Author: Julia
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The Courage to Speak, the Humility to Listen
A reflection for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. The Church has long understood itself as a watchman, called to teach, warn, and guide. But Psalm 95 asks a harder question: can the Church also listen when the warning is directed toward itself? A faithful Church must be willing not only to speak truth, but to receive it—from women, survivors, laypeople, grieving families, young people, and others whose voices have too often been dismissed. Authority does not remove the need for humility; it deepens it.
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What Happens When the Sermon Gets Personal?
A reflection on Luke 4:16-30 for Monday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time. Jesus’ hometown is pleased with his words until his message challenges their assumptions about who deserves God’s mercy. This reflection explores how the Gospel can comfort us, unsettle us, and sometimes reveal the places in our own hearts that still need to change.
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The Small Things We Use to Avoid the Big Things
A reflection on Matthew 23:23-26 for Tuesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time. Jesus warns against becoming so focused on small religious details that we neglect justice, mercy, and faithfulness. This reflection considers how easily tidy, manageable concerns can distract us from the deeper work of compassion, reconciliation, and inner conversion.
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Enough Is a Spiritual Word
A reflection for Tuesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time.. In a world that constantly tells us we need more, Jesus invites us to consider what is truly enough. This reflection explores how gratitude, simplicity, and generosity can loosen our attachment to possessions and lead us toward greater spiritual freedom.
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Begin Privately, Not Publicly
A reflection on Matthew 18:15-20 for Wednesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time. Jesus’ call to begin privately invites us to choose honest conversation over gossip, public shaming, or gathering others to our side. This reflection considers how truth, dignity, safety, and the hope of repair can guide us through conflict.
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Glory Does Not Remove the Cross
The Transfiguration does not spare the disciples from the cross; it gives them a glimpse of Christ’s glory to carry into the darkness ahead. This reflection considers how moments of consolation may not remove suffering, but can help us keep walking when faith becomes difficult.
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Familiarity Can Blind Us
A reflection on Matthew 13:54-58 for Friday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time. The people of Nazareth thought they knew Jesus so well that they could no longer truly see him. This reflection considers how familiarity, old judgments, and fixed expectations can keep us from recognizing the grace, wisdom, and growth unfolding in the people closest to us.
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Bringing Forth Both the New and the Old
A reflection on Matthew 13:44-52 for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. Jesus’ image of bringing forth “both the new and the old” invites the Church to cherish tradition without becoming afraid of growth. Faithfulness can mean holding tightly to what gives life while remaining open to new questions, new voices, and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit.
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Walking Humbly with God
A reflection on Micah 6:1-4, 6-8 for Monday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time. Walking humbly with God means admitting that we do not possess the whole truth or fully understand another person’s story. Micah’s call to justice, goodness, and humility invites us to listen more deeply, speak more gently, and act without self-righteousness.
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A Young Woman Claiming Her Spiritual Voice
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha’s courage invites us to consider whether the Church truly listens when young women speak from conscience, prayer, and lived experience—or honors their voices only after they can no longer challenge us.