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.
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…
St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), a mystic and tertiary of the Dominican Order, was canonized in 1461 and proclaimed a doctor of the Church in 1970. Her Dialogue, dictated during a state of ecstasy, teaches through a conversation between God and a human soul. The “voice of God” in these excerpts from Catherine’s experience encourages…
Here is a link to the readings for this weekend. If a small farmer in Puerto Rico wants a fence that will last, a strong limb from a roble tree will do the job. The branch, once placed in a post hole along a fence line, will come alive in the moist tropical soil. New…
St. Augustine (354-430) was born in Roman North Africa to a Catholic mother and a pagan father. Baptized in 386 by St. Ambrose of Milan, he became a monk, then a priest, and then bishop of Hippo. His many writings cover topics including theology, morality, philosophy, and spirituality. Here, Augustine examines St. John’s teaching on…
Here is a link to the readings for this weekend. Recently, I met a young Irishman and a young Englishman who are in the United States on an exchange program to coach soccer to our country’s youth. I always enjoy welcoming new people to the country and hearing their stories. I asked where they were…
