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# Xaverian Brothers

Xaverian Brothers - In Harmony Small Things Grow

## Posts

- [December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/11/december-12-feast-of-our-lady-of-guadalupe-5/) - “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”- Lk 1:47 “The Word becomes flesh and dwells among us.”- Jn 1:14
- [December 13](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/13/december-13-2/) - “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: All flesh shall see the salvation of God.” - Lk 3:4, 6
- [December 25](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/25/december-25/) - “And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” - Lk 2: 1-14
- [December 24](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/24/december-24-4/) - “A House for the Lord, A Dawn for the World” – Pope Benedict XVI
- [December 23](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/23/december-23-6/) - “…his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.” – Lk 1:64
- [December 19](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/19/december-19-6/) - “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” - Mt 21:22
- [December 20](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/20/december-20-5/) - “May it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:26-38
- [December 21](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/21/december-21-6/) - “The LORD spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God….” - Is 7:10-11
- [December 22](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/22/december-22-6/) - "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior." - Luke 1:46-47
- [December 18](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/18/december-18-6/) - “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife and into your home.” - Mt 1:20
- [December 17: Wednesday of the Third Week in Advent ](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/17/december-17-wednesday-of-the-third-week-in-advent/) - “O Lord, I cannot understand your ways but I must adore them” (Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers)
- [December 16](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/16/december-16-6/) - Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” - Mt 21:28-32
- [December 15](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/15/december-15-6/) - "By what authority are you doing this, and who gave you this authority?" Mt 21:23
- [December 14](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/14/december-14-2/) - When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” – Mt 11:2-11
- [December 11](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/10/december-11-6/) - I am the LORD, your God, who grasps your right hand; It is I who say to you, “Fear not, I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13
- [December 10](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/09/december-10-6/) - “Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, they that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.” Is 40:30-31
- [December 9](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/08/december-9-5/) - “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?” - Mt 18:12-14
- [Brother Philip Revell, CFX (Richard Philip Revell) 1957-2025](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/10/06/brother-philip-revell-cfx/) - Stand ready to answer when God asks if you are available for Him to become more present in your life and through you to the world.
- [December 6](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/05/december-6-5/) - Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, "Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' . . .” Matthew 9:35 6-8
- [December 8](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/05/december-8-2/) - Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. - Lk 1:38
- [December 7](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/05/december-7/) - “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus” - Romans 15:5
- [December 5](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/04/december-5-6/) - “And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.” Isaiah 29:18
- [December 4](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/03/december-4-6/) - “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” Mt 7:24
- [December 3: Feast of St. Francis Xavier](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/02/december-3-feast-of-st-francis-xavier-3/) - Jesus summoned his disciples and said, "My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way." - Mt 15:32
- [December 2](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/01/december-2-5/) - “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” Luke 10:23–24
- [November 30](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/11/30/november-30/) - "Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding; one will be taken, and one will be left." Mt 24:37-44
- [December 1](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/12/01/december-1-5/) - “Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.” - Isaiah 11:6
- [Brother Peter James Mahoney, CFX (Brother Neil) 1932-2025](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/10/27/brother-peter-james-mahoney-cfx-brother-neil-1932-2025/) - Just to be is a blessing; just to live is holy.
- [Brother Adelbert, C.F.X. (Rémi DeGroote) 1931-2025](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/09/16/brother-adelbert/) - “The gift you have received, give as a gift."
- [Brother Thomas M. Fahey, C.F.X. (Brother Keric)](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/08/11/brother-thomas-m-fahey-c-f-x-brother-keric/) - The last surviving member of the novitiate class of 1954, Brother Thomas Fahey was born in Somerville, Massachusetts and started his education at the Immaculate Conception School in Malden-Medford, before his parents, his sister Joanne and he moved to Melrose. Tom and Joanne transferred to St. Mary’s School there and after he graduated from St.
- [Brother Paul J. Feeney, C.F.X. (Brother Antoninus)](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/06/26/brother-paul-j-feeney-c-f-x/) - You were created by God to be a unique expression of His love. (FP) Brother Paul Feeney grew to cherish the grace of God’s love that he received throughout his seventy-five years as a Xaverian Brother. Brother Paul was indeed unique. On Saturday, June 21st, one could see this special grace in his eyes. Peace,
- [Brother Johan Vanhove, C.F.X. 1940-2025](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2025/04/14/brother-johan-vanhove-c-f-x-1940-2025/) - If we keep the Lord, his kingdom, his Word and his Gospel in our minds, if this becomes our inner space, we will know what to do. We are then in the House of the Lord.
- [December 25 - The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/25/december-25-the-nativity-of-the-lord-christmas/) - “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Lk 2:1-14
- [December 23](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/23/december-23-5/) - “Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me: And suddenly, there will come to the temple The LORD whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.”
- [December 22](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/22/december-22-5/) - “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” - Luke 1:45
- [December 21](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/21/december-21-5/) - My lover speaks; he says to me," Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one, and come!” - Sg 2:8-14
- [December 20](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/20/december-20-4/) - “The LORD spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God….”
- [December 19](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/19/december-19-5/) - “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” - Lk 1:18
- [December 18](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/18/december-18-5/) - “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.” - Matthew 1:20
- [December 17](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/17/december-17-5/) - “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.” - Matthew 1:1
- [December 16](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/16/december-16-5/) - “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” - Matthew 21:23
- [December 15](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/15/december-15-5/) - The crowds asked him, “What should we do?” He answered, “He who has two garments, let him give one to the one who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” (Luke 3:10-11)
- [December 14: Memorial of St. John of the Cross](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/14/december-14-memorial-of-st-john-of-the-cross-2/) - Lord, make us turn to You; let us see Your face and we shall be saved. Psalm 80
- [December 13: Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/13/december-13-memorial-of-st-lucy-virgin-and-martyr/) - “The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say: Behold a man that is a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of publicans and sinners. And wisdom is justified by her children” - Matthew 11:19
- [December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/12/december-12-feast-of-our-lady-of-guadalupe-4/) - “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
- [December 11](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/11/december-11-5/) - "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Mt. 11:28)
- [December 10](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/10/december-10-5/) - “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?” Matthew 18:12
- [December 9: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/09/december-9-solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/) - “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.” PS 98:1
- [December 6](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/06/december-6-4/) - “And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.”
- [December 7: Memorial of St. Ambrose](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/07/december-7-memorial-of-st-ambrose-4/) - “The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst.” - Isiah 30:20
- [December 8](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/08/december-8/) - “Stand up, Jerusalem! Stand on high, and look toward the east; see your children gathered from east to west by the word of the Holy One.” (Bar 5:1-9)
- [December 5](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/05/december-5-5/) - “Trust in the LORD forever! For the LORD is an eternal rock.” Isaiah 26
- [December 4](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/04/december-4-5/) - “Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there. Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.” - Matthew 15:29-30
- [December 3: Feast of St. Francis Xavier](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/03/december-3-feast-of-st-francis-xavier-2/) - “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength and knowledge.” Isaiah 11
- [December 2](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/02/december-2-4/) - “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.”
- [Brother Daniel Conaghan, C.F.X. (Brother Rian)](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/09/23/brother-daniel-conaghan-cfx/) - Daniel - God be my judge, God guides me, God loves me. Amen! Dan was the child of Irish immigrants John Conaghan and Grace Curran Conaghan. He was born in Brooklyn, NY, on May 16, 1940. He is survived by his sister Mary Ryan (John), Patricia Gorman (+Jim) and Charles (Frannie).
- [December 1](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/01/december-1-4/) - “The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah.."
- [Brother Rodney Sulzer, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/11/10/brother-rodney-sulzer-c-f-x/) - Brother Rodney Sulzer died at Nazareth Home on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.
- [Lent 2023: 40 Days of Questions & Observations](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/02/22/lent-2023-40-days-of-questions-observations/) - Beginning Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, we will post a Question of the Day that will encompass a scripture passage and will seek to engage with our online audience over our social media platforms and on this page.
- [Brother John F. Kerr, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/04/21/brother-john-f-kerr-c-f-x/) - Brother John F. Kerr, C.F.X. (formerly known as Brother Lambertus) passed away on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at Mary Immaculate Care Center in Lawrence, MA where he had been suffering from dementia.
- [A Visit to Kenya & South Sudan](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/01/31/a-visit-to-kenya-south-sudan/) - The General Superior, Brother Daniel Skala, C.F.X., and the General Councilors Brothers Brian Davis, Lawrence Harvey, Patrick Fumbisha, and Dominique Olondo continued their canonical visitation in September to Kenya and South Sudan
- [A Visit to Belgium](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/01/31/a-visit-to-belgium/) - Brother Daniel Skala, C.F.X., General Superior, led a trip to Bruges, Belgium in November.
- [Associates Carry Forth the Mission](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/01/31/associates-carry-forth-the-mission/) - In August, over 30 Xaverian Associates, Brothers, and guests gathered to welcome nine new Associates. The day of reflection, faith sharing, ritual, and meal took place at the Audubon Country Club in Louisville, KY
- [Generalate Spotlight: Intern Jack McCormick](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/04/19/generalate-spotlight-intern-jack-mccormick/) - In January, Jack McCormick, a graduate of Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, MA, and current student at Loyola University in Baltimore, MD, began an internship at the Generalate office.
- [In Haiti, Hope Prevails Amid Dire Conditions](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/04/19/in-haiti-hope-prevails-amid-dire-conditions/) - Despite an endless myriad of challenges and upheaval in Haiti, the Sant Zavereyen community had the honor and joy of attending a graduation ceremony for one of their students. Livenson, who joined the Sant community in 2018
- [Brother Eric Vandenbroucke, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/11/16/brother-eric-vanderbroucke-c-f-x/) - Brother Eric Vanderbroucke peacefully entered eternal life on November 14, 2023. He was a member of the Xaverian community living at Herdershove
- [Introducing 'Making the Word our Home: A Xaverian Journey Through Advent'](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/03/introducing-making-the-word-our-home-a-xaverian-journey-through-advent/) - Advent is about waiting and preparing patiently for Christmas, the coming of Christ. However, we know that the One we seek is already with us...
- [Brother Cornelius E. Hubbuch, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/04/brother-cornelius-e-hubbuch-c-f-x/) - Brother Cornelius died at Nazareth Home on December 2, 2023. He was born in Louisville, KY on June 7, 1936, to Cornelius E. Hubbuch, Sr
- [Brother Thomas Murphy, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/13/brother-thomas-murphy-c-f-x/) - Ardent devotion to the Congregation’s mission, sincere affection for his Brothers in community, compassionate service to all whom he met throughout his seventy-six years as a Xaverian Brother are the signature qualities that flow from Brother
- [Brother Thomas Francis Ryan, C.F.X.   (Brother Lee) 1948-2024](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/09/16/brother-thomas-francis-ryan-cfx/) - 1962 was an instrumental year in the life of the young Tom Ryan. That is the year this son of Thomas F. Ryan and Mildred (Kennedy) Ryan, a child of Bronx, NY, began his high school career at Cardinal Hayes High School on Grand Concourse in New York City.
- [Brother Thomas Patrick Cully, C.F.X. (Brother Russell) 1937-2024](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/09/03/brother-thomas-patrick-cully-c-f-x-brother-russell/) - Thomas Cully entered eternal life peacefully on September 2, 2024, after a long illness. Thomas was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 3, 1937 to Peter and Katherine (O’Donnell) Cully. Both parents were from Donegal, Ireland. Thomas is predeceased by both parents, his older brother, Peter, and his younger brother, Charles, also a Xaverian Brother. He is survived by members of his brother Peter’s family. Many of Thomas’ loyal friends helped him greatly as he was able to do less for himself.
- [Eighteen Catechumens Take the First Step to Baptism at St. Patrick's](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/06/28/eighteen-catechumens-take-the-first-step-to-baptism-at-st-patricks/) - On June 16at St. Patrick’s Boys Secondary School in South Sudan, 18 young men took their first step toward baptism. Brother Bernard Mujibi prepared the program. Father Vincent, the parish priest for St. Joseph Parish, and a St. Patrick’s priest celebrated mass. James Nicholas Wesonga, who is a volunteer at St. Patrick’s, accompanied the 18
- [Brother Eugene L. Behenna, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/06/25/in-memoriam-brother-eugene-l-behenna-c-f-x-brother-edgar/) - For almost a hundred consecutive years, men of the Behenna family of Somerville were faithful members of the Xaverian Brothers. Herbert, later our Brother Guy, became an aspirant in our high school program at the Juniorate in Peabody in the mid 1920s, and we have been honored to have Eugene, later Brother Edgar, in our midst a century later. There were thirteen children in the Behenna family, eleven boys and two girls. Although Herbert was the godfather to Gene, they only got to know one another when the Juniorate boys were home with their families in the summer. Among the Behennas, there was, of course, an assortment of similarities in looks, voice, favorite expressions and interests, but there were graced differences among them, and only rarely did anyone mistakenly call Gene "Brother Guy". The Xaverian Brothers and the Church were graced and strengthened by the variety of gifts with which God blessed each of them, and us.
- [Brother James P.  Eckert, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/04/29/brother-james-p-eckert-c-f-x/) - Perceptive, outgoing yet private, very humorous yet also serious, down to earth, kind and caring – these are all qualities that I experienced in Brother James Eckert Perceptive, outgoing yet private, very humorous yet also serious, down to earth, kind and caring – these are all qualities that I experienced in Brother James Eckert
- [Brother William Cushing, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/06/17/in-memoriam-brother-william-cushing-c-f-x/) - In the summer of 1961, after graduating from St. John’s High School in Worcester, Massachusetts, eighteen-year-old William Cushing of North Brookfield recognized a call from God to be a disciple of His Son Jesus, as a member of the Brothers of St. Francis Xavier. He left his home, his parents and brother John, and did Brother William Cushing passed away peacefully on the morning of June 17, 2024
- [December 24](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/12/24/december-24-3/) - “I will raise up an heir after you… I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.” – 2 Sm 7:12, 14
- [2022 Ryken Society Mission Video](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/11/17/2022-ryken-society-mission-video/) - We have a very strong and rich legacy of service in the Xaverian tradition and at this moment in our history we need to discern how God is calling us anew to love as those missionary disciples
- [Brother Gabriël Vanderjeugt, C.F.X. (Brother Ivo)](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2024/10/25/brother-gabriel-vanderjeugt/) - Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, …but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (I Corinthians 13:4, 7-8)
- [December 25: The Nativity of the Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/25/december-25-the-nativity-of-the-lord-4/) - In recent years I have become rather dependent on using aids on my computer for obtaining driving directions
- [December 24: Christmas Eve](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/24/december-24-christmas-eve-2/) - As we prepare for the birth of Christ tomorrow, today’s reading includes one of the most beautiful moments in the Bible
- [December 23](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/23/december-23-4/) - Today’s readings speak of two of the greatest prophetic voices in scripture, Elijah and John the Baptist.
- [December 22](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/22/december-22-4/) - As I was growing up, this festive season would always get as upcountry as a family. It was a time for family gatherings.
- [December 21](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/21/december-21-4/) - As my wife and I have spent this year expecting our second child – a daughter – our growing family is a daily reminder of how God is present
- [December 20](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/20/december-20-3/) - I know a bright and thoughtful young man with whom I’ve been privileged to enjoy a good relationship during his time at Malden Catholic.
- [December 19](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/19/december-19-4/) - Many years ago I first heard the expression, “Let go and let God”, and wrestled with its implications. It asks me to trust in God
- [December 18](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/18/december-18-4/) - In just one week, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, God becoming man, a creature like one of us. This is almost too much to behold
- [December 17](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/17/december-17-4/) - It is obvious from reading today’s Gospel that John the Baptist knows who he is. He acknowledges and stands firm in who he is when responding to the Priest
- [December 16](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/16/december-16-4/) - When invited to write a reflection for this booklet, I was quite honored and excited to be presented with the wonderful opportunity.
- [December 15](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/15/december-15-4/) - In the gentle embrace of Advent’s anticipation, we find hope in the words of Isaiah: “Their name never cut off or blotted out from my presence”
- [December 14](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/14/december-14/) - God's plan is the salvation of all humankind. Our life on earth is a pilgrimage at the end of which we must return to give an account to God
- [December 13](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/13/december-13/) - The verse is a simple yet life changing invitation from our God. Lord, I long for You. In my weakness, in my despair, in my sorrow - I long for You.
- [December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/12/december-12-feast-of-our-lady-of-guadalupe-3/) - Several years ago, I visited St Mary’s College, Moraga, CA. It was the end of the school year and many Brothers were busy organizing various events associated with graduation
- [December 11](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/11/december-11-4/) - After living most of his life a contented bachelor, my Dad at age 48 was lovestruck by a beautiful Protestant woman
- [December 10](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/10/december-10-4/) - The beauty of having a relationship with God is that He is all-knowing and forgiving. In reading this passage from Peter
- [December 9](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/09/december-9-4/) - Since becoming a mother, I’ve struggled with balancing my career with professional ambitions, all while ensuring that I’m living a fully purposeful life
- [December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/08/december-8-solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-4/) - When was the last time you spontaneously broke out into song or joined a group of people shouting with joy?
- [December 7: Memorial of St. Ambrose](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/07/december-7-memorial-of-st-ambrose-3/) - To speak of Advent in the Catholic Church is to think of preparing, through the hope of this promise, the coming of the Son of God, who will bring us the salvation and redemption announced to us in the Old Testament.
- [On Love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2013/08/22/on-love/) - Brother Cornie Hubbuch, C.F.X. talks about falling in love with God and God can change everything for us and our relationship to ourself, our neighbor, and the world. Transcript: What is absolutely foundational is, Ryken talks about falling in love with God. To me that is absolutely foundational. And, of course, I think, too, what's
- [December 6](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/06/december-6-3/) - The three Scripture passages that the Church provides for us today all have a reference to God’s people being fed
- [December 5](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/05/december-5-4/) - As a child I had the privilege of being surrounded and raised by adults who didn’t own much but happily shared their cultural wealth
- [December 4](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/04/december-4-4/) - I have watched the ebb and flow of war and peace in my lifetime. There have been times of great progress with the end of the Cold War, and a slowing of the nuclear arms race
- [December 3: Feast of St. Francis Xavier](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/12/03/december-3-feast-of-st-francis-xavier/) - As a young man in college, St. Francis Xavier experienced an incredible conversion with the help of the Holy Spirit and his friend, St. Ignatius Loyola
- [Fall Luncheons Celebrate Thriving Mission](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/01/31/fall-luncheons-celebrate-thriving-mission/) - For the first time since 2019, in-person luncheons were hosted for members of the Theodore James Ryken Society.
- [Brothers in Congo Share Pilgrimage Experience to Kinshasa for Pope's Visit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/02/17/brothers-in-congo-share-pilgrimage-experience-to-kinshasa-for-popes-visit/) - Congo had the happiness and grace of receiving a recent visit from Pope Francis, who stayed in Kinshasa from January 31 to February 3.
- [Introducing 'In The Waiting: A Xaverian Journey Through Advent'](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/11/26/in-the-waiting-a-xaverian-journey-through-advent/) - The 'Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers' advises us to “make God’s word our home." Through a willingness to set aside time each day for daily prayer, meditation, and reflection, we open ourselves to God's living word.
- [Harsh Reality and New Beginnings in Kipushi, Congo](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/01/31/harsh-reality-and-new-beginnings-in-kipushi-congo/) - She had reached the end of her rope. Not knowing where to turn, a young mother in Kipushi, Congo, approached Brothers Jean Paul and Vital Mwenge for assistance.
- [Sant Students Resilient Amid Crisis in Haiti](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/01/31/sant-students-resilient-amid-crisis-in-haiti/) - As the world looks on, Haiti has remained paralyzed by demonstrations in reaction to the lifting of government aid on fuel.
- [Brother Brian Vetter, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2023/01/14/brother-brian-vetter-c-f-x/) - Brother Brian entered eternal life very peacefully this morning. For the final time, Brian surrendered himself ‘trustingly into the arms of the Father’ in whose love Brian has grown as a Xaverian Brother. In death as in life, Brian exemplifies the essence of our Xaverian spirituality.
- [A Visit to Congo](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/09/12/a-visit-to-congo/) - Brotherhood, learning, and surprises from God, all of these were part of a July visitation to Congo. Brother Daniel Skala, C.F.X., General Superior, and the General Council, Brothers Patrick Fumbisha, Dominique Olondo, Brian Davis, and Lawrence Harvey visited the Brothers, schools, communities, and social ministries
- [December 25: The Nativity of The Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/25/december-25-the-nativity-of-the-lord-3/) - Even as a little child, I knew our family Christmas crib was special. Each December it took pride of place in our living room.
- [December 24](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/24/december-24-2/) - Light is an integral part of our Advent and Christmas seasons. We light the candles of our Advent wreath, we decorate our trees, homes, and yards with a variety of bright lights, and we recall the Star of Bethlehem shining brightly over the place where Jesus was born.
- [December 23](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/23/december-23-3/) - Everyone was created in the likeness of God. Every person is born with a purpose and a calling, which they can either fully realize or utterly miss.
- [December 22](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/22/december-22-3/) - As I look back on my relationship with Jesus, I have never felt closer to Him than when I had nothing, was lonely, or suffered great humiliation.
- [December 21](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/21/december-21-3/) - The Advent season as I see it is a thoughtfully planned season with beautiful readings to allow the church members to get into the moment of hope.
- [December 20](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/20/december-20-2/) - Love is an essential human need and experience. Love is transformative! In today’s scripture, Mary encounters the Living God in her ordinary life.
- [December 19](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/19/december-19-3/) - A couple of years ago, I attended an Advent Reflection evening and the leader, our own Xaverian Associate, Chuck Belzner, likened the Advent season to pregnancy.
- [December 18](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/18/december-18-3/) - I find myself dwelling on this verse, which stands just before the angel “solves” Joseph’s conundrum with the good news that Mary’s pregnancy was indeed “of God.”
- [December 17](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/17/december-17-3/) - Today we are just one week away from Christmas. We are reminded of why we celebrate Christmas and what we are preparing for during this Advent Season.
- [December 16](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/16/december-16-3/) - One day I was at a friend's house for a visit. After our chat, I made my way back. So, my friend decided to accompany me.
- [December 15](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/15/december-15-3/) - Isaiah is speaking to the people of God during a tumultuous period in their history. The Assyrians are expanding their empire into Israel’s Northern Kingdom and downward.
- [December 13: Memorial of St. Lucy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/13/december-13-memorial-of-st-lucy/) - “Because it’s 30 degrees outside,” I responded with a coldness reflective of the frigid December morning.
- [December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/12/december-12-feast-of-our-lady-of-guadalupe-2/) - The alternative readings for today’s feast link the two scenes we know as the Annunciation and the Visitation.
- [December 11](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/11/december-11-3/) - When I retired from active ministry, I moved back home to Indiana. In the Midwest, one of the striking things is the abundance of land and nature; the farmland and fields are all around.
- [December 10](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/10/december-10-3/) - A dear friend of mine, Gordon Zahn, was a conscientious objector in World War II and later a professor of sociology at both Loyola-Chicago, and UMass, Boston.
- [December 9](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/09/december-9-3/) - While packing to move last year, I came across a yellowed Boston Globe clipping from April 1994 with an ad from Xaverian Brothers High School seeking a theology teacher.
- [December 8; Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/08/december-8-solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-3/) - First of all, let me say that we humans find it easy to respond to God in the different circumstances of our lives, when faced with a fault or a sin that we commit, forgetting our responsibility for it!
- [December 7: Memorial of St. Ambrose](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/07/december-7-memorial-of-st-ambrose-2/) - A few years back, I had “one of those weeks.” My wife was experiencing the worst of her chemo treatment for breast cancer.
- [December 6](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/06/december-6-2/) - Comfort ye my people….” these words are the text used by Handel for the first aria in his oratorio “Messiah”, music that we shall perhaps hear often in the coming Advent days.
- [December 5](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/05/december-5-3/) - Our Advent journey holds the anticipation of God’s promise to send His son to redeem us. In Luke’s Gospel we see the anticipation of four men who are willing to go to great extremes to have their friend healed.
- [December 4](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/04/december-4-3/) - When I was in grade school, I was taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Some were young. One who most definitely was not, was Sister Marcellinus.
- [December 3: Memorial of St. Francis Xavier](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/03/december-3-memorial-of-st-francis-xavier/) - Celebrating the feast of Saint Francis Xavier invites us to reflect on what is happening in the world today with the same reference point that Francis Xavier would have used in his day, namely, Christ the Teacher.
- [December 2](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/02/december-2-3/) - In many ways, today’s Gospel is straightforward. Two blind men follow Jesus, asking for His healing. Jesus, perhaps mindful of the scene that such an event would cause, does not respond to them until He has left the road and entered a house.
- [December 1](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/12/01/december-1-3/) - In today’s Gospel, Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with a call to action. If we are to enter the Kingdom of God, you and I are to do the will of God.
- [November 30: Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/11/30/november-30-feast-of-saint-andrew-apostle-2/) - Admittedly, today’s Gospel has always been jarring to me. Leave everything: who I am, family, home, security—and start over? Who could do that?
- [November 29](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/11/29/november-29-2/) - One clear summer evening, I noticed a bright light in the sky. It was too bright to be a star, so I surmised it was most likely a planet.
- [November 28](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/11/28/november-28/) - As a child, my siblings and I enjoyed decorating our home for Christmas. My favorite task was unwrapping the Holy Family figurines for the small table-top stable from their year-old newspaper.
- [November 27](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/11/27/november-27/) - My initial response to these readings is the challenge to be alert. Alert to the Holy Spirit’s invite to “walk in the light of the Lord” in a variety of relationships.
- [Blessed Thanksgiving & 2022 Advent Resource](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/11/24/blessed-thanksgiving-2022-advent-resource/) - we gather to express our gratitude for the gift of family and friends, colleagues and community. We are especially grateful for you and all who are part of our Xaverian mission
- [Third Year Postulants Begin Formation Year in Nairobi](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/10/26/third-year-postulants-begin-formation-year-in-nairobi/) - Our third year postulants had a Mass on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, and began their formation year in Nairobi, Kenya.
- [School Endures Amid Drought and Challenges with New Library](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/10/14/school-endures-amid-drought-and-challenges-with-new-library/) - At St. James Minor Seminary in Lodwar, Kenya, the school term began on September 26. By November 25, students in grades 9, 10 and 11 will begin their December vacation, lasting for a month
- [Pray for People in Conflict](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/03/10/pray-for-people-in-conflict/) - We invite you to use this guide as you pray for the most vulnerable during this time of conflict in Ukraine.
- [Construction Site Offers Learning Opportunity for Students in Bungoma, Kenya ](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/04/20/construction-site-offers-learning-opportunity-for-students-in-bungoma-kenya-/) - New flooring, rafters, walls, and doors are taking shape, as well as a soon to be finished walkway at St. Xavier High School in Bungoma, Kenya, where construction continues on a new dining hall and kitchen.
- [XBSS Students Reconvene for In-Person Retreat After Last Year's Virtual Experience](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/04/20/xbss-students-reconvene-for-in-person-retreat-after-last-years-virtual-experience/) - The Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools Student Leadership Retreat, March 6-10, at the Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford, CT, managed to pack a lot into its time frame.
- [The School That Lives On: St. Michael's Diocesan High School](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/09/12/the-school-that-lives-on-st-michaels-diocesan-high-school/) - In 1926, on the corner of 43rd street in Brooklyn, a story began that so far, has no ending. That story was, and still is, St. Michael’s Diocesan High School.
- [XBSS: The Brothers' Mission Lives On](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/09/12/xbss-the-brothers-mission-lives-on/) - “The Brothers' mission is our mission.” Those words came from an enthusiastic new XBSS teacher at an August retreat and orientation. “We need to give the gift we received as a gift,” said another.
- [Dr. Ben Horgan Leads Xaverian Associates Program](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/09/12/dr-ben-horgan-leads-xaverian-associates-program/) - For Dr. Ben Horgan, a vocation in Catholic Education is something that chose him. A proud graduate of St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury, MA, Ben was first introduced to the Xaverian Brothers there, gradually living into his calling.
- [Brother Stephen Comeau, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/08/26/brother-stephen-comeau-c-f-x/) - Brother Stephen Comeau, a Xaverian Brother for nearly 53 years, passed away peacefully at the Layhill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Silver Spring, MD on Thursday morning, August 25th.
- [Brother J. Conal Owens, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/08/26/brother-j-conal-owens-c-f-x/) - Born John Francis Owens in Lowell, MA, to Irish immigrant parents, he attended St. Michael’s Grammar School and, for two years, Keith Academy, where he fell under the influence of the Xaverian Brothers.
- [Brother Paul T. Cullen, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/05/31/brother-paul-t-cullen-c-f-x/) - Paul was born in the Dorcester section of Boston in 1934, one of five Cullen brothers. The family eventually moved to Worcester and he attended St. John’s High School on Temple Street, graduating in 1952.
- [Brother Roger Demon, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/05/27/brother-roger-demon-c-f-x/) - Brother Roger passed away peacefully on Friday, May 27th from complications resulting from a fall
- [Sant Zaveryen Student & St. Gabriel School Graduate Holds Dental Clinic](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/05/17/sant-zaveryen-student-st-gabriel-school-graduate-holds-dental-clinic/) - In Haiti, a St. Gabriel's 2018 graduate, Dr. Yvronel Joseph, ran a four-day dental clinic offering free or highly discounted dental service to over 130 patients in his home town, Fontaine.
- [Sant Zaveryen Students Visit & Provide for Local Families in Haiti](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/05/17/sant-zaveryen-students-visit-provide-for-local-families-in-haiti/) - During Lent, the Sant Zaveryen community makes sacrifices in order to help others in their local community. Three students from Sant Zaveryen recently went to visit a local family to bring them Easter joy with a delivery of rice and other necessities.
- [Brother William Lyons, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/04/25/brother-william-lyons-c-f-x/) - "A gifted teacher and a brilliant scholar" was how one former confrere described Brother William Lyons who succumbed to cancer March 7, 2022 while being cared for at Xaverian House, Danvers, MA. Brother Bill was 84 years old and spent nearly sixty-eight years as a Xaverian Brother.
- [Students Leave Crime-Ridden Neighborhood, Join Sant Zaveryen Community](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/04/25/students-leave-crime-ridden-neighborhood-join-sant-zaveryen-community/) - The story of these two students is truly horrifying. They spent almost three years living on the streets, and nights in the auditorium of their school. Being a student in Haiti has been a stressful situation for the last few years, with socio-political issues and crime.
- [Brother Charles Warthen Helps Support Afghan Refugees in Virginia Beach](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/04/25/brother-charles-warthen-helps-support-afghan-refugees-in-virginia-beach/) - "Our role is merely transportation, driving them from their ESL class several days a week to their apartment which has been provided by Catholic Charities,” said Brother Charles Warthen. “We also drive them to and from work as needed. All have income and send funds back home to Afghanistan.”
- [Xaverian Brothers High School Teacher Wins NCEA Award](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/04/25/xaverian-brothers-high-school-teacher-wins-ncea-award/) - Brothers High School in Westwood, MA, has won the Lead, Learn, Proclaim Award from the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA).
- [Mission's Divine Alignment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/01/25/missions-divine-alignment/) - When the personal, spiritual, and congregational mission all started to come together for Brother Joseph Glebas, it felt like a divine alignment
- [Living & Loving in Haiti](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/01/25/living-loving-in-haiti/) - There was only one U.S. flight out, the main road to the capital was blocked, and Brother Bill Griffin had a leg infection in need of medical attention.
- [Building The Mission](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/01/25/building-the-mission/) - Last Fall, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the construction of a new dining hall and kitchen at St. Xavier High School in Bungoma, Kenya
- [40 Days of Lenten Prayer: 2022](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/03/01/40-days-of-lenten-prayer-2022/) - Beginning Ash Wednesday we will post a Word of the Day that will encompass a scripture passage, description and a short prayer, which will "reveal the mysterious ways of God" in our mission. Each post will be archived on this web page
- [Incoming First Year Postulants Welcomed in Kenya](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/04/25/incoming-first-year-postulants-welcomed-in-kenya/) - These men are ready to dedicate their lives to follow God more closely as Xaverian Brothers. The theme of the initiation was, “You are precious to me" which challenged all to reflect upon God’s love.
- [Transitioning to a New Normal](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/09/07/transitioning-to-a-new-normal/) - Flexibility and adaptability have been characteristics of many Xaverian Brothers. As teachers they knew when to pivot from one activity to another to keep students engaged.
- [Former St. Xavier Teacher Spends Summer in Kenya Working with Xaverian Brothers Missions](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/09/07/former-st-xavier-teacher-spends-summer-in-kenya-working-with-xaverian-brothers-missions/) - "The days were filled with classes, playing games with kids and visiting nearby schools. For Ms. Annalee Abell, Kenya was blessing her “beyond measure.”
- [Bolivian Associates Hold Inspiring Retreat](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/01/25/bolivian-associates-hold-inspiring-retreat/) - It had been 24 hours of feverish and emotional activity. A much larger turnout than expected took place on October 2, 2021, when Bolivian Associates held an ‘encuentro’ inviting former students of the Colegio San Francisco Xavier
- [Spirituality Course Deepens Xaverian Identity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/01/25/spirituality-course-deepens-xaverian-identity/) - t more,” said Michael Shippie, World Language Teacher at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, MA.
- [Frank Demuynck Honored by Diocese of Bruges and Association of Catholic Schools](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022/01/25/frank-demuynck-honored-by-diocese-of-bruges-and-association-of-catholic-schools/) - Last Fall, Mr. Frank Demuynck, a longtime board member of SFX Bruges, was honored by the Diocese of Bruges and the Association of Catholic Schools for his nearly 25 years of service to Catholic education in Flanders
- [December 25: The Nativity of the Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/25/december-25-the-nativity-of-the-lord-2/) - During Advent we wait for God to break through our world. We look for signs of God’s presence in our lives. Throughout these days, we listen for the still small voice speaking to us in our contemplation.
- [December 24](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/24/december-24/) - As we write this reflection in late August, we realized that for this past year-and-a-half many of us in the United States, and in the world at large
- [December 23](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/23/december-23-2/) - God rendered Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah mute when he doubted God’s messenger, the angel Gabriel, who had appeared to him to say that Elizabeth, though barren and old, would give birth
- [December 22](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/22/december-22-2/) - The Magnificat, taken from Luke’s Gospel, is one of my favorite readings in scripture. This occurs right after Mary has been visited by the Angel Gabriel to inform her that she is to be the Mother of God
- [December 21](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/21/december-21-2/) - Today’s Gospel reading from Luke echoes the feast of the visitation. Mary has just said her “yes” to become the mother of the Savior, learns of her cousin Elizabeth’s late-in- life pregnancy and journeys to help her
- [December 20](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/20/december-20/) - Today’s Gospel reading from Luke recalls the annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel.
