On this feast of the Presentation we read of Simeon and Anna, two persons who immediately recognized the Christ of the Lord. Simeon “came in the Spirit into the temple” just as Mary and Joseph brought their Child. Simeon had been “awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit

Valentines replaced Christmas cards several weeks ago, so it’s not too early to write about hearts, which I’ll often do this month. One of the first Scripture passages about hearts is from the Book of Exodus. It’s the account of Moses pleading with the Lord that someone else should speak

Pope Francis spoke of healthcare workers as “the saints next door” and “the antibodies to the virus of indifference.” The Gospel tells us that those who lose their lives save their lives (Mk. 9:24).  Doctors, nurses, and others in the forefront of the pandemic are willing to lose their lives

The Gospel passages early in Ordinary Time are full of optimism. Jesus comes to Galilee to proclaim the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand.” Jesus tells the Eleven to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel.” Jesus claims

“The deepest truth is our union with the Absolute, Infinite Being, with God That’s the root of our reality” (Beatrice Bruteau). Our days can be dull, unfulfilling, seemingly pointless. Or the events around us can be chaotic, even irrational. But beneath our days that hardly resemble reality, there is the

Our nation has many stories from the myths about Paul Bunyan to the biographies of Presidents. Its overarching story is one of justice, peace, liberty, dignity. It’s from our stories that we create our present and our future. Are we a more truthful people, because we’ve heard the story of

Mercy is God’s nature. God’s merciful love holds nothing back. As the psalmist says, “His mercy endures forever.” A wave of mercy is poured out over all humanity. As Saint Faustina quotes God in her diary, “I am Love and Mercy itself. There is no misery that could be a

Pope Francis wrote a Prayer for Peace in 2014. As the nation looks to Inauguration Day, let us pray for a peaceful transition with the Pope’s prayer: Lord God of Peace, hear our prayer! We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by

The week for Church Unity begins today and ends on the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul on January 25. This special week of prayer for unity among all denominations began in 1908. This year’s theme is “Abide in My Love” (John 15). Can there be any greater source

The events of the past weeks prove that “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools” (Martin Luther King, Jr). We Sisters of Notre Dame throughout the nation divided the hours on Friday, January 15 so that a community of Sisters would be praying continuously