Personhood
· 2 May 2008 | 202 words
From Br. Joseph -- What is a person? Classical Christian theology and philosophy defines a person as one who has the ability to know, to love, and to choose (to will). This is the image of God in which we...
Tag: Br. Joseph (32 entries)
He Died for Me
· 21 April 2008 | 1054 words
From Br. Joseph -- We have all seen pictures of the crucifixion. There is one particular picture, a bit different from most, which I want to describe. The viewpoint of the picture is from above the Cross, a little higher...
The Coin of Faith
· 10 April 2008 | 598 words
From Br. Joseph -- There are two sides to faith, just as there are two sides to a coin. One side of the "coin of faith" looks externally, that is, it looks outside of our selves to others for examples...
God Too Would Kneel Down
· 2 April 2008 | 185 words
From Br. Joseph -- From today's Gospel reading, John 3:16-17: God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send...
All is Gift
· 27 March 2008 | 421 words
From Br. Joseph -- This is the last reflection of a series on seven signposts. The first reflection began Lent, and now this one bridges us into the Easter season and beyond. Signposts give us direction. They point to some...
Pray Always
· 18 March 2008 | 251 words
From Br. Joseph -- This is the sixth reflection on seven signposts for the season of Lent (and for all seasons). Pray always. Prays always; if necessary, use words. Our words in prayer are very important, be them words of...
Gravitate to Humility
· 13 March 2008 | 406 words
From Br. Joseph -- This is the fifth reflection on seven signposts for the season of Lent (and for all seasons). Gravitate to humility. This signpost points in the exact opposite direction the world points by pointing to the First...
Reflect Love
· 4 March 2008 | 537 words
From Br. Joseph -- This is the fourth reflection on seven signposts for the season of Lent (and for all seasons). Signposts give us direction. They point to some place. They involve action, movement. Many signposts call us to remember...
Surrender to Grace
· 26 February 2008 | 300 words
From Br. Joseph -- This is the third reflection on seven signposts for the season of Lent (and for all seasons). Surrender to grace. This signpost comes from a line in the book, The Lord by Romano Guardini. (A highly...
Dare to Trust
· 19 February 2008 | 359 words
From Br. Joseph -- This is the second reflection on seven signposts for the season of Lent (and for all seasons). Signposts give us direction. They point to some place. They involve action, movement. Many signposts call us to remember...
Keep Hope Alive
· 14 February 2008 | 313 words
From Br. Joseph -- This is the first reflection on seven signposts for the season of Lent (and for all seasons). Signposts give us direction. They point to some place. They involve action, movement. Many signposts call us to remember...
A Prayer for Lent
· 6 February 2008 | 126 words
From Br. Joseph -- Here is a simple prayer to start each day during Lent. As with all prayer, liturgy, worship, and spiritual reading, it is to draw us deeper into relationship with God, our Father. Father, I call upon...
Time
· 29 January 2008 | 607 words
From Br. Joseph -- All is gift. Even your next breath is gift if you think about. Everything involves a choice, especially how we spend our time. Is it our time or God's time? Here is a reflection/prayer on time...
Certainty
· 22 January 2008 | 426 words
From Br. Joseph -- At some point in every faith journey, one finds him or her self taking an inventory of their core, central beliefs. Some of these beliefs are held very tightly, some loosely. The more central a belief,...
A Prayer for the New Year
· 1 January 2008 | 250 words
We so often pray from a sense of need. In Scripture, Your son Jesus always prayed from a sense of Your abundance. And so Father, we too pray in Your abundance. Father, please bless all of the children born this...
Why Christmas?
· 12 December 2007 | 417 words
From Br. Joseph -- The young boy asked, "Why Christmas?" His father replied, "You know, it's December 25th, the season when everyone puts up Christmas trees and decorates everything in red and green. We hang Christmas lights on the house...
Hey You!
· 4 December 2007 | 493 words
From Br. Joseph -- I will raise up a prophet like you among their kinsmen, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command. If any man will not listen... (from Deuteronomy) A...
