It bears repeating that thoughts are a friend to contemplative practice. The friendship is unique, to be certain, but if our relationship with our thoughts seems challenging, it’s likely because that relationship has been allowed to ...
Did you know that October is LGBTQ History Month? This observance is dedicated to celebrating the history, achievements, and civil rights milestones of those in the LGBTQ Community. Each year in September the name Fr. Mychal Judge, OFM...
As God is bequeathing the Ten Commandments to Moses, there is a portion of the first commandment in which the Israelites are directed, “You shall not make for yourself an idol or a likeness of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or...
This week, we will consider the Catholic Social Teaching topics of solidarity and subsidiarity as they relate to faithful citizenship. The principle of subsidiarity reminds us that larger institutions in society should not ...
We must acknowledge, with tenderness but also honesty, that our contemplative practices of welcoming and letting go whatever enters the field of awareness, means that all the psychological “padlocks” that we put in place to ...
Our objective union with God is the true source of all peace and fulfillment, and thus, it is fair to say that contemplative practice creates space for such fulfillment. Nevertheless, contemplative practices are not...
MMOC’s Faithful Citizenship Task Force is holding a prayer service in Church on Oct. 11 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. before the Pasta Dinner in the Parish Hall. Attendees will be...
In contemplative practice, we seek to adopt a disposition of openness and receptivity. There is sometimes a concern, especially among beginning practitioners, about what we might open ourselves to, what we might receive. If we...
This week’s handouts from the USCCB’s guidance on faithful citizenship discuss the dignity of the human person and the common good. The bishops urge us to....
Episcopal priest Adam Bucko describes a simple prayer practice that sustains him, and reminds us that even our vocal prayer offers opportunity for contemplative practice:
One of the greatest lessons in my life...
The USCCB has proposed a moral framework, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” to guide our decision-making when voting this fall. They note that, as Catholics and Americans, we are blessed to be able to...
To say it plainly, the contemplative dimension of prayer is essential to a fully actualized prayer life, one capable of embracing our communion with God. To begin to address why one can make such a bold claim, we must first ...
On Wednesday, October 7, the Seeds of Justice Network is sponsoring an evening of reflection and conversation with Bishop John Stowe OFM Conv., Bishop of Lexington, KY and Bishop-President of Pax Christi USA, entitled...
The Season of Creation is an annual ecumenical celebration of prayer and action to nurture and protect God’s creation. This year, it runs from September...
Did you know that 55 million refugees worldwide, who fled their homes because of persecution, human rights violations, and various forms of conflict were living in an internally displaced situation in 2022?...
Our Archdiocese celebrates a major feast day this week, with the Feast of St. Louis on August 25. At moments such as these, it’s worth the effort to consider again what is intended in the naming and honoring of “holy people.” According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) in paragraph 2683, “have preceded us into...
Contemplation is a full, welcoming embrace of our union with God, and since God is an infinite source of transformative power, we should rightly expect time spent open to the Divine Presence to be transformative. However, the nature...