Topic archive
Spiritual Reflections
These are reflections given by Loretto members at Sunday services.
Reflection: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Bishop John Shelby Spong, an Episcopalian bishop, tells of an incident he encountered one Sunday morning. He had gone to visit one of the parishes in his jurisdiction. There were about 100 people there. When it was time for the…
Reflection: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In today’s readings, words of our Scriptures allow us to focus on two images, one from the prophet Isaiah, and, centuries later, the other from Jesus. Light and salt. It’s striking that the images appear together in the readings today,…
Reflection: Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
As I look back at the last two years of my life, I’m acutely aware that sometimes our lives are radically turned upside down. Sometimes I’m amazed at the ways that dealing with cancer has changed — and sometimes opened…
Reflection: The Baptism of the Lord
In the first reading from Isaiah we have a precursor to the Gospel. The reading quotes God as saying, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my…
Reflection: Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord
Just a week and one-half ago, we celebrated Christmas — the birth of Christ, our Savior. Now the news of Christ’s birth was beginning to spread from the tiny town of Bethlehem. It reached the Magi who saw his star…
Reflection: Feast of the Holy Family
This morning we continue our Christmas celebrations with a feast focused on the family. That makes a lot of sense, because the Christmas child has been given to us in the bosom of a family, given to us as the…
Reflection: Christmas Eve
Who are you, God? The people of the Old Testament asked. God replied: “I AM.” “I AM WHO I AM.” “Yahweh” I am the source of all life from electrons and atoms to tadpoles and dolphins, to turtles and alligators,…
Reflection: Fourth Sunday of Advent
As we come to the end of the liturgical season of Advent, the prophet Isaiah introduces us to Ahaz, the King of Judah. Ahaz had become king at the young age of 20 and had found himself in the worst…
Reflection: Feast of the Immaculate Conception
For a long time it has seemed to me that we here at the Motherhouse think of today’s feast as December 8, a feast of Mary, a jubilee day, long ago a reception day and a vow day. We know it is…
Reflection: Second Sunday of Advent
Today’s readings are a beautiful, powerful, appropriate challenge to begin our Advent season. Today we hear promise of a Savior – one who embodies a Spirit of wisdom and justice. We’re challenged to recognize an extraordinary opportunity for making…
Reflection: First Sunday of Advent
I recall one Thanksgiving weekend at my sister’s house when her children were about 4 and 6 years old. On the Friday after Thanksgiving the family tradition was not to go out shopping, but to look around the house for…