Posts by Conception Abbey

In today’s first reading we hear the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refusing to worship or serve the King’s god. The King becomes furious, and had them bound and cast into the white-hot furnace. When the King looks into the fire, he is astonished to find not three bound men but FOUR untied and unhurt men…

“Me hieren más las pequeñas imperfecciones de las almas elegidas que los pecados de las almas que viven en el mundo.” (Diario de Santa Faustina, 580) La Escritura nos dice que en el juicio de Jesús los soldados  le pusieron una corona de espinas, se arrodillaron y se rieron de él (Marcos 15,16-20). Estos soldados…

Encounters with Jesus normally left the person who went to Jesus somewhat confounded, and I often wonder what the adulteress felt and thought of when she was standing in front of Jesus waiting for those stones to hit her. I am sure there were a lot of shame and guilt, as well as emotional and…

Responsorial Psalm:  O Lord, My God, in you I take refuge Many of us don’t relate to the concept of a refuge.  We think of refugees – those in need of a refuge – as people fleeing from terrorists or dictators.  But we can be more dangerous to ourselves than a well-trained assassin.  God offers…

We are in the fourth week of Lent. That is a little more than half way to Easter. At this point, temptation for giving up our Lenten resolutions grows, and the desire for a dessert grows even more. If you know that your friend gave up dessert for Lent, inviting him to eat at Cheesecake…

Do you remember when you were a little boy or girl, and you really wanted a hot, freshly baked cookie? You pleaded with mom to let you have a cookie even though she kept on insisting that the cookies were not for you. And then you got upset with mom because she would not let…

“You can give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” It’s a timeless saying that many have heard before, and it’s a saying that Jesus is telling us today; the son cannot do anything without seeing the father…

Each year at seminary, there’s a season in which the sound of footsteps entering the oratory or classrooms is punctuated by the ‘click-click—thunk’ of persons using crutches. Sadly, ‘crutch season’ has arrived in force this semester. While it’s never a good thing to have to experience injury, and the subsequent lack of mobility can be…

Jer 7, 23-28 Así dice el Señor: “Ésta es la orden que di a mi pueblo: ‘Escuchen mi voz, y yo seré su Dios y ustedes serán mi pueblo; caminen siempre por el camino que yo les mostraré, para que les vaya bien.” ¿Qué tan difícil puede ser escuchar la voz de Dios aquí en…

Matthew 18:21-35 We’ve all heard today’s gospel passage many times. The message is clear: forgive others as we have been forgiven by God. The servant who was forgiven much seems to be ungrateful and petty. You might think that being forgiven an enormous debt would, at the very least, give you a more peaceful outlook…

What is your worth? What dignity do you have? Very often in our lives, we forget our great dignity and place God in a box constructed out of our sin. A box that does not welcome filth. Yet, in today’s Gospel, we find the father welcoming his son, filth and all, and a celebration commences.…

Luke 16:19-31 In the Gospel of Luke we hear of Lazarus and the rich man. This parable can seem like a condemnation of material wealth. Yet, God’s word is not simply a Word of condemnation, but a Word of invitation.  We are invited to receive joy through love. Material wealth, in and of itself, is…