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The Lord’s command: Be strong and courageous
“Don’t forget Laura.” That’s what several of the homeless people on my bus said as they pointed to a woman sitting alone in her walker in a distant parking lot. Because of her disability, she couldn’t walk down the grassy hill to the usual pick-up area. I made an extra stop. As I loaded her walker on the bus, she introduced herself to me . “Hi, I’m Laura. I’ve got M.S. That means I’m ‘Mighty Special’”. One of my most eye-opening experiences in working with the homeless is the sheer number of people with both physical and mental disabilities. Some say half of the homeless population is disabled. I might say more. …
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The most important part of prayer – remembering
Last month, I visited one of the oldest churches in Puebla, Mexico, the beautiful Templo de Convento de San Francisco. It was built by the Franciscans in 1516 as a monastery and place of worship. In one of the chapels of the church is the uncorrupted body of Blessed Brother Sebastián de Aparicio. He gave me a timeless lesson in the spiritual life: Remembering. Brother Sebastian had a fascinating life. He was born in poverty in 1502. He died in poverty in 1600. In between, he amassed a fortune building roads between the towns across Mexico. At the age of 73, he donated his wealth to the Poor Clares and…
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Mary sees her risen son. I see my mom.
There is a fascinating meditation in the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius: Imagine what it would be like if Jesus appeared to his mother after his resurrection. (#299) Though not recorded in scripture, it seems fitting that Mary would have been one of the people graced by the Lord’s resurrection appearances. This exercise took me in a surprising direction. As with all the Ignatian exercises, I imagined the scene. Mary was working in a garden surrounded by a rock wall. There was an open gate. It was early morning. The sun was rising through the gate. I felt the breeze and the sun’s warmth on my skin, smelled the fresh…
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Cómo mantener fluyendo el don de la Divina Misericordia
¿Qué imagen describe mejor tu discipulado? ¿Estás tras puertas cerradas de tu fe? ¿O estás proclamando con valentía a Jesús en el mercado con tus palabras y acciones? ¿Cual es la diferencia?
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How to keep the gift of divine mercy flowing
In scripture, there are two different images of the disciples. In the gospel (Jn 20:20), they're behind locked doors. They are afraid. At least one is filled with doubts. In Acts (5:12-16), they’re doing signs and wonders in the name of Jesus and drawing great crowds. What made the difference? Which image best describes your discipleship? Are you behind locked doors of your faith? Are you a little afraid of the threatening world? Do you doubt that God is doing anything about it? Or are you boldly proclaiming Jesus in the marketplace with your words and actions? Do signs and wonders accompany your life? Do you draw people from all…
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How Pope Francis Changed My Life
When a friend or family member dies, I often write a letter to that person in my journal. Below is the letter I wrote to Pope Francis the morning I heard of his death… Dear Pope Francis, I awoke this Easter Monday morning to the sad news of your death. You were truly my shepherd. Your message of hope and vision for a new creation changed the trajectory of my life. I think back. When you were elected Pope, I was a General Manager for a large steel company. My focus was on making steel products. I had reached the pinnacle of my career and wielded a certain amount of…
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Esto es lo que Jesús dijo que también debíamos hacer…
Pues si yo, que soy el Maestro y el Señor,les he lavado los pies,también ustedes deben lavarse los pies los unos a los otros.Les he dado ejemplo,para que lo que yo he hecho con ustedes,también ustedes lo hagan (Jn 13:15) En el Evangelio, Jesús da un mandato: «Como lo que hecho con ustedes, también ustedes lo hagan.». ¿Qué hizo? Una tarea repugnante y humillante, asignada al más bajo de los esclavos. Lavó los pies sucios de los discípulos. Les dijo, y nos dice a mí y a ti: «Como lo que hecho con ustedes, también ustedes lo hagan.» Debes entregar tu vida a otro por amor, incluso si eso significa…
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This is what Jesus said you should also do…
In the gospel, Jesus gives a command. “As I have done for you, you should also do.” What did he do? A disgusting, humiliating task assigned to the lowest of slaves. He washed the dirty feet of the disciples. He said to them, and he says to me and you. “As I have done, you should also do.” You should give your life over to another out of love, even if that means performing the lowest, most humiliating task. You should become washers of dirty feet.
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A New Image for Good Friday
On the First Sunday of Lent, I visited the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City. I saw a most unusual crucifix. It is sometimes called the black Christ (Cristo Negro), but most often is referred to as the Miraculous Cross of Poison. The cross was originally like white marble, fashioned in the 1600s for the Porta Coeli (Heaven’s Gate) Dominican seminary. How did the cross turn ebony black? The accounts vary but agree that there was a man who had a particular devotion to this near-life-sized crucifix. He would faithfully kiss the feet of the corpus after Mass. The man had an enemy who wanted him dead. His enemy…
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My call? Well, I wanted to be like that man
I spent some time last week with my old friend, Pastor Fred. He’s a retired Baptist minister, 91 years old. I visit him from time to time, especially when I need stories infused with faith, hope, and perseverance. “When did you know you wanted to be a pastor?” I asked. “I wasn’t called all at once. My awareness came gradually. There was, however, one experience that stands out. He grew up in a mill town in Georgia. Both his parents worked in the nearby textile mill. His dad worked the evening shift, his mom the morning shift. That way, someone would be home to take care of him. Textile…
