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REFLECTING ON TODAY’S READINGS God makes a promise to Abraham and his descendants; God and Abraham have a responsibility to live up to that promise. How do we uphold our responsibility to promises we have made to God and others? Paul reminds us that “our citizenship is in heaven.” God loves all people—all citizens of … Continue reading →

LIVING LAUDATO SI’ THIS LENT “We have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” —Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, #49 (Praised Be) Pope Francis … Continue reading →

LIVES OF THE SAINTS: St. Laura Montoya Upegui Pope Francis repeatedly reminds us to go out to the margins and live the Gospel. How appropriate it is, then, that he canonized St. Laura Montoya Upegui in 2013. We see in Colombia’s first saint an example of what it means to be present to those who … Continue reading →

THE THIRD STATION: Jesus Falls for the First Time I am troubled now. Yet what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour?” But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name. —John 12:27–28 How many of us know someone who has fallen—fallen on hard times, on … Continue reading →

THE FIRST SORROW OF MARY: The Prophecy of Simeon Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before … Continue reading →

THE SECOND STATION: Jesus Carries the Cross And carrying the cross himself, he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull. —John 19:17 We all have our crosses to carry, those hidden battles we fight when we think no one is looking. How easy it is to become so focused on my … Continue reading →

CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING: Preferential Option for the Poor “Love for others, and in the first place, love for the poor, in whom the Church sees Christ himself, is made concrete in the promotion of justice.” —St. John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, #58 (On the Hundredth Year) Jesus lived a life of poverty, from his humble … Continue reading →

REFLECTING ON TODAY’S READINGS We hear in Deuteronomy, “We cried to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, and the LORD heard our cry and saw our affliction, our toil and our oppression.” If God hears the cries of the poor, how should we interact with those who are poor, oppressed and marginalized? Paul calls … Continue reading →

THE FIRST STATION: Jesus Is Condemned to Death The governor said to them in reply, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They answered, “Barabbas! … Let [Jesus] be crucified!” —Matthew 27:21–22 As we imagine this scene, perhaps we see chaos, mayhem, people pushing and pulling at each other, screaming … Continue reading →

LIVING LAUDATO SI’ THIS LENT On June 18, 2015, Pope Francis released Laudato Si’, his much-anticipated encyclical on caring for creation. In so doing, the pope invited not just the Church but the whole of humanity to enter into a more intentional dialogue. He asked us to reflect on what it means to be good … Continue reading →