we can only say we truly know this Good Shepherd if we are willing to listen to his voice and follow his commands in our daily lives.

“The daughter of Sudan, sold into slavery as a living piece of property, is free, free with the freedom of the saints.”

Grace and life are offered to us, we are called to express our gratitude in and through our love and service of those around us.

We are called to carry that light into the dark places of the world in our prayer, words, and acts of charity

As we continue our Advent watching, pray for the gifts of courage and perseverance.

As we celebrate the memory of Saint Gertrude, let us pray for the grace to open our hearts to the consoling and transforming love of Christ’s own Heart that so indelibly shaped Gertrude’s life and teaching.

Darkness is not the end. The dawn will come and, with it, the Bridegroom who will invite us into eternal wedding banquet of the Reign of God.

Martin had taken to heart the words of the Gospel, “whatever you did for the least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40), and his life was never the same.

Like those leaders called out by Jesus and Malachi, we also have a special kind of covenantal relationship with those whom we are called to serve.

Because we do not know many details of the lives of Simon and Jude, we are left to reflect simply on what it means to be an apostle, sent by Christ into the world.

Jesus offered his followers, just as he offers each of us, the possibility of a new and life-changing relationship with God and each other within the communion of the Church.

Through Jesus and because he has given his life for “his flock,” we have an abundance of life.

Easter reminds us that there is something more powerful suffering and death: the love of the God who, in Christ, has taken upon himself our broken humanity.

It was on this day that Jesus entered into the darkest recesses of the human experience, bringing the Divine Presence into the reality of death itself

Are the Readings proclaimed today simply positioned to move the Passion narrative forward? What else might we discern as we reflect on the story of Judas?

The Readings today are calling us to a deeper knowledge and love of the One in whom and through whom we discover the fullest expressions of the Father’s mercy and love.

Our Lenten fasting and abstinence should be helping us to focus less on ourselves and to become more attuned to those around us

Jesus’ desire for his followers is to help make the Reign of God a reality in the world by combatting evil and injustice responsibly and courageously because God’s Reign demands that we live lives of love and compassion.