Lead in: In Matthew 5, Jesus makes demands that seem radical. What Jesus sometimes says is not always meant to comfort us but to lead us to greater conversion in Christ.Prompt: Where is it in your life that the Spirit is leading you to greater conversion? Lead in: “If...

Lead in: How do we make God real? In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus tells us. Be salt seasoning that brings out the flavors of God’s goodness in the world.Prompt: Name three people who have made God real to you by being a seasoning of goodness that has helped you taste the...

Lead in: In the Beatitudes, Jesus turns conventional wisdom on its head. While the world clamors for power, prestige and status, Jesus tells us that true freedom comes when we humbly let go of our need for anything that elevates us to higher status in the eyes of the...

Lead in: That sunny day so long ago as Jesus walked along the beach of the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers (Peter and Andrew) casting their nets into the sea. Jesus then cast a net of His own. He called out to them, “Follow Me!” In that moment it was as if they...

Lead in: Our faith is not just inspired by philosophical ideas that appeal to our vision of how we think life should be. It unfolds within the ups and downs of life and is rooted in events that took place in the lives of real people. The Jesus to whom we commit our...

Lead in: When the Spirit came down upon Jesus at the Jordan, God empowered his Son to be a servant for his people. The anointing of baptism prepared Jesus for his mission to bring justice, peace, and healing for the world.Prompt: If Jesus’ mission was to bring the...

Lead in: “The star they had seen at its rising proceeded them until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.” Mt. 2. A star shines in the dark of night not the light of the day. If we were to think of the star as the light of faith, then the light of...

Lead in: There was no formal school that parents could go to to learn how to be parents. You learn as you go. Each child is uniquely different and a window into the mystery of life. You grow as a parent as you embrace the calling to love your children as God’s gift....

Lead in: Consider how it was for Mary, the girl engaged to a man named Joseph. Before they were married, even though they had never been intimate, she learned she was pregnant. But then an angel appeared to her. It was through the Holy Spirit that this happened....

Lead in: Jerome Kodell, OSB, describes the situation in Matthew 11:2. John the Baptist is at a very low point in his life. Herod has thrown him into prison. Prompt: Reflect on a low point in your life when nothing seemed to be going right. How did you respond and what...