Did you know that, according to the annual report on homelessness by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than 770,000 people were living in shelters or outside in January 2024? This number is up 18% from the 2023 count and is the largest number since HUD began the count in 2007. It is likely...

… One makes time for the Lord, with the firm determination not to give up [prayer], no matter what trials and dryness one may encounter. -CCC 2710 As part of their Daily Meditations, the Center for Action and Contemplation recently shared an excerpt from theologian Beverly Lanzetta’s book Path of the Heart which...

The choice of the time and duration of the prayer [practice] arises from a determined will, revealing the secrets of the heart. One does not undertake contemplative prayer only when one has the time: one makes time for the Lord, with the firm determination not to give up, no matter what trials and dryness one may encounter. -CCC 2710 Contemplation itself is a pure grace, a gift of God freely and generously given. It may seem...

World Social Justice Day is February 20, 2025. In 2007, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed this date to promote social justice and raise awareness about worldwide issues such as poverty, gender inequality, unemployment and human rights. The theme for this year’s observance is...

Contemplative prayer seeks him "whom my soul loves (Song of Songs 1:7). It is Jesus, and in him, the Father. We seek him, because to desire him is always the beginning of love, and we seek him in that pure faith which causes us to be born of him and to live in him… -CCC 2709...

February is Black History Month. This year’s theme, identified by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), is African Americans and Labor, focusing on the various and profound ways that work of all kinds—free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary—intersect with the collective experiences of Black people. Black people’s work has been ...

Though Catholic and Christiam institutions have gone through periods where contemplative prayer has not been emphasized, contemplation nevertheless forms part of the bedrock of a traditional Catholic understanding of prayer. Consider this excerpt from...

One of the central tenets of Christian spirituality (and indeed much non-Christian spirituality, too) is the necessity of dying to self -- that is, the false self that culture, our own egos, and other people claim us to ...

The value of work involving care for small children, the sick, disabled and elderly is an important component of Catholic Social Teaching which emphasizes human dignity, fostering solidarity with the vulnerable, and the common good. The demographics of longer lives and smaller families mean more...

The New Testament makes roughly 40 references to Jesus praying. Have you ever wondered what the prayer time of Jesus looked like, or considered in what this prayer consisted? Some of these prayers of Jesus were...

As the new year unfolds, let’s turn our attention and prayer toward a more peaceful and equitable world. Catholic Relief Services sent out this beautiful and thoughtful prayer for peace. Father of Jesus, You who sent your angels to ...

Any true mission or vocation must arise from and be anchored in a keen awareness of who we are. Understanding our own belovedness and the particular ways in which we are graced by God ensures that we are undertaking the right mission for the right reasons, and sustains us through the inevitable sacrifices. Moreover, a...

Did you know that climate change is threatening children’s education around the world? Globally, extreme weather events are closing schools for days and sometimes weeks. While the greatest impact is felt in Asia and Africa, a recent estimate suggests that closures due to heat are increasing quickly in the United States as well. UNICEF studies reveal that children today are experiencing twice as...

Any “scope” through which we view the Mystery of God is always too narrow, as there will always be some aspect of creation left outside of the scope. The people of ancient Israel occasionally fell into a narrow notion of God, declaring, for instance, thar God had “not dealt thus with other nations, not taught them hi...

In his book Mary Today, Trappist monk M. Basil Pennington, O.S.C.O., reflects on how Mary’s contemplative openness shaped her Divine Motherhood, and how she challenges us to likewise be transformed: Mary had the courage to be ...

A former athlete and alum from Oakville Senior High, Magdalen Pike, has founded a nonprofit, Passback, to “upcycle” used sports equipment of all kinds ranging from balls and cones to uniforms and bags. The donated items go to ...

As we draw close to the end of the Advent season, we at MMOC have been blessed with many resources in our bulletin that enrich our preparation for Christ’s birth. The Laudato Si’ movement has provided a beautiful prayer that celebrates this joyful event in the context of God as our creator. We are guided to...

For your reflection and prayer, our Christmas gift to you is the text of this hymn composed by Third Order Franciscan Ted Whitam, sung to the music of “Sussex Caril.” Merry Christmas from the MMOC Contemplative Core Team (contemplative@marymother.org)! When God’s creation first began, the planets sing, in orbits go,...

Climate change is exacerbating disparities in health care in countries around the world. Dr. Vanessa Kerry, special envoy for ...

Paul Schulte brings us the final installment in our series of Advent reflections by the MMOC Contemplative Core Team on Pope Francis’s September 5, 2021 Angelus address. If you feel called, read the whole article from Pope Francis at https://marymother.org/contemplative-prayer and send an email to contemplative@marymother.org with your thoughts: Pope Francis presented a reflection in St Pet...