God has cared for us by designing our bodies in such a way that our most vulnerable body parts are protected; could we care for the Body of Christ in the same way?

This Sunday's reading from First Corinthians tells us that "there are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit," and that sounds very nice. However, how does this actually manifest in communities and families? Do we really affirm the gifts in each each other? Do we appreciate our own gifts? Let's reflect on all this a little more deeply . . .

Each time the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord comes around, we hear this invitation to see ourselves mirrored in Christ, in all of Christ’s belovedness. Each time we have an opportunity to trust a little more deeply, not in ourselves, but in God’s profound and grace-filled love for us.

None of our families is perfect, and each of them is holy. Our broken and imperfect families, our grieving families, our struggling families are holy in our striving, not in our perfection. It’s God who makes us holy.

In this season of hope, God promises to be with us, and this promise is being fulfilled right now.

As we elevate this simple but divine man from Galilee, I hope we don’t lose sight of the point he’s trying to make in this Gospel – that we belong to Christ and we belong to the Kingdom of God that we’re living into now.

This week we’ll hear from several Sisters of Divine Providence on why they love being Sisters so much. You’ll enjoy these reflections and be inspired too.

In this culture that glorifies busyness to the point of burnout, how do we follow God's commandments to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? How do we love our neighbors, and how do we love ourselves?

In this Sunday’s Gospel, we get to spend some time with Bartimaeus. What can we learn from this disciple’s encounter with Jesus, and how would you answer Jesus’s question: “What do you want me to do for you?”

God who is almighty does not hold power over us but is deeply with us, seeking to enter into the human experience – our every experience, thought, feeling, and relationship. How do we open ourselves to God who wants to be with us so deeply? And how do we mirror that loving presence to other people?

Our rich friend in the Gospel has all the privilege in the world. Do you think he’ll be able to lay aside that privilege and follow Jesus? I think he can. Discipleship is not something we achieve on our own but with God’s help, our God who makes all things possible.

This Sunday’s readings call us to care for each other. Like Christ who enters intimately into our lives and lives deeply and expansively, may we move toward each other in love and mutual compassion.

Times of transition call me to reflection on my life – a gentler approach that a slash and burn eradication, thank God! As I sift through all of this, I invite you to reflect too — what do we need to let go of, and what do we need more of in our lives?

Following Jesus doesn’t make people less annoying, but it does call us to put other people before ourselves. It also calls us to recognize that we are not self-sufficient; we need God and each other.

God shows us how to be open, and God is with us when we’re not. As we witness the healing, opening love of God, may we proclaim and proclaim and proclaim it.