- [December 19](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/19/december-19-2/) - Through today’s Gospel, we see Elizabeth discovering Mary as the mother of the Lord. Elizabeth recognizes this dignity of Mary through a very ordinary action: Mary’s visit to her
- [December 18](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/18/december-18-2/) - Joseph decided to divorce Mary quietly, not wanting her shamed. Unlikely in a little town like Nazareth though. Tough decision! Why not sleep on it?
- [December 17](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/17/december-17-2/) - Every time we assemble for Eucharist, we are challenged to focus and listen attentively to the proclamation of the word of God, the message and the proclaimer
- [December 16](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/16/december-16-2/) - The Psalms of David were my grandmother’s favorite. She loved the poetic writing of a man expressing his relationship and walk with God in the good and bad, through a variety of emotions and experiences
- [December 15](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/15/december-15-2/) - Years back, when my children were in grade school, we were gathered around the television on Good Friday, watching a movie on the life of Christ.
- [December 14: Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/14/december-14-memorial-of-saint-john-of-the-cross-priest-and-doctor-of-the-church/) - You know the story. The two brothers. Their father asks both to go work in the vineyard. The first says “no,” but later, changes his mind and gets the job done.
- [Brother Thomas P. Lydon, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/13/brother-thomas-p-lydon-c-f-x/) - The life of Brother Thomas Lydon shows us a man who was eager to do whatever was necessary to further God’s kingdom in the world
- [December 13: Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/13/december-13-memorial-of-saint-lucy-virgin-and-martyr/) - We are now in the third week of Advent and light the pink candle on the Advent wreath - the candle of joy. In a special way, this third week of Advent calls us to prepare and wait with joyful expectation for the coming of Jesus.
- [December 12](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/12/december-12/) - The Visitation is one of my favorite scenes in Scripture. Mary is with her cousin Elizabeth and they are celebrating their most unlikely pregnancies.
- [December 11](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/11/december-11-2/) - The hardest part of teaching these past two years was not being able to see the faces of students. I realized that; I rely on facial cues in understanding the mind of students
- [December 10](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/10/december-10-2/) - Have you tossed up your hands in disbelief at times this past year with an incredulous gasp – that lies would be vehemently upheld as truths, that millions would allow perpetuation of a deadly
- [December 9](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/09/december-9-2/) - God speaks to us with tenderness; ‘fear not, I will help you.’ Not only is God within call, but He is constantly present with us
- [December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/08/december-8-solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-2/) - There are many mothers whose sons have been famous and many women who have exerted influence in the fields of power, art or science.
- [December 7: Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop & Doctor of the Church](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/07/december-7-memorial-of-saint-ambrose-bishop-doctor-of-the-church/) - The first day of school in my first year of teaching, I welcomed students into my classroom. The freshmen students appeared just as excited and anxious as I was.
- [December 6](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/06/december-6/) - spiritual writers and preachers throughout the ages.
- [December 5](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/05/december-5-2/) - The church slowly filled that chilly December morning. Parishioners found their usual seats; neighbors greeted neighbors; altar servers lit candles; singers opened choir books; parents shushed fidgety children.
- [December 4](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/04/december-4-2/) - Today’s Gospel reading is a story of both desperation and empowerment. We encounter Christ in the midst of his travels, teaching and healing the communities surrounding Jerusalem.
- [December 3: Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/03/december-3-memorial-of-saint-francis-xavier-priest/) - As today we are celebrating our Patron Saint, my thoughts go back to his time. In my active imagination, I am with Saint Francis Xavier as he anticipates going to a far distant land unknown to him
- [December 2](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/02/december-2-2/) - In these passages from Matthew’s Gospel, we hear Jesus speaking to us about building our houses on rock and not on sand so that they will withstand the rains and the winds that will surely come
- [December 1](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/12/01/december-1-2/) - My two-year-old daughter loves to play hide and seek. She forces everyone in the family to hide and will start looking for them right when she counts
- [November 30: Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/11/30/november-30-feast-of-saint-andrew-apostle/) - My world demands cost analysis, ZOOM conferences, projections, and assorted other research. I am a reasonable man, I am a practical man
- [November 28: First Sunday of Advent](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/11/28/november-28-first-sunday-of-advent/) - Over the past year and a half, in prayers, retreats, and reflections, our Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools have often cited the following passage from the Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers:
- [November 29](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/11/29/november-29/) - Every year as Advent begins, I reflect on how to prepare for Jesus’ birth. I often have aspirations for quiet prayer, contemplation and solitude.
- [Xaverian Jubilee Celebration Held in Danvers, MA](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/09/24/xaverian-jubilee-celebration-held-in-danvers-ma/) - On Saturday afternoon, Sept. 18, almost two-thirds of American Xaverians were able to participate in the recent Jubilee celebration held at St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, MA.
- [Xaverian Jubilee Celebration Held in Louisville, KY](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/09/10/xaverian-jubilee-celebration-held-in-louisville/) - Approximately 40 Brothers, Associates, St. Xavier High School Mission Leader and faculty members, Merton Contemplative members, former Brothers and spouses, friends, and the Ryken House support staff members joined with General Superior Brother Daniel Skala, General Councilor Brother Brian Davis, and Leadership Team member Brother Paul Murray in honoring the Kentucky and Virginia Xaverian Jubilarians.
- [New Beginnings for the Ryken House Community](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/04/22/new-beginnings-for-the-ryken-house-community/) - A new chapter has begun for the Brothers of the Ryken House community in Louisville, KY. Treyton Oak Towers, a senior living community in the heart of the city
- [Hope is on the Horizon for the Mission in Bungoma, Kenya](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/04/22/hope-is-on-the-horizon-for-the-mission-in-bungoma-kenya/) - Preparing for the reopening of St. Xavier High School in Bungoma, Kenya, has been a challenge for both staff and students.
- [Hope Amid Turmoil in Haiti](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/09/07/hope-amid-turmoil-in-haiti/) - A devastating earthquake struck off the southwest coast of Haiti on August 14 - approximately 80 miles south of Port au Prince.
- [XBSS Holds Leadership Conference](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/09/07/xbss-holds-leadership-conference/) - The Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools (XBSS) Sponsorship office held a Leadership Development Conference July 12-13 at the Generalate Office in Baltimore
- [Vestition for New Novices in Congo](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/09/07/vestition-for-new-novices-in-congo/) - Monday, August 9 was the Vestition for the new novices. On September 4, 2021 Brother Gracien made his perpetual profession and the other Brothers from the Congo renewed their vows.
- [Welcoming and Reception of New Postulants at St. Joseph Center, Bungoma, Kenya](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/09/07/welcoming-and-reception-of-new-postulants-at-st-joseph-center-bungoma-kenya/) - On the Solemnity of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions (Martyrs) Brothers in Kenya thanked God as they witnessed three young men
- [First Professions Made in Nairobi](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/09/07/first-professions-made-in-nairobi/) - usangu Mwananyembo, Fabien Kabwe Mutombo, Augustine Odia Nyambi, Alex Brian Musoke (pictured left to right).
- [School Projects Underway in Africa](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/08/30/school-projects-underway-in-africa/) - Two schools under construction, one in Likasi and another in Kipushi. While the Likasi project was made possible with funding from Brother Edward as General Superior, Kipushi's benefited from a funding plan decided by current General Superior, Brother Dan Skala.
- [Brother Richard A. Angarola, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/08/02/brother-richard-a-angarola-c-f-x/) - Richard will be greatly missed by his many friends and acquaintances. And they are numerous. Richard’s impact on the lives of others was life-giving and positive.
- [Brother J. Robert Houlihan, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/07/19/brother-robert-j-houlihan-c-f-x/) - Brother J. Robert Houlihan (Brother Arnold in his early career but “Houli” to just about everyone, Xaverian or not) was one of that not-so-uncommon at the time and highly-respected and heroic breed of Xaverians
- [Brother James E. Malone, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/08/02/brother-james-e-malone-c-f-x/) - In life Brother James was a wonderfully gifted, energetic, outgoing and caring religious who was faithful to his commitment "to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the poor man totally given in love of God and all people everywhere."
- [Generalate Employee Spotlight: Stephanie Stricker, Associate Director of Mission Advancement](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/06/30/generalate-employee-spotlight-stephanie-stricker-associate-director-of-mission-advancement/) - Since September 2003, Stephanie Stricker has been faithfully serving the Xaverian Brothers. As the Associate Director of Mission Advancement.
- [Generalate Employee Spotlight: Benjamin Horgan, XBSS Formation Director](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/05/13/generalate-employee-spotlight-benjamin-horgan-xbss-formation-director/) - Benjamin Horgan’s Xaverian education at St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury, MA, forever changed the trajectory of his life.
- [Brother Joseph Comber, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/05/04/brother-joseph-comber-c-f-x/) - I thought a lot about the five values (humility, simplicity, trust, zeal, and compassion) of the Xaverian charism as I wrote these reflections.
- [Nazareth Regional Creates Brother Matthew Burke Scholarship](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/04/22/nazareth-regional-creates-brother-matthew-burke-scholarship/) - In the early years of Nazareth Regional High School in Brooklyn, one man made a big difference in the lives of the students.
- [Praying Through Lent the Xaverian Way](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/04/22/praying-through-lent-the-xaverian-way/) - For 40 days, all were invited to reflect and pray for the unique mission of the Xaverian Brothers online. Each day, a new reflection was posted
- [Nazareth Principal Wins Prestigious National Award](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/04/22/nazareth-principal-wins-prestigious-national-award/) - Ms. Provi Quiles, Principal at Nazareth Regional High School in Brooklyn, has won the Lead, Learn, Proclaim Award from the National Catholic Education Association [NCEA]
- [Your Support and the CARES Act: Key Provisions](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/09/taking-advantage-of-the-cares-act/) - During this challenging year, we thank God for the many blessings that we receive in our daily lives and the extraordinary support of our benefactors like you.
- [Virtual Retreat Connects, Inspires, and Challenges in a Reshaped World](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/04/22/virtual-retreat-connects-inspires-and-challenges-in-a-reshaped-world/) - "You are here because God wants you to be here,” affirmed Aaron Bau, a senior at Malden Catholic, addressing the 2021 XBSS Student Leadership virtual retreat
- [40 Days of Lenten Prayer: 2021](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/02/17/40-days-of-lenten-prayer-2021/) - Over the next 40 days of Lent, we invite you to take some time to reflect and pray with us as St. Joseph guides our journey, for the unique mission of the Xaverian Brothers.
- [Brother John Mahoney, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/03/18/brother-john-mahoney-cfx/) - Brother John Mahoney entered eternal life peacefully on March 17, at Mary Immaculate in Lawrence, MA. John died from double pneumonia.
- [Brother Harry Eccles, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/03/11/brother-harry-eccles-c-f-x/) - Brother Harry passed peacefully on March 9, at Nazareth Nursing Home in Louisville, his hometown. He had been a resident there for over a year and endured the hardship of no visitors during COVID-19
- [Support for the Tyler Clementi Foundation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/02/17/support-for-the-tyler-clementi-foundation/) - we join with the Catholic Bishops and many religious orders supporting the Tyler Clementi Foundation. We stand up for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth in our country and in our XBSS Schools.
- [Brother John Shaughnessy, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/02/16/brother-john-shaughnessy-c-f-x/) - John was an extremely private and independent person. As a result, uncovering his ‘hidden wholeness’ is challenging.
- [In a World of Change, Mission Remains the Same](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/01/27/in-a-world-of-change-mission-remains-the-same/) - In a year of drastic global changes, the mission of the Xaverian Brothers remained the same. Even more poignant in the midst of darkness, the charge of living ordinary lives that give witness to God’s unconditional love
- [Ministry, Retreat, Nourishment and Reflection](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/01/27/ministry-retreat-nourishment-and-reflection/) - The Coronavirus pandemic “arrived” at Xaverian and Ryken houses in the middle of March 2020, when signs indicating “Please, no visitors; all deliveries to the door at the porch” appeared on exterior doors.
- [A Xaverian Journey Through Advent](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/01/27/a-xaverian-journey-through-advent/) - This year, the Xaverian Brothers were thrilled to share their very first, exclusive Advent Resource Booklet. ‘Preparing our Faith – A Xaverian Journey Through Advent’
- [Despite Pandemic, Relationships Endure Among XBSS Communities](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/01/27/despite-pandemic-relationships-endure-among-xbss-communities/) - Each March, student leaders from across the Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools are invited to participate in a national retreat.
- [Mission Spirituality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2014/10/23/mission-spirituality/) - Dear Brothers and Associates: Pope Francis is calling the whole Church to celebrate the place of Consecrated Religious women and men in the life and mission of the Church. We also celebrate the 175th Anniversary of our foundation as “Brothers who are sent as missionaries to the world.” With grateful remembrance of our past and
- [Xaverian Brothers' Mission in Haiti Responds to COVID-19](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/05/05/xaverian-brothers-mission-in-haiti-responds-to-covid-19/) - Life in Haiti is marked by greater insecurity in the huge Martissant neighborhood of Port-au-Prince and by the Coronavirus pandemic.
- [Brother Charles Cully, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2021/01/13/brother-charles-cully-c-f-x/) - In the gospel reading for Monday, January 11, we read about Jesus’ invitation to Simon and Andrew and then to James and John to ‘come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.
- [December 24](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/24/december-24-christmas-eve/) - I have always loved this Canticle of Zechariah and thought it was so fitting for Christmas Eve
- [December 25: The Nativity of the Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/25/december-25-the-nativity-of-the-lord/) - Advent is certainly a time of song. The aching longing of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” - the boundless joy of Handel’s “For unto us a Child is born…”
- [December 23](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/23/december-23/) - It was truly unprecedented. The fullness of the universe was humbled and made vulnerable, coming near in the most ordinary and unexpected way.
- [December 22](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/22/december-22/) - As a sophomore at St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury, MA, I attended a service trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
- [December 21](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/21/december-21/) - The Gospel today focuses on Mary and her gracious visit to Elizabeth. This reminds me of the importance of Mary, the Blessed Mother, in my life.
- [December 20: Fourth Sunday of Advent](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/20/december-20-fourth-sunday-of-advent/) - I am a long-time teacher of Religious Studies. After almost 30 years in the classroom, I have taught, not always well, just about everything a high school Religious Studies curriculum offers
- [December 19](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/19/december-19/) - When the angel Gabriel greeted Mary, the scripture tells us that she was “greatly troubled."
- [December 18](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/18/december-18/) - The Gospel today focuses on Joseph and his gracious response to what God wants of him.
- [December 17](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/17/december-17/) - Today’s scripture readings remind us that we belong. The gospel from Matthew provides us with the genealogy of Jesus.
- [December 16](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/16/december-16/) - John the Baptist knew his mission and lived it well. He had devoted his life to pointing people to the Messiah.
- [December 15](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/15/december-15/) - In an interview for a barista position in my college coffee shop, I was asked, “What would your theme song be?”
- [December 14: Memorial – St. John of the Cross](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/14/december-14-memorial-st-john-of-the-cross/) - At Christmas, we participate and rejoice in the mystery of what has already occurred – Emmanuel has come – God is already with us
- [December 13: Third Sunday of Advent](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/13/december-13-third-sunday-of-advent/) - John the Baptist is single-minded in his mission. His only purpose is to testify to his faith in the coming Messiah, the light of the world.
- [December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/12/december-12-feast-of-our-lady-of-guadalupe/) - When I was living and working in Chicago in the 1990s, one of my closest friends was a Catholic nun who was a teacher and Assistant Principal at St. Pius School in the Pilsen neighborhood
- [December 11](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/11/december-11/) - The Lord calls us to love and establish his law, to meditate on it day and night and do all it commands, even calling this the entire duty of man.
- [December 10](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/10/december-10/) - Have you ever reached out to a busy friend with the offer - “Hey, let me give you a hand with that” only to receive the reply, “No thanks, I can handle it myself”?
- [December 9](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/09/december-9/) - I learned a long time ago that there is a difference between giving up and giving over.
- [December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/08/december-8-solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/) - Today’s Marian feast day is a lesson for us that our God often works in secret. Did Mary know that she was destined for great things?
- [December 7: Memorial of St. Ambrose](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/07/december-7-memorial-of-st-ambrose/) - As part of my pre-Canna retreat in preparation for our marriage, my wife and I took the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment to help us understand our personality preferences in our relationship
- [December 6: The Second Sunday of Advent](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/06/december-6-the-second-sunday-of-advent/) - How do we prepare for the coming of the birth of Jesus in these most unusual and challenging times?
- [December 5](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/05/december-5/) - The renowned author Maya Angelou tells the story in her autobiography 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' of being slapped by her grandmother for using the expression, “by the way.”
- [December 4](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/04/december-4/) - Today’s Gospel reading tells of Christ’s miraculous healing of two blind men. While far from his first miracle, Christ approaches the pleading blind men and humbly asks, “Do you believe that I can do this?”
- [December 3: The Feast of St. Francis Xavier](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/03/december-3-the-feast-of-st-francis-xavier/) - More than 180 years ago, Theodore James Ryken was inspired by God to form The Brothers of Saint Francis Xavier, known as the Xaverian Brothers, in Bruges, Belgium
- [December 2](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/02/december-2/) - These words manifest a practical way Jesus showed compassion throughout his public life and moves me to reflect on how many people in our world go to bed hungry every night
- [December 1](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/12/01/december-1/) - On a recent drive to work, I was taken aback at the beauty of the sunrise over Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield, MA.
- [Brother Matthew Burke, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/11/30/brother-matthew-burke-c-f-x/) - Brother Matthew Burke passed away peacefully Friday evening at Nazareth Home from rapid degeneration of his health
- [November 29: 1st Sunday of Advent](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/11/29/november-29-1st-sunday-of-advent/) - Arriving home one afternoon, taped to the door was a note: “I was in the area and thought I would surprise you with an unexpected visit. Sorry that you weren’t home.
- [November 30: The Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/11/30/november-30-the-feast-of-st-andrew-the-apostle/) - I think about the times I have responded in the affirmative and didn’t necessarily have any good defensible or logical reason to do so
- [Brother Peter Fitzpatrick, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/11/24/brother-peter-fitzpatrick-c-f-x/) - In Memoriam:Brother Peter Fitzpatrick, C.F.X. (Brother Benedict)1928-2020 Nothing is more practical than finding God, nothing is more practical Than falling in Love in a quite absolute, final way.What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination,Will affect everything.
- [Pilgrimage Highlights Racial Inequality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/11/16/pilgrimage-highlights-racial-inequality/) - The man dressed as Frederick Douglas, the escaped slave and abolitionist, stood at the shore where the first enslaved Africans arrived by boat in 1619.
- [Inauguration Ceremony for Complex Housing Workshops and Administrative Offices in Congo](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/10/16/inauguration-ceremony-for-complex-housing-workshops-and-administrative-offices-in-congo/) - On October 14, an inauguration ceremony was held for the newly completed building complex in Fungurume, Congo, housing two workshops (mechanical and electrical) and four administrative offices, as part of an educational project inspired by the Xaverian charism
- [Xaverian Education Endures Amid COVID-19](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/09/18/xaverian-education-endures-amid-covid-19/) - The Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools faced a Ryken moment of their own amid the uncertainties and challenges of mission-driven education amid a global pandemic
- [St. Xavier High School Bungoma Continues to Engage Learners Amid Pandemic](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/09/18/st-xavier-high-school-bungoma-continues-to-engage-learners-amid-pandemic/) - Revision materials sent through emails and social media, phone calls and frequent communication with parents, and engaging students via WhatsApp are just a few ways teachers at St. Xavier High School in Bungoma, Kenya
- [Grappling with Pandemic, Ryken Center Presses on](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/09/18/grappling-with-pandemic-ryken-center-presses-on/) - “We’re trying our best to keep the children at peace within the facility by engaging their minds in practical activities,” said Brother Edmond Juma.
- [Food for the Body and the Soul: Brother William Ciganek on Serving in a Pandemic](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/09/18/food-for-the-body-and-the-soul-brother-william-ciganek-on-serving-in-a-pandemic/) - Despite uncertain times, Brother William Ciganek is certain of one thing: God showing up in new and unusual ways.
- [Our Ryken Moment: Leadership Amid Uncertainty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/09/18/our-ryken-moment-leadership-amid-uncertainty/) - By Josh Kinney, Director of Communications Stepping out in faith into the unknown was a signature move of the Xaverian Brothers founder Theodore James Ryken. Marching onward with a trust that God would indeed provide, Ryken met many challenges, and grew from all of them. The tumultuous trials of 2020 have brought forth a Ryken
- [XBSS Class of 2020: Staying Connected](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/06/05/xbss-class-of-2020-staying-connected/) - May the prayerful support of your school community and the entire XBSS network sustain you on the road ahead. God Bless you!
- [Standing in Solidarity for Racial Justice](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/06/01/standing-in-solidarity-for-racial-justice/) - The Xaverian Brothers, Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools, associate members, and partners in mission join with all those who are disturbed by the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmuad Arbery in recent weeks. Our Fundamental Principles call us to give witness “to God’s care and compassionate love to all especially those who suffer from
- [Xaverian Missions in Kenya Still Places of Hope Amid Pandemic](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/05/18/xaverian-missions-in-kenya-still-places-of-hope-amid-pandemic/) - By Brs. Edmond Juma and Dan Ongeso Ryken Centre for Hope It’s a mixed atmosphere here in Kenya with numerous activities abounding. Planting season is underway, especially for western region counties. God has released rains from above and farmers are seriously engaged in farm work including the JRCH family. These are good signs for a
- [Students Called to Action at Junior Retreat](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/05/18/students-called-to-action-at-junior-retreat/) - “You are my life!” exclaimed Brother Brian Davis. He stood before a group of students at the Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools annual Junior Retreat
- [Program Presses On](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/05/18/program-presses-on/) - Fourteen temporary professed Brothers who will be making a perpetual commitment as Brothers of the Sacred Heart and Xaverian Brothers came together to begin their four-month Program
- [Prayer and Solidarity Amid Covid-19 Pandemic](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/05/18/prayer-and-solidarity-amid-covid-19-pandemic/) - In a powerful display of unity, over 100 Xaverian Brothers, Associates, faculty members, school administrators, retirees, former Brothers and partners in mission from across the world
- [Mission Thrives Amid Change](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/05/18/mission-thrives-amid-change/) - During the coronavirus pandemic our world has changed requiring all of us to make adjustments in how we live and work. Some of these changes and the uncertainty of the future can cause anxiety
- [Something Different at Xaverian House](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/05/18/something-different-at-xaverian-house/) - A red sign in the window of the front door of Xaverian House is the first indication of “something different” going on these days
- [XBSS Stay Connected, Focus on Mission Amid COVID-19](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/05/11/xbss-stay-connected-focus-on-mission-amid-covid-19/) - School leadership, faculty and staff of XBSS courageously and competently moved into online learning when schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- [Xaverian Brothers COVID-19 Prayer List](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/04/23/xaverian-brothers-covid-19-prayer-list/) - During these most challenging times, the Xaverian Brothers, Associates, and Partners in Mission unite in prayer to remember those who have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic
- [An Easter Message from Brother Daniel Skala](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/04/08/an-easter-message-from-brother-daniel-skala/) - Dear Brothers, Associates and Partners in Mission: Our world has changed rather quickly in the past month because of the coronavirus pandemic. Every day brings more change and greater anxiety as more people contract the virus and millions lose their jobs. Our journey through Holy Week is different this year and takes on added meaning
- [A Message from Brother Daniel Skala](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/03/18/a-message-from-brother-daniel-skala/) - Yesterday, I met with the staff at the Generalate in Baltimore on the Feast of St. Patrick.
- [The Absence of God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/28/the-absence-of-god/) - Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose: / releasing those bound unjustly, / untying the thongs of the yoke; / Setting free the oppressed, / breaking off every yoke? / Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry, / bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house; / Clothing the naked
- [Responsibility and Life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/27/responsibility-and-life/) - I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a
- [Praying In Secret](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/26/praying-in-secret/) - “But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”Matthew 6:6 It would be a great grace of Lent if we were to become aware of our greatest pretenses and then have the courage to cease
- [Receiving Our Inner Child](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/25/receiving-our-inner-child/) - For along the way the disciples had been discussing among themselves who is the greatest. And Jesus sat down and called the Twelve and said to them: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child, stood him in their midst, embraced him,
- [Why Could We Not Cast It Out?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/24/why-could-we-not-cast-it-out/) - When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together he rebuked the unclean spirit and said to him: “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you. Go out from him, and never enter him again.” And after shouting and convulsing him greatly it went out. And he became like a dead man so that many
- [Faith and Works](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/21/faith-and-works/) - What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do
- [Appreciation and Mystery](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/20/appreciation-and-mystery/) - But Jesus turned, looked at his disciples, and rebuked Peter saying: “Get behind me, Satan for your mind is not on the things of God but on the things of humans.”Mark 8:33 The eighth chapter of Mark is a true revelation of our faith experience. In it we have Peter both recognizing the truth of
- [Be Doers of the Word](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/19/be-doers-of-the-word/) - Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who
- [Temptation and Formation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/18/temptation-and-formation/) - No one experiencing temptation should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it
- [Seeking A Sign](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/17/seeking-a-sign/) - The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” Then he left them, got
- [Wisdom and Contempt](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/11/wisdom-and-contempt/) - “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.
- [Brother John Collins, CFX](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/07/brother-john-collins-cfx/) - In Memoriam: Brother John M. Collins, C.F.X. (Brother Mark) 1936-2020 The mystery of one man is too great and too profound to beexplained by another man. The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen Mystery often describes religious life. The mystery of God’s call. The mystery of attraction. The mystery of responding to the call. The mystery of living
- [Remembering Our Core Story](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/10/remembering-our-core-story/) - Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. . . .When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up
- [Joy and Mission](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/07/joy-and-mission/) - In everything David did, he gave thanks and praise to the Holy Lord, the Most High. He loved his Creator and sang praises to him with all his heart. He put singers at the altar to provide beautiful music. He set the times of the festivals throughout the year and made them splendid occasions; the
- [What The Living Do](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/06/what-the-living-do/) - When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands,
- [Power and Manipulation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/02/05/power-and-manipulation/) - So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.” . . .David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I
- [Brother Gerard De Beuckelaere, CFX](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2020/01/08/brother-gerard-de-beuckelaere-cfx/) - Simplicity is often cited as a characteristic of the Charism of the Xaverian Brothers. Brother Gerard De Beuckelaere was a man of simplicity. It is said also that simplicity is at the heart of religious life. Moreover, simplicity is not innate. To the contrary, Thomas Merton notes that simplicity is to be cultivated and developed by the practice of a sincere and humble acceptance of one’s gifts and shortcomings. Quoting Saint Bernard, Merton reflects that “As religious if we want union with God, let us be obedient and... seek to do what benefits others and not what happens to suit our pleasure or convenience” (On Saint Bernard, 143).
- [Seeing the Word](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/27/seeing-the-word/) - What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life—for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father
- [Christmas 2019](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/25/christmas-2019/) - And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.John 1:14 Now that the time had comewhen it would be goodto ransom the brideserving under the hard yokeof that law which Moses had given her,the Father,
- [Power Or Service](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/26/power-or-service/) - Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.Matthew 10:21-22 On this Feast of St. Stephen we find ourselves somewhat jolted
- [Waiting in the Dark](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/23/waiting-in-the-dark/) - Thus says the Lord God: / Lo, I am sending my messenger / to prepare the way before me.Malachi 3:1 Yesterday I spent the afternoon and evening with my cousin and his wife. To be with them is always an extraordinarily enriching experience, and one filled with significant, and so enjoyable, conversation. They have traveled
- [Prayer and Breaking Through](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/19/prayer-and-breaking-through/) - Today’s readings, as we spiritually await the coming of God into our lives and world, may give us pause. The messenger of God, who announces to the barren wife of Manoa and to childless Zechariah the great gift of a longed-for child, comes to them as “fearsome” or “terrible.” In the case of Zechariah the immediate effect of this visitation is that he is struck mute, unable to speak. He is quite literally unable to communicate in speech the experience of God’s messenger he has undergone.
- [Getting Beyond Ourselves](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/18/getting-beyond-ourselves/) - Matthew’s infancy narrative uniquely features the figure of Joseph at its center. So little is revealed about him, and yet, as we approach the end of Advent and the coming of Christmas, he challenges us to awaken to the Divine presence, activity, and call in our own lives. No matter what our intentions each year, the final days before Christmas inevitably have about them a sense of the hectic and compressed. There never seems to be enough time to do all that must be done in preparation for the coming celebration. So caught do we become in the stress of time as chronological that we forget the very heart of the significance of the Incarnation, that life and so time is also kairos. Kairos, as described by the professor of humanities Mark Lilla, is “the moment in time that breaks through time, reorienting it. In the blink of an eye we experience our time as gift, as miracle.”
- [Living Formatively](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/17/living-formatively/) - Given his audience, Matthew begins his gospel by asserting the credentials of Jesus as the long awaited Messiah. This is not unlike the practice throughout antiquity of introducing a god through his or her lineage. The later gospel of John will begin with Jesus’ Divine lineage, but for Matthew it is vital to establish that Jesus is indeed the longed for and promised Messiah. For us, however, the lineage of Jesus is a reminder of the Divine and human interaction through which the Kingdom of God is revealed. It includes men and women of every stripe and experience. Their lives, like all of ours, are lives of sin and virtue, of success and failure, of acceptance and rejection, of kindness and cruelty. And yet, we see in retrospect that through it all the way of the Lord was being prepared.
- [Overcoming Disconnection](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/16/overcoming-disconnection/) - Reading today in Matthew of yet another lack of communication between the chief priests and the elders and Jesus is a reminder of how difficult true communication and connection is for us. The longer we live out our experience of life the more we savor the moments of true communication and communion and the more we suffer so often when we remain at a distance and disconnected from others, even those we most desire to know and be known by.
- [Knowing the Way](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/13/knowing-the-way/) - “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”Matthew 11:18-19 Most of us are increasingly
- [Our Lady of Guadalupe](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/12/our-lady-of-guadalupe/) - “With her dark skin and Indian features, the Lady offered an image of divine compassion for a demoralized people. Speaking to Juan Diego in his own language, she presented herself in terms of compassion and solidarity, not power and domination. Through him, she called the Church to heed the voice of the poor, to serve
- [Rest For Our Souls](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/11/rest-for-our-souls/) - At the parish where I attend Sunday liturgy, there is a custom of a member of the parish giving a brief personal reflection after communion during Advent. Last Sunday the woman who is often the leader of song at the Saturday evening mass spoke. She has a very good and strong voice, and there is a joy and vibrancy in her singing that is unmistakable. She began her reflection with a question she is often asked which is why do you seem so joyful as you sing. She mentioned that this is due in part to her basically joyful disposition but also to the fact that being in church with everyone and expressing her faith in song reminded her and brought her into the joy she felt in the presence of God in the community. Then, to the shock and surprise of those of us who did not really know her, she spoke of her third of four sons who, before he was able to graduate from college, began to experience the symptoms of a serious mental illness. So, as she said, instead of visiting him at college we began to visit him at the Shepherd Pratt Institute.
- [To Dwell In The House Of The Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/09/to-dwell-in-the-house-of-the-lord/) - One thing do I ask of the Lord, it is this that I seek— that I dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the Lord’s sweetness and to gaze on His palace. Psalm 127 This morning I received from one who had been a close friend in
- [On That Day](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/06/on-that-day/) - On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, / And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. / The lowly will ever find joy in the Lord, / And the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. / For the tyrant will be no more
- [He Gave Thanks](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/04/he-gave-thanks/) - The disciples said to him, “Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” “Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.” He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and
- [Saving Our Souls](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/03/saving-our-souls/) - Today is the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, the patron of my congregation. Our Founder, Theodore James Ryken told us that “The name of this insatiable laborer for souls will indicate with one word what is intended for the congregation.” Now I have to admit that there are very few ways I am able to identify with St. Francis Xavier. Perhaps if at the age of 17, when I was making the decision to join the congregation, I had known these words of Ryken I would have sought out an order or congregation more suited to my personality and temperament. Yet, I do believe that while unable to identify with Francis Xavier in his courage, selflessness, and zeal, I can somewhat identify with him in his intention.
- [Awareness and Judgment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/12/02/awareness-and-judgment/) - On this first weekday of Advent, we pray that when the Lord comes and knocks, we shall be found “watchful in prayer.” To be in prayer is to be awake and watchful in a way far more truly and distinctively human than the way we are present to life much of the time. In today’s gospel Jesus exclaims to his disciples that in no person in Israel has he found the faith that the centurion manifests. For what Jesus experiences among his own people is what he well may experience among his church today when he comes. He may find on all sides of the ideological divide a smugness and self-satisfaction that is not watchful in prayer but rather myopic in its self-justification and self-satisfaction.
- [A Space With Different Rules](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/29/a-space-with-different-rules/) - The court was convened, and the books were opened. I watched, then, from the first of the arrogant words which the horn spoke, until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the burning fire. As for the other beasts, their dominion was taken away, but they were granted a prolongation of
- [Thanks For Everything](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/28/thanks-for-everything/) - I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all of my heart, for you have heard the words my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple. I will give thanks to your name, Because of your kindness and your truth.Psalm
- [The Writing On The Wall](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/27/the-writing-on-the-wall/) - Suddenly, opposite the lampstand, the fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace. When the king saw the hand that wrote, his face became pale; his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook, and his knees knocked.Daniel 5:5-6 It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember,
- [Faith and Disappointment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/26/faith-and-disappointment/) - The last week of the Church year has, for much of my life, been my least favorite time, liturgically speaking. There is a relentlessness to the themes of catastrophe, destruction, violence, and death. There is the constant reminder, as we hear in the gospel today, that “the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down” (Luke 21:6). The reminders of the limits of humanity’s potency and effectiveness have always easily evoked my personal psychic sense of and fears of futility. One of the hardest but truest spiritual directives I ever received was from a therapist who, as I cared for my mother during the time of her falling every more deeply into her diminishment from Alzheimer’s, said to me: “Whatever you do, she is going to get worse.”
