Sister Rosemary Bucchi When we hear “Works of Mercy” we think of what we learned during religious instruction — the Corporal and Spiritual Acts (or Works) of Mercy. These are practices which Christians perform and the Catholic Church refers to as both penance and charity. Many of us are familiar with the list. The Corporal [...]
by Sister Martha Torbik In reflecting on our Lenten theme of “Mercy Works!” I was drawn back to a visit I made at the Gettysburg National Military Park a few years ago. My Licensed Battlefield Guide, Ed Guy, was exceptional, sharing interesting and uncommon information. An example: battle casualties were so massive, and supplies, even [...]
Mk 1 By Marianne Ferguson Jesus must have felt the power of the Spirit very strongly to follow it into the desert. He seems to establish a pattern that He follows all his public life. Jesus often goes to a private place to pray before His preaching or healing. Unfortunately, the Palestinian desert is a most foreboding place with [...]
This Lent, Give, Don't Give Up Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The tradition is to “give up” something important to us for the 40 days until Easter as a gesture of sacrifice. The coronavirus pandemic caused us to give up so much during 2020 and these early days of 2021, we suggest [...]
By Sister Ellen McClure Lent and the coming Holy Week have taken on new and unexpected dimensions this year as the shadow of coronavirus looms over the world. A call to intercessory prayer for those who are ill has filled my consciousness. It is a great honor to be an intercessor for the people of [...]
On this beautiful feast of the Annunciation, what more inspiring words can be our reflection than “Be it done unto me according to THY WORD.” At the moment of Jesus’ conception, our Blessed Mother started the work of our redemption and became the universal and constant model for each one of us. Being attentive to [...]
“Let There Be Light.” By Sister Barbara Jean Wajda Did you ever wonder what was in God’s mind when this word became reality? To the Creator, the past, present and future were THE NOW. What was the darkness that this light was dispelling? Was it the darkness that we associate with eyesight? Or persecution? [...]
By Sister Marianne Ferguson We all know people who have done outstanding service to others through institutions and personal efforts. However the aging process for many of us has curtailed some corporal activities. Nevertheless our Creator, whose Spirit runs through all His creatures, has endowed us with his own creative giftedness to find alternative ways [...]
Sister Roberta Smith “Jesus took Peter, James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.” (Matt.17:1) And so begins the Gospel reading for the second Sunday in Lent. Lent is a [...]
There are moments in our lives when our personal world is filled with darkness. Tragedy, loss, bereavement, rejection and failure are all common experiences. There is no living human being who holds the power to avoid being touched by pain. There is no defense strong enough to make us invulnerable to the unpredictability of life’s [...]