Topic archive
Spiritual Reflections
These are reflections given by Loretto members at Sunday services.
Reflection on the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s Gospel reminds me of a story I heard some years ago. During WW II when jobs were scarce, a telegraph operator job came open and many people showed up to apply for it. They waited all day for someone…
Reflection on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Revelation 11:19; 12:1-10 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 Luke 7:39-56 When I rose early this morning, my Amaryllis had opened two glorious red blooms in the night. One is surely in celebration of Sister…
Reflection on the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s readings start with a story from the Book of Kings, concerning the prophet Elijah, who has fallen into trouble with the powers that be. He fears he’ll be killed, so he was running for his life. He goes to…
Reflection on the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
I have never known real hunger, hardship or food scarcity and I have never been enslaved like the Israelites in the first reading. But it is not hard for me to imagine that someone would want to go back to…
Reflection on the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
In the first reading, Elisha feeds the people with 20 barley loaves. When the servant protested that it was not enough, Elisha replied simply, “Give it to the people to eat. For thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and…
Reflection on the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 6:30-34 Earlier in this chapter of Mark’s Gospel Jesus sends out the Twelve, two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits. They were to wear the clothes they had on and to take no food or money. Meanwhile,…
Reflection on the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Whenever I hear this Gospel I recall all of the times at the Loretto Women’s Network meetings that we were led in song by Maureen McCormack singing “The rest of our lives must be lived in the best of struggles.…
Reflection on the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ezek. 2:2-5; Cor. 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6 It’s interesting that these particular readings should turn up for us on this day that is always a day of celebration of our beloved country, the USA. But, all three of the readings speak…
Reflection on the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
I’m sure many of you are familiar, to some degree, with Sister Wendy Beckett, the Roman Catholic nun from England who gained popularity on the BBC and PBS for her commentaries and critiques about some of the world’s best known…
Reflection on the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
When I went to El Paso in 1969 to teach English and religion at Loretto Academy, I was qualified to teach English, but didn’t share Matthew Marie’s optimism that I was automatically qualified to teach religion. I went to the…
Reflection on the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ezekiel 17, 2 Corinthians 5, Mark 4 Today’s readings seem like they might have been perfectly designed for us here at Loretto Motherhouse today. The first reading, from the Prophet Ezekiel, speaks of God starting with a “slender shoot” torn from…
Reflection on the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Exodus 24:3-8. Hebrews 9:11-15. Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 Last Sunday Eileen Custy introduced her reflections saying, “The God I grew up with is not the God I know now, and I suspect the same is true for all of you.” It’s true…