I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what truly connects us. In a world that often seems to focus on what divides us, Pope Francis’s encyclical “Dilexit Nos” on the Heart of Jesus reminds me that we are all united by the experience of the heart.
Continue reading “Finding Common Ground”
Reflections on “Dilexit Nos”
I love the quote by St. Iremaeus “the glory of God is man fully alive.” Easter gives this truth its fullest horizon. The resurrection is God’s great declaration that life—not fear, not resignation, not the slow drift into comfort—is our true destiny.
Continue reading “Living From The Heart”
April 10, 2024 Wednesday General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (Personal Photo)
By Jacquelyne Rocan
Like so many throughout the world, I enjoyed a beautiful Easter celebration on April 20, rejoicing in the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and His triumph over death. I watched the coverage of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, preside over the Urbi et Orbi message from Rome and then travel throughout St. Peter’s Square in the Popemobile to give his blessings to those gathered in the square. It was a beautiful moment of love and I thought a good sign that the pope was continuing to heal after his recent health issues and long hospital stay.
Continue reading “Reflections on Pope Francis”
As we continue to live in Divine Mercy, here are a few resolutions I found in my notes from Pope Francis as we continue to honor his rich legacy.
Continue reading “The Mercy of God”
As we continue to mourn Pope Francis‘s earthly departure, I’m reflecting on his life and legacy. I wanted to share a few thoughts from his funeral mass and pray you and I, by grace, live with a similar disposition and attitude:
Continue reading “Life and Legacy”
A bit of goodness to start your day.
Do not be afraid.
Continue reading “Gift of Goodness – June 9, 2021”With St. Mary Magdalene, let us accept Christ’s ‘Do not touch me’ with the certainty that His words give us a new mission, and a new way to be with Him, just as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton met the hardships of her life with renewed faith and strength. Written by Lisa Lickona from the Seton Reflection published last year.
This year we celebrate our great and holy Feast, the Resurrection of Our Lord, in the most unexpected circumstances, most of us separated from physical participation in the Mass and the opportunity to receive Communion.
We are cut off from our family and friends and our parish communities. And we wonder: how can we live in this new situation, separated from the Body of God—both in the Eucharist and the living Church?
Continue reading “Shining a Light on Goodness. The Empty Tomb: Easter with Mary Magdalene and Elizabeth Ann Seton”
As was the case last year during the beginning of the pandemic closures, this year’s Stations of the Cross (or Via Crucis) presided over by Pope Francis were held in the quiet and virtually empty St. Peter’s Square. This year, though, the mediations and prayers for each Station were prepared and read by children from Rome and other Italian cities. The faith and hope expressed by these children are profound and moving and are worthy of further reflection during this Easter season. As a complement to the text of the meditations and prayers provided here, you can watch a video of the Stations and hear the children’s sweet voices, as well as see several of the children greet Pope Francis with hugs after the Stations concluded.
Continue reading “Shining a Light on Goodness: We Adore You, O Christ, and We Praise You”
Continue reading “New Life and Consolation Our Easter Celebration Continues”Amid the many hardships we are enduring, let us never forget that we have been healed by the wounds of Christ. In the light of the Risen Lord, our sufferings are now transfigured. Where there was death, now there is life. Where there was mourning, now there is consolation.
Pope Francis
Each day that begins, if welcomed in prayer, is accompanied by courage, so that the problems we have to face no longer seem to be obstacles to our happiness, but rather appeals from God, opportunities for our encounter with him.
Continue reading “Celebrating Happiness”
Smitten With Goodness 