 18, 2023
October 18, 2023 | by Marianne Seggerman | It is difficult not to get caught up in the toxic politics of our times. Conversations seem to move so quickly from innocuous to offensive. In today’s gospel (and today’s reflection), Jesus sidesteps controversy by inviting us to do our own discernment. Jesus refuses to be a substitute for the listeners’ (and our own) consciences, instead inviting us to invest in our own integrity.
October 11, 2023
October 11, 2023 | by Lori Ranner | So often the problem with our vision is not that we cannot see, but that we see too much. In this abundance, we lose our focus, missing what matters most. Today’s reflection invites us not only to recognize the abundance in our midst, but to respond to these gifts with the gratitude and reverence they deserve.