Pastor's Corner

Rich in Mercy: M Is for Mystery

In today’s excerpt from the Gospel of Luke, we encounter Jesus: filled with the Spirit after his baptism in the Jordan, led by that same Spirit “into the wilderness”.

Continue Reading

Go into the Deep: Full, Conscious, and Active Participation in the Liturgy

In the Gospel this weekend, Jesus invites his disciples, tired after fishing all night without success, to “put out into the deep water” and let down their nets. This got me thinking about how we too come to Church on the weekend, often tired, or frustrated by things in our life that are not going as they should. Sometimes, the last place we want to go is “into the depths”! And yet, that is exactly where Christ is calling us: speaking to our hearts, drawing us into friendship and communion, inviting us to bear fruit.

Continue Reading

Breathe in the Spirit

Last week, Rob Bell’s reflection on the Spirit “breathing” within us concluded with an invitation to “slow down, and become aware that it is in the Divine Name, in ‘Yod,’ ‘Heh,’ ‘Vav,’ ‘Heh’ that we live, and we move, and we breathe.” Easier said than done, you might say! Here is a practical exercise to help us get in touch with the indwelling Spirit of God:

A Breathing Prayer

Continue Reading

Breathe in the Spirit

One of the concrete ways in which we live the call to Christian Unity here at St. Monica’s is through the practice of “receptive ecumenism”. This means being willing to value, learn from, and make use of ideas, insights, and resources coming to us from other Christian churches. In her Coffee and Conversation series, our adult faith coordinator Anna Diodati sings the praises of NOOMA: short films with reflection guides, created by Evangelical Pastor Rob Bell. We also use them for our parents’ meetings for sacramental preparation.

Continue Reading

Do Whatever He Tells You

Three mysteries mark this holy day: today the star leads the Magi to the infant Christ; today water is changed into wine for the wedding feast; today Christ wills to be baptized by John in the river Jordan to bring us salvation.

Continue Reading

Pages