The prologue to St. John’s gospel introduces God’s Son as the Word. This life-giving Word—spoken down through the ages—became flesh and lived in our midst. For all of Christian history, the Word is intimately connected with all of human life. It is the purpose of TWIL (“The Word Is Life”) to bring the gospel to life and to bring life to the gospel. This blog will feature reflections on the Sunday Scriptures from contemporary Catholic writers, words of wisdom for our Spiritual journey from saints and blessed, and thoughtful reflections on masterpieces of sacred art. We at Living with Christ hope that they will help you grow in your spiritual life and deepen your relationship with the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have so many ways of judging people—by wealth, education, religion, gender, appearance. I’ve caught myself being surprised by a word of wisdom where I least expected it and in doing so recognize my own prejudices. Today’s readings caution us about judgmental attitudes and actions that can block another’s path to God. Joshua wanted Moses…
Come away with me to Saint Peter’s Square. Look up and see the statue of Saint Peter dominating the whole place. Walk around the Basilica and try to count the references to Saint Peter. Bend low in the caves and try to catch a glimpse of his tomb. Here we begin to understand in a…
Today we are offered two very different visions of right living before God. One is to blindly follow the letter of the law; the other is to follow its heart. It is tempting in daily life to hold others to the letter of the law and ourselves to the spirit of the law. A quick…
Human beings are made for relationship; we long to be connected to someone. A young mother who had been adopted in infancy shared with me her experience of motherhood. She said that she finally felt biologically connected to someone. Even as she said this, there was a glow on her face that revealed a deeper…
St. John Chrysostom (347-407) was trained as an orator, lived for a time with hermits, and then became a priest and archbishop of Constantinople. He wrote scriptural commentaries, treatises, and many letters. But his real talent shines through in his homilies, for which he became famous and was called Chrysostomos (the “golden mouth”). This excerpt from…
Here is a link to the readings for this weekend. The multiplication of the loaves and fish in today’s gospel is a central part of Jesus’ teaching on the Bread of Life. When Jesus asks Philip how the people will be fed, Philip simply refers to the amount of money required. Jesus teases Philip and…
Here is a link to the readings for this weekend. As Jeremiah reminds us, not all leaders have their people’s best interests at heart. Too often, the ones who long to control others seize positions of leadership. They care nothing for the people’s needs. Instead, they get carried away by their own power and their…
Here is a link to the readings for this weekend. Summer fills our senses with sights, smells and sounds that are particular to the season. We hear many sounds, but we really listen only to some, to those that mean something to us. Today’s readings focus our attention on listening—on paying attention to the ways…
Here is a link to the readings for this weekend. I admire prophets when they challenge other people to change their attitudes and ways in face of a threatening reality. But when they invite me to see and live in a new way, I suddenly feel uncomfortable and resistant to their message. Prophets uproot us…
Here is a link to the readings for this weekend. Most of us can’t imagine circumstances that would prohibit us from entering our parish church. But a Jewish woman of Jesus’ time who was menstruating was prohibited by Jewish law from participating in communal prayer, in violation of the blood taboo, rendering all who came…