- [Giving All We Have To Live On](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/25/giving-all-we-have-to-live-on/) - It is easy to read the story of the poor widow’s offering as a moral lesson, and so to some degree it is. Yet, it is also much more than that. It is a description both of the very nature of God and of the nature and quality of our participation in God’s life and creation. In context it is surrounded by Jesus’ description of the miserly and constrained consciousness of the Pharisees on one side and his description of the destruction of the Temple and the signs of the end times on the other.
- [Songs of the Heart](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/22/songs-of-the-heart/) - There was great joy among the people now that the disgrace brought by the Gentiles was removed. Then Judas and his brothers and the entire assembly of Israel decreed that every year for eight days, from the twenty-fifth day of the month Kislev, the days of the dedication of the altar should be observed with
- [Encounter and Aggression](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/21/encounter-and-aggression/) - When I was a boy, one of the earliest lessons my mother attempted to teach me was that if you were good to others, they would be good to you. In light of the tension between congeniality and compatibility we have been reflecting on these past days, her formative directive to me was “get along to go along.” As an adult, and especially in my later years, I have come to recognize that my mother had a deep anxiety that somehow I would have difficulty in life “getting along” and being accepted. Now this interpretation may not be true at all, for she may have merely been communicating to me her own anxiety, that of the first generation immigrant whose earliest life formation really was about learning to blend in and become unrecognizable as different.
- [Envy and Scapegoating](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/20/envy-and-scapegoating/) - In his commentary on the above verse from Luke, Luke Timothy Johnson writes: “In Greek moral philosophy, misos (“hatred”) is often associated with envy, phthonos, and like it tends toward the harming of another.” To hear repeatedly in the gospels of the hatred of many of the religious leaders of Jesus gives rise to the question of “Why?” Conventionally we answer this question by pointing out that Jesus poses a threat to their status as leaders by revealing what is impure and self-serving in their motivation. However, there is perhaps an even more fundamental reason for their hatred of him, and that is envy.
- [Maintaining Congeniality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/19/maintaining-congeniality/) - Today we read the story of Eleazar, a ninety year old man who is being forced to deny his God by eating pork, which, of course, is prohibited. In our own age, that Eleazar would give his life rather than defy the demands of the Law of the Covenant can seem extreme. Yet, it is important to understand that obedience to the Law is the bond between God and the people. As called by God as one of God’s people, the choice not to follow the Law is both a betrayal of God and of oneself.
- [Repentance and Evangelization](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/18/repentance-and-evangelization/) - As living and sacred words, the scriptures live anew for us in every given moment and phase of our lives. To read the words from Maccabees this morning is to experience from our own perspective the problem of faithfulness and syncretism. What our immigrant grandparents so valued and longed to enter into, the “melting pot” of American culture, is for us who attempt to hold to a gospel faith an increasing experience of inner and outer conflict. In practice we sacrifice on a daily basis our lives to the cultural values of competition, consumption, and commerce, while relegating our relationship to God and the quality of our worship to moralism and self-justification. We have come to mistake our participation in culture wars, now within the church as well as without, for true worship and evangelization.
- [Not Returning To What Was Left Behind](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/15/not-returning-to-what-was-left-behind/) - So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, a person who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise a person in the field must not return to what was left behind. Remember the wife of
- [The Kingdom of God Is Among Us](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/14/the-kingdom-of-god-is-among-us/) - In Wisdom is a spirit / intelligent, holy, unique, / Manifold, subtle, agile, / clear, unstained, certain, / Never harmful, loving the good, keen, / unhampered, beneficent, kindly, / Firm, secure, tranquil, / all-powerful, all-seeing, / And pervading all spirits, / though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.Wisdom 7: 22-3 Asked by the Pharisees
- [Gratitude and Faith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/13/gratitude-and-faith-3/) - In his response to the Samaritan who is the one of ten to return to thank Jesus for healing him, Jesus commends him for his faith. He also, somewhat strangely, says to him that his faith has made him well. What, then, of the other 9 who were also healed?
- [Being Unprofitable Servants](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/12/being-unprofitable-servants/) - So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’Luke 17:10 There is a strange paradox in the gospel. On the one hand, we hear of how God cares for us as for the birds of the
- [The Spirit of Wisdom](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/11/the-spirit-of-wisdom/) - For wisdom is a kindly spirit, / yet she does not acquit blasphemous lips; Because God is the witness of the inmost self / and the sure observer of the heart / and the listener to the tongue.Wisdom 1:6 He said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person
- [What Shall I Do](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/08/what-shall-i-do/) - The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into
- [Affluence and Loneliness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/05/affluence-and-loneliness/) - In today’s familiar parable of “The Great Feast,” Jesus tells of a master who invites many of his friends and acquaintances to a great feast, but they are all too busy, for one reason or another, to accept his invitation. So, in a rage, he tells his servant to go out and to invite those on the street, the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.” What so enrages the master is that those he wanted to come to the feast he was offering were all too busy for him. It is the disregarded, the outcasts, the poor and the suffering who are available to come, who are not too busy to accept his invitation.
- [Curiosity and Awakening](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/07/curiosity-and-awakening/) - For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.Romans 14:7-9 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses
- [Costing Our Very Selves](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/06/costing-our-very-selves/) - Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have
- [Interview with Brother John Olsen, C.F.X.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2012/12/12/interview-with-brother-john-olsen-c-f-x/) - Brother John Olsen visited the Generalate in Baltimore in November to discuss his life as a Xaverian Brother. We've chosen here to share a few clips on the theme of Vocation. Brother John has been a Xaverian Brother for over 60 years. He is currently the Associate Director at the Assisi Bridge House and Independent
- [Discipline and Hospitality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/11/04/discipline-and-hospitality/) - For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!Romans 11:32-33 Then he said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not
- [Love and Courage](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/31/love-and-courage/) - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
- [The Narrow Door](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/30/the-narrow-door/) - In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according
- [Suffering and Resilience](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/29/suffering-and-resilience/) - We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.Romans 8:22-3 “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like
- [Hearing the Voices of the Poor](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/28/hearing-the-voices-of-the-poor/) - So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in
- [Transcendence and Integration](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/25/transcendence-and-integration/) - For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil
- [Shame and Longing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/24/shame-and-longing/) - But what profit did you get then from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to sanctification, and its end is eternal life. For the
- [Obedient From The Heart](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/23/obedient-from-the-heart/) - But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted.Romans 6:17 Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.Luke 12:48 Pope
- [Unbridling Our Attention](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/22/unbridling-our-desire/) - Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.Luke 12:35-7 Today, Luke has Jesus tell us that to live in discipleship means to be always
- [Faith Or Works](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/17/faith-or-works/) - Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too?
- [Brother Arcadius Alkonis, CFX](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/09/30/in-memoriam-brother-arcadius-alkonis/) - Brother Arcadius Alkonis died last night, just before midnight. In addition to his ministry in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Bardstown KY, and Danvers, Arcadius spent almost twenty-five years as a missionary in Kenya. Brother Arcadius, in his very full life, embodied the spirit of the above exhortation.
- [Brother Philip G. White, CFX](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/15/brother-philip-white-brother-claver/) - At the age of ninety-four, Brother Philip White was the "Dean" of our Congregation. The oldest Xaverian Brother alive. The word "alive" best describes Brother Philip’s stance toward life, toward the students he taught and their families and toward his Brothers in community. Phil was born in Boston on March 21, 1925 to Mary and Harry White. He was one of six children. This three sisters and two brothers have pre-deceased him. Phil grew up in Quincy. He met the Xaverian Brothers as a student at Mission High School in Roxbury.
- [Spiritual Leadership](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/16/spiritual-leadership/) - In the United States we are currently (although now it seems most of the time) in a political season. As we attend to those seeking the presidency, we find ourselves once again attempting to appraise who among those seeking office is truly capable of leadership as service to the nation. As we read Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees according to Luke, we can hear a stern warning about the kind of ambition in all of us that would make us poor leaders, and so, by contrast, what makes for a true leader in gospel terms.
- [Love Decides Everything](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/15/love-decides-everything/) - They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.Romans 1:25 Today is the feast of the great St. Teresa of Avila. In his brief summary of her life, Robert Ellsberg says: “By any standard she was one of the towering figures of
- [A Love Common To All](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/14/a-love-common-to-all/) - Globally speaking we live in an anxious time. While we had once expected that technology would make of us a “global village” and then later on with the fall of the Soviet Union that we had arrived at “the end of history,” we discover our world politics seem governed more than ever by nationalism and xenophobia. Despite the fact that we are growing in information about the world, we seem to be feeling more and more that we are strangers to each other.
- [Human Responsibility and New Creation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/11/human-responsibility-and-new-creation/) - Alas, the day! / for near is the day of the Lord, / and it comes as ruin from the Almighty.Blow the trumpet in Zion, / sound the alarm on my holy mountain! / Let all who dwell in the land tremble, / for the day of the Lord is coming; / Yes, it is
- [Persistence and Prayer](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/10/persistence-and-prayer/) - As often as I have been affected and inspired by the words of today’s gospel, I think I have never before realized the degree of courage that is required if we are to live in the “persistence” Jesus describes. One of the greatest dangers of what we can call religious belief is its tendency to shade into, if not outrightly become, magical thinking. As the Buddha taught, all life is suffering. As Freud reminded us, we must learn to bear with the harshness of reality. And, of course, these are unpleasant truths. And so, we can resort to a way of living that corresponds to the dramatic device of the “deus ex machina.” When all else fails, simply declare that God is manifest, that the “Spirit” has moved us.
- [Encountering the 'Nones'](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/09/encountering-the-nones/) - “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come.”Luke 11: 2 In The Way of Perfection, St. Teresa of Avila, as she reflects on the teaching of prayer in the Our Father, tells her sisters quite simply that “wherever God is, there is heaven.” From this she goes on to speak about the
- [A  New Way of Seeing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/08/a-new-way-of-seeing/) - The Lord said to Martha in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”Luke 10:41-2 Realizing my agitated state of mind, a good friend sent me last evening a reflective quotation
- [In the Belly of the Whale](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/07/in-the-belly-of-the-whale/) - Then they took Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea’s raging abated. Struck with great fear of the Lord, the men offered sacrifice and made vows to him. But the Lord sent a large fish, that swallowed Jonah; and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
- [St. Thérèse of Lisieux](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/10/01/st-therese-of-lisieux/) - Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to implore the favor of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men of every nationality, speaking different tongues, shall take hold, yes, take hold of every Jew by the edge of his garment
- [Faithfulness and Justice](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/09/30/faithfulness-and-justice/) - They shall be my people, and I will be their God, with faithfulness and justice.Zechariah 8:8 “For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”Luke 9: 48 We are reminded with the words of Zechariah that the God of Israel and our God is a God of
- [Considering What We Are Doing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/09/26/considering-what-we-are-doing/) - Now thus says the Lord of hosts: / Consider your ways! You have sown much, but have brought in little; / you have eaten, but have not been satisfied; / You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated; / have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed; / And whoever earned wages / earned them for
- [Take Nothing For The Journey](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/09/25/take-nothing-for-the-journey/) - “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against
- [Letting Our Light Be Seen](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/09/23/letting-our-light-be-seen/) - “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.”Luke
- [Be Thankful](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/09/12/be-thankful/) - And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Col. 3:16 Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you
- [Secrets and Lies](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/09/11/secrets-and-lies/) - Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all in all.Col. 3:
- [On Level Ground](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/09/10/on-level-ground/) - Jesus departed to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. . . . And he came down with the disciples and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd . . . came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who
- [Transformation and Our Unconscious](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/09/09/transformation-and-our-unconscious/) - But now the mystery has been manifested to his holy ones, to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory. It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may
- [Rebuking the Demons](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/09/04/rebuking-the-demons/) - And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.” But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ.Luke 4:41 I must admit that I don’t all that often in my daily thoughts advert much to demons. Yet, I am slowly learning that
- [Our Incomparability](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/09/02/our-incomparability/) - “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah
- [Cleanse First the Inside](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/27/cleanse-first-the-inside/) - “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”Matthew 23: 25-6 A wise teacher used to remind us that “the unconscious knows
- [Receiving the Word Of God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/28/receiving-the-word-of-god/) - And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly, that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is now at work in you who believe.1 Thessalonians 2: 12-13 Today is the Feast
- [I Do Not Know You](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/30/i-do-not-know-you/) - “Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen I say to you. I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour!”Matthew 25: 11-13 For me, some of the most frightening words of the scriptures are spoken
- [Holiness and the Self](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/29/holiness-and-the-self/) - And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.1 Thessalonians 3: 12-13 Herod
- [Our New General Superior and Council](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/29/our-new-general-superior-and-council/) - The 28th General Chapter of the Xaverian Brothers was held in Rome from Sunday, July 21, 2019 through Friday, August 2, 2019. The 30 delegates, representing the congregational regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Kenya, and the United States, selected new leadership for the Congregation. Brother Daniel Skala, CFX GENERAL SUPERIOR Brother
- [Fear and Responsibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/26/fear-and-responsibility/) - “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before people. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.”Matthew 23: 13-14 From our perspective, the seeming malevolence of the scribes and Pharisees, at least as presented in the gospels, is more than slightly
- [Brother Henry Francis Marino, CFX (Brother Rigo)](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/26/brother-henry-francis-marino-cfx-brother-rigo/) - Brother Henry Francis would have celebrated his 85th birthday on September 30, 2019. He enjoyed a full life. He impacted many people. Henry was born and raised in Brooklyn. The son of Henry and Lucia Marino, immigrants from Sicily, Henry was the youngest of four children. He had three sisters. The Marino’s formed Henry in the love of family, Church, the value of education, and naturally his love of the Italian language, cuisine and culture. Henry graduated from New Utrecht Public High School in 1952. After being admitted to Saint John’s University, Henry completed his undergraduate degree in English Literature in 1956.
- [Your God Will Be My God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/23/your-god-will-be-my-god/) - Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth stayed with her.Naomi said, “See now! Your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her god. Go back after your sister-in-law!” But Ruth said, “Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you! For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your
- [Fearfully and Wonderfully Made](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/22/fearfully-and-wonderfully-made/) - Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. “If you deliver the Ammonites into my power,” he said, “whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites shall belong to the Lord. I shall offer him up as a burnt offering.”Judges 11: 30-31 Some ignored the invitation
- [Beginner's Mind](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/21/beginners-mind/) - Then all the trees said to the buckthorn, “Come you reign over us!” But the buckhorn replied to the trees, “If you wish to anoint me king over you in good faith, come and take refuge in my shadow. Otherwise, let fire come from the buckthorn and devour the cedars of Lebanon.”Judges 9: 14-15 “What
- [Overcoming Despair](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/20/overcoming-despair/) - The Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have and save Israel from the power of Midian. It is I who send you.” But Gideon answered him, “Please, my lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the lowliest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father’s
- [To Sell All](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/19/to-sell-all/) - The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
- [Living in the Desert](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/15/living-in-the-desert/) - She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God.Rev. 12: 5-6 For just as in Adam all die, so too
- [The Courage To Sit Still](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/16/the-courage-to-sit-still/) - “I gave you a land that you had not tilled and cities that you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.”Joshua 24: 13 Joshua gathers the people and, in God’s name, he re-tells them the story of their birth and ongoing life as
- [Where Two Or Three Are Gathered](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/14/where-two-or-three-are-gathered/) - Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth hall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my
- [Work And Aging](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/13/work-and-aging/) - When Moses had finished speaking to all Israel, he said to them, “I am now one hundred and twenty years old and am no longer able to move about freely; besides, the Lord has told me that I shall not cross the Jordan. It is the Lord, your God, who will cross before you; he
- [Aliens Ourselves](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/12/aliens-ourselves/) - For the Lord, your God, is the God of gods, the Lord of Lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes; who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him. So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once
- [Vanity and Discouragement](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/05/vanity-and-discouragement/) - For what profit comes to us from the toil and anxiety of heart with which we have labored under the sun? All our days sorrow and grief are our occupation; even at night our minds are not at rest. This also is vanity.Ecclesiastes 2: 22-23 There is perhaps no more “counter-cultural” text in the scriptures
- [Faith and Encounter](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/07/faith-and-encounter-2/) - Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.Matthew 15: 28 In today’s gospel of the encounter of Jesus with the Canaanite woman, we have described the “Culture of Encounter” that Christians, according to
- [Creation or Chaos](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/09/creation-or-chaos/) - This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the Lord is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that
- [Freedom and Responsibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/08/freedom-and-responsibility/) - The people contended with Moses, exclaiming, “Would that we too had perished with our kinsmen in the Lord’s presence! Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into the desert where we and our livestock are dying? Why did you lead us out of Egypt, only to bring us to this wretched place which has neither
- [Prayer and Transfiguration](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/08/06/prayer-and-transfiguration/) - Jesus , taking Peter and John and James, went up onto the mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzlingly white.Luke 9: 28-29 Yesterday I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts entitled Open Source. It was a discussion of the Democratic presidential
- [Livestream of General Chapter 28](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/07/22/livestream-of-general-chapter-28/) - We will be broadcasting several sessions of the 28th General Chapter from Rome. We will post the livestream links here, which also act as an archive, so that sessions can be watched at your convenience.
- [Congregational Letter | Vol. 6, No. 9](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/07/18/congregational-letter-vol-6-no-9/) - ‘See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.' (Isaiah 43:19) Dear Brothers, Associates and Colleagues, As I come to the end of my term as General Superior, I want to share some thoughts and feelings about
- [The Lord's Work](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/07/09/the-lords-work/) - At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”Matthew 9:
- [God Was In This Place](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/07/08/god-was-in-this-place/) - Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have
- [Needing A Doctor](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/07/05/needing-a-doctor/) - When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call
- [One Step At A Time](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/07/03/one-step-at-a-time/) - Jesus said to Thomas, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”John 20: 29 At the age of 77, and long before the advent of the computer, Thomas Jefferson set out to cut and paste his way to a new version of the
- [To Promote the General Welfare](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/07/04/to-promote-the-general-welfare/) - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with
- [The Sea of Love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/07/02/the-sea-of-love/) - As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of
- [Call and Compromise](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/07/01/call-and-compromise/) - A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
- [A Broken Heart](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/28/a-broken-heart/) - The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy, shepherding them rightly.Ezekiel 34: 16 The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been
- [Putting Into Practice](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/27/putting-into-practice/) - “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like wise persons who built their houses on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But all
- [New Life and Responsibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/26/new-life-and-responsibility/) - The Lord took Abram outside and said: “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.” Genesis 15:5 Early this morning a young couple who are very dear friends gave birth to their first child. I awoke, from a fairly restless and anxious night, to
- [The Lord Called Me From Birth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/24/the-lord-called-me-from-birth/) - The Lord called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. . . . You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory.Isaiah 49: 1,3 All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand
- [Possessions or Conversation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/25/possessions-or-conversation/) - Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support them if they stayed together; their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. There were quarrels between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and those
- [Choosing Our Treasure](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/21/choosing-our-treasure/) - “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”Matthew 6:21 Sometime in early adulthood I became aware for the first time of how difficult to answer I found the question “What do you want?” In today’s passage from Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us how important this question
- [Love and Prayer](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/20/love-and-prayer/) - “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”Matthew 6: 7-8 This morning began for me with a brief text exchange with a friend who was at the airport
- [Playing Many Parts](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/19/playing-many-parts/) - “When you give alms, therefore, do not trumpet it aloud before you, as those who are playacting do in the synagogues and in the streets so they may be lauded by others; amen, I tell you, they have their recompense in full. But when you are giving alms do not allow your left hand to
- [Loving Our Enemies](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/18/loving-our-enemies-2/) - “I say this not by way of command, but to test the genuineness of your love by your concern for others.”2 Corinthians 8: 8 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly father, for he makes his sun rise on
- [Law and Spirit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/12/law-and-spirit/) - Rather our qualification comes from God, who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, was so glorious that the children of Israel could not look
- [Pentecost 2019](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/05/pentecost-2019/) - With Pentecost a few days off, I want to wish each of you ‘Holy Pentecost!’ A joyful feast, Pentecost recalls the birth of our Christian community and recalls the great ‘fear that paralyzed Jesus’ followers.’ An awe-filled moment in the life of the disciples, Pentecost was a breakthrough event. It broke the chains of fear that fettered the hearts of Jesus’ followers.
- [Congregational Letter | Vol. 6, No. 7](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/23/congregational-letter-vol-6-no-7/) - The Gospel reading from St. John for the Fifth Sunday of Easter holds special meaning for me. Emotional events, both terribly sad and understandably joyful, have filled the past three weeks. The Gospel is an excerpt from Jesus’ very intimate sharing with his disciples hours before the sacrifice of His death. As I listened Saturday evening to the following words, a number of vivid images and feelings filled my mind and heart and have stayed with me.
- [The Light of Goodness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/11/the-light-of-goodness/) - When Barnabas arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.Acts 11: 23-24 Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds
- [To Each Individual](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/10/to-each-individual/) - There are different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.1 Corinthians 12: 4-7 Yesterday I was privileged
- ["Do You Love Me More Than These"](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/07/do-you-love-me-more-than-these-2/) - “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” “Feed my lambs.”John 21: 15 For most of my life, I have read this passage from John 21 in a certain way. I have taken the first of Jesus’ three questions to
- [Fearless Rest](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/06/fearless-rest/) - “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given
- [Love and Loss](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/06/05/love-and-loss/) - When Paul had finished speaking he knelt down and prayed with them all. They were all weeping loudly as they threw their arms around him and kissed him, for they were deeply distressed that he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.Acts 20: 36-38 “Holy
- [Contemplation and Action](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/31/contemplation-and-action/) - The Lord, your God, is in your midst, / a mighty savior; / He will rejoice over you with gladness, / and renew you in his love, / He will sing joyfully because of you, / as one sings at festivals.Zephaniah 3: 17-18 Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to
- [Love and Grief](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/30/love-and-grief/) - Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing with one another what I said, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again little while and you will see me’? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;
- [The Spirit of Truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/27/the-spirit-of-truth/) - “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.”John 15: 26-27 Adrian van Kaam would say that “we are tradition through and through.” By this
- [A Shared Inheritance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/29/a-shared-inheritance/) - But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to
- [Becoming Responsible](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/28/becoming-responsible/) - And when the Spirit comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation; sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.John 15: 8-11 Those of
- [Prosaic Contemplation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/23/prosaic-contemplation/) - The past few nights I have been reading the concluding chapters of Roger Lipsey’s biography of Dag Hammarskjold. These chapters deal with the very complicated role of the United Nations, and so of Hammarskjold himself, in the struggle for independence of the Congo. In the course of that most difficult time in Hammarskjold’s life and work, a work that would ultimately cost him his life, he gave a brief statement on the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Human Rights.
- [Being Pruned by the Word](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/22/being-pruned-by-the-word-2/) - “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain
- [Leadership and Accountability](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/21/leadership-and-accountability/) - In the current issue of The Atlantic, the cover story is by James Carroll who boldly asserts that the only future for the Roman Catholic Church is the abolishing of the priesthood. In this he echoes an argument made several years ago by the historian Garry Wills in his book Why Priests. While he would, probably not come to the same conclusions, Pope Francis himself has stated that clericalism is the foundational cause of what we call today the sexual abuse crisis in the Church.
- [Brother Edwin, CFX](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/08/27/brother-edwin-cfx/) - Brother Edwin (Patrick Joseph Boissonneau), our oldest Xaverian Brother, marked seventy-eight years in the Congregation on August 15, 2018. Brother Edwin was born in Black Lake in the Province of Quebec, Canada to Odilon and Orea Boissonneau. Edwin had two sisters, Irene and Fernande, and two brothers, Roland and Roger. Despite his Canadian birthplace, the Boissonneau family lived in Malden, Massachusetts.
- [Enjoy Your Life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/20/enjoy-your-life/) - The above words of Paul are evoked by the attempt of the people of Lystra, after a man crippled from birth has been healed by the words of Paul and Barnabas, to worship them as gods. "They called Barnabas ‘Zeus’ and Paul ‘Hermes’." Immediately Paul attempts to return them to what is, “rains from heaven and fruitful seasons.” The “living God,” says Paul, is the one “who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.” In today’s gospel, Jesus teaches likewise: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14: 23). God is not “out there” someplace but rather God, as the Father of Jesus, is one who comes to us and dwells with us. Idols are what we create out of the tendency of our cognitive faculties to leap out of the actual, material world and attempt to reach some kind of “super-human” reality. When Paul wants to call back the people of Lystra from the idols they are making of him and Barnabas, he does so by telling them to turn to the living God who made the world and who manifest in its rain and fruitfulness, its nourishment and gladness.
- [Faith and Honesty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/17/faith-and-honesty/) - “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God, have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?”John 14: 1-2 I can’t recall when or where it was,
- [Faith and Responsibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/16/faith-and-responsibility/) - After these things he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king. God gave them Saul, son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. Then he removed him and raised up David as their king. . . .Acts: 13: 20-22 Today’s story from Acts tells
- [Your Will Be Done](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/15/your-will-be-done/) - The words of Jesus today echo words that, perhaps, most of us heard sometime in our childhood from our parents, teachers, or other caregivers: “Didn’t you hear what I said to you?” This would be said to us after we had failed to do what we were told. In effect they were telling us that they were not judging us but rather the words they had spoken that we did not heed and carry out.
- [Feeling and Truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/13/feeling-and-truth/) - Several years ago now I had developed a blood platelet disorder that required hospitalization and treatment for several days. I then had a period of recuperation at home that included taking daily doses of prednisone for some weeks and then slowly diminishing the dosage for several more. One of the side effects of the medication for me was a sense of increased energy and mental focus. Waking up so early each morning allowed extra time each day for reading and meditation, which over the course of those weeks increased in me a feeling of attunement and wakefulness.
- [Goodness and Holiness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/10/goodness-and-holiness/) - In his book on Teresa of Avila, Rowan Williams describes Teresa’s view of “good” people who occupy the third mansions of her interior castle. He notes that for Teresa, “To be ‘good’ without humility is to be condemned to a really wretched life, ‘weighed down with this mud of our human misery.’” Saul is a zealot of the first order. He believes that these disciples of Jesus are a threat to the primacy of the Law, to the necessary order of an orthodox Jewish life. They are a disturbance to the order and the peace of an obedient and well-ordered life. And so, they must be crushed and eliminated.
- [Teach Me Your Ways](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/09/teach-me-your-ways/) - The story of the encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian court official has long been a favorite of mine. It illustrates the truth of God’s direction of our life in every aspect of the “common, ordinary, and unspectacular flow of everyday life.” As we see often in Acts, the Spirit speaks to the disciples. It can seem as if in these earliest days of the church, the Spirit would audibly speak to the disciples. Yet, it well may be that the disciples of Jesus, following his resurrection and ascension, received direction from God in the same way that we do.
- [Charity and Justice](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/08/charity-and-justice/) - Today in the reading from Acts we hear of the persecution of the church following the martyrdom of Stephen, and of Saul’s key role in that persecution. Saul is working to purify Judaism from this recently introduced foreign element. Perhaps there is little that we human beings need to fear more than our tendency to create a “pure” society or culture. In the 20th century we know all too well the effect of the Nazis compulsion to form a perfect Aryan culture. Yet, in truth, we must acknowledge that this temptation is always present among us. During the last pontificate, we often heard talk, about a “purified church.” This always requires the exclusion or elimination of those who do not meet the standards that we have set, and our innate tendencies to tribalism and xenophobia are always seeking the security and gratification of being only with and for “our own kind.”
- [Dr. Perry Sangalli](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/06/dr-perry-sangalli/) - Some of you many already be aware of the sad news we received on Sunday, May 5: Dr. Perry Sangalli, President of Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky, passed away peacefully. Perry was recently diagnosed with advanced stages of colon cancer. His passing comes as a shock to all.
- [Harmony and Enjoyment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/03/harmony-and-enjoyment/) - “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own The Father who dwells in me is doing his
- [Bearing Witness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/02/bearing-witness/) - Yesterday the White House asked the Congress to appropriate 4.5 billion dollars for the “crisis” at the southern border of the United States. Admittedly there is a developing humanitarian crisis there. Yet, the crisis is the result of a politically driven administration policy, the goal of which was exactly to precipitate a crisis. So, the powerful created a reality that now becomes the “work” of the rest of us.
- [Jealousy and Truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/05/01/jealousy-and-truth/) - The high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the part of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy, laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.Acts 5: 17 But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.John
- [Easter Letter](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/28/easter-letter/) - The Easter Season is a time of joy and a time of hope. The signs of new life fill the senses. The post-resurrection stories of the disciples’ encounters with the Risen Lord intrigue me. They cause me to wonder, if I had been with the disciples, would I have recognized Jesus, the Risen Lord? The gospel story for Divine Mercy Sunday offers us a lot to ponder. We witness two apparitions of Jesus as Risen Lord.
- [Holding All In Common](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/30/holding-all-in-common/) - The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among
- [Speaking Boldly](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/29/speaking-boldly/) - “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness, as you stretch forth your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”Acts 4: 29-30 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the
- [None Dared Ask Him](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/26/none-dared-ask-him/) - Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his
- [Deepening Discipleship](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/23/deepening-discipleship/) - Mary, thinking that he is the gardener, says to him, “My lord, if you have carried him off, tell me where you put him, and I will take him away.” Jesus says to her, “Mary.” Turning, she says to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus says to her, “Do not cling to me,
- [Fear and New Life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/22/fear-and-new-life/) - “God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear.”Acts 2:32-33 And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet,
- [Where Is God Now?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/19/where-is-god-now/) - The Judaeans answered Pilate, “We have a Law, and according to the Law he ought to die because he has made himself out to be God’s Son.” When, therefore, Pilate heard this statement he was more afraid, and again went into the Praetorium and says to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus did not
- [Do As I Have Done](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/18/do-as-i-have-done/) - So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
- [Holy Week](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/15/holy-week/) - As Holy Week begins, I pray that as a Community we grow in our intimacy with God as we accompany His Son, Jesus, through his passion, death and resurrection. May our reflections, prayers and conversations with Jesus this week renew our commitment ‘to live a life of love as disciples of Jesus’ as Brothers, Associates, Colleagues, and Friends in the Xaverian Congregation. As we prepare for Easter, I want to share a few reflections.
- [Friendship and Betrayal](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/17/friendship-and-betrayal/) - The Lord God is my help, / therefore I am not disgraced; / I have set my face like flint, / knowing that I shall not be put to shame. / He is near who upholds my right; / if anyone wishes to oppose me, / let us appear together. / Who disputes my right?
- [Being Planted in Reality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/01/6704-2/) - Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord. / He is like a tree planted beside the waters / that stretches out its roots to the stream: / It fears not the heat when it comes, / its leaves stay green; / In the year of drought it shows
- [Becoming Common and Ordinary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/16/becoming-common-and-ordinary/) - It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, / to raise up the tribes of Jacob, / and restore the survivors of Israel; / I will make you a light to the nations, / that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. Isaiah 49: 6 When he had
- [For the Day of My Burial](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/15/for-the-day-of-my-burial/) - Psychoanalysis teaches that we construct our personalities, what we might call our “character armor,” as a defense against our experience of loss. There is, perhaps, no greater human suffering than that of loss, than of facing the truth of the fact that everyone and everything that we love, including ourselves, will die. So, much of what we take to be our lives, to be our very selves, is constituted by our means of evading and forgetting the reality of loss and death.
- [Sadness and Joy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/09/sadness-and-joy/) - As, in a liturgical and scriptural sense, we move inexorably toward the mystery of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we are drawn into the profound paradox of human experience that it is only in ceasing to flee from suffering and sadness that we come to recognize and realize the joy that is beyond telling. We know from psychoanalysis that it is the nature of our unconscious to crave and seek pleasure and to avoid pain. Yet, as pleasure and joy are not at all the same thing, to live unconsciously, as the Pharisees do, is to never know the joy of a life that is a life in communion with One who loves us.
- [In Our Living and Our Dying](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/11/in-our-living-and-our-dying/) - “If I give myself glory, my glory is nothing. It is my Father—of whom you say, ‘He is our God’—who gives me glory; and you have not known him, but I know him. And if I say I do not know him, I shall be a liar like you; rather, I know him and keep
- [As Members of the Church](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/10/as-members-of-the-church/) - Yesterday I experienced one of those exceptional and, in a good way, disturbing moments in life. A very good friend said to me: “As a religious community in the Church, you guys don’t have the right to just say who you are on your own. You have a responsibility to us, and you need to dialogue with us who we need you to be.”
- [Suffering and Truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/04/08/suffering-and-truth/) - One thing we can say, without hesitation, about the Jesus of the gospels is that he is, above all, a witness to the truth. His testimony is true and valid because he knows where he comes from and where he is going. There is but one judge of the truth and validity of the path he is walking, and that judge is God, Jesus’ Father.
- [Is Forgiveness Possible?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/26/is-forgiveness-possible/) - This lent is becoming a most challenging one for me. I have known, at one level, for a very long time that at the very heart of the Christian faith and form tradition is the call to forgiveness. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” As I’ve often noted, the great scholar of religion Houston Smith has pointed out that the 3 great monotheistic religious traditions highlight a unique aspect of the call to follow the One God “unreservedly,” as we hear in the reading from Daniel today. The Jewish tradition focuses obedience; the Islamic tradition highlights prayer; and the Christian tradition emphasizes forgiveness. When Peter asks Jesus how often we are to forgive, Jesus replies with the eternal number. We are never to cease living in and from forgiveness.
- [Grace and Responsibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/25/grace-and-responsibility/) - Some days ago, a friend shared with me a lecture that Jacques Barzun had given in 1969 entitled “Present Day Thoughts on the Quality of Life.” It had just recently been rediscovered and was published this month in “The American Scholar." In it he speaks of, for all their questionable tendencies, the valid critique of western culture that inhered in the revolutionary movements of the late 60’s and early 70’s. Given the secular and rational-functional reductionism of our culture, we have come to identify usefulness with human value. And if this was true in 1969, it is even more true today.
- [Rooted in God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/21/rooted-in-god-2/) - As one who came of age in the Church immediately following the Second Vatican Council with its proper restoration of the meaning of the Incarnation for our humanity, I have always found the foundational spiritual teaching of today’s reading from Jeremiah a difficult one to comprehend fully and truly appreciate. “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings. . . .” Yet, if I hear the entire sentence which qualifies the “curse” as applying to one who trusts human beings solely, then I can begin to recognize its truth in my own experience.
