[Pearls Ep. 123:  Answering atheism Tuesday] We’re completing our time reflecting on the blessed Trinity. The key message of the Trinity is relationship.  God holds nothing back in inviting us into His life.  Which is to say, God is very active in history and in our own lives.  Take, for example, Sunday’s first reading, spoken Read More >

[Pearls Ep. 123:  Monday Motivation] We’re looking at the Trinity, and how we fit into it. On Thursday and Friday we looked at the cycle of self-giving of the Trinity.  The self-knowing of the Father begets the Son, and the Spirit proceeds from the love between the Father and Son.  Not only that, Jesus tells Read More >

[Pearls Ep. 123: Friday Follow-up] We’re looking at Trinity – drawing closer to the mystery of the relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and how we fit in. This weekend’s scripture readings (Provers 8:22-31, Psalm 8, Rom 5:1-5 and John 16:12-15) feature the Holy Spirit, and so we start there.  The Holy Spirit Read More >

[Pearls Ep. 123: the Holy Trinity] This weekend we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Church, in her great wisdom, places this feast immediately after Pentecost – the Son returning to the Father and the Father sending us the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is the greatest Read More >

[Pearls Ep. 122: Answering atheism Tuesday] Having just celebrated Pentecost, we’ve been looking at calling on the Holy Spirit – “Come, Holy Spirit!” First, we noted that we call on Him because He is our perfect “personal trainer.”  He is our advocate, our consoler, and our teacher.  The Holy Spirit provides, literally, all that we Read More >

[Pearls Ep. 122: Monday motivation] OK, some Monday humor to start: What did one Buddhist Master give to the child for his birthday?  Nothing wrapped in Emptiness. To which the child responded, “You are thoughtless for giving me this meaningless gift.” And the Buddhist Master replied, “Thank you.” You can tell a lot about someone Read More >

[Pearls Ep. 122:  Friday follow-up] As we approach Pentecost, we’re looking at reasons why we call on the Holy Spirit – “Come, Holy Spirit.” This ancient prayer is found nowhere in the Bible, but quickly became a standard of the early Church.  Today we look at the first of three reasons why this is a Read More >

[Pearls Ep. 122:  Come, Holy Spirit] Pentecost is upon us and that calls to mind the ancient prayer, “Come Holy Spirit.” The question can be asked – Why?   Why should we call the Holy Spirit?  Doesn’t the Holy Spirit already know when to come?   And, for that matter, isn’t He already here?  Isn’t He everywhere, Read More >

[Pearls Ep. 121:  Answering Atheism Tuesday] We’ve been looking at ways we deepen our connection to Christ’s Ascension in our earthly spiritual life.  We saw that Saints Bernard and Bonaventure encourage us to get a taste of the ascension in our daily life – to reflect on Christ’s ascension to heaven and to “ascend” to Read More >

[Pearls Ep. 121:  Monday Motivation] We’re looking at Christ’s ascension and what it means to our interior life. On Friday, St. Bernard reminded us that we ascend to meet the Lord each day in mental prayer. And today St. Bonaventure emphasizes the significance of the Ascension among the other pascal mysteries of Christ’s agony, suffering, Read More >