Reflections | St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

Blessed is the one who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord

Over the years I’ve found that few teachings of Jesus are meant to be viewed as “required” behaviours, needed to please God and earn a place in heaven, as they are about a God who is already pleased by our existence and would love to see us live a life filled with meaning and joy. Luke’s gospel of “Blessings and Woes” is a shorter version of Matthew’s “Beatitudes” (Mt 5:1-11) and teach less about rules to be followed, as attitudes by which to live life more ...

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14
FEB
2019

0

Mary Joshi

I AM WHAT I AM

“God doesn’t call the qualified; he qualifies the called,” is a quote I see frequently. Each of today’s readings has someone being called to do something for which they feel unworthy. Rarely do three readings align so well as these three do. While usually Peter is my guy – the one whose actions and words speak to me most poignantly – today, it is Paul’s words that resonate: “By ...

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7
FEB
2019

0

Ellen Bennett

Love Over Fear

Be honest…have you ever just wanted to throw someone off a cliff? Did the mere thought bring you secret delight? A smile to your face? Was it something they said to you? Something they did? The way they looked? Even if you do not literally want to throw someone off a cliff (thereby murdering ...

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31
JAN
2019

0

Trevor Droesbeck

Unity in Christ

Looking at today’s second reading, I interpreted the theme to be unity. Unity is defined as the state of being united or joined as a whole. First, we listen to Paul tell the Corinthians that all are baptized in the one body of Christ. He explains that every member of a body is important ...

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27
JAN
2019

0

Katy Mahoney

The Scandal of Closeness

We have just come through one of the two peak seasons in the Church, the Christmas season, and probably feel we are coming down the mountain into a quieter, less-intense time. In seven weeks, we will begin another ascent toward that other peak season–the Season of Easter. What always remains, throughout the entire liturgical year, peak season or not, is the ...

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16
JAN
2019

0

Fr Phil

Jesus’ Baptism / My Baptism – Are They So Different?

Throughout my life I have had many friends and acquaintances who have been loyal members of evangelical churches. These people are faith filled and extremely committed to the teachings of their individual churches. We have had many conversations over the years on the “taboo” topic of religion, and I have been blessed and enriched to learn of the faith ...

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10
JAN
2019

0

Mark Mahoney

Gifts – Both Giving and Receiving

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. As a child, I referred to this time as “Little Christmas”. I had mixed feelings about the celebration because it meant taking down the Christmas tree and putting away the decorations, etc. for another year, so it made me sad. But I was also ...

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3
JAN
2019

0

Cathy Keirstead

The Holy Family

For most of my life I have associated the Feast of the Holy Family with homilies that emphasize the value of the traditional nuclear family in today’s changing world. For this reason, I approached today’s scripture passages with the assumption that I would be writing about the importance of celebrating the ...

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28
DEC
2018

0

Pam Driedger

See. I have come to do your will, O God

No matter how often Scripture tells us that “God’s ways” are not the ways of humanity, many of us still see our relationship with God in terms of our human social values. Each of today’s three readings reminds us how God often acts in unexpected ways.

“You, O Bethlehem… one of the little clans ...

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21
DEC
2018

0

Mary Joshi

Peace Beyond Understanding

Last spring, I received a text from a dear niece requesting prayers for a good friend who had a few months previously been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Two weeks ago, this young lady died. She was 23. A last Facebook post, presumably written by her family, states: “I’ve been battling cancer for over a year now, it was one mighty battle and I went further than ...

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14
DEC
2018

0

Ellen Bennett

Blog

Be honest…have you ever just wanted to throw someone off a cliff? Did the mere thought bring you secret delight? A smile to your face? Was it something they said to you? Something they did? The way they looked? Even if you do not literally want to throw someone off a cliff (thereby murdering ...

Looking at today’s second reading, I interpreted the theme to be unity. Unity is defined as the state of being united or joined as a whole. First, we listen to Paul tell the Corinthians that all are baptized in the one body of Christ. He explains that every member of a body is important ...

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. As a child, I referred to this time as “Little Christmas”. I had mixed feelings about the celebration because it meant taking down the Christmas tree and putting away the decorations, etc. for another year, so it made me sad. But I was also ...

No matter how often Scripture tells us that “God’s ways” are not the ways of humanity, many of us still see our relationship with God in terms of our human social values. Each of today’s three readings reminds us how God often acts in unexpected ways.

“You, O Bethlehem… one of the little clans ...