- [Envious Comparison](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/15/envious-comparison/) - A couple of days before my father died, I was helping him eat his lunch. I cut the meat that was on his tray, and, in a contorted attempt to communicate my respect and appreciation for him, I said to him that I could not do this the way he could. His response was one that truly put me in my place: “I’m no better than anyone else.”
- [The Helper Is The Help](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/14/the-helper-is-the-help/) - Adrian van Kaam says that every human person we encounter is an appeal to us. He describes that appeal as, “Please be with me and for me.” Van Kaam is saying that whatever we “think” we are asking for, we are always, at a deeper level, making this appeal for the presence of the other with us.
- [Becoming Who We Are](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/13/becoming-who-we-are/) - Jonah has been called “the reluctant prophet.” He also had to be one of the most amazed. He was only one day through his call to repentance to the people of Nineveh, when all, from the king on down, recognize and turn from their evil and violent ways and fast and pray in repentance. Jonah, as we know, is deeply upset with the Lord’s readiness to forgive, we can only assume because the prophet himself had clearly not repented of and forsaken his own violence.
- [Participating in the Eternal Silence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/12/participating-in-the-eternal-silence/) - One of the most meaningful and beautiful of scriptural images for me is the one we read in Isaiah today. As the rain and snow come down from heaven and give life to the earth, so shall God’s word. The word of God creates what it speaks. God speaks his word so that his will may be done on earth as in heaven. By God’s choice that word is designed to reach its fruition on earth, thus achieving the end for which God sends it, in and through us.
- [The Fasting That God Wishes](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/08/the-fasting-that-god-wishes/) - Why does God, in the mouth of Isaiah, declare that living for others is an act of fasting? And why is it that the Church pairs the reading from Matthew’s gospel in which Jesus is asked why his disciples do not fast with this Isaiah reading?
- [Generous Awareness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/11/generous-awareness/) - It is clear in the familiar passage from Matthew 25 that the difference between the blessed and the chastened is a matter of awareness. The awareness that distinguishes them is not an awareness of the Lord’s presence, for neither group was aware of on the one hand serving the Lord and on the other failing to serve the Lord. Rather the differing awareness was that of recognizing and responding to the need of other human persons. To read today’s passage in the context of the entirety of Matthew 25 is to recognize that the whole chapter is a reflection on the need to remain aware and awake.
- [Women's Soccer Dawns in a Mountain Village in Haiti](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/01/womens-soccer-dawns-in-a-mountain-village-in-haiti/) - What may appear to be quite insignificant may very well be a momentous moment in History in a remote mountain village in Haiti at 4 PM on Sunday, February 24. 2019. For the first time ever two women’s soccer teams took over the community soccer field before an overflow crowd from scores of villages near and far where the students of the two schools live. The intensity and skill of the 90 minute match gripped the crowd and solidly established women’s soccer as a new phenomena in a country where few if any women have ever donned sports’ uniforms and played the national pastime of the country.
- [Life without Patience is like a Tree without Roots](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/04/life-without-patience-is-like-a-tree-without-roots/) - By Brother Kenneth Wangila MulongoOn the final day of the retreat, the theme was Patience, which is critical to any vocation, for whoever has it lacks nothing; God alone is enough. The life that has no patience is like the tree with no roots.
- [Be Attentive](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/07/be-attentive/) - What does a more intentional heeding of God’s voice require of us? As T. S. Eliot writes in Ash Wednesday, we must first ask that God “teach us to sit still.” There have been times in life when being and sitting still have seemed much easier to me. If, as we read yesterday from 2 Corinthians, that “now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6: 2), then my current restlessness, my difficulties in being and sitting still are the truth to be confronted this lent. It is one thing to heed God’s voice when our life feels settled and whole; it is quite another to try to listen to the voice of God when our mind is troubled and anxious.
- [Return To Me](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/06/return-to-me/) - On this Ash Wednesday, we are at first summoned by the words of Joel to “return to me with your whole heart.” When I was a boy, my mother would on every Ash Wednesday repeat the words of one of her colleagues at work. “Oh, this is the day that all the Catholics come to work with dirty faces.” Unless the word “return” strikes us to the core of our being, all today is is the one on which we walk around with dirty faces.
- [Giving and Joy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/05/giving-and-joy/) - For us it is very possible to read the words of Sirach today and to think that they are enjoining us to make sure to smile when we are making a contribution and to willfully make ourselves learn to enjoy giving away our possessions. It seems like a recognition of the experience that by nature we give begrudgingly, and so we must develop the habit of being joyful as we do so. Jesus, on the other hand, seems to say that when we are really giving away all we have and are, we experience the true joy of receiving so much more in return. We don’t need to convince ourselves to enjoy being generous. The more generous we are, the greater the joy we experience in return.
- [Friendship and Fear of the Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/01/friendship-and-fear-of-the-lord/) - In today’s reading from Sirach we hear both inducements toward and warnings about relationships. We are told that we all have many acquaintances in life, but very few confidants. We are also told to test our friendships. At first glance, this may seem a bit harsh and even somewhat cynical to us. Yet, the truth is that in every relationship that has the possibility of deepening, we are always consciously or unconsciously testing the other. Sirach tells us not to be too ready to trust another because what is deepest in us is so vulnerable. Thus, we tend, in a good relationship, to reveal ourselves to each other gradually, testing the waters, as it were, as we wade more deeply into intimacy.
- [Christmas 2018 - Congregational Letter, Vol. VI, No. 3](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/20/christmas-2018-congregational-letter-vol-vi-no-3/) - The Christmas spirit is something I look forward to every year. Perhaps it is the child still in me! Something magical seems to fill the air. People seem kinder and more aware of others, and more caring about those in need. Even strangers seem friendlier. No doubt that the sounds of Christmas carols, the scent and sight of the pine trees decorated with brightly colored lights fill my senses and bring out the child in me. Yet, I also know there is something deeper to the Christmas spirit.
- [Congregational Letter Volume II, Letter 6](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2015/02/17/congregational-lettervolume-ii-letter-6/) - Lent is a time of renewal for the whole Church, for each community and every believer. Above all Lent is a "time of grace" (2 Cor 6:2). God does not ask of us anything God himself has not first given un. “We love because God first has loved us" (1 Jn 4:19). Pope Francis' Lenten Message
- [Congregational Letter Volume II, Letter 7](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2015/04/02/congregational-lettervolume-ii-letter-7/) - Palm Sunday | 29 March 2015 French | Dutch Dear Brothers, Associates and Collaborators: For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, so everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. Jn 3:16 For the past six weeks we have been preparing ourselves to receive ever
- [Congregational Letter Volume II, Letter 8](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2015/05/21/congregational-lettervolume-ii-letter-8/) - Happy Pentecost! Celebrated fifty days after Passover, the Jewish people seal their covenant with God. Pentecost is about fostering vibrant relationships with God and each other that are inspired and sealed by the Spirit.
- [Congregational Letter Volume III, Letter 1](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2015/08/28/congregational-lettervolume-iii-letter-1/) - Dear Brothers, Associates and Collaborators, I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the last days of summer.
- [Congregational Letter Volume III, Letter 2](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2015/11/23/congregational-lettervolume-iii-letter-2/) - Thanksgiving To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us - and has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. -Thoughts in Solitude, Thomas Merton Dear
- [Congregational Letter Volume III, Letter 3](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2015/12/02/congregational-lettervolume-iii-letter-3/) - Feast of St. Francis Xavier Dear Brothers, Associates and Collaborators: PROFICIAT! The fire burns inwardly before it burns outwardly. I wish all our Brothers, Associates, and Collaborators a very warm Proficiat! I want to express in the name of the Congregation our deep gratitude to all who carry out the Church's mission of evangelization with
- [Congregational Letter Volume III, Letter 5](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/02/25/congregational-lettervolume-iii-letter-5/) - A Lenten Message: Embracing the Future With Hope Dear Brothers, Associates and Collaborators: 02.15.16: Greetings from Bungoma, Kenya, where I am starting this letter. John and I arrived in Nairobi the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. I do not want Lent to pass by without sharing a few thoughts with you. For me time has been
- [Congregational Letter Volume III, Letter 6](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/28/lenten-message-ii/) - Dear Brothers, Associates and Collaborators: 02.28.16 - Likasi Before leaving Africa I want to share some recurring thoughts. As I start this letter, John, Crispin and I just celebrated the third Sunday of Lent at Saint Thérèse Church around the corner from the Brothers' house. Mass was celebrated in Swahili. One does not have to
- [Congregational Letter Volume III, Letter 7](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/29/congregational-lettervolume-iii-letter-7/) - Do not be afraid. Go tell my Brothers to go to Galilee and there they will see me. (Mt 28:10) Dear Brothers, Associates and Collaborators: The Easter Season in the liturgical life of the Church is my favorite. The post resurrection readings help me renew my relationship with Christ even more so than those in
- [Congregational Letter Volume III, Letter 8](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/13/congregational-lettervolume-iii-letter-8/) - THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT The Gift of Wisdom: enables us to desire and value the things of God. The Gift of Understanding: helps us grasp the truths of our faith more readily. The Gift of Counsel: helps us to tell right from wrong and gives us proper judgment. The Gift of Courage:
- [The Feast of All Saints](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/01/the-feast-of-all-saints/) - Proficiat to all the Saints I know! As the Church celebrates the Feast of All Saints, I want to wish everyone the blessings of the Feast. The commemoration of All Saints is very meaningful in the life of the Church as well as in our life as a Congregation. What prompted me to write to
- [Sadness and Grace](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/03/04/sadness-and-grace/) - What makes us, human beings, so restless and anxious? Albert Camus says that we are constantly seeing refuge “in love, and work, and communal life.” From what are we seeking that refuge? The basic philosophical and psychological answer to this question is that we are evading the awareness of our deaths. The gospel answer, while not at all contradicting this, adds that in doing so we are also avoiding our own lives. Remember the young man asks Jesus “Good master, what may I do in order that I may inherit the life of the Age?” And Jesus responds, after telling him to keep the commandments, that the one thing he lacks is the lived awareness of his own poverty.
- [Brother Richard Hastings, CFX (Brother Ivo)](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/12/brother-richard-hastings-cfx-brother-ivo/) - John Richard Hasting was the loving son of Raymond and Catherine (née Camerford) Hastings. Richard grew up in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn where he first met the Xaverian Brothers who taught at Holy Cross Elementary School. Richard is survived by his brother, Raymond and his three sisters: Kathleen Larkin, Anne Murphy and Mary Bushey.
- [Brother James Mahoney, CFX (Brother Shamus)](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/20/brother-james-mahoney-cfx-brother-shamus/) - Brother James Mahoney was born in Malden, MA in 1933. Upon graduation from Immaculate Conception Boys’ Catholic High School, Brother Jim entered Sacred Heart Novitiate in Fort Monroe, VA where he received the habit of the Xaverian Brothers and religious name, Shamus. Brother Jim is survived by his older brother, Brother John Mahoney (Crispin) in whose footsteps he followed. Brother Jim would pronounce his first vows as a Xaverian Brother on the Feast of Saint Joseph whose humility and devotion to Jesus through his hidden life would provide Brother Jim with examples of how to live his call as a follower of Christ.
- [Being and Doing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/02/13/being-and-doing/) - Some philosophers see anxiety as that affect that constitutes what is unique in human experience. We are anxious because, of all creatures, we are aware that we are going to die. And so, we develop our own understanding of life and world, our own particular fruit which comes from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We come to see the world in light of the good, whatever avoids death and evil, whatever raises awareness of or concern about our own death. We long to return to that time of life when the reality of death was hidden from us, when we lived with a trust and a faith that lived in and for the moment. Yet, the more that the specter of our own death impinges on our consciousness, the more we sense the passing of time as alien and a threat to us.
- [Shame and Prayer](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/02/14/shame-and-prayer/) - In countless commentaries on the encounter in Mark’s gospel between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman, much is made of her faith and her perseverance. And so should it be. Even as Jesus at first seems to rebuff her, her faith, hope, and love for and of her daughter lead her to continue to plead with Jesus until he relents and, because of her perseverance, heals her daughter. The very brief story, however, also gives us insight into what in the woman’s character allows for such persevering prayer and so can teach us a foundational disposition for our own practice of prayer.
- [Unfettered Speech](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/02/15/unfettered-speech/) - As a developing child, I was very slow to begin to speak. Although my parents told me about it, we never really spoke about what might have contributed to this, aside from my mother saying the pediatrician would always encourage her by saying that I would begin to speak when it was the right time for me. Now I can well imagine that a part of my hesitancy was the birth defect that would not be repaired until I was five or six. This made it difficult for me to make certain sounds, and it also, I think evoked anxiety in my parents and others close to me about how my self-expression would be received by others.
- [Why Are You Resentful and Crestfallen?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/02/18/why-are-you-resentful-and-crestfallen/) - In his view our basic human task in life is to seek and then give form gradually and tentatively, in dialogue with our world and our times, to “the unique image of Christ [we] are called to realize.” Integrity, meaning, purpose, and consonance flow from our faithfulness to this life task.
- [Pathos and Responsibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/02/19/pathos-and-responsibility/) - Both the Lord in Genesis and Jesus in Mark’s gospel are presented in today’s readings as apparently frustrated. In the very anthropomorphic presentation of God in Genesis, the Creator is presented as experiencing regret for having created free human beings. In Mark’s description of Jesus’ attempting to teach his disciples to avoid the hypocrisy and self-alienation of the Pharisees and Herod, we hear of the pain that the disciples’ obduracy evokes in him. It is striking to ponder the fact that Jesus and God might experience the pathos that is so painful an aspect of our own experience. It is not surprising that human authors would come, in the face of evil, to see God as undergoing the deepest emotional suffering we know, as the pathos of limit, failure, and death hovers over everything we do and experience. For us, of course, and even for Jesus, the feelings of pathos arise out of a certain sense of impotence vis-a-vis the evil, the obduracy, and the
- [Redemptive Suffering](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/02/21/redemptive-suffering/) - Unless one lives in total illusion, it will cross one’s mind and heart more often than seldom that life is difficult. Of course, it is also blessed and joyful, but in the course of life each of us will find ourselves confronting the painful reality that human life is fragile and, in some foundational way, broken. We experience this in sickness, in natural and human made disasters, and especially in the way we live out our relationships and commitments to each other. In today’s gospel, then, the disciples hear from Jesus a very painful, although truthful, teaching. “It is necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things.”
- [Darkness Will Be Our Light](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/02/22/darkness-will-be-our-light/) - Today is the feast of The Chair of St. Peter. As we celebrate the feast this year, there is taking place at the Vatican an unprecedented meeting to deal with the ongoing scandal of the sexual abuse of minors and other sexual misconduct of priests and religious. Today’s reading from Matthew, given the Roman Catholic interpretation of the text in which we have been formed, seemingly confronts us, who live continually with this scandalous abuse of power, with a grave contradiction. Is the promise of Jesus, at least as it has been interpreted to us in our tradition, false? What is the meaning for our faith and our life of the revelation of the squalor and even perversity of our institutional leadership? If God speaks in every moment and event, what is the revelation in this present experience?
- [Wisdom and Prayer](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/02/25/wisdom-and-prayer/) - In today’s gospel Jesus, along with Peter, James, and John have just come down from the mountain where the transcendence and glory of God had been made manifest in Jesus. According to Mark the disciples “had become extremely afraid” at this wisdom of God made manifest. It is all far too much for them. It perhaps is not accidental, then, that as they, with Jesus, come down from that experience of what lies beneath “the common, ordinary, unspectacular flow of everyday life,” they encounter an intractable problem. A father has brought to the disciples his son who is possessed by “a mute spirit” that appears, from the symptoms described, to be what we today would call epilepsy. Yet, according to the words of the father to Jesus, the disciples “did not have the strength” to drive out the evil spirit. When the disciples ask Jesus why they were unable to exorcize the spirit in the boy, he tells them that there are times when “nothing but prayer” can accomplish what is needed.
- [Becoming the Last of All](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/02/26/becoming-the-last-of-all/) - The disciples have just been arguing among themselves about who is the greatest. As Mark relates the narrative this occurs just after Jesus has told them that he must be handed over to his enemies, suffer, die, and in three days be raised up. We are told that the disciples do not understand what Jesus is saying, and yet they do not dare to question him about it. If we think about it, this is really not so difficult to understand. The absence of questioning suggests that there is a certain willfulness in the disciples’ not understanding. They do not want to hear or understand what the “master” is telling them about what awaits him. Jesus is the incarnation of the truth that he utters when they arrive in Capernaum and are settled in the household: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
- [Wisdom and the Common Project](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/02/27/wisdom-and-the-common-project/) - It is somewhat striking that in our time we speak so little, and even think so little, of an aspiration to become wise. For much of humanity’s history, cultures and societies would so desire to identify the wise persons among them and to seek their guidance. These would become revered by their society because of a sense that they knew something about the true significance and purpose of human life and, perhaps, could communicate this wisdom to others. Our society, on the other hand, reveres the wealthy and the powerful. If we look at who is given recognition and memorialization in our culture, we see that it is the wealthy, without regard for the degree of their virtue and wisdom.
- [Generosity and Love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/01/08/generosity-and-love/) - Today’s reading from 1 John tells us that we are to love one another in the way that God has loved us. The nature of this love of God for us is seen and known, we are told, in God’s giving of Jesus, the very life of God, to us, “so that we might live through him.” God does not love us because we have loved God, but rather in pouring out God’s self to us “as atonement for our sins.” Love, according to the author of this letter, is not a contract; it is not a response to another that is due them. Rather it is sheer and generous gift.
- [The Cost of Saying Yes](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/19/the-cost-of-saying-yes/) - In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not
- [The Spirit and the Flesh](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/17/the-spirit-and-the-flesh/) - David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Matthew 1:6 Today’s gospel features Matthew’s historically contorted genealogy of Jesus in order to show that there are 14 generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile, and fourteen more from the exile to Jesus. Matthew’s goal, of course,
- [Do Not Worry](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/26/do-not-worry/) - "When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."Matthew 10: 19-20 Today is the feast
- [Darkness and Light](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/28/darkness-and-light/) - If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar and his word is not
- [Testing The Spirits](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/01/07/testing-the-spirits/) - Beloved ones, do not have faith in every spirit, but test the spirits — whether they are from God — because many false prophets have gone out into the cosmos. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus the Anointed has come in flesh is from God, and every
- [Staying With Jesus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/01/04/staying-with-jesus-2/) - And turning around, and seeing them following, Jesus says to them, “What do you seek?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” — which is to say, when translated, “Teacher” — “where are you staying?” He says to them, “Come and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and stayed with
- [Work and Desire](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/01/03/work-and-desire/) - Beloved ones, now we are children of God, and what we shall be has not yet become apparent. We know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him makes himself pure, just as that one is pure.1 John
- [Who Are We?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/01/02/who-are-we/) - And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is made manifest we may have confidence, and not be driven from him by shame at his arrival. 1 John 2:28 And he avowed, and did not deny, and confessed that: “I am not the Anointed. And they asked him “What then? Are you
- [Let Us Go Now To Bethlehem](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2019/01/01/let-us-go-now-to-bethlehem/) - And it happened that, as the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this story that has unfolded, which the Lord has made known to us.” And hastening they went and found both Joseph and Mary, and the baby lying in the
- [Without Him Not a Single Thing Has Come To Be](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/31/without-him-not-a-single-thing-has-come-to-be/) - In the origin there was the Logos, and the Logos was present with GOD, and the Logos was god. This one was present with GOD in the origin. All things came to be through him, and without him came to be not a single thing the has come to be. In him was life, and
- [What We Have Seen and Heard](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/27/what-we-have-seen-and-heard/) - What we have seen and heard / we proclaim now to you, / so that you too may have fellowship with us; / for our fellowship is with the Father / and with his Son Jesus Christ. / We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.1 John 1: 3-4 Yesterday I heard
- [Love and Joy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/21/love-and-joy/) - "O my dove in the clefts of the rock, / in the secret recesses of the cliff, / Let me see you, / let me hear your voice, / For your voice is sweet, / and you are lovely."Song of Songs 2:14 "For the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant
- [Virginity and Service](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/20/virginity-and-service/) - The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”Luke 1:35 The doctrine of the “virgin birth” has long been a matter of disturbance to some and a source of separation
- [Our Intention and God's Direction](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/18/our-intention-and-gods-direction/) - Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son
- [Allowing the Lord to Teach Us](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/14/allowing-the-lord-to-teach-us/) - Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, / the Holy One of Israel: / I, the Lord, teach you what is for your good, / and lead you on the way you should go. Isaiah 48:17 Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and
- [The Kingdom Suffers Violence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/13/the-kingdom-suffers-violence/) - “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force.”Matthew 11:
- [From the Tender Compassion of Our God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/11/from-the-tender-compassion-of-our-god/) - Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; / in his arms he gathers the lambs, / Carrying them in his bosom, / and leading the ewes with care.Isaiah 40: 11 “It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”Matthew 18:14 “In the tender compassion of our God,
- [A Highway Called The Holy Way](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/10/a-highway-called-the-holy-way/) - A highway will be there, / called the holy way; / No one unclean may pass over it, / nor fools go astray on it. / No lion will be there, / nor beast of prey go up to be met upon it. / It is for those with a journey to make, / and
- [May Our Eyes Be On The Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/07/may-our-eyes-be-on-the-lord/) - When his children see / the work of my hands in his midst, / They shall keep my name holy; / they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob, / and be in awe of the God of Israel. / Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding, / and those who find fault shall
- [Acting On The Word](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/06/acting-on-the-word/) - Trust in the Lord forever! / For the Lord is an eternal Rock. / He humbles those in high places, / and the lofty city he brings down;/ He tumbles it to the ground, / levels it with the dust. / It is trampled underfoot by the needy, / by the footsteps of the poor.
- [Let Us Rejoice and Be Glad](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/05/let-us-rejoice-and-be-glad/) - On that day it will be said: / “Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! / This is the Lord for whom we looked, / let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!” / For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain. Isaiah 25: 9-10 The
- [Learning To Wait](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/04/learning-to-wait/) - “Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” Turning to the disciples in private he said,
- [What Do You Want Me To Do?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/12/03/what-do-you-want-me-to-do/) - In days to come, / the mountain of the Lord’s house / shall be established as the highest mountain / and raised above the hills. / All nations shall stream toward it; / many peoples shall come and say: / “Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, / to the house of the God of
- [Responsibility and Judgment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/29/responsibility-and-judgment-2/) - “People will collapse from fear and from dread of the things that are coming upon the inhabited world. For the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. When all these things start to happen, stand up! Life up
- [Mastery or Mystery](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/28/mastery-or-mystery/) - Great and wonderful are your works, / Lord God almighty. / Just and true are your ways, / O king of the nations. / Who will not fear you, Lord, / or glorify your name? / For you alone are holy. / All the nations will come / and worship before you, / for your
- [Serving Worthily](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/26/serving-worthily/) - “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.” Luke 21: 3-4 The older I get the more central to the gospel teaching the story of the poor widow
- [Sweet and Sour](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/23/sweet-and-sour/) - So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. He said to me, “Take and swallow it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.” I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and swallowed it. In my
- [Transformation and Gratitude](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/22/transformation-and-gratitude/) - And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth. Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb, and fashions them according to his will! May he grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you; may his goodness toward us endure in Israel to deliver us in our
- [More Will Be Given](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/21/more-will-be-given/) - Day and night they never stopped exclaiming: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.” Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before
- [Dead or Alive?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/20/dead-or-alive/) - You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover
- [God Seeks Us Among the Lost](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/08/god-seeks-us-among-the-lost/) - Who among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends
- [Doing Rather Than Keeping Busy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/07/doing-rather-than-keeping-busy/) - If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. . . . In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce
- [No Excuses](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/06/no-excuses/) - Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and, found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming
- [Regarding Others As More Important Than Ourselves](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/05/regarding-others-as-more-important-than-ourselves/) - Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others. Philippians 2: 3-4 When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or
- [Formation and Purgation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/02/formation-and-purgation/) - Indeed, if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Romans 5: 10 Today we celebrate the Feast of All Souls. We pray for all who have died in the belief that our love of them
- [Saints We Have Known](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/11/01/saints-we-have-known/) - Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3: 2-3 Often on the Feast of All Saints we take time to think of the saints
- [The Last and the First](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/31/the-last-and-the-first/) - Indeed they will come from east and west, from north and south, and they will recline in the kingdom of God. Look, those who are last will be first and those who are first will be last. Luke 13: 29-30 At the height of the human and global policy disaster that was the Iraq War,
- [Like A Mustard Seed](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/30/like-a-mustard-seed/) - Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and ‘the birds of the air dwelt in its branches.’” Luke 13: 18-19 In his
- [Live As Children of Light](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/29/live-as-children-of-light/) - Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient. So do not be associated with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Ephesians 5: 6-8 Many years ago, when graduate
- [Working Toward Harmony](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/26/working-toward-harmony/) - I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4: 1-3 For a long time I have
- [Waiting and Awakening](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/24/waiting-and-awakening/) - But if that servant says to himself, “My master is delayed in coming,” and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish the servant severely and assign him a place
- [One New Person in Place of the Two](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/23/one-new-person-in-place-of-the-two/) - For Christ is our peace, He made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his Flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile both with God, in one Body,
- [Insecurity and Trust](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/22/insecurity-and-trust/) - There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!” But God said to him, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things
- [Truth and Solitude](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/19/truth-and-solitude/) - In Christ we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ. Ephesians 1” 11-12 Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples, “Beware
- [Life As Mission](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/18/life-as-mission/) - [Jesus] said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into
- [The Fruits of the Spirit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/17/the-fruits-of-the-spirit/) - Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outburst of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. In
- [Faith Expressing Itself Through Love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/16/faith-expressing-itself-through-love/) - For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Galatians 5:6 Why do we so often exist at a remote and safe distance from our own actual lives? Lately a friend and I are finding ourselves pondering why it is that so
- [Pleading for Wisdom](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/15/pleading-for-wisdom/) - I prayed, and prudence was given me; / I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. / I preferred her to scepter and throne, / and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her, / nor did I liken any priceless gem to her; / because all gold, in view of her, is a
- [With Me Or Against Me](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/12/with-me-or-against-me/) - “Whenever a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are secure. But when a stronger than him breaks in and wins victory, he strips off the armor on which the man had relied, and distributes his spoils. The person who is not with me is against me. The one who does
- [Faith and Need](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/11/faith-and-need-october-11-2018/) - Did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith in what you heard? Are you so stupid? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so many things in vain?—if indeed it was in vain. Does the one who supplies the Spirit to you
- [Your Kingdom Come In Us](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/10/your-kingdom-come-in-us/) - Jesus said to the disciples: “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come.” Luke 11:2 Jesus tells us to repent because “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We are taught throughout the spiritual tradition that we are not to search here or there for God’s kingdom because it is within us. Yet, as
- [Living Spaciously](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/09/living-spaciously/) - Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one
- [Neighbors and Friends](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/10/08/neighbors-and-friends/) - Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the Gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. Gal. 1: 11-12 But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
- [Remembering Our Sins](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/24/remembering-our-sins/) - Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt / and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; / Who does not persist in anger forever, / but delights rather in clemency, / And will again have compassion on us, / treading underfoot our guilt? / You will cast into the depths of
- [Humility and Love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/23/humility-and-love/) - With what shall I come before the Lord, / and bow before God most high? / Shall I come before him with burnt offering, / with calves a year old? / Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams / with myriad streams of oil? / Shall I give my first born for my
- [Mercy and Self-Awareness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/20/mercy-and-self-awareness/) - When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, “See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath. . . .If you knew what this meant, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.” Matthew, 12:2,8
- [Taking Up Jesus' Yoke](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/19/taking-up-jesus-yoke/) - Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Matthew 11:28-30 In his
- [Repentance and Sanity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/16/repentance-and-sanity/) - Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But
- [Loving All In God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/16/loving-all-in-god/) - Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his
- [Transcendent Speaking](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/13/transcendent-speaking/) - “When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19-20 Adrian van Kaam would often point out that if sexuality was the great repression of Freud’s
- [Sharing Our Gift](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/12/sharing-our-gift/) - As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Matthew 10:7-8 The words of Jesus in today’s gospel are quoted in the Fundamental Principles: Gradually, you will realize that the
- [The Summons of the Prophet](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/11/the-summons-of-the-prophet/) - Israel was a spreading vine; / he brought forth fruit for himself. / As his fruit increased, / he built more altars; / as his land prospered, / he adorned his sacred stones. / Their heart is deceitful, / and now they must bear their guilt. / The Lord will demolish their altars / and
- [Being Moved To Act](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/10/being-moved-to-act/) - When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind: / The stalk of grain that forms no ear / can yield no flour; Even if it could, / strangers would swallow it. Hosea 8:7 At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,
- [The Courage To Love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/09/the-courage-to-love/) - I will espouse you to me forever: / I will espouse you in right and in justice, / in love and in mercy; / I will espouse you in fidelity, / and you shall know the Lord. Hosea 2:19-20 When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who
- [Go and Learn](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/06/go-and-learn/) - Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” I did not come to call the righteous but sinners. Matthew 6: 12-13 For most of my life, I have read, and, I thought, taken to heart the words from Hosea
- [Learning and Speaking](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/05/learning-and-speaking/) - Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets. I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The Lord took me from following the flock, and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ Now hear the word of the Lord!” Amos 7:14-16 “Why do you
- [Conceived In Liberty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/04/conceived-in-liberty/) - Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4: 9 “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” John
- [Be Not Unbelieving But Believe](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/03/be-not-unbelieving-but-believe/) - Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed?” John 20:19-20 Today is the Feast of St. Thomas, often known as “doubting Thomas.” Thomas does not see the
- [Seeking Our Home](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/07/02/seeking-our-home/) - For three crimes of Israel, and for four, / I will not revoke my word: / Because they sell the just man for silver, / and the poor man for a pair of sandals. / They trample the heads of the weak / into the dust of the earth, / and force the lowly out
- [Encountering Jesus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/29/encountering-jesus/) - Jesus said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.” Matthew 16:13-16 Today’s gospel
- [Hearing and Doing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/28/hearing-and-doing/) - Jehoiachin did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his forebears had done. At that time the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 2 Kings 24: 9-10 “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise
- [Re-reading Our Lives](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/27/re-reading-our-lives/) - When the king heard the contents of the book of the law, he tore his garments and issued this command . . . “Go consult the Lord for me, for the people, for all Judah, about the stipulations of this book that has been found, for the anger of the Lord has been set furiously
- [Why Are You Here?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/15/why-are-you-here/) - After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?” 1 Kings 19: 12-13 It is a beautiful morning here in greater Baltimore. As I awoke,
- [Anger and Formation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/14/anger-and-formation/) - Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry
- [Straddling the Issue](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/13/straddling-the-issue/) - Elijah appealed to all the people and said, “How long will you straddle the issue? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.” The people, however, did not answer him. Elijah taunted them: “Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating, or may have retired, or may be on
- [Anxiety and Hospitality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/12/anxiety-and-hospitality/) - “Do not be afraid. Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty, not the jug of oil run dry,
- [Working In Harmony](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/11/working-in-harmony/) - Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called NIger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I
- [God's Human Heart](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/08/gods-human-heart/) - Thus says the Lord: When Israel was a child I loved him / out of Egypt I called my son. / Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, / who took them in my arms, / I drew them with human cords, / with bands of love; / I fostered them like one
- [Learning To Love God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/07/learning-to-love-god/) - One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord your God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with
- [Discovering Courage](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/06/discovering-courage/) - For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:6-7 This morning’s news features a story about a famous fashion
- [Growing in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/05/growing-in-the-knowledge-of-jesus-christ/) - Therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, be on your guard not to be led into the error of the unprincipled and to fall from your own stability. But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3; 17-18 The other day something that occurred had agitated
- [Living Originally in an Unoriginal World](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/04/living-originally-in-an-unoriginal-world/) - For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love. 1 Peter 1:5-7 But those tenants said to one another, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance
- [Believe and It Will Be Yours](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/06/01/believe-and-it-will-be-yours/) - “Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours. When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.” Mark 11:24-5 Recently I was speaking with a Sister
- [Attention and Responsibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/05/31/attention-and-responsibility/) - Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love. He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. Zephaniah 3:17 In his book Existence and Love, the sociologist William Sadler
- [Becoming Good Enough](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/05/30/becoming-good-enough/) - Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love, love one another intensely from a pure heart. 1 Peter 1:22 Jesus summoned them and said to them “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority
- [Humiliation and Service](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/05/18/humiliation-and-service/) - Jesus said to Peter the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” Amen, amen,
- [Contemplation and Enjoyment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/05/17/contemplation-and-enjoyment/) - “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” John 17:20-21 Many years
- [Becoming Holy In The Truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/05/16/becoming-holy-in-the-truth/) - “Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in the truth.” John 17:17-19 An alternate translation by Francis J. Maloney, S.D.B of Jesus’ first words above is: “Make them holy
- [God Needs Our Silence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/05/15/god-needs-our-silence/) - “I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they
- [Learning To Be Friends](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/05/14/learning-to-be-friends/) - “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends,
- [We Ascended Into Heaven](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/05/11/we-ascended-into-heaven/) - “So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give
- [Thanks and Praise For It All](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/05/08/thanks-and-praise-for-it-all/) - So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once. He brought them up into his house and provided a meal and with his household
- [Appraising The Way](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/05/07/appraising-the-way/) - We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace, and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We spent some time in that city. On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river where we thought
- [Bearing Fruit in Friendship](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/05/04/bearing-fruit-in-friendship/) - “I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
- [The Face We Show To The World](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/05/03/the-face-we-show-to-the-world/) - I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 “The Father who dwells in me
- [Being Pruned by the Word](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/05/02/being-pruned-by-the-word/) - Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain
- [Knowing Our Place Is The Way](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/27/knowing-our-place-is-the-way/) - “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you,
- [Bearing The One Who Sent Us](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/26/bearing-the-one-who-sent-us/) - “Amen, amen I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.” “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one
- [So  Our Eyes Look To The Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/25/so-our-eyes-look-to-the-lord/) - Beloved: Clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for: “God opposes the proud, / but bestows favor on the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5-7 Jesus
- [Listening and Appreciation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/24/listening-and-appreciation-2/) - When Barnabas arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. Acts 11:23 “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s
- [Sharing And Not Hindering Life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/23/sharing-and-not-hindering-life/) - “If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?” Acts 11:17 “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy: I came so that they might have life and have it more
- [Having Life Because of Him](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/20/having-life-because-of-him/) - Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. John 6:56-57 I must confess that for most of my life
- [Listening To The Other](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/19/listening-to-the-other/) - The Spirit said to Philip, “Go and join up with that chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “how can I, unless someone instructs me?” So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. Acts 8:29-31 Jesus said
- [The Wisdom of Children](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/18/the-wisdom-of-children/) - “And this is will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” John 6:39-40 In
- [Desire and Communion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/17/desire-and-communion/) - As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and when he said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:59-60 So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
- [Silence and Truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/16/silence-and-truth/) - All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen and saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Acts 6:15 “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” John 6:27 It is not only
- [Faith and Action](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/13/faith-and-action-2/) - “So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But it it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:
- [The Work Is Without Why](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/12/the-work-is-without-why/) - . . . the high priest questioned them, “We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the Apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than human beings.”
