Maryknoll Fr. John Sivalon, M.M., reflects on violence and forgiveness in our modern world. At the time of writing this reflection, the world was truly in a mess. The United States and Israel were bombing Iran; Israel continued to bomb Gaza and Lebanon; Russia continued its aggression against Ukraine; Sudan was embroiled in a destructive…
Maryknoll Lay Missioner Larry Parr connects the message of gospel nonviolence to his ministry in El Salvador.
Maryknoll Lay Missioner Sarah Bueter shares how God constantly surprises us and sometimes grants our deepest wishes, but often not how we envision. You duped me, O Lord! Our God is a god of surprises. We’ve known that, ever since God chose a wandering shepherd family of Abraham and Sarah to be the founders of…
Maryknoll Sister Janet Hockman reflects on Jesus’s questions posed to Peter in Caesarea Philippi and how those questions continue to challenge our faith as Christians today. Who might have imagined what would happen one seemingly ordinary day with Jesus and his disciples in the area of Caesarea Philippi, a place known for the worship of…
Maryknoll Brother Wayne Fitzpatrick shares two lessons from the story of the Canaanite woman: faith requires radical humility and prayer requires persistence. The Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel story is an outsider, not a member of the people of Israel, yet she approaches Jesus with courage and faith. She is persistent in her cry when…
Maryknoll Lay Missioner Kathy Bond reflects on how through compassion, solidarity, and the work of the Welcome House, Jesus continues to reach out and give hope to vulnerable people. This scripture reflection was previously published by Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns. Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him.Matthew 14:31 Matthew’s words in today’s…
Maryknoll Lay Missioner Rick Dixon reflects on Jesus’s search for solitude after John the Baptist’s death and the quiet faith of young children. When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed Him on foot from the towns (Matthew 14:13-14, Berean…
Maryknoll Sister Esperanza Principio reflects on parenthood and the call to live according to God’s priorities as we celebrate the Feast of Saints Anne and Joachim. Today’s Gospel reading leads us to the Kingdom of God, likened to the hidden treasure and the pearl. When these were found, the man or merchant sold everything in order…
Maryknoll Father Gene Toland reflects on the parable of the mustard seed and trusting in God’s love-energy to build a more perfect world in this lifetime. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed and yeast. “You have to be out of the house by sunset. Find work someplace else”. Lorenzo was 34 years…
Maryknoll Lay Missioner Stephen Veryser discusses the virtue of humility and how it helps us live in right relationship with God. I have only been truly unemployed once in my career. I look back on the eight months I was ‘between jobs’ with gratefulness now, though at the time, with a young family, it was…
Maryknoll Lay Missioner James Pawlowicz discusses the hope and a better path revealed in the Gospel, and how its message speaks to earthly violence and injustice, including domestic violence. As I’ve been learning and asking questions about Brazil, the mission country in which I arrived this February, one of the issues that has come up repeatedly is domestic violence. I was surprised…
Maryknoll Sister Nonie Gutzler reflects on lessons from the lives of Saints Peter and Paul for the Church’s ongoing relationship with diversity and complexity in a multifaith world. This Feast of Saints Peter and Paul has the potential to draw us into the diversity and complexity that characterized leadership in the early Church, which is…
Maryknoll Father James H. Kroeger reflects on the true cost of discipleship for Christians. Being Jesus’ disciple demands asking many deep, disturbing questions: Why do I do certain things? Who and what guide my choices? Family? Friends? Desire of possessions? Status in the community? Personal pleasure? Service of others? Love of God? Indeed, Jesus’ words…
Debbie Northern reflects on the dignity owed but denied migrants at the U.S./Mexico border
Maryknoll Lay Missioner Heidi Cerneka reflects on Jesus as our shepherd, and people serving as imperfect shepherds among us in today’s unjust world. Lately, I’ve been feeling pretty troubled and abandoned, as I consider the state of our world with violence, greed, environmental exploitation, and the horrific maldistribution of wealth. But here Jesus says “like”…
Susan Gunn, MOGC Director, shares about her visit to the East Deanery AIDS Relief Program in Nairobi and how it illustrates that the Eucharist inspires solidarity with those on the margins. When I traveled to Kenya recently, the Maryknoll missioners there made sure I visited families living on the margins of Nairobi, in arguably some of the most desperate slums in the world. Like…
Maryknoll Sister Nancy Connor reflects on Bolivia’s vibrant Holy Trinity celebration, and the significance of the Trinity in our lives. During the four decades that I lived in the City of La Paz, Bolivia, I never really got used to the customs surrounding the feast of the Holy Trinity. Would you believe that the whole…
Maryknoll Lay Missioner Flávio José Rocha explores how Pentecost is both an embodiment of and an inspiration for Christian communities to have courage, stand with the oppressed, and live out the Gospel. The feast of Pentecost celebrates the moment when the community of women and men who accompanied Jesus recognized a common objective: to spread…
