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.
Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937) was the first African American artist to achieve international acclaim. He attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and settled in Paris to continue studying. It was only after he became established as a salon artist in Paris that he began focusing on religious subjects. In Tanner’s The Annunciation, Mary looks…
We seem fascinated with calamities and disasters on a grand scale. We’ve only to look at recent box office successes at the movies. Attracted to these end-of-the-world plots, we are also deeply terrorized, praying these graphic images on the screen will mercifully vanish. In today’s gospel, Jesus is using language and conveying images that are…
A poor widow puts two small coins into the collection plate. Not much of an event, not much of a donation. However, Jesus immediately sees her real identity. Jesus loves her, in her poverty and in her radiance. Though neither materially poor nor widowed, I too am a “poor widow,” as perhaps are you. Like…
The Great Commandment is at the heart of today’s readings. We hear it in Deuteronomy and then quoted by Jesus in Mark’s gospel. This declaration of God’s unity and call to love God with all our being and to love our neighbor as ourself is still central in Jewish worship today. It is called the…
In today’s gospel, we encounter Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, sitting at the side of the road as Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem. The road is crowded with people hoping to get close to Jesus. Bartimaeus, hearing that Jesus is passing by, calls out loudly and insistently until Jesus responds. When Jesus calls, Bartimaeus enthusiastically…
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus This month, on October 1, we celebrated the memorial of St. Thérèse of Lisieux . In her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, she describes her spirituality of childlike trust and love of God. In these excerpts, St. Thérèse writes of Christ’s love, which is given to those who…
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…