- [Tell The People About This Life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/11/tell-the-people-about-this-life/) - But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, “Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.” Acts 5:20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light,
- [They Had Everything In Common](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/10/they-had-everything-in-common-3/) - The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the Apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among
- [Love and Not Sacrifice](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/09/love-and-not-sacrifice/) - First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delight in.” These are offered according to the law. Then he says, “Behold, I come to to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the
- [Whose Work Is It?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/06/whose-work-is-it/) - Leaders of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God
- [Acting Out Of Ignorance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/05/acting-out-of-ignorance/) - “Now I know, brothers and sisters, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did; but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away, and that
- [Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/04/mine-eyes-have-seen-the-glory/) - When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. But Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” Acts 3: 3-4 And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it
- [The Power of the Resurrection](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/04/02/the-power-of-the-resurrection/) - This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. Acts 2:23-4 You will show me the path to life, / fullness
- [Loving To The End](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/30/loving-to-the-end/) - In the days when Christ was in the flesh, he offered prayer and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect,
- [The Will To Finish Our Work](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/26/the-will-to-finish-our-work/) - “She has done what she could, She has anticipated anointing my body for burial. Amen, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” . . . . . “My soul is sorrowful, even to death.” Mark 14:8-9, 34 As
- [Can We Love Our Enemies?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/23/can-we-love-our-enemies/) - But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: / my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. / In their failure they will be put to utter shame, / to lasting, unforgettable confusion.. Jeremiah 20:11 “If I do not perform my Father’s works, do no believe me; but if I perform them, even
- [Our Knowledge of God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/22/our-knowledge-of-god/) - Jesus answered: “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But
- [Nothing To Regret](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/21/nothing-to-regret/) - Jesus said to those who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-2 Now having arrived at a point in life where no small amount of my time is spent in retrospection, I
- [Faith and Action](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/19/faith-and-action/) - Abraham believed, hoping agains hope, that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “Thus shall your descendants be. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:18, 22. When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife
- [Change As Awful and "Awe-full"](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/16/change-as-awful-and-awe-full/) - Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us, / he sets himself against our doings, / Reproaches us for transgressions of the law / and charges us with violations of our training. / He professes to have knowledge of God / and styles himself a child of the Lord. / To
- [Practicing Contemplative Action](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/15/practicing-contemplative-action/) - “I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from
- [God's Will Be Done](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/14/gods-will-be-done/) - “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.” John 5: 30 We live in a time where “relativism” is becoming the dominant influence in our social and political life.
- [Stunned By Beauty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/13/stunned-by-beauty/) - When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way,
- [Here and Now](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/12/here-and-now/) - Instead there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; for I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people. No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there, or the sound of crying. Isaiah 65:18-19 Often
- [The Ways of Love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/09/the-ways-of-love/) - “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark
- [Just Doing It](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/08/just-doing-it/) - Thus says the Lord: This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness
- [Do Not Forget](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/07/do-not-forget-2/) - “However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children’s children.” Deuteronomy 4:9 Yesterday at the reception after the funeral of one of
- [Practicing Listening](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/05/practicing-listening/) - With this, Naaman turned about in anger and left. But his servants came up and reasoned with him, “My father,” they said, “if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, ‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as
- [Envy and Violence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/03/02/envy-and-violence/) - Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age; and he had made him a long tunic. When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons, they hated him so much that they would not even greet him. Genesis 37:3-4 Many years
- [Authority and Accompaniment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/02/28/authority-and-accompaniment/) - “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so
- [The Measure With Which You Measure](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/02/27/the-measure-with-which-you-measure/) - Give and gifts will be given to you, a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you. Luke 6: 38 What is the greatest impediment to joy? How is it that far too often
- [Responsibility and Community](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/01/12/responsibility-and-community/) - The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said, “Not so! There must be a king over us. We too must be like other nations, with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare and fight our battles.” 1 Samuel 8:19-20 It is not easy to be responsible for one’s
- [Contemplation and Abandonment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/01/11/contemplation-and-abandonment/) - “Why has the Lord permitted us to be defeated today by the Philistines?” 1 Samuel 4:3 A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “if you wish, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, “I do will it.
- [Treasure in Heaven](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/01/09/treasure-in-heaven/) - In her bitterness, Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping copiously, and she made a vow, promising: “O Lord of hosts, if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid, if you remember me and do not forget me, if you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the Lord
- [Change and Transformation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/01/08/change-and-transformation/) - On coming out of the water Jesus saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:10-11 O God, whose Only Begotten Son has appeared in our very flesh, grant,
- [The Vision of Beauty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/01/05/the-vision-of-beauty/) - But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, “Come and see.” John 1:46 At a central dramatic moment in both yesterday’s and today’s gospel readings from John 1, we hear the injunction “Come and see." Yesterday it was Jesus telling the two disciples of John to “come and
- [What We Shall Be Has Not Yet Been Revealed](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2018/01/03/what-we-shall-be-has-not-yet-been-revealed/) - The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3: 1-2
- [Loving and Hating](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/29/loving-and-hating/) - Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around
- [We Proclaim What We Have Seen and Heard](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/27/we-proclaim-what-we-have-seen-and-heard/) - What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life—for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible
- [Bearers of the Word](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/26/bearers-of-the-word/) - When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Matthew 10:19-20 These past days I
- [Dedicated To The Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/22/dedicated-to-the-lord/) - “As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord," She left Samuel there. 1
- [What Love Has To Do With It](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/21/what-love-has-to-do-with-it/) - “The fig tree puts forth its figs, / and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. / Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, / and come! O my dove in the clefts of the rock, / in the secret recesses of the cliff, / Let me see you, / let me hear your voice, /
- [Desiring Not What Is Vain](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/20/desiring-not-what-is-vain/) - Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? / or who may stand in God’s holy place? / The one whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, / who desires not what is vain. Psalm 24:3-4 As Advent draws toward its conclusion, the figure of Mary becomes more and more focal. She is first
- [Conscience and Call](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/18/conscience-and-call/) - When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus. Matthew 1:21-22 So familiar are the infancy narratives of Jesus to us that we can cease to be
- [The Demands of Wisdom](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/15/the-demands-of-wisdom/) - Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, / the Holy One of Israel: / I, the Lord, your God, / teach you what is for your good, / and lead you on the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17 “But wisdom is vindicated by her works.” Matthew 11:19 Today Isaiah tells us that God will teach
- [Awakening Our Souls](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/14/awakening-our-souls/) - In the wilderness I will put cedar trees, / acacias, myrtles, olives. / In the desert I will plant juniper, / plane tree and cypress side by side; / so that all may see and know, / may all observe and understand, / that the hand of Yahweh has done this, / that the Holy
- [The Non-Dichotomized Life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/13/the-non-dichotomized-life/) - Jesus said to the crowds: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
- [Seeing and Being Seen](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/11/seeing-and-being-seen/) - Here is your God, / he comes with vindication; / With divine recompenses / he comes to save you. / Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, / the ears of the deaf be cleared; / Then will the lame leap like a stag, / the the tongue of the mute will sing.
- [Crossing the Frontier](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/08/crossing-the-frontier/) - After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the Lord God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?" He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself." Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?” Genesis 3:9-12 And
- [Word and Deed](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/07/word-and-deed/) - “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to
- [From Disgust to Communion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/06/from-disgust-to-communion/) - Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified
- [Wisdom and Childlikeness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/05/wisdom-and-childlikeness/) - The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: / a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, / a Spirit of counsel and of strength, / a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, / and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord. / Not by appearance shall he judge, /
- [Waiting To Be Surprised](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/04/waiting-to-be-surprised/) - In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: “Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in
- [Working In Hope](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/12/01/working-in-hope/) - As soon as they (the fig tree and all the trees) have put out shoots , you can see and know for yourselves that summer is already near. The same is the case for you. When you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Amen I tell you that this
- [By Endurance We Gain Our Lives](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/29/by-endurance-we-gain-our-lives-november-29-2017/) - You will be hated by all on account of my name. And not a hair from your head will be lost! You will gain possession of your lives by your endurance. Luke 21:17-19 The computer that I use at work is now several years old. In recent months it has become quite slow, and so
- [Impermanence and Transformation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/28/impermanence-and-transformation/) - And when some of them were talking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive offerings, he said: “These things you are looking at—days will come when there will not be left a stone upon a stone that will not be torn down!” Luke 21:5-6 Yesterday a confrere sent along some
- [Knowing and Willing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/27/knowing-and-willing/) - When the king had spoken with all of them, none was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; and so they entered the king’s service. In any question of wisdom or prudence which the king put to them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom. Daniel
- [Appreciation and Gratitude](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/22/appreciation-and-gratitude/) - “I do not know how you appeared in my womb; It was not I who endowed you with breath and life. I had not the shaping of your every part. It is the creator of the world, ordaining the process of man’s birth and presiding over the origin of all things, who in his mercy
- [Shame and Desire](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/21/shame-and-desire/) - There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax-agent. And he was wealthy. He was trying to see who Jesus was but he could not see over the crowd, since he was so short. He ran to the front and climbed up a sycamore tree that Jesus was about to pass by,
- [Faith and Healing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/20/faith-and-healing/) - So [the blind man who was begging] shouted out, “Jesus, Son of David! Show mercy to me!" Those in front began to rebuke him into silence, but he shouted even more, “Son of David! Show mercy to me!" Jesus stood still. He ordered that the man be brought to him. When he had come close,
- [Love and Possessions](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/17/love-and-possessions/) - On that day the person who is on the roof but has belongings inside the house should not go down to get them. The person who is in the field should likewise not turn back for the things left behind. Remember Lot’s wife! Anyone seeking to hold life as a possession will lose it. Whoever
- [Wisdom Makes All Things New](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/16/wisdom-makes-all-things-new/) - Wisdom is a reflection of the eternal light, untarnished mirror of God’s active power, image of God’s goodness. Although alone, she can do all; herself unchanging, she makes all things new. In each generation she passes into holy souls, she makes them friends of God and prophets; for God loves only the one who lives
- [Gratitude and Service](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/15/gratitude-and-service/) - Hearken, you who are in power over the multitude and lord it over throngs of peoples! Because authority was given you by the Lord and sovereignty by the Most High, who shall probe your works and scrutinize your counsels. Wisdom 6: 2-4 Jesus responded, “Were not ten people cleansed? Where are the other nine? Were
- [Work and Spirit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/14/work-and-spirit/) - You don’t say “Thanks” to a slave, do you, for doing what was commanded? The case is the same with you When you have done everything that has been commanded you, say, “We are useless slaves! We have done what we were supposed to do!” Luke 17: 9-10 At the heart of American political campaigns
- [Seeking Wisdom](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/13/seeking-wisdom/) - Because God is the witness of one’s inmost self; and the sure observer of one’s heart and the listener to one’s tongue. For the Spirit of the Lord fills the world, is all-embracing, and knows what a person says. Wisdom 1: 6-7 In one of our most frequently repeated prayers, “Come Holy Spirit,” we pray
- [Proclaiming the Gospel](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/10/proclaiming-the-gospel/) - Thus, I aspire to proclaim the Gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another’s foundation, but as it is written: “Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand.” Romans 15:20-21 Although it is somewhat painful
- [Zeal and Anger](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/09/zeal-and-anger/) - Jesus made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace." His
- [The Way of Dispossession](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/08/the-way-of-dispossession/) - Whoever does not bear one’s own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For who of you wishing to build a tower does not first sit down and figure out the price, to see if there are enough funds to complete the work? Otherwise, if one lays the foundation but is not able
- [Being Separated and United](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/11/06/being-separated-and-united/) - When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you
- [Transcendent Hope Amidst Cultural Devastation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/31/transcendent-hope-amidst-cultural-devastation/) - For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. Romans 8: 24-25 St. Paul speaks of “hope” in Romans 8 in the context of the groaning of all
- [Suffering With Christ](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/30/suffering-with-christ/) - The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8: 16-17 In my earliest religious upbringing there seemed to be in
- [Love and Responsibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/27/love-and-responsibility/) - Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? As you go to a magistrate with an adversary, try to make things up with him while still on the road. Otherwise he might drag you before the judge and the judge will hand you over to the bailiff and the bailiff will throw you into
- [The Present Given By God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/26/the-present-given-by-god/) - When you were slaves of sin, you felt no obligation to righteousness, and what did you get from this? Nothing but experiences that now make you blush, since that sort of behavior ends in death. Now, however, you have been set free from sin, you have been made slaves of God, and you get a
- [Responsibility and Judgment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/25/responsibility-and-judgment/) - But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted. Romans 6: 27 And the servant who has known the desire of the master yet has not prepared or done anything in accordance with his
- [Open The Door For Him](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/24/open-the-door-for-him/) - Have your belts cinched tight and your lamps lit. Be like people waiting for their master to return from a wedding, so that when he arrives and knocks they can open the door for him immediately. Blessed are the servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Luke 12: 35-7 Today’s passage from Luke
- [Poverty and Life In Common](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/23/poverty-and-life-in-common/) - Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions. Luke 12: 15 In the Working Paper on Life Form that is part of the Xaverian Charism Study, we read: The Xaverian expression of the life of the evangelical counsels has always included a
- [Courage and Friendship](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/20/courage-and-friendship/) - Indeed, whatever things you say in darkness will be heard in the light, and whatever you whisper in a private room will be proclaimed from the roofs. but I tell you, my friends, don’t fear those who kill the body and afterwards can do nothing more. I will show you whom to fear. Fear
- [Contemplation and Knowing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/19/contemplation-and-knowing/) - Woe to you lawyers! You have taken the key of knowledge. You do not enter yourselves, and you close out those trying to enter. Luke 11: 52 Jesus’ charge against the “lawyers,” the “scholars of the law,” is that they are not only mired in their own ignorance but that they also exert effort to
- [Original Calling and Community](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/18/original-calling-and-community/) - The first time I had to present my defense, there was not a single witness to support me. Every one of them deserted me—may they not be held accountable for it. But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans
- [Giving From The Inside](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/17/giving-from-the-inside/) - “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish. But your insides are full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn’t the one who made the outside also make the inside? So instead, give that which is inside as alms.” Luke 11: 39-41 Luke Timothy Johnson offers a quite unique translation of Luke 11:41:
- [The Obedience of Faith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/16/the-obedience-of-faith/) - Through him we received grace and our apostolic mission to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations in honor of his name. You are one of these nations, and by his call belong to Jesus Christ. To you all, then, who are God’s beloved in Rome, called to be saints, may God our
- [Fear and Possessions](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/13/fear-and-possessions/) - Whenever a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are secure. But when a stronger than him breaks in and wins victory, he strips off the armor on which the man had relied, and distributes his spoils. The person who is not with me is against me. The one who does
- [Discovering Our Ordinary Lives](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/12/discovering-our-ordinary-lives/) - For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble. And the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the Lord of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of
- [Overcoming Estrangement](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/11/overcoming-estrangement/) - He was in a certain spot praying. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to. him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”. He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say, “Father, may your name be holy! May your kingdom come!” Luke 11: 1-2 In the Xaverian Fundamental Principles we
- [Listening and Receiving](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/10/listening-and-receiving/) - The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled by many things. But there is need for only one. Mary chose the good part. It won’t be taken away from her.” Luke 10: 41-2 In his commentary on the stories of The Good Samaritan and of Martha and Mary in Luke 10, Luke
- [Letting God Be God In Us](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/09/letting-god-be-god-in-us/) - The Lord, however, hurled a violent wind upon the sea, and in the furious tempest that arose the ship was on the point of breaking up. Then the mariners became frightened and each one cried to his god. Jonah 1: 4-5 But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the
- [Encounter and Prophecy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/06/encounter-and-prophecy/) - Justice is with the Lord, our God; and we today are flushed with shame, we men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem, that we, with our kings and rulers and priests and prophets, and with our ancestors, have sinned in the Lord’s sight and disobeyed him. We have neither heeded the voice of the Lord,
- [The Gift of Tears](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/05/the-gift-of-tears/) - Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all the people: “Today is holy to the Lord your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep” — for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. Nehemiah
- [Rebuilding the Church](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/04/rebuilding-the-church/) - “How could I not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been eaten out by fire?" The king asked me, “What is it, then, that you wish?" I prayed to the God of heaven and then answered the king: “If it please the king, and
- [Communal Wounds](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/04/communal-wounds/) - By Brother Joseph KibambeI was totally turned upside down by our various regional meetings we had as part of our effort to explore our Graced Crossroads. These gatherings put the finger on many of our communal wounds.
- [Setting Out Deliberately](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/03/setting-out-deliberately/) - When the time for his being taken up was approaching, he deliberately set himself to travel to Jerusalem. He sent messengers before him. Luke 9: 51-2 In a footnote to these opening verses of the middle section of Luke’s gospel, Luke Timothy Johnson points out that the literal translation of the phrase he translates as
- [Turn And Become Like Children](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/10/02/turn-and-become-like-children/) - “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.” Matthew 18: 3-5 This morning in the United
- [Messengers of Divine Life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/29/messengers-of-divine-life/) - “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” John 1: 50-51 At
- [For The Common Good](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/28/for-the-common-good/) - Now thus says the Lord of hosts: / Consider your ways! / You have sown much, but have brought in little; / you have eaten, but have not been satisfied; / You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated; / have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed; / And whoever earned wages / earned them
- [Power and Repentance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/27/power-and-repentance/) - At the time of the evening sacrifice, I, Ezra, rose in my wretchedness, and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees, stretching out my hands to the Lord, my God. I said: “My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you, O my God, for our wicked
- [A Personal Call to Continue a Journey](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/27/a-personal-call-to-continue-a-journey/) - By Brother Daniel SkalaIt is time to look from a different perspective as something new is slowly emerging. After what seems like a lifetime of construction projects, I need to do more.
- [Sin and Society](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/26/sin-and-society/) - The children of Israel—priests, Levites, and the other returned exiles—celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. Ezra 6: 16 “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” Luke 8: 21 We are living in a time that constantly reminds us of the truth
- [What Do We Love?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/22/what-do-we-love/) - People who long to be rich are a prey to temptation; they get trapped into all sorts of foolish and dangerous ambitions which eventually plunge them into ruin and destruction. ‘The love of money is the root of all evils’ and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith, and so
- [Unique Expressions of God's Love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/21/unique-expressions-of-gods-love/) - So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the
- [Living Inside or Outside](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/20/living-inside-or-outside/) - All the people and the tax agents had heard and justified God by being baptized with John’s baptism. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s plan for them by not being baptized by him. “To whom shall I compare the people of this age? Who are they like? They are like children in the
- [An Integrated Life of Mary and Martha](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/20/an-integrated-life-of-mary-and-martha/) - By Brother Patrick FumbishaThe description of our charism calls us to an integrated life of Mary and Martha. I see Martha representing fraternal love and I see the life of Mary representing faith.
- [Living In The Age of The Anthropocene](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/19/living-in-the-age-of-the-anthropocene/) - Fear took hold of everyone. They gave glory to God. They said, “A great prophet has been raised up among us!” and “God has visited his people!” Luke 7: 16 In today’s gospel we read of the raising from the dead of the only son of the widow of Nain. The people who witness this
- [Faith and Openness of Heart](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/18/faith-and-openness-of-heart/) - It is my wish, then, that in every place the people should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument. 1 Timothy 2: 8 “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” Luke 7: 9 In today’s gospel we hear the familiar story of the healing of the servant of
- [Telling Our Stories](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/13/telling-our-stories/) - We speak much today of “sharing our stories.” We understand intuitively that by speaking to another about the actual persons, situations, and events of our lives, we deepen our relationship and our felt sense of connection to each other. We feel less alone in the world, and by listening to others we welcome them into our worlds.
- [Our Friendship with Each Other](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/13/our-friendship-with-each-other/) - By Brother Michael McCarthyI experienced that the foundation of our transformation is our friendship with each other and I felt a deep sense of shared ownership for the Xaverian future.
- [Repentance and Transformation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/12/repentance-and-transformation/) - So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and
- [Love and Suffering](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/11/love-and-suffering/) - I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his Body, which is the Church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word
- [Better To Die Living Than To Live Dying](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/08/better-to-die-living-than-to-live-dying/) - The Lord says:/ You Bethlehem-Ephrathah,/ too small to be among the clans of Judah,/ From you shall come forth for me/ one who is to be ruler in Israel;/ whose origin is from of old,/ from ancient times. Micah 5:2 Yesterday there was a story in the Washington Post by Nick Anderson on the enormous
- [Gratitude and Prayer](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/06/gratitude-and-prayer/) - We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the holy ones because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. Of this you have already heard through
- [Renewed Reclamation of our Identity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/06/renewed-reclamation-of-our-identity/) - By Brother Raphael WanjalaThe future of our Congregation is not for us to invent—that remains the work of the divine plan of God—but we can, as one village, anticipate co-creatively with the help of the process of renewal and transformation.
- [The Light and the Darkness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/05/the-light-and-the-darkness/) - But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert
- [Work and Society](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/04/work-and-society/) - Jesus unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and
- [How To Stay Awake](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/09/01/how-to-stay-awake/) - While they went off to buy the oil, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not
- [Invitation to Listen Deeply](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/30/invitation-to-listen-deeply/) - By Brother Edward DriscollI cannot define this new consciousness, but I did feel it during our Rome meeting. I believe it stems from the realization that we are, indeed, ‘brothers’ to each other. We are equals.
- [The Work of the Word](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/30/the-work-of-the-word/) - And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly, that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is now at work in you who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2: 13 If we read
- [Right Speech](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/29/right-speech/) - Our exhortation was not from delusion or impure motives, nor did it work through deception. But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please men, but rather God, who judges our hearts. Thessalonians 2: 3-4 Today is the Feast
- [Discerning Motivation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/28/discerning-motivation/) - As our technological capacities rapidly develop, for example in the realm of medical technology and genetic manipulation, we and perhaps the entire human race are faced with the question of whether or not we should always do what we are able to do. If any, what are the boundaries around human power that are to be respected?
- [How Do You Know Me?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/24/how-do-you-know-me/) - “Nathanael said to Jesus, ‘How do you know me?’” In a very brief gospel story, we are given ample illustration of precisely how guileless Nathanael is. As “a true child of Israel,” Nathanael knows well the words of Psalm 139: “You discern my going out and my lying down;/you are familiar with all my ways.”
- [Rediscovering the Common](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/23/rediscovering-the-common/) - He answered one of them and said: “Friend, I did you no injustice. did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go. I choose to give to this last one as to you. Is it not allowed to me to do what I wish with my own? Or is
- [Encouraged and Edified](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/23/encouraged-and-edified/) - By Brother Ghislain MukonkoleEach of us was sharing things not just from the head but from the depth of our hearts. These were truly heart to heart sharing sessions.
- [Go With The Strength You Have](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/22/go-with-the-strength-you-have/) - Van Kaam tells us that we are formed as human beings by a process of differentiation and integration. New experiences and new insights in life will at times come together in such a way that we experience an integration of our person, a new current form of life which “feels” to us to be more ourselves than we have ever been before. At such moments we have the welcome experience of “self-possession.”
- [Karma and Responsibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/21/karma-and-responsibility/) - Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth, the anger of the Lord flared up against Israel, and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them. He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about whom they were no longer able to withstand. Whatever they undertook,
- [Reforming Memory](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/18/reforming-memory/) - Then I brought your father Abraham from the region beyond the River and led him through the entire land of Canaan. I made his descendants numerous, and gave him Isaac. To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned the mountain region of Seir in which to settle , while Jacob and his
- [The Common Good](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/17/the-common-good/) - So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord, your God. This is how you will know that there is a living God in your midst, who at your approach will dispossess the Canaanites. The ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth
- [Growth and Change in Consciousness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/16/growth-and-change-in-consciousness/) - By Brother John HamiltonFollowing the General Chapter of 1995, we often spoke quite glibly of our “international” identity. Yet, until recently, we had not really begun the serious effort to listen to and understand each other across our cultural divides.
- [Mission and Self-Esteem](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/15/mission-and-self-esteem/) - It well may be that nothing is more sought after and yet found more elusive than what we term “self-esteem." It is psychologically understood to be our subjective evaluation of ourselves, and we have come to recognize it as a significant influence on a person’s behavior.
- [Fearing the Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/14/fearing-the-lord/) - And now Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your being, to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes that I charge
- [Fixing In Our Hearts](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/11/fixing-in-our-hearts/) - When he was campaigning for President in 2000, George W. Bush issued a values critique of the Clinton administration by saying: “Our generation has a chance to reclaim some essential values, to show we have grown up before we grow old.” Politics aside, as a member of Bush’s generation I found myself pondering his words.
- [An Abundance For Every Good Work](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/10/an-abundance-for-every-good-work/) - The Xaverian Fundamental Principles remind us that the heart of discipleship, of the call of Jesus to each of us, is to recognize that all is gift. The “secret” of life, from the Christian perspective is that our very life is a gift to us, and, because it is a gift, it is given to us that we might give it away.
- [Seeking and Faith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/09/seeking-and-faith/) - Jesus declares that this woman, who knows nothing of the tradition which forms Jesus and his own self-understanding, has great faith. She is able to recognize the truth of Jesus that so many others who have been raised and formed in the same tradition as Jesus cannot begin to really grasp.
- [The Concern of the Entire Congregation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/09/the-concern-of-the-entire-congregation/) - By Brother Simon WasikeThe usage of the phrase, “we are one village” meant to me that the concerns of one region are not only for that particular region but are meant to be the concerns of the entire congregation.
- [Living Our Call](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/08/living-our-call-2/) - As I video-chatted with my friend last evening, I could see that he looked as young as he had when we first met in our very early 30’s. With but the little rest he needed to restore his physical strength, he was ready to serve the possibility that he saw in so many of the young people he had spent the past weeks with, and he longed to discern how best to serve that possibility.
- [The Common Life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/07/the-common-life/) - Particularly as Euro-American culture has become more and more work-fixated and product and finance-oriented, much of our work lives have become more and more burdensome and debilitating. This is true not only in the secular sphere but even in the so-called religious one.
- [The Presumption of Knowing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/04/the-presumption-of-knowing/) - What is our greatest obstacle to change, reformation, and transformation in both our personal and shared lives? One of the ways we navigate the mystery of life is by an arrogant presumption that we know and understand. This is most at work in us in the most familiar settings of our lives.
- [Memory and Faith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/03/memory-and-faith/) - And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. And Moses could not come into the Tent of Meeting, for the cloud abode upon it and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. And when the cloud went up from over the Tabernacle, the Israelites would
- [The Virtue of Joy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/03/the-virtue-of-joy/) - By Brother Stephen Obara OketchThe joy that we are yearning for is the interior peace that leads to exterior happiness. It means that we cannot express joy if it is not planted in us by God Himself. God is the main source of our Joy.
- [Approach and Avoidance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/02/approach-and-avoidance/) - Over time I’ve discovered that one of the most difficult questions for us to answer is “What do you really want?” We have plenty of wants, and, like the merchant in the parable, we search the world seeking to satisfy them. The very engine of our economy runs on our having wants, and often what we even feel as needs, that we’ll pay to fulfill.
- [The Virtues of Courtesy and Prudence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/02/the-virtues-of-courtesy-and-prudence/) - By Brother Deus SakaCourtesy serves as a tool that cherishes love and is governed by self-respect, respect for others, and common sense as the major principles. Prudence as a cardinal virtue plays an important role in our struggle for true discipleship.
- [Unique Village of my Destiny](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/02/unique-village-of-my-destiny/) - By Brother Placide Ngoie MunangaI feel still capable of sharing a wider plan with the other inhabitants of this one village. More and more I understand that I must turn away from my concerns in order to concentrate on what is essential with the other members who are younger than I.
- [Discerning the Wheat and the Weeds](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/01/discerning-the-wheat-and-the-weeds/) - Our formation is sourced from multiple directions. It is, perhaps, most largely influenced by our early formation situations in our families and local situations. There, the values by which we are to live are communicated to us through almost every aspect of our lives.
- [A Short Reflection on Poverty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/08/01/a-short-reflection-on-poverty/) - By Brother Stephen Cyprian Simiyu LuswetiOn the second day of retreat Brother Stephen reflects on the centrality of spiritual poverty to the life of a brother.
- [To The Greater Glory Of God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/31/to-the-greater-glory-of-god/) - Today is the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus. From its beginning as the Company of Jesus, the members of the Society were to see themselves as companions and disciples of Jesus. According to Ignatius, in every word and deed they were to seek “the greater glory of God.” To serve the glory of God is to be a servant of the hidden kingdom of God that Jesus describes in today’s gospel.
- [The First Day of Retreat](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/31/input-of-the-first-day-of-retreat/) - By Festus Kathuki MuluBrother Festus summarizes the first day of retreat, which was programmed around the theme, "Knowing and Living our Identity."
- [Faith and Idolatry](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/28/faith-and-idolatry/) - Belief in the one, true, and jealous God is hard work. To be “owned” by God and to be a trustee of God’s truth is difficult to maintain in the everyday. Even as believers we tend to forget whose we are. In our laziness we unconsciously lay claim to an autonomy that is not ours, and, in its service, we tend to relinquish our freedom by speaking and acting out of our many unconscious idolatries.
- [Arrogance and Humility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/27/arrogance-and-humility/) - In the United States the citizenry is currently living in a very polarized time. The polarization is fed by a cynical and manipulative fostering of the sense that there is no actual reality to be seen and understood. There is nothing beyond what each person or collective identity purports to see and to understand.
- [Becoming Rich Soil](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/26/becoming-rich-soil/) - Our availability to receive form for our lives from the word, or, for that matter, from any encounter in our lives, depends in large part on the nature and quality of our attention. The depth and quality of our attention to the Other in whatever form it manifests itself to us correlates to the degree of both our detachment and attachment.
- [Followers of Christ in the Xaverian Tradition](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/26/5794-2/) - By Brother Paul MurrayPope Francis wants our community life to be the primary form of evangelization. In order to do this, we must learn to love and accept the Brothers we have, not the Brothers we want.
- [Getting Out Of The Way](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/25/getting-out-of-the-way/) - What occurred yesterday at the Boy Scout Jamboree, with not only the speaking of the President but the cabinet officers and other public figures laughing behind him, speaks to the action of the demonic when we are unable “to get out of the way.” The hundreds if not thousands of Boy Scouts were but props or objects for the President’s self-promotion.
- [Choosing Freedom](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/24/choosing-freedom/) - To Moses they said, “Were there no graves in Egypt that you must lead us out to die in the wilderness? What good have you done us, bringing us out of Egypt? We spoke of this in Egypt, did we not? Leave us alone, we said, we would rather work for the Egyptians! Better
- [Dialogue and Mission](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/21/dialogue-and-mission/) - “This is how you are to eat it; with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the Lord.” Exodus 12:11 Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and
- [Servants Or Friends?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/20/servants-or-friends/) - In the developed world today, although many are still involved in taxing physical labor, many are now freed of that demand. And yet, the result has not been greater creative and restful leisure, a deepening capacity for spiritual enjoyment. It has rather, mysteriously, resulted in an even increased culture of work.
- [Becoming Simple](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/19/becoming-simple/) - “I give you thanks, Father, lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants.” Matthew 11:25 In his notes concerning this verse of Matthew’s gospel, Daniel Harrington, SJ, writes: infants: The nēpioi are Jesus’ disciples who hear him and perceive his significance. The
- [One Village](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/19/one-village/) - By Brother John CollinsHow will the American, Belgian, Congolese and Kenyan regions come together to make the personal and communal sacrifice, as well as commit to ongoing prayerful discernment and innovation, that is required to live as one village?
