Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” we were told on Ash Wednesday. This is a call to conversion, but not to a one-time conversion. Rather, this is the constant, ongoing conversion that leads us to life in Christ. To repent of sin is straightforward enough: say you’re sorry and stop doing the bad thing. But we know from experience that saying sorry is much easier than not doing the bad thing again. Stopping the sin can feel unsettling. Think of a teenager learning to drive. At first, their foot is heavy on the brake,…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, During this last weekend before the season of Lent begins, we hear a powerful Gospel in which Jesus teaches us to go beyond the basics and strive for the greatest perfection. He quite literally tells us to go the extra mile (“Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles”), and gives the radical instruction to “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This command is a great challenge, of course, for we only need a glance in the mirror (literal or figurative) to know that we are…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, When I was introduced to Eucharistic adoration twenty-five years ago, I had no idea I was being introduced to a spiritually impactful practice, one that has been a source of help in my spiritual life ever since. It is a practice that is known by other names, such as Exposition, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, or even simply “Adoration.” Whatever the name, it is a devotion that leads us to deeper reverence for Jesus in the Eucharist and to real growth in prayer and contemplation. If you have never experienced Adoration, it is fairly…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, To be salt and light for the world is certainly a tall order. In our most idealistic moments, we can imagine ourselves tackling the grandest challenges of global scale. We have - or had at one time - the capacity to dream big dreams, and the enthusiasm to try to impact the whole world. When Jesus tells us to be salt for the earth and light for the world, then, the dreamer within is awakened. How often the dreamer is met by the pragmatist, though. How often we are reminded of just how small…read more