Drawn to Dance
· 27 November 2007 | 400 words
From Br. Joseph -- At the still point of the turning world... ...at the still point, there the dance is. (T.S. Eliot) From the book God Calling, today's entry (Nov. 27) reads: Not our wills but Thine, O Lord. Man has...
How You See is What You See
· 13 November 2007 | 180 words
From Br. Joseph -- There is a philosopher's axiom that says, "Whatever is received is received according to the mode of the receiver." In other words, how you see is what you see. This is best illustrated by a little...
All is Gift
· 6 November 2007 | 235 words
From Br. Joseph -- Meister Eckhart, a 14th century German mystic, once wrote, "If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough." From Ronald Rolheiser's book, The Shattered Lantern: The original...
Hope and Faith
· 30 October 2007 | 258 words
From Br. Joseph -- Hope keeps faith alive, and faith rekindles hope when all seems lost. At one point in Hannah Hurnard's allegorical book of the spiritual journey, "Hind's Feet on High Places", the protagonist is having a particularly tough...
In the Front or Back Room?
· 23 October 2007 | 384 words
From Br. Joseph -- St. Jerome, best known as the translator of the Bible into Latin from Greek and Hebrew, is reported to have had a vision of the child Jesus. In the vision, Jesus asked Jerome why he had...
Footprints Too
· 16 October 2007 | 401 words
From Br. Joseph -- Most people are familiar with the poem "Footprints in the Sand" by Mary Stevenson. Here's a different set of footprints (author unknown)... -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Now imagine you and the Lord walking...
A Devil Free Moment
· 9 October 2007 | 482 words
From Br. Joseph -- There is a moment in each day that Satan cannot find. (William Blake) I saw this quote the other day. My mind searched for a specific time or moment to label as "Satan free." Was it in...
A Part of Something
· 1 October 2007 | 407 words
From Br. Joseph -- The modern mind always tends to reduce the greater to the lesser rather than seeing the lesser as reflecting the greater. (Peter Kreeft) There is a grove of aspen trees that cover nearly 200 acres in south-central...
Meaning of Mercy
· 25 September 2007 | 330 words
From Br. Joseph -- Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7) The word mercy is one of those loaded words with many meanings and connotations. Unfortunately, the modern use of this word tends to focus only...
I Am Their Father
· 19 September 2007 | 483 words
From Br. Joseph (Sept. 18, 2007) -- Sunday's Gospel reading was about the Lost Son in Luke 15 (aka Prodigal Son). I want to share a marvelous poem written about a century ago by Charles Péguy that references this parable....
The Journey
· 11 September 2007 | 486 words
From Br. Joseph -- We are called to help each other to heaven. The last paragraph to C.S. Lewis' sermon, "The Weight of Glory", is extraordinary writing. Lewis, contrary to the times, is not afraid to talk about heaven. He...
Psalm 139 (Slightly Reworded)
· 4 September 2007 | 452 words
From Br. Joseph -- A preeminent theologian of the 20th century was once asked near the end of a long and distinguished career what was the most significant discovery or idea that greatly impacted his life. The great theologian's response...
Tarnish Remover
· 29 August 2007 | 305 words
From Br. Joseph (Aug. 28, 2007) -- A few years ago, a priest gave a wonderful little homily on tarnish. You know about tarnish, that stuff that builds up and covers the shine of metal objects like gold, silver, brass...
Holy Work
· 29 August 2007 | 546 words
From Br. Joseph (Aug. 20, 2007) -- Of all the holy works, the education of children is the most holy. -- Saint Theophan the Recluse What an honor and privilege it is to be a teacher! (It is an even...
Chosen
· 29 August 2007 | 451 words
Br. Joseph is a teacher at a Sisters of Mercy school, and his reflections are written with teachers in mind. As with good spirituality, it applies to everyone in some way. His permission has been given to post the reflections...
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us