- [From Guilt To Repentance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/18/from-guilt-to-repentance/) - And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? You will go down to the underworld. For if the miracles that have taken place in you had taken place in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom
- [Knowing Ourselves](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/17/knowing-ourselves/) - Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his
- [The Purgatory of Anger](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/14/the-purgatory-of-anger/) - Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. Matthew 10: 21-2 The difficult sayings of Jesus that we read
- [The Possibility of Forgiveness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/13/the-possibility-of-forgiveness/) - “Come closer to me,” Joseph told his brothers. When they had done so, he said: “I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt. But now do not be distressed, and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here. It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me
- [Choosing Not To Forget](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/12/choosing-not-to-forget/) - Alas, we are being punished because of our brother. We saw the anguish of his heart when he pleaded with us, yet we paid no heed; that is why this anguish has now come upon us. Genesis 42:21 Today we read of the encounter between Joseph and the brothers who deserted him and left
- [The Way of Humility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/11/the-way-of-humility/) - Grant, we pray, that, putting nothing before love of you, we may hasten with a loving heart in the way of your commands. Prayer, Feast of St. Benedict What can be sweeter to us, dear ones, than this voice of the Lord inviting us? Behold, in His loving kindness the Lord shows us the way
- [Returning Home](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/10/returning-home/) - Jacob then made this vow: “If God remains with me, to protect me on this journey I am making and to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I come back safe to my father’s house, the Lord shall be my God. This stone that I have set up as a
- [Learning Mercy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/07/learning-mercy-2/) - While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but
- [Faith and Encounter](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/06/faith-and-encounter/) - Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the Lord’s messenger called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. “Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the messenger. “Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to
- [Call Me Ishmael](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/05/call-me-ishmael/) - Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing with her son Isaac; so she demanded of Abraham: “Drive out that slave and her son! No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac!” Gen. 21: 9-10 And when Jesus came to the other side,
- [Think About These Things](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/04/think-about-these-things/) - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 Today is Independence Day in the United States. It is, perhaps, the foremost
- [Doubt and Faith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/07/03/doubt-and-faith/) - Jesus said, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you
- [Walking in the Presence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/30/walking-in-the-presence/) - When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said: "I am God the Almighty. Walk in my presence and be blameless.” Genesis 17:1 We are told that when God first created humanity, God would walk with them each afternoon. Before the experience of the fall, before we lost our “original
- [Prayer And Encounter](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/29/prayer-and-encounter/) - Herod had Peter taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. He intended to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf. Acts 12:4-5 On
- [Appreciation of the Mystery](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/28/appreciation-of-the-mystery/) - As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep terrifying darkness enveloped him. When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch which passed between those pieces. It was on that occasion that the Lord made a covenant with
- [Repining Restlessness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/27/repining-restlessness/) - Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and spacious the way that leads to destruction, and many are entering through it. How narrow is the gate and hard the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it. Matthew 7:13-4 On Sunday, three of us made our return
- [Recognizing The Beam In Our Eye](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/26/recognizing-the-beam-in-our-eye/) - How can you say to your brother or sister, “Let me remove that splinter from your eye” while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s or sister’s eye. Matthew 7:4-5 Some claim
- [Recognizing The Risen Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/16/recognizing-the-risen-lord/) - We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. . . . we are . . . always carrying about in the Body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. For we who live are
- [From Glory to Glory](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/15/from-glory-to-glory/) - Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. All of us, gazing with unveiled faces on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-8 If you allow
- [But The Spirit Gives Life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/14/but-the-spirit-gives-life/) - Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God, who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Cor 3:5-6 Amen, I say
- [Give Light To All In The House](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/13/give-light-to-all-in-the-house/) - You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so your light must shine before others, that they
- [The God Of All Encouragment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/12/the-god-of-all-encouragment/) - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,the Father of compassion and the God of all encouragement,who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God. 2 Cor 1:3-4 Blessed
- [The Great Commandment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/08/the-great-commandment/) - One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with
- [Prayer and Shame](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/07/prayer-and-shame/) - Grief stricken in spirit, I, Tobit, groaned and wept aloud. then with sobs I began to pray: “You are righteous, O Lord, and all your deeds are just. All your ways are mercy and truth; you are the judge of the world. And now, O Lord may you be mindful of me, and look with
- [Encountering the Truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/06/encountering-the-truth/) - Jesus said to them, “The things of Caesar give back to Caesar, and the things of God to God.” Mark 12:17 Today’s gospel from Mark tells us that Jesus recognized the hypocrisy in the question to him of the Pharisees and Herodians. This encounter is reminiscent of the dynamic in a lecture in an
- [Congregational Letter Volume IV, Letter 7 | Pentecost](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/06/02/congregational-letter-volume-ivletter-7-pentecost/) - On Pentecost, we celebrate the birth of the Church. As with any birth there is always a sense of the miraculous, and feelings of excitement and a reverence for the new life that has just entered our world. I am sure each of us has also received birthday wishes that tell us that we have another opportunity for a ‘new beginning.’
- [God Is In Our Midst](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/31/god-is-in-our-midst/) - The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love. He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. Zephaniah 3:17-18 And how does this happen to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
- [A State of Eternal Enjoyment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/30/a-state-of-eternal-enjoyment/) - “Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24 “Now this is eternal life, that they should know you , the only true God, and the one
- [That In Me You May Have Peace](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/29/that-in-me-you-may-have-peace/) - “Do you now believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered each to your own home, and will leave me alone; yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said this to you that in me you may have peace. In the world you
- [Receiving the Gift of the Spirit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/26/receiving-the-gift-of-the-spirit/) - “Amen, amen I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.” John 16: 20 Later in my mother’s life, but before she had descended into the worst of her dementia, she and I had a conversation about the death of her
- [You Cannot Bear It Now](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/24/you-cannot-bear-it-now/) - “The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything. Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. He made from one
- [What Must I Do To Be Saved?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/23/what-must-i-do-to-be-saved/) - Then the jailer brought out Paul and Silas and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved." Acts 16:30-1 "But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth it is
- [Inner and Outer Conflict](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/22/inner-and-outer-conflict/) - One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, worshiper of God, listened and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, "If you consider me a believer in
- [Servant or Friend](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/19/servant-or-friend/) - I shall no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learned from my Father. You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit
- [The Gathering of the Ordinary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/18/the-gathering-of-the-ordinary/) - Why, then, are you now putting God to the test by placing on the shoulders of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.” Acts 15:10-11
- [How To Live In Interesting Times](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/17/how-to-live-in-interesting-times/) - Remain in me, as I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, unless it remains part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, as I remain in you, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off
- [Standing Ready In Love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/16/standing-ready-in-love/) - “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace which the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. . . . If you loved me you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the father is
- [Turn From These Empty Idols](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/15/turn-from-these-empty-idols/) - “Friends, what do you think you are doing? We are only human beings, mortal like yourselves. We have come with good news to make you turn from these empty idols to the living God who made sky and earth and the sea and all that these hold.” Acts 14:15 We hear today of the
- [How Can We Know the Way?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/12/how-can-we-know-the-way/) - “Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me.” John 14:5-6 In the interchange
- [Becoming Nobody](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/11/becoming-nobody/) - “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives he one who sent me.” John 13:20 We often speak of “contemplation” as if it is some kind of personal spiritual achievement. There is often about our way of speaking of contemplative action the sense
- [Caring and Judgment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/10/caring-and-judgment/) - The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge; the word that I have spoken will serve as judge on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment of what to say and what to speak.
- [Listening and Appreciation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/09/listening-and-appreciation/) - “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.” John 10: 25-8 The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go
- [Courage and Transformation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/08/courage-and-transformation/) - The Apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem the circumcised believers confronted him saying, “You entered the house of uncircumcised people and ate with them.” Acts 11:1-3 And I have other sheep that are not of
- ["Who Are You, Sir?"](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/05/who-are-you-sir/) - Immediately it was as though scales fell away from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. Acts 9:18 “Amen, amen I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you; those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal
- [Spiritual Friendship](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/04/spiritual-friendship-2/) - The Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and meet that chariot." When Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” “How can I,” he replied, “unless I have someone to guide me?” So he invited Philip to get in and sit by his side.
- [Meeting the Parents](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/05/03/meeting-the-parents/) - Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me. If you have come to know me you shall know my Father also. Henceforth you know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7 In western culture a key moment in the experience
- [Mystery and Tradition](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/04/07/mystery-and-tradition/) - They took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father, for which of these do you stone me?" They answered, “It is not for a good work that we stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” John 10:
- [Living For God's Glory](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/04/06/living-for-gods-glory/) - “Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you claim to be?" Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, “He is our God. But you have not known him; I know him. If I
- [Abide In My Word](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/04/05/abide-in-my-word/) - As he spoke thus, many believed in him. Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:30-2 In his commentary Francis J. Moloney, SDB points out
- [Daring To Pray](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/04/04/daring-to-pray/) - Jesus said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.” . . . They said to him, “Who are you?" Jesus said to them, “What is the point of talking to you? I have much to say about you and much to
- [Standing Before Jesus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/04/03/standing-before-jesus/) - Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let the one who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on
- [Turn Away From Sin](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/31/turn-away-from-sin/) - Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us and opposes our way of life, reproaches us for our breaches of the law and accuses us of playing false to our upbringing. . . . In his opinion we are counterfeit; he holds aloof from our doings as though from filth;
- [Seeking God's Presence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/30/seeking-gods-presence/) - And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness to me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen; and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe him whom he has sent. You search the scriptures because you think that in them you
- [Community and Discernment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/29/community-and-discernment/) - I will make a highway of all the mountains, and the high roads shall be banked up. Some are on their way from afar, others from the north and the west, others from the land of Sinim. Shout for joy you heavens; exult, you earth! You mountains, break into happy cries! For Yahweh consoles his
- [Prayer and Work](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/28/prayer-and-work/) - And this is why the Jews persecuted and prosecuted Jesus, because he did this on the sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working and I also am working.” This is why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath but was also calling
- [Living By Faith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/27/living-by-faith/) - Thus says the Lord: Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; for I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a
- [Overcoming Cynicism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/23/overcoming-cynicism/) - This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts
- [Law and Order](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/22/law-and-order/) - Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees as the Lord, my God, has commanded me, that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy. Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say,
- [Forgiving As We Are Forgiven](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/21/forgiving-as-we-are-forgiven/) - The master had pity on that servant and released him and forgave him the loan. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and he took hold of him and choked him, saying: “Pay back whatever you owe." Matthew 47: 27-8 As Pope Francis
- [Awakening The Inner Self](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/20/awakening-the-inner-self/) - When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. Matthew 1:24 Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph. We know almost nothing of his ordinary and socially constructed life, other than that he “was a righteous man." The brilliance of the
- [Lazarus At The Gate](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/16/lazarus-at-the-gate/) - There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Luke 16:19-21 The parable which
- [Conformity and Uniqueness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/15/conformity-and-uniqueness/) - Hear me, O Lord, and listen to what my adversaries say. Must good be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life? Remember that I stood before you to speak in their behalf, to turn away your wrath from them. Jeremiah 18:19-20 But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know
- [Learning To Do Good](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/14/learning-to-do-good/) - Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow. Isaiah 1:16-7 "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever
- [The Measure With Which We Measure](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/12/the-measure-with-which-we-measure/) - Jesus said to his disciples:"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into
- [Anger and Helplessness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/10/anger-and-helplessness/) - “You have heard that it was said to the ancients: ‘You shall not kill. But whoever does kill will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. Whoever says to his brother ‘empty-head’ will be liable to the the Sanhedrin. Whoever
- [As You Would Wish Others To Do To You](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/09/as-you-would-wish-others-to-do-to-you/) - Therefore everything that you wish that people would do to you, so also do to them. For this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12 As we enter more deeply into the mystery and practice of Lent, we are called by today’s gospel to realize that true prayer arises in us out of our
- [Tradition and Kindness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/03/tradition-and-kindness/) - The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
- [Come To Me For Life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/02/come-to-me-for-life/) - “You study the scriptures, believing that in them you have eternal life; now these same scriptures testify to me, and yet you refuse to come to me for life!” John 5: 39-40 As we enter these days of Lent 2017, Jesus addresses us, as he does those antagonistic religious leaders of his day: “.
- [Go To Your Inner Room](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/03/01/go-to-your-inner-room/) - When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father
- [Community and Formation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/28/community-and-formation/) - Jesus said, “Amen I say to you, there is no one who left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land for my sake and for the gospel’s sake who will not receive now in this age a hundredfold houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and land,
- [Wealth and Addiction](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/27/wealth-and-addiction/) - But his face fell at this saying, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples: “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God." But his disciples were amazed at his words. Mark 10: 22-4 In their
- [Friendship and Desire](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/24/friendship-and-desire/) - A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; / he who finds one finds a treasure. / A faithful friend is beyond price, / no sum can balance his worth. / A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, / such as he who fears God finds; / For he who fears God behaves accordingly, / and
- [Avoiding Scandal](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/23/avoiding-scandal/) - And if your hand scandalizes you, cut it off. It is better that you enter into life disabled than having two hands to go away into Gehenna, into unquenchable fire. And if your foot scandalizes you, cut it off. It is better to enter into life maimed than having two feet to be cast into
- [Upon This Rock](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/22/upon-this-rock/) - Jesus answered and said to him: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood have not revealed this to you but your Father who is in heaven. And I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail over
- [What Will Happen To Them?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/21/what-will-happen-to-them/) - Be sincere of heart, be steadfast, and do not be alarmed when disaster comes. Cling to the Lord and do not leave him, so that you may be honored at the end of your days. Whatever happens to you, accept it, and in the uncertainties of your humble state, be patient, since gold is tested
- [Learning Wisdom](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/20/learning-wisdom/) - Before all other things wisdom was created, shrewd understanding is everlasting. For whom has the root of wisdom ever been uncovered? Her resourceful ways, who knows them? One only is wise, terrible indeed, seated on his throne, the Lord. The Lord himself has created her, looked on her and assessed her, and poured her out
- [Working Together](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/17/working-together/) - And they said: ‘Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, with its top in heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’ And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
- [Who Do You Say That I Am?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/16/who-do-you-say-that-i-am-2/) - Then Jesus and his disciples went toward the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he questioned the disciples and said to them: “Who are people saying that I am?” They said in reply: “[Some say] John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the prophets.” And he questioned them further: But
- [Sinfulness and Folly](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/15/sinfulness-and-folly/) - And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled the sweet savour; and the Lord said in His heart: ‘I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of
- [Speaking From Our True Place](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/10/speaking-from-our-true-place/) - And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden toward the cool of the day; and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of
- [Crossing Boundaries](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/09/crossing-boundaries/) - He then rose up, left that place, and set out on a journey to the region around Tyre. . . . Right away upon hearing about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and threw herself down at his feet. (But this woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by
- [To Till The Earth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/08/to-till-the-earth/) - No shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground; but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the
- [Doing God's Work](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/07/doing-gods-work/) - Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested
- [Rediscovering Our Place](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/06/rediscovering-our-place/) - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, and God’s spirit hovered over the waters. . . . Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree
- [Rooted in God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/03/rooted-in-god/) - You see, Herod was afraid of John. He also realized that John was a just and holy man, and even protected him. When he heard him speak he was very perplexed, yet he enjoyed listening to him. Mark 6: 20 In their commentary on this passage, John R. Donohue and Daniel J. Harrington point out
- [Anger and Hope](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/02/02/anger-and-hope/) - Since all the children share the same blood and flesh, he too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could take away all the power of the devil, who had power over death, and set free all those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.
- [Touching The World](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/01/11/touching-the-world/) - Jesus went over to her and, taking her by the hand, raised her up, and the fever left her. She then took care of their needs. . . . Very early the next morning, before dawn, he got up and left the house. He then departed for a deserted place, and there spent time in
- [I Know You For What You Are](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/01/10/i-know-you-for-what-you-are/) - At that moment in their synagogue was a person with an unclean spirit; he screamed and shouted: “What do we have in common, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to wipe us out? I know you for what you are—the holy one of God.” Mark 1: 23-4 In their commentary on Mark’s gospel, John R.
- [Living Our Call](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/01/09/living-our-call/) - Then Jesus appeared: he came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. John tried to dissuade him. “It is I who need baptism from you” he said “and yet you come to me!” But Jesus replied, “Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this
- [God Has Given Us Eternal Life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/01/06/god-has-given-us-eternal-life/) - Everybody who believes in the Son of God has this testimony inside him. . . . This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life and this life is in his Son; anyone who has the Son has life, anyone who does not have the Son does not have life. 1 John 5: 10-12
- [We Are Bringing You To Birth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/01/05/we-are-bringing-you-to-birth/) - Nathanael asked Jesus, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
- [Staying With Jesus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/01/04/staying-with-jesus/) - Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, “What do you want?” They answered, Rabbi,” —which means Teacher—“where do you live?” “Come and see” he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. it was about the tenth hour. John 1: 38-8 The call of
- [We Are God's Children Now](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/01/03/we-are-gods-children-now/) - Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are. 1 John 3:1 I did not know him myself but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, “On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain
- [The Promise of Eternal Life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2017/01/02/the-promise-of-eternal-life/) - Let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life. 1 John 2: 24-5 This morning I received a much appreciated
- [Following Our Way](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/30/following-our-way/) - He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He
- [That The Calculations Of Our Hearts May Be Revealed](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/29/that-the-calculations-of-our-hearts-may-be-revealed/) - Whoever loves his brother or sister is living in the light and need not be afraid of stumbling; unlike the one who hates one’s brother or sister and is in the darkness, not knowing where she or he is going, because it is too dark to see. 1 John 2: 11 Simeon blessed them and
- [Caring For Our Children](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/28/caring-for-our-children/) - If we say that we are in union with God while we are living in darkness, we are lying because we are not living the truth. But if we live our lives in the light, as God is in the light, we are in union with one another and the blood of Jesus, God’s Son,
- [And Our Hands Have Touched](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/27/and-our-hands-have-touched/) - Something which has existed since the beginning, that we have heard, and we have seen with our own eyes; that we have watched and touched with our hands: the Word, who is life— this is our subject. 1 John 1: 1 Aside, perhaps, from the prologue to the Gospel of John, there is no more
- [What You Are To Say Will Be Given To You](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/26/what-you-are-to-say-will-be-given-to-you/) - But then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, . . . . They found they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom, and because it was the Spirit that prompted what he said. Acts 6: 9-10 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak
- [Judgment and Responsibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/23/judgment-and-responsibility/) - Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fuller’s alkali. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and then they
- [Now I, In Turn, Give To The Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/22/now-i-in-turn-give-to-the-lord/) - I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord’ as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord. 1 Samuel 1: 27-8 My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;/ my spirit rejoices in God my savior,/ for God has looked
- [Now That My Every Act Is Love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/21/now-that-my-every-act-is-love/) - Come then, my love,/ my lovely one, come./ My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock,/ in the coverts of the cliff,/ show me your face,/ let me hear your voice;/ for your voice is sweet/ and your face is beautiful. Song of Songs 2: 13-14 And how does this happen to me, that
- [An Everlasting Kingdom](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/20/an-everlasting-kingdom/) - He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end. Luke 1: 32 This Tuesday of the Fourth Week of
- [Work and Worship](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/16/work-and-worship/) - Thus says the Lord: / Observe what is right, do what is just; / for my salvation is about to come, / my justice about to be revealed. / Blessed is the one who does this, those who hold to it; / Who keep the sabbath free from profanation, / and their hands from any
- [The Shame of Your Youth You Shall Forget](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/15/the-shame-of-your-youth-you-shall-forget/) - Fear not, you shall not be put to shame; / you need not blush, for you shall not be disgraced. / The shame of your youth you shall forget, / the reproach of your widowhood no longer remember. For he who has become your husband is your Maker; / his name is the Lord of
- [Seek God Ever As One Hidden](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/14/seek-god-ever-as-one-hidden/) - I am the Lord, there is no other; / I form the light, and create the darkness, / I make well-being and create woe; / I, the Lord, do all these things. Isaiah 46: 6-7 At that time, John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the
- [Saying and Doing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/13/saying-and-doing/) - Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man
- [Be Silent Before The Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/12/be-silent-before-the-lord/) - Let all humanity be silent before the Lord! For he is awaking and is coming from his holy dwelling. Zechariah 2: 17 Any reflection on our current world, or for that matter on all of human history, cannot escape the recognition that left to our own devices human beings will inevitably descend into varying degrees
- [The Deaf Will Hear](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/02/the-deaf-will-hear/) - The deaf, that day,/ will hear the words of a book/ and, after shadow and darkness,/ the eyes of the blind will see. But the lowly will rejoice in Yahweh even more/ and the poorest exult in the Holy One of Israel. . . . Isaiah 20: 18-9 The other day on the way
- [Doing God's Will](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/12/01/doing-gods-will/) - Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like those wise ones who build their houses on rock. The rain fell, the
- [Unless One Is Sent](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/30/unless-one-is-sent/) - But they will not ask the Lord’s help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they have heard of him and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as scripture says: “The footsteps
- [Being Childlike](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/29/being-childlike/) - Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,/and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;/The calf and the young lion shall browse together/with a little child to guide them. Isaiah 11: 6 At that moment Jesus exulted in the Holy Spirit. He said, “I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
- [Cloud By Day and Fire By Night](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/28/cloud-by-day-and-fire-by-night/) - Yahweh will come and rest/ on the whole stretch of Mount Zion/and on those who are gathered there,/a cloud by day, and smoke,/and by night the brightness of a flaring fire./ For over all, the glory of Yahweh/will be a canopy and a tent/to give shade by day from the heat,/refuge and shelter from the
- [Pay Attention To Yourselves](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/25/pay-attention-to-yourselves-2/) - He also told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as they have put out shoots, you can see and know for yourselves that summer is already near. The same is the case for you. When you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is
- [In Thanksgiving](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/24/in-thanksgiving/) - And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth; who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb, and fashions them according to his will! May he grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you; may his goodness toward us endure in Israel to deliver us in our
- [All Nations Will Come And Worship Before You](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/23/all-nations-will-come-and-worship-before-you/) - Who shall not fear you, Lord, and do homage to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed. Rev. 15: 4 Today we read from the Book of Revelation of the nature of heaven. It is the “place” where “all nations
- [The Long Arc of the Moral Universe](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/22/the-arc-of-the-moral-universe/) - And another angel, one who has authority over fire, came out from the altar, and he called to the one who had the sharp sickle, saying: “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe." So the angel swung his sickle over the earth
- [Giving From Our Poverty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/21/giving-from-our-poverty/) - Jesus said, “I tell you truly: this poor widow has contributed more than all of them. For all these gave their gifts out of their abundance. But this woman contributed out of her poverty everything that she had to live on.” Luke 21: 3-4 If we are honest, we have to admit that the
- [An Echo of God's Word](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/18/an-echo-of-gods-word/) - I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I swallowed it my stomach turned sour. Revelation 10: 10 Jesus was teaching every day in the temple. But the chief priests and scribes and leaders of the people were seeking to
- [He Wept Over It](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/17/he-wept-over-it/) - As Jesus approached, he saw the city. He wept over it. He said, “If you—even you—had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” Luke 19: 41-3 The scripture scholar Luke Timothy Johnson in his commentary on these verses from Luke’s Gospel (The Gospel
- [For You Created All Things](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/16/for-you-created-all-things/) - Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things; by your will they were created and came into being! Rev. 4: 11 The Book of Revelation has perhaps wrought more havoc on Christian belief than any other biblical text. There is a fundamentalistic way
- [Wake Up](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/15/wake-up/) - Be mindful, therefore, of what you received and heard: meet it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come as a thief, and you will not know the hour of my coming. Rev. 3: 3 When he reached the spot, Jesus looked up. He said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry down from there!
- [A Church of Mercy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/14/a-church-of-mercy/) - I know your works -- your toil and endurance. I know you cannot bear evil people and have put to the test those who call themselves apostles but are not, and you have found them to be false. Endurance you have; you have borne up for my name's sake and have not grown weary. But
- [The Eyes of Love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/10/the-eyes-of-love/) - Jesus answered them: “The kingdom of God does not come by close scrutiny. Neither will they say, ‘Look! Here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For look, the kingdom of God is among you.” Luke 17: 20-1 I am so delighted, and comforted, to know of your love; they tell me, brother how you have
- [Blessed Are The Merciful](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/09/blessed-are-the-merciful/) - Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy. 1 Cor. 3: 16-7 The United States has just completed a most contentious election
- [Not Wasting Our Time](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/08/not-wasting-our-time/) - You don’t say “Thanks“ to a slave, do you, for doing what was commanded? The case is the same with you. When you have done everything that has been commanded you, say, “We are useless slaves! We have done what we were supposed to do!” Luke 17: 9-10 Today is election day in the
- [Pay Attention To Yourselves](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/07/pay-attention-to-yourselves/) - Jesus said to his disciples: “It is impossible for scandals not to happen. But woe to the person through whom they happen! It is better for that person to have a millstone hung around the neck and be thrown into the sea, than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Pay attention to
- [Poverty and Fullness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/04/poverty-and-fullness/) - “I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from management people will receive me into their homes.”. . . The master praised the wicked household manager because he acted cleverly. Indeed the children of this age are more clever towards their own generation than are the children of light. Luke 16:
- [Zeal For Your House Has Consumed Me](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/03/zeal-for-your-house-has-consumed-me/) - As for the law I was a Pharisee; as for working for religion I was a persecutor of the Church; as far as the Law can make you perfect, I was faultless. But because of Christ, I have come to consider all these advantages that I had as disadvantages. Not only that, but I believe
- [The Unity and Harmony We Have In Love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/02/the-unity-and-harmony-we-have-in-love/) - And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. John 6: 39 In The Spiritual Espousals (II,ii,B), Jan van Ruusbroec writes of how the “enlightened person,” the person who is living
- [What We Are To Be In The Future](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/11/01/what-we-are-to-be-in-the-future/) - Beloved, we are already the children of God, but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is , that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is. 1 John 3: 2 In the opening of her
- [Everybody Is To Be Self-Effacing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/31/everybody-is-to-be-self-effacing/) - There must be no competition among you; but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always think of the other person to be better than yourself, so that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead. Philippians 2: 3-4 Whenever you give a luncheon or dinner, stop inviting your friends
- [Becoming a Dwelling Place for God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/28/becoming-a-dwelling-place-for-god/) - Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2: 22 Ephesians tells us that as members of the church we are “no longer strangers and sojourners” but “fellow
- [Enter Through the Narrow Door](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/26/enter-through-the-narrow-door/) - “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t
- [Fostering Harmony](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/25/fostering-harmony/) - Jesus therefore began to say, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and planted in the garden. It grew into a tree, and the birds of the sky made nests in its branches." He also said: “To what shall I
- [When Jesus Saw Her](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/24/when-jesus-saw-her/) - Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you. Ephesians 4: 32 He was teaching on the Sabbath in one of the synagogues. There was a woman present who for eighteen years had a spirit of weakness. She was all bent over and completely unable to straighten up. When Jesus
- [Preserving the Unity of the Spirit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/21/preserving-the-unity-of-the-spirit/) - Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is father of
- [Strengthening Our Inner Selves](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/20/strengthening-our-inner-selves/) - Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length,
- [Wakefulness and Addiction](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/19/wakefulness-and-addiction/) - You also should stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at a time you do not expect. Luke 12: 40 On the news last evening there was a feature story on a young man’s process of undergoing rehabilitation for a severe addiction to heroin. When we first meet the young man, we see
- [Don't Greet Anyone on the Road](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/18/dont-greet-anyone-on-the-road/) - “You go! Look, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Don’t carry a purse or bag or wear sandals. Don’t greet anyone on the road." Luke 10: 3-4 On this feast of St. Luke, we read the commission of Jesus to the disciples to go and prepare the way for him. This is precisely
- [Protect Yourself From Every Form of Greed](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/17/protect-yourself-from-every-form-of-greed-2/) - And Jesus told them, “Watch out! Protect yourself from every form of greed! No one’s life is based on an abundance of possessions” Luke 12: 15 Today’s gospel passage begins with someone requesting that Jesus intervene in his dispute with his brother over their parents’ inheritance. Jesus, in his wisdom, refuses to do so, pointing
- [To Make God's Glory Praised](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/14/to-make-gods-glory-praised/) - You too have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit of the Promise, the pledge of our inheritance which brings freedom for those whom God has taken for his own, to make his glory praised. Ephesians 1: 13-14 In the passage we read today from the Letter to the Ephesians, we hear twice-repeated
- [A Continual Conversion Is Needed](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/13/a-continual-conversion-is-needed-2/) - Woe to you! You build tombs for the prophets. But your own ancestors killed them! Therefore you are witnesses to and collude with the deeds of your ancestors. They killed them, you build their tombs. Luke 11: 47-8 As we measure it, it has been a long time since Jesus charged the lawyers and the
- [Discovering Our True Place](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/12/discovering-our-true-place/) - You cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires. Since the Spirit is our life, let us be directed by the Spirit. Galatians 5: 23-3 “Woe also to you lawyers! You pile loads on people that are hard to carry, and yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of
- [Teach Me To Be Generous](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/11/teach-me-to-be-generous/) - The Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish. But your insides are full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn’t the one who made the outside also make the inside? So instead, give that which is inside as alms. And look! Everything is clean for you! Luke 11:
- [Silence and Hearing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/10/silence-and-hearing/) - The Ninevites will rise at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it. They repented at the preaching of Jonah. Look, something greater than Jonah is here! Luke 11: 32 In the verses immediately preceding the selection for today’s gospel, Luke recounts the words of a woman who shouts to Jesus from the crowd:
- [Discovering Our Place in the Kingdom](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/07/discovering-our-place-in-the-kingdom/) - The person who is not with me is against me. The one who does not join me scatters. Whenever an unclean spirit departs from a person it passes through waterless areas looking for a resting place but finds none. So it says, “I will go back to the house I left." When it arrives, it
- [If We Agree, God Enters](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/06/if-we-agree-god-enters/) - “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11: 9-10 In teaching about prayer, Jesus tells a
- [Teach Us To Pray](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/05/teach-us-to-pray/) - Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11: 1 What was it like for the disciples to witness Jesus at prayer? In today’s gospel we hear that whatever it was they
- [Nor Should They Feel Ashamed](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/04/nor-should-they-feel-ashamed/) - "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” Luke 10: 42-3 Today is the Feast of St Francis of Assisi. In both reality and legend Francis is a figure of the one
- [Loving the Stranger](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/10/03/loving-the-stranger/) - "Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10: 36-7 One of the most discouraging aspects of political campaigns for an involved citizen is the meaninglessness of most promises that are made
- [Following the Way](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/29/following-the-way/) - “Amen, amen I say to you, you will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” John 1: 51 Today is the feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. They are among the prime scriptural intermediaries between God and the human race. They are emblems of
- [Living Life Forwards](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/28/5294-2/) - And another person said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.” Luke 9: 61-2 Having made, at the age of
- [The Courage to Be](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/26/the-courage-to-be/) - When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem. Luke 9: 51 Job opened his mouth and cursed his day. Job spoke out and said: “Perish the day on which I was born, the night when they said, ‘The child is a boy!" Why did I
- [Wait In Silence For God Only](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/26/wait-in-silence-for-god-only/) - Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back again. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 1: 21 The Book of Job is a problem for us, as evil is a problem for us. We speak of the “problem
- [Time and Timelessness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/23/time-and-timelessness/) - God has made everything beautiful in its time. God has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 In the classic American play Our Town by Thornton Wilder, Emily, the young woman who has died in childbirth, returns unseen to witness
- [Are All Things Vanity?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/22/are-all-things-vanity/) - Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity! What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun? One generation passes and another comes, but the world forever stays. Ecclesiastes 1: 1-4 In my first introduction to the Book of Ecclesiastes, I remember hearing its author
- [Realizing Mercy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/21/realizing-mercy/) - Go and learn the meaning of the words, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." I did not come to call the righteous but sinners. Matthew 9:13 During the past year, Pope Francis called on all people to ponder the place of mercy in the revelation of Jesus and in our own lives. If, however, we
- [Working Diligently](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/20/working-diligently/) - The plans of the diligent are sure of profit,/ but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty. Proverbs 21: 5 Many years ago, a friend said to me: “John, you do everything fast." His comment reminded me of my childhood. Each evening, after supper, my parents and I would wash the dishes together. Inevitably, after
- [You Already Have It With You](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/19/you-already-have-it-with-you/) - Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”— when you already have it with you. Prov. 3:27-8 What is the source of so much violence, the death and destruction
- [All Life is Being Lived](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/16/all-life-is-being-lived/) - If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of people. 1 Cor 15:20 Recently I heard from a person struggling with drug addiction. Among his desperate assertions was: “My life is too far gone.” What do we mean when we speak of “my life”? Is it something
- [The Courage to Stand By](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/15/the-courage-to-stand-by/) - Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. John 19, 25 By the time that Jesus is crucified there remain “standing by” him only his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary Magdalene and the Beloved Disciple John. As the church celebrated yesterday the
- [The Thicket of the Cross](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/14/the-thicket-of-the-cross/) - . . . and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2: 7-8 For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. John 3: 17 The cross of Jesus reminds
- [Being Compassionate](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/13/being-compassionate/) - When the Lord saw her, he felt compassion toward her. . . . They said, “A great prophet has been raised up among us!” and, “God has visited his people!” Luke 7: 13, 16 In his commentary on Luke’s singular account of the healing of the widow’s son, Luke Timothy Johnson notes the significance of
- [The Gift of Faith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/12/the-gift-of-faith/) - When Jesus heard this, he marveled at him. He turned to the crowd that was following him. He said, “I tell you not even in Israel have I found faith like this!” Luke 7: 9 As we understand it, faith is so often a mark of our difference from each other, what discriminates one group
- [The Futility of Finger-Pointing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/09/the-futility-of-finger-pointing/) - Why do you spot the splinter in your brother’s eye, but not notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, allow me to extract the splinter form your eye,” when you yourself don’t see the log in your eye? Hypocrite! First extract the log from your eye! Then
- [The Nativity of Mary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/08/the-nativity-of-mary/) - Let everything, mundane things and those above, join in festive celebration. Today this created world is raised to the dignity of a holy place for him who made all things. The creature is newly prepared to be a divine dwelling place for the Creator. from a discourse of Saint Andrew of Crete, Office of Readings,
- [The World As We Know It Is Passing Away](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/07/the-world-as-we-know-it-is-passing-away/) - But woe to you rich people, for you are receiving your consolation. Woe to you who are now filled, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are now laughing for you will mourn and weep. Luke 6: 24-5 . . . our time is growing short. Those who have wives should live as
- [Taking Time For Prayer](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/06/taking-time-for-prayer/) - During that time, Jesus went off into the mountains to pray. He spent the entire night in prayer to God. When it was day, he summoned his disciples. He chose from among them the Twelve, whom he also named apostles. . . . Those tormented by unclean spirits were being healed and the crowds were
- [The Unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/05/the-unleavened-bread-of-sincerity-and-truth/) - The pride that you take in yourselves is hardly to your credit. You must know how even a small amount of yeast is enough to leaven all the dough, so get rid of all the old yeast, and make yourselves into a completely new batch of bread, unleavened as you are meant to be. Christ,
- [See I Am Doing A New Thing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/02/see-i-am-doing-a-new-thing/) - Therefore do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God. 1 Cor. 4: 5 Nor does anyone put new wine into old wineskins. In
- [Go Out Into The Deep Water](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/09/01/go-out-into-the-deep-water/) - When he finished speaking, Jesus said to Simon, “Go out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon answered, “Master, despite laboring through the whole night we caught nothing! But at your word I will lower the nets." When they had done so, they caught so great a number of fish
- [Fellow Workers With God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/08/31/fellow-workers-with-god/) - After all, what is Apollos and what is Paul? They are servants who brought the faith to you. Even the different ways in which they brought it were assigned to them by the Lord. I did the planting, Apollos did the watering, but God made things grow. Neither the planter not the waterer matter: only
- [To Speak with Authority](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/08/30/to-speak-with-authority/) - They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." Luke 4: 36 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the things
- [The Wisdom of God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/08/26/the-wisdom-of-god/) - And so, while the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and the
- [Whose Are We?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/08/25/whose-are-we/) - . . . to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. 1 Corinthians 1: 2 Every day I will bless you and I will praise your name for ever and ever. Great
- [Finding Each Other](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/08/24/finding-each-other/) - Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” John 1: 45 The opening of today’s gospel reading for the Feast of St. Bartholomew begins with a description of the encounter between Philip and Nathanael, whom
- [Learning Mercy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/08/23/learning-mercy/) - Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and you have neglected the weightier matters of the Law—judgment and mercy and faith. These you should have done without neglecting those. Blind guides, you strain out the gnat and swallow the camel. Matthew 23: 23-4 The distinguished 20th century
- [Living Reverently](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/08/22/living-reverently/) - Knowing this, we pray continually that our God will make you worthy of his call, and by his power fulfill all your desires for goodness and complete all that you have been doing through faith; because in this way the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in you and you in him,
- [Whom Do You Seek?](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/06/08/whom-do-you-seek/) - Elijah stepped out in front of all the people. “How long” he said “do you mean to hobble first on one leg than on the other? If Yahweh is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21 Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have
- [Having Enough](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/06/07/having-enough/) - She left and did as Elijah had said. She was able to eat for a year, and Elijah and her son as well; the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the Lord had foretold through Elijah. 1 Kings 17:15-6 Just so your light must shine before
- [Unpicking Our Delusions](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/06/06/unpicking-our-delusions/) - Blessed are the mourners, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5: 4 In a commentary on the character of Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, he psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz writes: Ultimately Scrooge changes because the ghosts unpick his delusion that you can live a life without loss. They undo his delusion by haunting
- [The Reasons of His Heart](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/06/03/the-reasons-of-his-heart/) - I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord God. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy, shepherding them rightly. Ezechiel 34: 15-6 Indeed
- [Loving Our Distant Neighbor](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/06/02/loving-our-distant-neighbor/) - “Which commandment is first of all?" Jesus answered: “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You
- [To Worship in Sprit and in Truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/06/01/to-worship-in-sprit-and-in-truth/) - Jesus said to them: “Is not this why you are wrong—because you do not know the Scriptures of the power of God?” Mark 12:24 Sigmund Freud’s analytic critique of monotheistic religion is entitled: The Future of An Illusion. The basis of his critique is that the teachings of religion and the very notion of God
- [The Lord Is In Your Midst](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/31/the-lord-is-in-your-midst/) - The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in
- [Make Us Instruments of Your Peace](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/30/make-us-instruments-of-your-peace/) - But those tenant farmers said to themselves, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.” Mark 12:7 At the core of our human dilemma lies our desire to “own” what does not belong to us. We mistakenly think the world is ours, and so, we likewise “forget”
- [Facing Hiroshima](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/27/facing-hiroshima/) - Each one of you has received a special grace, so, like good stewards responsible for all these different graces of God, put yourselves at the service of others. If you are a speaker, speak in words which seem to come from God; if you are a helper, help as though every action was done at
- [Realizing God's Work](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/26/realizing-gods-work/) - And immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. Mark 10:52 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul. 1 Peter 2:11 In the conclusion of their commentary on the passage from Mark that we read today, Daniel J. Harrington,
- [Daily Fidelity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/25/daily-fidelity/) - They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was preceding them; and they were amazed, but those following him were afraid. Mark 10: 32 At the heart of Mark’s gospel is the theme of the journey to Jerusalem. Jesus and his followers are always ‘on the way” to Jesus’ destiny in Jerusalem.
