As late as the seventeenth century, women who chose consecrated life were, by and large, cloistered. Society was not yet ready for women religious who devoted themselves to works of charity. One of the first to break that mold was St. Jane Frances de Chantal, a widow who, with the assistance of St. Francis de Sales, founded the Congregation of the Visitation. After her father’s death, she...
The incident that is recorded in this Sunday’s Gospel is one of those stories which makes us feel uncomfortable simply because we cannot imagine a Jesus who makes such disparaging remarks. We are used to a Jesus who shows compassion, a man who reaches out to all persons. Withholding the gift of healing from a woman who is desperate to save her daughter simply doesn’t fit into...
I am taking the easy way out today for my blog. I found this list on the internet and found it worthy of some meditation. I offer it here just as he stated it.
1. “Live and let live.” A similar expression in Rome is, “Move forward and let others do the same.”
2. “Be giving of yourself to others.” People need to be open and generous toward others,...
Today we mark the Feast of St. Clare of Assisi, the woman who took her inspiration from St. Francis of Assisi and became what he called his “little plant.” Together these two began a movement that inspired hundreds of thousands, men and woman from every walk of life, to follow in their footsteps. The greater Franciscan family stands as a witness to their devotion to this way of...
The Gospel for this Sunday brings us the story of Jesus walking on the water and of Peter’s attempt to do the same thing. While the story of Jesus walking on the water appears in the Gospels of St. Mark and St. John, St. Matthew Is the only evangelist that recounts Peter’s attempt.
The story also seems to be intimately connected to the feeding of the five thousand. ...