- [Living From The Inside Out](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/24/living-from-the-inside-out/) - Jesus said: “Amen I say to you there is no one who left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land for my sake and for the gospel’s sake who will not receive now in this age a hundredfold houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and land,
- [At Play In His Presence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/23/at-play-in-his-presence/) - Jesus looked at the man, loved him, and said:”One thing is lacking to you. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come follow me.” Mark 10: 21 [Wisdom spoke]. . . “I was by God’s side, a master craftsman,/delighting him day after day,/ever at
- [Becoming One Flesh](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/20/becoming-one-flesh/) - “But from the beginning of creation, ‘Male and female he made them. Because of this a man will leave his father and mother, and he will be joined to his wife and the two will be one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh.’ What God has joined together, let no man
- [Listening and Responding](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/19/listening-and-responding/) - Laborers mowed your fields, and you cheated them—listen to the wages that you kept back, calling out; realize that the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. On earth you have had a life of comfort and luxury; in the time of slaughter you went on eating to your
- [Frustration and Anxiety](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/18/frustration-and-anxiety/) - Here is the answer for those of you who talk like this: “Today or tomorrow we are off to this or that town; we are going to spend a year there, trading, and make some money.” You never know what will happen tomorrow: you are no more than a mist that is here for a
- [Purifying Our Desires](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/17/purifying-our-desires/) - Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? James 4: 1 “What were you arguing about on the way?" But they remained silent. For they had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Mark 9, 33-4 One of
- [Cultivating Peace](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/16/cultivating-peace/) - And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace. James 3:18 Each morning as we pray the Canticle of Zechariah, we ask that: in the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow
- [Loving In Truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/13/loving-in-truth/) - Peter was grieved because Jesus said to him the third time, “Do you love me?" And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” John 21:17 In asking Peter three times if he loves him, Jesus brings to the fore in this encounter with Peter the three-fold denial of
- [Guard Me As The Apple of Your Eye](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/12/guard-me-as-the-apple-of-your-eye/) - I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be where I am, to behold my glory, which
- [Your Word Is Truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/11/your-word-is-truth/) - They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Make them holy in the truth, your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I make myself holy that they also may be made holy in
- [For They Are Yours](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/10/5109-2/) - I am praying for them, I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours; all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. John 17: 9-10 A few days ago I was listening to a radio podcast in which a
- [For the Father Is With Me](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/09/for-the-father-is-with-me/) - The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered each to your own home, and will leave me alone; yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said this to you that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but be
- [Lord, You Know That I Love You](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/06/5102-2/) - Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you when you were young you girded yourself and walked where you would,
- [To See With The Eyes of Our Heart](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/05/to-see-with-the-eyes-of-our-heart/) - And as he was blessing them, Jesus withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. they worshipped him, and returned with great joy to Jerusalem. They stayed constantly in the temple blessing God. Luke 24: 51-3 In a homily which he offered on this feast of the Ascension in 2013, Pope Francis pointed out
- [Walking By Faith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/04/walking-by-faith/) - Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said: “You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious. For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.” Acts: 17:23 Even as a
- [Standing in the Truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/03/standing-in-the-truth/) - I am reminding you, brothers and sisters, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. 1 Cor. 15, 1 Where do we stand and what must we stand by? Today’s reading from 1 Corinthians challenges us with a most fundamental question. Paul tells the Corinthians, who
- [Encounter and Discernment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/05/02/encounter-and-discernment/) - Indeed, the hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me. John 16: 2-3 It is often said that history is written by the winners. Protagonists and antagonists are largely
- [I Have Called You Friends](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/29/i-have-called-you-friends/) - No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15: 15 In his classic spiritual text on Spiritual Friendship, Aelred of Rievaulx writes: “But
- [And Your Joy May Be Complete](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/28/and-your-joy-may-be-complete/) - And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them [the Gentiles] the Holy Spirit just as he did us. He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts. Why, then, are you now putting God to the test by placing on the shoulders of the disciples a
- [Draw Us Entirely To Thyself](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/27/draw-us-entirely-to-thyself/) - I am the true vine and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. . . . Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself
- [Guide Our Feet Into the Way of Peace](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/26/guide-our-feet-into-the-way-of-peace/) - They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14: 22 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.
- [Go Into The Whole World](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/25/go-into-the-whole-world/) - And he said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16: 15-16 The gospel reading today comes from one of the added endings to the gospel of Mark. The first readers
- [You Know the Way](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/22/you-know-the-way/) - “And you know the way where I am going." Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me.” John 14: 4-6 How
- [I Know Whom I Have Chosen](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/21/i-know-whom-i-have-chosen/) - I know whom I have chosen; it is that the scripture may be fulfilled. . . . Amen, amen I say to you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. John 13: 18, 20 Today’s gospel continues to speak of the mission of Jesus
- [Being Sent](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/20/being-sent/) - While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Acts 13: 2 And whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. John 12:45 As presented in Acts, the dynamic growth of the church in its
- [And I Know Them](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/19/and-i-know-them/) - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. John 10: 27-8 The teaching of Jesus in the gospels often emerges out of a dramatic conflict with those who cannot
- [The Voice of the True Shepherd](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/18/the-voice-of-the-true-shepherd/) - “When he [the shepherd] has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow,; but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not
- [The Cost Is Your Very Life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/15/the-cost-is-your-very-life/) - He said, “Who are you, sir?. The reply came, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” Acts: 9: 4-5 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. As the living
- [Living Out God's Love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/14/living-out-gods-love/) - I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh. John 6: 51 It is Jesus himself who is the source of life, who is life for us. Jesus is
- [Blessed Are They Who Hunger and Thirst](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/13/blessed-are-they-who-hunger-and-thirst/) - I am the bread of life; anyone who comes to me shall not hunger, and anyone who believes in me shall never thirst. John 6: 35 Today’s gospel invites the question: “For what do we most deeply hunger and thirst?" It is only, says the gospel, the gift of God in Jesus himself who can
- [My Father Gives You the True Bread](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/12/my-father-gives-you-the-true-bread/) - Amen, amen I say to you, it is not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. John 6: 32-2 In Jewish understanding, the
- [Believing in the One Who Is Sent](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/11/believing-in-the-one-who-is-sent/) - . . . they came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” . . . So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" Jesus answered
- [The Far Away Music](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/07/the-far-away-music/) - But Peter and the Apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5: 29 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. . . .
- [Choosing the Light](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/06/choosing-the-light/) - And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light, and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true
- [They Had Everything In Common](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/05/they-had-everything-in-common-2/) - The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. Acts 4: 32 Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. That which
- [Let It Be Done To Me As You Say](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/04/let-it-be-done-to-me-as-you-say/) - First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in." These are offered according to the law. Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will." He takes away the first to establish the second. By this “will” we have been consecrated through the offering of the Body
- [It Is The Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/04/01/it-is-the-lord/) - That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” John 21: 7 The resurrection of Jesus draws us all into a new life. The resurrection stories which we read these days describe for us that newness of life which Jesus’ resurrection inaugurates. As Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians (2:20):"
- [Produce Deeds Appropriate to Conversion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/31/produce-deeds-appropriate-to-conversion/) - For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways. Acts 3: 26 Thus it is written that the Messiah suffers and rises from the dead on the third day, and in his name repentance will be proclaimed to all nations for
- [Jesus Himself Drew Near](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/30/jesus-himself-drew-near/) - They were talking together about all these things that had happened. As they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them. Luke 24: 14-15 How does the community of believers come to know the meaning of those events surrounding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and their experience of him?
- [I Have Seen the Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/29/i-have-seen-the-lord/) - Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’" Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”;
- [Of This We Are All Witnesses](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/28/of-this-we-are-all-witnesses/) - God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear. Acts 2: 32-3 “The Lord has been raised." This was the common Easter greeting in the early
- [We Had All Gone Astray](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/25/we-had-all-gone-astray/) - We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all. Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his
- [Do This in Remembrance of Me](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/24/do-this-in-remembrance-of-me/) - This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the Lord, as a perpetual institution. Exodus 12: 14 “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is
- [Love in Practice](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/23/love-in-practice/) - Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said: “What are you willing to give me that I should hand him over to you?" They determined on thirty pieces of silver for him. Matthew 26: 14-15 In today’s first reading from Isaiah we hear: “The Lord
- [Now Is the Son of Man Glorified](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/22/now-is-the-son-of-man-glorified/) - When he [Judas] had left, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look
- [The House Was Filled With the Fragrance of the Ointment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/21/the-house-was-filled-with-the-fragrance-of-the-ointment/) - There, they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him. May took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot,
- [A Continual Conversion Is Needed](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/18/a-continual-conversion-is-needed/) - If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. John 10: 37-8 In verse 22 of
- [Your Name Shall Be Abraham](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/17/your-name-shall-be-abraham/) - No longer shall you be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations. Genesis 17: 5 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be? John 8: 53 In today’s reading
- [The Truth Will Set You Free](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/16/the-truth-will-set-you-free/) - If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8: 31-2 What is the source of freedom? In today’s gospel Jesus says that it is living in the truth, a truth we know by remaining in his word,
- [The One Who Sent Me Is With Me](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/15/the-one-who-sent-me-is-with-me/) - But with their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses. Numbers 21: 5 The one who sent me is with me. John 8: 29 In today’s reading from the Book of Numbers we are reminded that the journey of the Hebrews from slavery to liberation was a difficult, tumultuous,
- [It Is I and the Father Who Sent Me](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/14/it-is-i-and-the-father-who-sent-me/) - Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by appearances, but I do not judge anyone. And even if I should
- [So You Know Me](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/11/so-you-know-me/) - So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he
- [We Are All Sinners](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/10/we-are-all-sinners/) - But Moses implored the Lord, his God, saying, “Why, O Lord, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand? Why should the Egyptians say, “With evil intent he brought them out, that he might kill
- [Contemplation in Action](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/09/contemplation-in-action/) - Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the son will do also. John 5: 19 We sometimes speak of contemplation as if it were a term of art, an object that we can grasp or an
- [Do Not Sin Any More](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/08/do-not-sin-any-more/) - Then when he had walked off to the east with a measuring cord in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and had me wade through the water, which was ankle deep. Again he measured off another thousand and once more had me wade through the water, which was now knee deep. Again he
- [The Way of Subjectivity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/03/07/the-way-of-subjectivity/) - Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. John 4: 48-51 Today's reading from Isaiah offers us God's
- [You Are the Son of God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/01/21/you-are-the-son-of-god/) - Even the unclean spirits, whenever they saw him fell at his feet, screaming in a loud voice: “You are the Son of God.” Mark 3: 11 Today’s gospel follows from the closing lines of yesterday’s in which the Pharisees and Herodians are conspiring about how to destroy Jesus. In the very earliest chapters of Mark’s
- [Realities Are More Important Than Ideas](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/01/20/realities-are-more-important-than-ideas/) - But in anger he looked around at all of them, and was deeply grieved at the hardness of their hearts. Mark 3:5 Within the beginning chapters of Mark's gospel its central plot and conflict is starkly portrayed. Jesus challenges those surrounding him about the reality of the commandment to keep the Sabbath. They are
- [Not As Humans See Does God See](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/01/19/not-as-humans-see-does-god-see/) - But the Lord said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.” 1 Samuel 16: 7 Many years ago I met the younger brother of a
- [Continuity and Change](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/01/18/continuity-and-change/) - No one sews a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak; otherwise the piece that covers the hole will rip off, that is, the new from the old, and the tear will be even worse. Nor does anyone put new wine into old leather wineskins; otherwise the wine will split the skins, an both
- [Serving in Faith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/01/15/serving-in-faith/) - But when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man: “My child, forgiven now are your sins.” Mark 2: 5 In the account of Jesus’ healing of the paralytic man, the gospel makes clear that it is the faith of those who bring him to Jesus that allows for his forgiveness and healing
- [With Firmness in the Right as God Gives Us to See the Right](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/01/14/with-firmness-in-the-right-as-god-gives-us-to-see-the-right/) - The slaughter was great indeed, and there fell of the Israelites nearly thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured too, and the two sons of Eli died, Hophni and Phinehas. 1 Samuel 4: 10-11 In today’s passage from 1 Samuel we hear of the ignominious and deadly defeat of the Israelites by
- [She Then Took Care of Their Needs](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/01/13/she-then-took-care-of-their-needs/) - Jesus went over to her and, taking her by the hand, raised her up, and the fever left her. She then took care of their needs. Mark 1: 31 What is the effect of a true encounter with Jesus? Today’s description of Jesus in the house of Peter and of his healing of Peter’s mother-in-law
- [In the Bitterness of Her Soul](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/01/12/in-the-bitterness-of-her-soul/) - In the bitterness of her soul Hannah prayed to God with many tears . . . . 1 Samuel 1: 10 Elvin Semrad, a renowned psychotherapist in the last century, used to tell his students that “The client is either sad, mad, or afraid. Everything else is superficial." Today we hear the story of Hannah
- [Life Is On the Peripheries](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/01/11/life-is-on-the-peripheries/) - One day Elkanah offered sacrifice. He used to give portions to Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; to Hannah, however, he would give only one portion, although he loved her more, since Yahweh had made her barren. Her rival would taunt her to annoy her, because Yahweh had made her barren. And this
- [Love and Do What You Will](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/01/08/love-and-do-what-you-will/) - It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made
- [A Year of Mercy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/01/07/a-year-of-mercy/) - The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me with the commission to announce good news to the poor, to proclaim release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind; to send off the oppressed with liberty, to proclaim an acceptable year of the Lord. Luke
- [A Joy No One Can Take From You](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2016/01/01/a-joy-no-one-can-take-from-you/) - The Lord bless you and keep you! / The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! / The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! Numbers 6: 24-6 Today begins a new year. As the years pass and I enter into the later and more vulnerable and fragile

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- [About Us](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/about-us/)
- [Living the Charism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/living-the-charism/)
- [In Memoriam | Brother William J. Cushing, C.F.X. (Brother Henry) April 16, 1943 - June 17, 2024](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/in-memoriam-brother-william-j-cushing-c-f-x-brother-henry-april-16-1943-june-17-2024/) - In the summer of 1961, after graduating from St. John’s High School in Worcester, Massachusetts, eighteen-year-old William Cushing of North Brookfield recognized a call from God to be a disciple of His Son Jesus, as a member of the Brothers of St. Francis Xavier. He left his home, his parents and brother John, and did
- [Lodwar Mission](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/lodwar-mission/) - Brothers Kevin Masese, Stephen Obara and Alexander Brian Musoke have been missioned by the Regional Council to continue our mission in the Diocese of Lodwar. Prior to traveling to Lodwar, they were celebrated at a gathering at St. Joseph Centre, Bungoma (first photo). Upon arriving in Lodwar, they were greeted at St. James Seminary by the
- [Complexe Scolaire Rijken | Kipushi, Congo](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/complexe-scolaire-rijken-kipushi-congo/) - On May 11th, Complexe Scolaire Rijken in Kipushi, Congo welcomed parents and visitors to experience a day at the school. They first spent time in the different classrooms attending lessons in the company of their children. Then, they were invited to attend a presentation and demonstration of the works carried out by the students of
- [Livenson Louima | Sant Zaveryen, Haiti](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/livenson-louima-sant-zaveryen-haiti/) - My name is Livenson Louima. I spent four years (2019-2023) at the Xaverian Center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Thanks to the support of the Xaverian Brothers, I had the chance to graduate in Administrative Sciences at the University of Saint François d'Assise in Haiti. Today, I am a seminarian. My experience with the Xaverian Brothers was
- [Jacky Duvil | Sant Zaveryen, Haiti](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/jacky-duvil-sant-zaveryen-haiti/) - “The Xaverian Brothers had a significant impact on my academic and professional career. Their support made it possible for me to become the scientist I am today. Despite the current challenges in Haiti, I hope the Xaverian Brothers can continue this program of helping young Haitians get an education.” Jacky Duvil is a former student
- [Ben Bitei | Bungoma, Kenya](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/benbitei/) - My name is Ben Bitei. I was picked up from the streets of Bungoma, Kenya where I was living with no hope for the future. I met the Xaverian Brothers and they invited me to the Ryken Center for Hope, where I was given clean clothes, a bed to sleep in, and nutritious food. The
- [2023 Brooklyn Theodore James Ryken Society Luncheon](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tjrevent/) - Wednesday, May 3, 2023, 12 – 1:30 p.m. Vesuvio Restaurant 7305 3rd Ave Brooklyn, NY 11209 *Parking will be available at Our Lady of Angels Church The Xaverian Brothers invite you to join us for a special luncheon event at Vesuvio Restaurant in Brooklyn, NY, on Wednesday, May 3 at 12:00 p.m., to honor and
- [BOARD FORUM – Monday, April 3](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/xbssevent/)
- [2022 Massachusetts Theodore James Ryken Society Luncheon](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/the-theodore-james-ryken-society-virtual-event/) - Tuesday, October 25, 2022, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Sheraton Needham Hotel 100 Cabot Street Needham, MA 02494 Brother Daniel Skala and the Xaverian Brothers invite you to join us for a special luncheon event at the Sheraton Hotel in Needham, MA, on Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at 11:30 a.m., to honor and celebrate your
- [2022 Kentucky Theodore James Ryken Society Luncheon](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/the-theodore-james-ryken-society-virtual-event-2021/) - Wednesday, October 5, 2022, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Big Spring Country Club 5901 Dutchmans Lane Louisville, KY 40205 The Xaverian Brothers invite you to join us for a special luncheon event at the Big Spring Country Club in Louisville, KY, on Wednesday, October 5 at 11:30 a.m., to honor and celebrate your support for
- [2022 International Easter Prayer Service](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/2022-intl-easter-online-prayer-service/) - An online international Easter Prayer Service will be held on Tuesday, April 19, at 11:00 a.m. ET. All are invited as we celebrate together across our global network, the risen Christ in our everyday lives. We hope you will register to join us as we come together online from throughout the world, in celebration, prayer, and global community. Please
- [Support Our Work](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/support-our-work/)
- [Publications](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/) - Following the path of our Founder, we see ourselves as called to live ordinary lives that give witness to God’s unconditional love.
- [Resources](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/resources/) - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation consequat.

## Publications

- [Advent 2025 Spanish](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/advent-2025-spanish/)
- [Advent 2025 French](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/advent-2025-french/)
- [Advent 2025](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/advent-2025/)
- [CONCORDIA: Fall 2025](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2025/)
- [CONCORDIA: Spring 2025](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-spring-2025/)
- [CONCORDIA: Winter 2025](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-winter-2025/)
- [Advent 2024 French](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/advent-2024-french/)
- [Advent 2024 Spanish](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/advent-2024-spanish/)
- [Advent 2024](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/advent-2024/)
- [CONCORDIA: Winter 2024](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-winter-2024/)
- [CONCORDIA: Spring 2024](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-spring-2024/)
- [CONCORDIA: Fall 2024](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2024/)
- [CONCORDIA: Fall 2023](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2023/)
- [CONCORDIA: Spring 2023](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-spring-2023/)
- [CONCORDIA: Winter 2023](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-winter-2023/)
- [Advent 2022: In The Waiting](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/advent-2022-in-the-waiting/)
- [CONCORDIA: Fall 2022](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2022/)
- [CONCORDIA: Spring 2022](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-spring-2022/)
- [CONCORDIA: Winter 2022](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-winter-2022/)
- [Advent 2021: Whispered Words of Hope](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/advent-2021-whispered-words-of-hope/)
- [CONCORDIA: Fall 2021](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2021/)
- [CONCORDIA: Spring 2021](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-spring-2021/)
- [CONCORDIA: Winter 2021](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-winter-2021/)
- [Advent 2020: Preparing our Faith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/advent-2020-preparing-our-faith/)
- [CONCORDIA: Fall 2020](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2020/)
- [CONCORDIA: Spring 2020](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-spring-2020/)
- [CONCORDIA: WINTER 2020](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-winter-2020/)
- [CONCORDIA: FALL 2019](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2019/)
- [CONCORDIA: SPRING 2019](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-spring-2019/)
- [CONCORDIA: WINTER 2013](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-winter-2013/)
- [CONCORDIA: WINTER 2019](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-winter-2019/)
- [CONCORDIA: SPRING 2017](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-spring-2017/)
- [CONCORDIA: FALL 2017](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2017-2/)
- [CONCORDIA: SPRING 2013](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-spring-2013/)
- [CONCORDIA: SPRING 2014](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-spring-2014/)
- [CONCORDIA: FALL 2013](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2013/)
- [CONCORDIA: FALL 2014](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2014/)
- [CONCORDIA: WINTER 2014](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-winter-2014/)
- [CONCORDIA: SPRING 2015](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-spring-2015/)
- [CONCORDIA: FALL 2015](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2015/)
- [CONCORDIA: WINTER 2015](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-winter-2015/)
- [CONCORDIA: SPRING 2016](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-spring-2016/)
- [CONCORDIA: FALL 2016](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2016/)
- [CONCORDIA: WINTER 2016](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-winter-2016/)
- [CONCORDIA: WINTER 2017](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2017/)
- [CONCORDIA: SPRING 2018](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-spring-2018/)
- [CONCORDIA: WINTER 2018](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-winter-2018/)
- [CONCORDIA: FALL 2018](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/publications/concordia-fall-2018/)

## Support Our Work

- [Restricted Gifts](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/support-our-work/restricted-gifts/)
- [Estate Planning](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/support-our-work/estate-planning/)
- [Appeals for Support](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/support-our-work/appeals-for-support/)
- [Sacred Heart Union](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/support-our-work/sacred-heart-union/)
- [Donate Now](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/support-our-work/general-donations/)
- [Support Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/support-our-work/xbss/)
- [Memorial Gifts](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/support-our-work/memorial-gifts/)
- [Theodore James Ryken Society](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/support-our-work/theodore-james-ryken-society/)

## Categories

- [Brother John's Reflections](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/category/br-john/)
- [Community](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/category/community/)
- [News](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/category/news/)
- [Resources](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/category/resources/)
- [Service](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/category/service/)
- [Transformation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/category/transformation/)
- [Congregational Letters](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/category/letters/)
- [Featured](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/category/featured/) - Featured posts show at the top of the Living the Charism page.
- [Call Fulfilled](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/category/call-fulfilled/)

## Tags

- ["yoke" of Jesus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/yoke-of-jesus/)
- [[LIVE]](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/live/)
- [#advent](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/advent/)
- [#assembly2012](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/general-assembly/)
- [#brjohn](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brjohn/)
- [#centralwish](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/centralwish/)
- [#chapter27](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/chapter2013/)
- [#fellowship](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/fellowship/)
- [#founderswk](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/founders-week/)
- [#immigration](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/immigration/)
- [#lent](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/lent/)
- [#letter](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/letter/)
- [#postulants](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/postulants/)
- [#reflection](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/reflection/)
- [#story](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/stories/)
- [#vocation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/vocation/)
- [#YoCL](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/yocl/)
- [1 Corinthians 15:19](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/1-corinthians-1519/)
- [1983](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/1983/)
- [1995](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/1995/)
- [abandoned souls](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/abandoned-souls/)
- [abandonment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/abandonment/)
- [Abraham Joshua Heschel](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/abraham-joshua-heschel/)
- [Abraham Lincoln](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/abraham-lincoln/)
- [Abraham Maslow](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/abraham-maslow/)
- [accompaniment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/accompaniment/)
- [acedia](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/acedia/)
- [act](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/act/)
- [acting](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/acting/)
- [acting on the word](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/acting-on-the-word/)
- [action](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/action/)
- [action and contemplation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/action-and-contemplation/)
- [active religious community](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/active-religious-community/)
- [active religious life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/active-religious-life/)
- [activity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/activity/)
- [Adam and Eve](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/adam-and-eve/)
- [adaptation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/adaptation/)
- [Adrian van Kaam](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/adrian-van-kaam/)
- [Aeschylus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/aeschylus/)
- [affection](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/affection/)
- [affirmation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/affirmation/)
- [Africa](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/africa/)
- [agape](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/agape/)
- [aggression](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/aggression/)
- [aging](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/aging/)
- [Albert Camus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/albert-camus/)
- [Albert Einstein](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/albert-einstein/)
- [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/alfred-lord-tennyson/)
- [alienation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/alienation/)
- [All Saints](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/all-saints/)
- [All Souls](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/all-souls/)
- [All Things Shining](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/all-things-shining/)
- [alternative spaces](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/alternative-spaces/)
- [ambition](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ambition/)
- [ambivalence of feelings](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ambivalence-of-feelings/)
- [American Christianity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/american-christianity/)
- [Amoris Laetitia](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/amoris-laetitia/)
- [Amoris Laetitiae](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/amoris-laetitiae/)
- [André Aciman](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/andre-aciman/)
- [angels](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/angels/)
- [anger](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/anger/)
- [anger and resentment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/anger-and-resentment/)
- [anguish](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/anguish/)
- [Annunciation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/annunciation/)
- [Anthropocene](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/anthropocene/)
- [anxiety](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/anxiety/)
- [Apostle John](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/apostle-john/)
- [apparent form](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/apparent-form/)
- [appeal](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/appeal/)
- [appraisal](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/appraisal/)
- [appreciation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/appreciation/)
- [appreciative abandonment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/appreciative-abandonment/)
- [approach and avoidance conflict](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/approach-and-avoidance-conflict/)
- [Archbishop Kurtz](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/archbishop-kurtz/)
- [armaments](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/armaments/)
- [arrogance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/arrogance/)
- [Ascension](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ascension/)
- [asceticism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/asceticism/)
- [aspirations](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/aspirations/)
- [Associate Notes](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/associate-notes/)
- [Associates](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/associates/)
- [Atonement](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/atonement/)
- [attachment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/attachment/)
- [attention](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/attention/)
- [attentiveness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/attentiveness/)
- [autarchy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/autarchy/)
- [authentic self](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/authentic-self/)
- [authority](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/authority/)
- [avoidance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/avoidance/)
- [Awakening](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/awakening/)
- [awareness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/awareness/)
- [awe](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/awe/)
- [Ayn Rand](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ayn-rand/)
- [band of brothers](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/band-of-brothers/)
- [Baptism of the Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/baptism-of-the-lord/)
- [Barack Obama](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/barack-obama/)
- [beatitudes](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/beatitudes/)
- [beauty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/beauty/)
- [befriending the world](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/befriending-the-world/)
- [being awake](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/being-awake/)
- [being brought low](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/being-brought-low/)
- [being known](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/being-known/)
- [being put in our place](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/being-put-in-our-place/)
- [being saved](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/being-saved/)
- [being transparent](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/being-transparent/)
- [Bell Hooks](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/bell-hooks/)
- [Bernard of Clairvaux](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/bernard-of-clairvaux/)
- [Bhagavad Gita](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/bhagavad-gita/)
- [Bill Drayton](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/bill-drayton/)
- [bioeros](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/bioeros/)
- [birth of the Word in the soul](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/birth-of-the-word-in-the-soul/)
- [birth of Word in the soul](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/birth-of-word-in-the-soul/)
- [Blaise Pascal](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/blaise-pascal/)
- [Blessed Virgin Mary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/blessed-virgin-mary/)
- [blind beggar](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/blind-beggar/)
- [blindness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/blindness/)
- [blindspots](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/blindspots/)
- [Bob Dylan](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/bob-dylan/)
- [Bob Edwards](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/bob-edwards/)
- [Body of Christ](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/body-of-christ/)
- [Bolivia](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/bolivia/)
- [Book of Revelation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/book-of-revelation/)
- [borderline personality disorder](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/borderline-personality-disorder/)
- [bourgeois Christianity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/bourgeois-christianity/)
- [bourgois Christianity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/bourgois-christianity/)
- [breathing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/breathing/)
- [brother](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brother/)
- [Brother Cosmas Rubencamp](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brother-cosmas-rubencamp/)
- [Brother Francis Xavier Ryken](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brother-francis-xavier-ryken/)
- [Brother James Boyle](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brother-james-boyle/)
- [Brother Johan Bauwens](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brother-johan-bauwens/)
- [Brother Labré Dillon](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brother-labre-dillon/)
- [Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brother-lawrence-of-the-resurrection/)
- [Brother Lloyd Markowski](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brother-lloyd-markowski/)
- [Brother Norbert Jacxsens](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brother-norbert-jacxsens/)
- [Brother Raymond Hoyt](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brother-raymond-hoyt/)
- [Brother Richard Murphy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brother-richard-murphy/)
- [Brother Robert Green](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brother-robert-green/)
- [brother's keeper](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/brothers-keeper/)
- [Buddha](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/buddha/)
- [budget](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/budget/)
- [burnout](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/burnout/)
- [C. S. Lewis](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/c-s-lewis/)
- [Cain](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/cain/)
- [Call](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/call/)
- [call of Spirit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/call-of-spirit/)
- [capitalism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/capitalism/)
- [care](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/care/)
- [Carolyn Gratton](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/carolyn-gratton/)
- [Catherine of Siena](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/catherine-of-siena/)
- [catholic education](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/catholic-education/)
- [celibacy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/celibacy/)
- [celibate component of life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/celibate-component-of-life/)
- [cell of self-knowledge](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/cell-of-self-knowledge/)
- [cellphones](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/cellphones/)
- [certainty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/certainty/)
- [certitude](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/certitude/)
- [change](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/change/)
- [Charism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/charism/)
- [Charles Taylor](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/charles-taylor/)
- [Chartres Cathedral](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/chartres-cathedral/)
- [childlikeness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/childlikeness/)
- [children of light](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/children-of-light/)
- [choice](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/choice/)
- [Choice for Jesus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/choice-for-jesus/)
- [Choose life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/choose-life/)
- [choosing the difficult](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/choosing-the-difficult/)
- [Christ form](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/christ-form/)
- [Christian civilization](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/christian-civilization/)
- [Christian Wiman](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/christian-wiman/)
- [Christmas](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/christmas/)
- [Christophe André](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/christophe-andre/)
- [Christopher Hedges](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/christopher-hedges/)
- [church](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/church/)
- [Cloud of Unknowing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/cloud-of-unknowing/)
- [cognitive dissonance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/cognitive-dissonance/)
- [collaboration](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/collaboration/)
- [collective](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/collective/)
- [collectivity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/collectivity/)
- [collegiality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/collegiality/)
- [Colossians](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/colossians/)
- [come and see](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/come-and-see/)
- [commitment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/commitment/)
- [common](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/common/)
- [common and ordinary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/common-and-ordinary/)
- [common good](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/common-good/)
- [common ground](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/common-ground/)
- [common home](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/common-home/)
- [common life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/common-life/)
- [common person](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/common-person/)
- [common wealth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/common-wealth/)
- [communal consciousness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/communal-consciousness/)
- [communal discernment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/communal-discernment/)
- [communication](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/communication/)
- [communion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/communion/)
- [community](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/community/)
- [compassion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/compassion/)
- [compatibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/compatibility/)
- [competence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/competence/)
- [competition](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/competition/)
- [complacency](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/complacency/)
- [compulsion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/compulsion/)
- [confirmation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/confirmation/)
- [conflict](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/conflict/)
- [conflict resolution](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/conflict-resolution/)
- [conformation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/conformation/)
- [conformity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/conformity/)
- [congeniality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/congeniality/)
- [congeniality and compatibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/congeniality-and-compatibility/)
- [Congo](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/congo/)
- [conscience](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/conscience/)
- [consonance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/consonance/)
- [consonsance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/consonsance/)
- [consumerism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/consumerism/)
- [contemplation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/contemplation/)
- [contemplative action](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/contemplative-action/)
- [contemplative presence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/contemplative-presence/)
- [contemplative stance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/contemplative-stance/)
- [continuity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/continuity/)
- [contraction of heart](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/contraction-of-heart/)
- [control](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/control/)
- [convention](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/convention/)
- [conversation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/conversation/)
- [conversion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/conversion/)
- [conversion of our dispositions of heart](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/conversion-of-our-dispositions-of-heart/)
- [Core Team](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/core-team/)
- [corporal works of mercy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/corporal-works-of-mercy/)
- [corporatism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/corporatism/)
- [counter-finality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/counter-finality/)
- [courage](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/courage/)
- [courtesy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/courtesy/)
- [craving and aversion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/craving-and-aversion/)
- [creativity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/creativity/)
- [cross](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/cross/)
- [cultural demands](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/cultural-demands/)
- [cultural devastation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/cultural-devastation/)
- [cultural formation traditions](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/cultural-formation-traditions/)
- [cultural values](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/cultural-values/)
- [culture](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/culture/)
- [culture and society](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/culture-and-society/)
- [culture of encounter](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/culture-of-encounter/)
- [current life form](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/current-life-form/)
- [Cursillo](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/cursillo/)
- [cynicism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/cynicism/)
- [D.W. Winnicott](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/d-w-winnicott/)
- [Dag Hammarskjold](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dag-hammarskjold/)
- [Dainan Katagiri](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dainan-katagiri/)
- [Daniel](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/daniel/)
- [Daniel Boorstin](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/daniel-boorstin/)
- [Daniel Harrington](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/daniel-harrington/)
- [Daniel Klein](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/daniel-klein/)
- [Daniel Mendelsohn](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/daniel-mendelsohn/)
- [Dante](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dante/)
- [Daphne Hampson](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/daphne-hampson/)
- [dark night](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dark-night/)
- [Dark Night of the Spirit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dark-night-of-the-spirit/)
- [David Shribman](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/david-shribman/)
- [death](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/death/)
- [death instinct](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/death-instinct/)
- [decision](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/decision/)
- [dedication](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dedication/)
- [delay of gratification](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/delay-of-gratification/)
- [delaying gratification](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/delaying-gratification/)
- [deliberate refusal to remember](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/deliberate-refusal-to-remember/)
- [demands of reality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/demands-of-reality/)
- [demons](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/demons/)
- [dependence on God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dependence-on-god/)
- [depreciation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/depreciation/)
- [depression](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/depression/)
- [desire](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/desire/)
- [despair](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/despair/)
- [detachment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/detachment/)
- [determination](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/determination/)
- [Dhammapada](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dhammapada/)
- [diagnosis](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/diagnosis/)
- [dialogue](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dialogue/)
- [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)
- [difference](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/difference/)
- [differentiation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/differentiation/)
- [disappointment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/disappointment/)
- [discernment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/discernment/)
- [discipleship](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/discipleship/)
- [discouragement](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/discouragement/)
- [discrimination](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/discrimination/)
- [disengagement](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/disengagement/)
- [disgust](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/disgust/)
- [disobedience](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/disobedience/)
- [dispersion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dispersion/)
- [dispositions of heart](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dispositions-of-heart/)
- [dispossession](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dispossession/)
- [dissociation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dissociation/)
- [distinctively human](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/distinctively-human/)
- [division](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/division/)
- [doctrine](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/doctrine/)
- [dominance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dominance/)
- [doubting Thomas](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/doubting-thomas/)
- [drawing near to ourselves](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/drawing-near-to-ourselves/)
- [duty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/duty/)
- [dying](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dying/)
- [dying to self](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/dying-to-self/)
- [Early Church](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/early-church/)
- [earthen vessels](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/earthen-vessels/)
- [Easter Vigil](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/easter-vigil/)
- [ecclesia](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ecclesia/)
- [Ecclesiastes](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ecclesiastes/)
- [ecumenism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ecumenism/)
- [Edith Stein](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/edith-stein/)
- [education](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/education/)
- [efficiency](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/efficiency/)
- [ego as frustration](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ego-as-frustration/)
- [egoism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/egoism/)
- [egoisme a deux](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/egoisme-a-deux/)
- [Eightfold Path](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/eightfold-path/)
- [Elaine Pagels](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/elaine-pagels/)
- [Elder Thaddeus of Vitnovica](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/elder-thaddeus-of-vitnovica/)
- [Elijah](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/elijah/)
- [elitism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/elitism/)
- [Elvin Semrad](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/elvin-semrad/)
- [embarrassment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/embarrassment/)
- [emergent self](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/emergent-self/)
- [Emily Dickinson](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/emily-dickinson/)
- [emotions as judgments](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/emotions-as-judgments/)
- [emptiness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/emptiness/)
- [encounter](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/encounter/)
- [encyclical](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/encyclical/)
- [endurance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/endurance/)
- [enjoyment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/enjoyment/)
- [enthusiasm](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/enthusiasm/)
- [envy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/envy/)
- [Epictetus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/epictetus/)
- [Epicurus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/epicurus/)
- [equality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/equality/)
- [Ernest Becker](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ernest-becker/)
- [eros](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/eros/)
- [estrangement](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/estrangement/)
- [eternal life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/eternal-life/)
- [Etty Hillesum](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/etty-hillesum/)
- [Eucharist](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/eucharist/)
- [eulogy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/eulogy/)
- [Evagrius Ponticus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/evagrius-ponticus/)
- [evangelical poverty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/evangelical-poverty/)
- [evangelization](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/evangelization/)
- [executive willing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/executive-willing/)
- [Exercise](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/exercise/)
- [exertion strivings](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/exertion-strivings/)
- [existentialism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/existentialism/)
- [Exodus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/exodus/)
- [expression](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/expression/)
- [Ezekiel](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ezekiel/)
- [face we present to world](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/face-we-present-to-world/)
- [Facebook](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/facebook/)
- [faith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/faith/)
- [faith tradition](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/faith-tradition/)
- [false authority](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/false-authority/)
- [false form](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/false-form/)
- [false form of life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/false-form-of-life/)
- [false self](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/false-self/)
- [Father André Coindre](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/father-andre-coindre/)
- [fear](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/fear/)
- [fear of change](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/fear-of-change/)
- [fear of death](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/fear-of-death/)
- [fear of scarcity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/fear-of-scarcity/)
- [Fear of the Lord](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/fear-of-the-lord/)
- [Feast Day](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/feast-day/)
- [Feast of All Souls](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/feast-of-all-souls/)
- [Fiddler on the Roof](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/fiddler-on-the-roof/)
- [fidelity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/fidelity/)
- [finances](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/finances/)
- [First Commandment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/first-commandment/)
- [First Noble Truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/first-noble-truth/)
- [First Reformed](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/first-reformed/)
- [forgetting](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/forgetting/)
- [forgiveness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/forgiveness/)
- [form donation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/form-donation/)
- [form reception](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/form-reception/)
- [formability](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/formability/)
- [formation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/formation/)
- [formative self presence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/formative-self-presence/)
- [fortitude](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/fortitude/)
- [foundational life form](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/foundational-life-form/)
- [Founder](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/founder/)
- [Francis of Assisi](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/francis-of-assisi/)
- [Francis Xavier](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/francis-xavier/)
- [Franklin Roosevelt](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/franklin-roosevelt/)
- [fraternity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/fraternity/)
- [Frederich Buechner](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/frederich-buechner/)
- [Frederick Buechner](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/frederick-buechner/)
- [freedom](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/freedom/)
- [friendship](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/friendship/)
- [fruits of the Spirit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/fruits-of-the-spirit/)
- [frustration](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/frustration/)
- [functional dimension](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/functional-dimension/)
- [functional form potency](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/functional-form-potency/)
- [functionalism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/functionalism/)
- [Fundamental Principles](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/fundamental-principles/)
- [fundamentalism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/fundamentalism/)
- [G. K. Chesterton](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/g-k-chesterton/)
- [Galatians](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/galatians/)
- [Gandhi](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gandhi/)
- [Garry Wills](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/garry-wills/)
- [Gaudete et Exsultate](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gaudete-et-exsultate/)
- [General Chapters](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/general-chapters/)
- [generosity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/generosity/)
- [gentle reflection](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gentle-reflection/)
- [gentleness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gentleness/)
- [George and Ira Gershwin](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/george-and-ira-gershwin/)
- [George Santayana](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/george-santayana/)
- [George W. Bush](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/george-w-bush/)
- [Gerard Manley Hopkins](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gerard-manley-hopkins/)
- [Gettysburg Address](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gettysburg-address/)
- [gift of tears](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gift-of-tears/)
- [gifts of the Spirit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gifts-of-the-spirit/)
- [Giorgio Agamben](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/giorgio-agamben/)
- [giving and receiving of form](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/giving-and-receiving-of-form/)
- [globalization](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/globalization/)
- [glorifying God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/glorifying-god/)
- [god](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/god/)
- [God's judgment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gods-judgment/)
- [God's merciful love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gods-merciful-love/)
- [God's providence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gods-providence/)
- [God's truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gods-truth/)
- [God's will](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gods-will/)
- [gods of Baal](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gods-of-baal/)
- [gods of culture](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gods-of-culture/)
- [going out of ourselves](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/going-out-of-ourselves/)
- [good enough parenting](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/good-enough-parenting/)
- [Good Friday](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/good-friday/)
- [Good Samaritan](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/good-samaritan/)
- [Good Shepherd](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/good-shepherd/)
- [good will](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/good-will/)
- [Gospel of Thomas](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gospel-of-thomas/)
- [gospel of wealth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gospel-of-wealth/)
- [grace](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/grace/)
- [graced corssroads](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/graced-corssroads/)
- [Graced Crossroads](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/graced-crossroads/)
- [gratitude](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/gratitude/)
- [Great Commandments](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/great-commandments/)
- [great reversal](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/great-reversal/)
- [greed](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/greed/)
- [guilelessness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/guilelessness/)
- [guilt](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/guilt/)
- [habit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/habit/)
- [Haiti](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/haiti/)
- [Hamlet](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/hamlet/)
- [Hannah](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/hannah/)
- [happiness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/happiness/)
- [harmonization](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/harmonization/)
- [harmony](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/harmony/)
- [healing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/healing/)
- [Heart of Jesus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/heart-of-jesus/)
- [heaven](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/heaven/)
- [Hebrew Scriptures](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/hebrew-scriptures/)
- [Hegel](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/hegel/)
- [Henri J. M. Nouwen](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/henri-j-m-nouwen/)
- [Henri Nouwen](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/henri-nouwen/)
- [Herod](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/herod/)
- [hesed](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/hesed/)
- [hierarchy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/hierarchy/)
- [holiness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/holiness/)
- [Holy Spirit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/holy-spirit/)
- [home](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/home/)
- [honesty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/honesty/)
- [hope](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/hope/)
- [Hosea](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/hosea/)
- [hospitality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/hospitality/)
- [Hubert Dreyfus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/hubert-dreyfus/)
- [human relationships](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/human-relationships/)
- [humane](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/humane/)
- [humanization](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/humanization/)
- [humiliation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/humiliation/)
- [humility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/humility/)
- [Huston Smith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/huston-smith/)
- [hyper-sexualization of eros](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/hyper-sexualization-of-eros/)
- [hypocrisy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/hypocrisy/)
- [id](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/id/)
- [idealized life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/idealized-life/)
- [idolatry](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/idolatry/)
- [idolatry of self](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/idolatry-of-self/)
- [Ignatius Loyola](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ignatius-loyola/)
- [ignorance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ignorance/)
- [illusion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/illusion/)
- [imaginary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/imaginary/)
- [imagination](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/imagination/)
- [Immaculate Conception](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/immaculate-conception/)
- [impasse](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/impasse/)
- [impermanence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/impermanence/)
- [impotence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/impotence/)
- [inability to act](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/inability-to-act/)
- [incarnation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/incarnation/)
- [independence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/independence/)
- [indifference](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/indifference/)
- [individualism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/individualism/)
- [infancy narratives](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/infancy-narratives/)
- [infatuation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/infatuation/)
- [infra-conscious](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/infra-conscious/)
- [infraconscious](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/infraconscious/)
- [inner conflict](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/inner-conflict/)
- [inner self](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/inner-self/)
- [insanity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/insanity/)
- [insecurity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/insecurity/)
- [inspiration](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/inspiration/)
- [instrument](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/instrument/)
- [integrated life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/integrated-life/)
- [integration](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/integration/)
- [integration team](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/integration-team/)
- [Integrity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/integrity/)
- [intention](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/intention/)
- [inter-formation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/inter-formation/)
- [Interior Castle](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/interior-castle/)
- [internationality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/internationality/)
- [Interview](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/interview/)
- [intimacy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/intimacy/)
- [introspection](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/introspection/)
- [inverted awe](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/inverted-awe/)
- [irruptions of God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/irruptions-of-god/)
- [Isaiah](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/isaiah/)
- [Isaiah 48:17](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/isaiah-4817/)
- [J. Robert Oppenheimer](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/j-robert-oppenheimer/)
- [James Baldwin](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/james-baldwin/)
- [James Wood](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/james-wood/)
- [Jan DeVadder](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/jan-devadder/)
- [Jan van Ruusbroec](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/jan-van-ruusbroec/)
- [Jansenism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/jansenism/)
- [Jean Paul Sartre](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/jean-paul-sartre/)
- [Jean-Jaques Rousseau](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/jean-jaques-rousseau/)
- [Jeremiah](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/jeremiah/)
- [Jesus as the gate](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/jesus-as-the-gate/)
- [Jesus' Passion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/jesus-passion/)
- [Jim Wallis](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/jim-wallis/)
- [Jimmy Carter](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/jimmy-carter/)
- [Joan Chittister](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/joan-chittister/)
- [Job](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/job/)
- [Johannes Tauler](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/johannes-tauler/)
- [Johari window](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/johari-window/)
- [John Bradshaw](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/john-bradshaw/)
- [John Cassian](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/john-cassian/)
- [John Chrysostom](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/john-chrysostom/)
- [John Collins](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/john-collins/)
- [John F. Kennedy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/john-f-kennedy/)
- [John Henry Newman](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/john-henry-newman/)
- [John Keats](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/john-keats/)
- [John Lanchester](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/john-lanchester/)
- [John Locke](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/john-locke/)
- [John of the Cross](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/john-of-the-cross/)
- [John S. Dunne](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/john-s-dunne/)
- [John the Baptist](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/john-the-baptist/)
- [Jonah](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/jonah/)
- [Jonathan Lear](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/jonathan-lear/)
- [Joseph](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/joseph/)
- [Joseph Pieper](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/joseph-pieper/)
- [Joshua](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/joshua/)
- [Joy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/joy/)
- [Jr.](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/jr/)
- [Judas](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/judas/)
- [judging](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/judging/)
- [judging others](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/judging-others/)
- [judgment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/judgment/)
- [Julian Barnes](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/julian-barnes/)
- [Julian of Norwich](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/julian-of-norwich/)
- [Karen Horney](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/karen-horney/)
- [Karl Rahner](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/karl-rahner/)
- [Karl Rove](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/karl-rove/)
- [karma](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/karma/)
- [Kenya](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/kenya/)
- [Kingdom of God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/kingdom-of-god/)
- [Kingdom of heaven](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/kingdom-of-heaven/)
- [knowing oneself](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/knowing-oneself/)
- [knowing our place](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/knowing-our-place/)
- [knowledge](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/knowledge/)
- [knowledge of God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/knowledge-of-god/)
- [Kurt Andersen](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/kurt-andersen/)
- [labor](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/labor/)
- [lack](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/lack/)
- [Laudato Si](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/laudato-si/)
- [Law](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/law/)
- [law of karma](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/law-of-karma/)
- [laziness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/laziness/)
- [leap of faith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/leap-of-faith/)
- [learned ignorance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/learned-ignorance/)
- [learning](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/learning/)
- [learning to love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/learning-to-love/)
- [legalism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/legalism/)
- [leisure](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/leisure/)
- [Letters to a Young Poet](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/letters-to-a-young-poet/)
- [libertarianism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/libertarianism/)
- [liberty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/liberty/)
- [lies](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/lies/)
- [life as gift of God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/life-as-gift-of-god/)
- [life of Jesus in us](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/life-of-jesus-in-us/)
- [life to the full](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/life-to-the-full/)
- [light and darkness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/light-and-darkness/)
- [listening](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/listening/)
- [listenng](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/listenng/)
- [living God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/living-god/)
- [living in the truth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/living-in-the-truth/)
- [living reminders](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/living-reminders/)
- [living the questions](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/living-the-questions/)
- [Logos](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/logos/)
- [loneliness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/loneliness/)
- [Lot's wife](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/lots-wife/)
- [Louise Gluck](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/louise-gluck/)
- [love](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/love/)
- [love and death](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/love-and-death/)
- [love common to all](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/love-common-to-all/)
- [love of enemies](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/love-of-enemies/)
- [love of God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/love-of-god/)
- [love of money](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/love-of-money/)
- [love-will](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/love-will/)
- [Luke 1:35](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/luke-135/)
- [Luke 1:5-7](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/luke-15-7/)
- [Luke 2:14](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/luke-214/)
- [Luke Timothy Johnson](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/luke-timothy-johnson/)
- [Lydia Davis](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/lydia-davis/)
- [lying](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/lying/)
- [Lynsey Addario](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/lynsey-addario/)
- [Lytta Basset](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/lytta-basset/)
- [Lytta Bassett](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/lytta-bassett/)
- [Macbeth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/macbeth/)
- [Macchiavelli](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/macchiavelli/)
- [magnificat](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/magnificat/)
- [Maimonides](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/maimonides/)
- [making excuses](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/making-excuses/)
- [Malcolm Miller](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/malcolm-miller/)
- [managing mode](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/managing-mode/)
- [manipulation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/manipulation/)
- [Marcus Borg](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/marcus-borg/)
- [Margaret Farley](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/margaret-farley/)
- [marginalized](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/marginalized/)
- [Marian Wright Edelman](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/marian-wright-edelman/)
- [Marie Howe](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/marie-howe/)
- [Marilynne Robinson](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/marilynne-robinson/)
- [Mark Epstein](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mark-epstein/)
- [Mark Zuckerberg](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mark-zuckerberg/)
- [marriage](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/marriage/)
- [Marshall McLuhan](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/marshall-mcluhan/)
- [Martha](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/martha/)
- [Martha and Mary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/martha-and-mary/)
- [Martha Nussbaum](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/martha-nussbaum/)
- [Martin Buber](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/martin-buber/)
- [Martin Heidegger](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/martin-heidegger/)
- [Martin Helldorfer](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/martin-helldorfer/)
- [Martin Luther](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/martin-luther/)
- [Martin Luther King](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/martin-luther-king/)
- [martyrdom](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/martyrdom/)
- [mass shootings](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mass-shootings/)
- [mastery](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mastery/)
- [Matthew 1:20-21](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/matthew-120-21/)
- [Matthew 1:6](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/matthew-16/)
- [Matthew 11:11-12](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/matthew-1111-12/)
- [Matthew 11:16-17](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/matthew-1116-17/)
- [Matthew 7:21](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/matthew-721/)
- [maturity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/maturity/)
- [Maurice Blondel](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/maurice-blondel/)
- [Mechthild of Magdeburg](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mechthild-of-magdeburg/)
- [Meditation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/meditation/)
- [Meister Eckhart](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/meister-eckhart/)
- [memory](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/memory/)
- [mental health](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mental-health/)
- [mentoring](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mentoring/)
- [mercy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mercy/)
- [mercy and forgiveness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mercy-and-forgiveness/)
- [mercy of God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mercy-of-god/)
- [Messianic secret](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/messianic-secret/)
- [middle dutch](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/middle-dutch/)
- [migrants](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/migrants/)
- [Mike Mansfield](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mike-mansfield/)
- [mimesis](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mimesis/)
- [mindfulness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mindfulness/)
- [ministry](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ministry/)
- [minstry](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/minstry/)
- [mission](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mission/)
- [missionary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/missionary/)
- [mistrust](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mistrust/)
- [moral relativism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/moral-relativism/)
- [Moses](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/moses/)
- [Mother Teresa](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mother-teresa/)
- [motivation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/motivation/)
- [mutual gratification](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mutual-gratification/)
- [mutually edify](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mutually-edify/)
- [Mystery](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mystery/)
- [mystic](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mystic/)
- [mysticism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/mysticism/)
- [narcissism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/narcissism/)
- [Nathanael](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/nathanael/)
- [National Memorial for Peace and Justice](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/national-memorial-for-peace-and-justice/)
- [Nativity of Mary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/nativity-of-mary/)
- [Neil Postman](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/neil-postman/)
- [new consciousness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/new-consciousness/)
- [new year](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/new-year/)
- [Nicholas of Cusa](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/nicholas-of-cusa/)
- [Nietzsche](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/nietzsche/)
- [nihilism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/nihilism/)
- [non-dichotomized life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/non-dichotomized-life/)
- [non-violence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/non-violence/)
- [normalization of evil](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/normalization-of-evil/)
- [obedience](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/obedience/)
- [obedience of faith](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/obedience-of-faith/)
- [obligations to other](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/obligations-to-other/)
- [OCSO](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ocso/)
- [On the Waterfront](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/on-the-waterfront/)
- [one Body](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/one-body/)
- [one village](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/one-village/)
- [one's own life as possession](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ones-own-life-as-possession/)
- [opaque](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/opaque/)
- [open-mindedness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/open-mindedness/)
- [openness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/openness/)
- [opinion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/opinion/)
- [ordinariness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ordinariness/)
- [ordinary](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ordinary/)
- [ordinary life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ordinary-life/)
- [original calling](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/original-calling/)
- [originality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/originality/)
- [Oscar Wilde](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/oscar-wilde/)
- [other](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/other/)
- [Otto von Bismarck](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/otto-von-bismarck/)
- [Our Father](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/our-father/)
- [Parable of Prodigal Son](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/parable-of-prodigal-son/)
- [Parker Palmer](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/parker-palmer/)
- [passion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/passion/)
- [passion of inwardness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/passion-of-inwardness/)
- [passivity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/passivity/)
- [patience](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/patience/)
- [Paul Farmer](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/paul-farmer/)
- [Paul Ricoeur](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/paul-ricoeur/)
- [Paul Schrader](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/paul-schrader/)
- [Paul Simon](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/paul-simon/)
- [peace](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/peace/)
- [Peace & Justice](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/peace-justice/)
- [peace corps](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/peace-corps/)
- [Pentecost](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/pentecost/)
- [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/percy-bysshe-shelley/)
- [perfectionism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/perfectionism/)
- [performance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/performance/)
- [performing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/performing/)
- [perseverance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/perseverance/)
- [persistence in prayer](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/persistence-in-prayer/)
- [perspective](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/perspective/)
- [Peter](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/peter/)
- [Peter Berger](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/peter-berger/)
- [Peter Mahoney](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/peter-mahoney/)
- [pharasaism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/pharasaism/)
- [Pharisee and Publican](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/pharisee-and-publican/)
- [Pharisees](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/pharisees/)
- [Philippians](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/philippians/)
- [Placide](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/placide/)
- [pleasure principle](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/pleasure-principle/)
- [poet](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/poet/)
- [polarities](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/polarities/)
- [political life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/political-life/)
- [poor widow](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/poor-widow/)
- [Pope Benedict XVI](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/pope-benedict-xvi/)
- [Pope Francis](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/pope-francis/)
- [Pope Joh Paul II](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/pope-joh-paul-ii/)
- [Pope Paul VI](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/pope-paul-vi/)
- [possessions](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/possessions/)
- [potency](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/potency/)
- [poverty](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/poverty/)
- [power](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/power/)
- [power and authority](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/power-and-authority/)
- [practices](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/practices/)
- [praise](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/praise/)
- [prayer](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/prayer/)
- [prayer and action](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/prayer-and-action/)
- [prayer of quiet](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/prayer-of-quiet/)
- [Prayer Service](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/prayer-service/)
- [pre-transcendent dimensions](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/pre-transcendent-dimensions/)
- [prejudice](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/prejudice/)
- [presence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/presence/)
- [present moment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/present-moment/)
- [presumption of knowing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/presumption-of-knowing/)
- [pretense of sanity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/pretense-of-sanity/)
- [pride](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/pride/)
- [pride form](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/pride-form/)
- [privileged cultures](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/privileged-cultures/)
- [problems](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/problems/)
- [process](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/process/)
- [Prodigal Son](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/prodigal-son/)
- [prophecy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/prophecy/)
- [prosperity gospel](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/prosperity-gospel/)
- [province](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/province/)
- [prudence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/prudence/)
- [Psalm 103](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/psalm-103/)
- [Psalm 139](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/psalm-139/)
- [Psalm 16](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/psalm-16/)
- [Psalm 24](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/psalm-24/)
- [public adulthood](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/public-adulthood/)
- [purgation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/purgation/)
- [purification](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/purification/)
- [purity of heart](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/purity-of-heart/)
- [Rabindranath Tagore](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rabindranath-tagore/)
- [racism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/racism/)
- [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rainer-maria-rilke/)
- [Rami Shapiro](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rami-shapiro/)
- [rational-functional](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rational-functional/)
- [reactions](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/reactions/)
- [Reality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/reality/)
- [reality principle](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/reality-principle/)
- [realization](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/realization/)
- [receptivity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/receptivity/)
- [reformation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/reformation/)
- [refusal of spiritual awareness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/refusal-of-spiritual-awareness/)
- [regret](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/regret/)
- [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/reinhold-niebuhr/)
- [rejoicing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rejoicing/)
- [relations of force](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/relations-of-force/)
- [relationship](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/relationship/)
- [relationships](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/relationships/)
- [releasement](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/releasement/)
- [religion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/religion/)
- [religion in public life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/religion-in-public-life/)
- [religious community](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/religious-community/)
- [religious freedom](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/religious-freedom/)
- [religious life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/religious-life/)
- [religious life form](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/religious-life-form/)
- [religious vows](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/religious-vows/)
- [remembering](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/remembering/)
- [René Girard](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rene-girard/)
- [renewal](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/renewal/)
- [renouncing possessions](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/renouncing-possessions/)
- [renunciation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/renunciation/)
- [repentance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/repentance/)
- [repetition](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/repetition/)
- [repression](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/repression/)
- [repression of spirit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/repression-of-spirit/)
- [reputation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/reputation/)
- [resentment](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/resentment/)
- [resistance](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/resistance/)
- [resistance to efforts of others](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/resistance-to-efforts-of-others/)
- [respect](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/respect/)
- [Responsibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/responsibility/)
- [rest](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rest/)
- [Resurrection](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/resurrection/)
- [retreat](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/retreat/)
- [reverence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/reverence/)
- [Rheinhold Niebuhr](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rheinhold-niebuhr/)
- [Rich young man](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rich-young-man/)
- [Richard Byrne](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/richard-byrne/)
- [Richard Rohr](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/richard-rohr/)
- [right speech](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/right-speech/)
- [Risen Jesus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/risen-jesus/)
- [rising and falling of forms](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rising-and-falling-of-forms/)
- [Rob Faesen](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rob-faesen/)
- [Robert Alter](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/robert-alter/)
- [Robert Bolt](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/robert-bolt/)
- [Robert Mungabeira Unger](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/robert-mungabeira-unger/)
- [Robert Solomon](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/robert-solomon/)
- [Roman centurion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/roman-centurion/)
- [Romans 12:2](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/romans-122/)
- [Rome](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rome/)
- [Romeo J. Bonsaint](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/romeo-j-bonsaint/)
- [Ron Suskind](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ron-suskind/)
- [Ronald Rolheiser](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ronald-rolheiser/)
- [Rowan Williams](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rowan-williams/)
- [Rule of St. Benedict](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rule-of-st-benedict/)
- [Rumi](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/rumi/)
- [Ryken](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/ryken/)
- [sacraments](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sacraments/)
- [Sacred Heart of Jesus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sacred-heart-of-jesus/)
- [sacrifice](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sacrifice/)
- [sadness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sadness/)
- [sadness as spiritual disposition](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sadness-as-spiritual-disposition/)
- [saints](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/saints/)
- [salvation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/salvation/)
- [Samuel Beckett](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/samuel-beckett/)
- [Samuel Johnson](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/samuel-johnson/)
- [satisfaction](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/satisfaction/)
- [scarcity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/scarcity/)
- [Sean D. Kelly](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sean-d-kelly/)
- [Sebastian Barry](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sebastian-barry/)
- [second naiveté](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/second-naivete/)
- [secrecy](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/secrecy/)
- [secrets](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/secrets/)
- [sectarianism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sectarianism/)
- [secularism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/secularism/)
- [seeing creatures in God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/seeing-creatures-in-god/)
- [seeing differently](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/seeing-differently/)
- [self-alienation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/self-alienation/)
- [self-awareness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/self-awareness/)
- [self-depreciation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/self-depreciation/)
- [self-emptying](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/self-emptying/)
- [self-esteem](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/self-esteem/)
- [self-knowledge](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/self-knowledge/)
- [self-oblivion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/self-oblivion/)
- [self-pity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/self-pity/)
- [self-presence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/self-presence/)
- [self-preservation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/self-preservation/)
- [self-promotion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/self-promotion/)
- [self-righteousness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/self-righteousness/)
- [selfishness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/selfishness/)
- [sensibility](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sensibility/)
- [sensible and responsible heart](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sensible-and-responsible-heart/)
- [sensus fidelium](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sensus-fidelium/)
- [separation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/separation/)
- [servant leadership](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/servant-leadership/)
- [servants of reality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/servants-of-reality/)
- [service](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/service/)
- [Serving call of others](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/serving-call-of-others/)
- [shame](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/shame/)
- [shame and society](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/shame-and-society/)
- [shamelessness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/shamelessness/)
- [shared leadership](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/shared-leadership/)
- [sharing](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sharing/)
- [sharing life](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sharing-life/)
- [shepherds of Being](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/shepherds-of-being/)
- [Sigmund Freud](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sigmund-freud/)
- [silence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/silence/)
- [Silence and speech](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/silence-and-speech/)
- [Simone Weil](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/simone-weil/)
- [simplicity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/simplicity/)
- [sin](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sin/)
- [sinfulness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sinfulness/)
- [single mindedness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/single-mindedness/)
- [SJ](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sj/)
- [slander](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/slander/)
- [slavery](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/slavery/)
- [social construction of reality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/social-construction-of-reality/)
- [social contract](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/social-contract/)
- [social convention](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/social-convention/)
- [social forces](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/social-forces/)
- [social presence depletion](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/social-presence-depletion/)
- [social teaching of Jesus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/social-teaching-of-jesus/)
- [socially constructed identity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/socially-constructed-identity/)
- [socially constructed reality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/socially-constructed-reality/)
- [solidarity](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/solidarity/)
- [solipsism](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/solipsism/)
- [solitude](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/solitude/)
- [solitude and silence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/solitude-and-silence/)
- [Song of Songs](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/song-of-songs/)
- [Soren Kierkegaard](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/soren-kierkegaard/)
- [sorrow of Jesus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sorrow-of-jesus/)
- [sovereignty of God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sovereignty-of-god/)
- [spaciousness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/spaciousness/)
- [speaking](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/speaking/)
- [speech](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/speech/)
- [Spirit](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/spirit/)
- [spirit dimension](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/spirit-dimension/)
- [spiritual battle](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/spiritual-battle/)
- [spiritual companions](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/spiritual-companions/)
- [spiritual friendship](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/spiritual-friendship/)
- [spiritual leadership](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/spiritual-leadership/)
- [spiritual practice](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/spiritual-practice/)
- [spiritual reading](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/spiritual-reading/)
- [spiritual sloth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/spiritual-sloth/)
- [spirituality](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/spirituality/)
- [St Bernard](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-bernard/)
- [St Francis of Assisi](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-francis-of-assisi/)
- [St. Augustine](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-augustine/)
- [St. Benedict](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-benedict/)
- [St. Francis](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-francis/)
- [St. Francis Xavier](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-francis-xavier/)
- [St. Irenaeus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-irenaeus/)
- [St. John of Cross](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-john-of-cross/)
- [St. John of the Cross](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-john-of-the-cross/)
- [St. Joseph](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-joseph/)
- [St. Mark](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-mark/)
- [St. Paul](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-paul/)
- [St. Stephen](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-stephen/)
- [St. Teresa of Avila](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-teresa-of-avila/)
- [St. Theresa of Avila](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-theresa-of-avila/)
- [St. Therese of Lisieux](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-therese-of-lisieux/)
- [St. Thomas Aquinas](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-thomas-aquinas/)
- [St. Xavier](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/st-xavier/)
- [stability](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/stability/)
- [Stand Ready](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/stand-ready/)
- [standing ready](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/standing-ready/)
- [Stephen](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/stephen/)
- [Stephen Sondheim](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/stephen-sondheim/)
- [story telling](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/story-telling/)
- [submission to God](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/submission-to-god/)
- [success and failure](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/success-and-failure/)
- [suffering](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/suffering/)
- [suffering our lives](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/suffering-our-lives/)
- [surprises](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/surprises/)
- [surrender](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/surrender/)
- [Susan Muto](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/susan-muto/)
- [sweetness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/sweetness/)
- [T. E. Lawrence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/t-e-lawrence/)
- [T.S. Eliot](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/t-s-eliot/)
- [Taliban](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/taliban/)
- [Tao Te Ching](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/tao-te-ching/)
- [technology](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/technology/)
- [Teilhard de Chardin](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/teilhard-de-chardin/)
- [Temple Mount](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/temple-mount/)
- [temptation](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/temptation/)
- [tenderness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/tenderness/)
- [tension between world and discipleship](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/tension-between-world-and-discipleship/)
- [tentativeness](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/tentativeness/)
- [Teresa of Avila](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/teresa-of-avila/)
- [Thanksgiving](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/thanksgiving/)
- [The Angelus](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/the-angelus/)
- [The Best of Youth](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/the-best-of-youth/)
- [The Dhammapada](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/the-dhammapada/)
- [The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/the-love-song-of-j-alfred-prufrock/)
- [the Odyssey](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/the-odyssey/)
- [the past](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/the-past/)
- [the primordial act of violence](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/the-primordial-act-of-violence/)
- [the search for glory](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/the-search-for-glory/)
- [The Spiritual Espousals](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/the-spiritual-espousals/)
- [The Vision](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/the-vision/)
- [the Way](https://dev-xaverianbrothers.pantheonsite.io/tag/the-way/)