Reflections – Contemplatio
Pilgrims of Hope
Thanks to Sister Cecilia LaPietra, who shared this reflection on February 2, 2025, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in West Nyack for the celebration of Vita Consecrata on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. We are happy to be here with you, Parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi Church and with you […]
You Are Special
When Sister Catherine Rose asked me to give this reflection, I just looked at her. She said, “Jean, give it some thought.” This made me think of how much Thomas Aquinas has meant to me throughout my many years of teaching and administration and part of my name is shared and my feast day is […]
Embracing the Light: The Call to Welcome, Serve, and Transform
Good Morning! A blessed Christmas to each of you – those present in this chapel and those who are with us through the wonders of technology. Today’s reading from the Book of Isaiah proclaims, “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” In this age of […]
I Bring You Good News
The feast of Christmas has four different liturgies. They celebrate the in-breaking of divinity into humanity in the person of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. The gospel for the Christmas vigil is from Matthew and begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, son of Abraham. This proclaims the human lineage of […]
Maria está embarazada. Ella está bien embarazada!
Visitation painting by Therese Quinn rsj. Mary is pregnant. She’s really, really pregnant! That was the refrain of a homily at the Spanish Mass at St. Nicholas of Tolentine in the Bronx on the 4th Sunday of Advent over 30 years ago. For those of you who also spent time at Tolentine, the homilist was […]
Rejoicing in the Waiting
These three readings exemplify what Advent is all about-praising God in the waiting, loving each other, blessing others with our light because we are blessed with the light of Christ, and thanking God for every moment. Advent is traditionally seen as a season of anticipation, a time to prepare for the birth of Christ so […]
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
From the time Jesus said from the cross, “Woman behold your son; son behold your mother,” Mary became the mother of all humankind. Mary’s new role included keeping a watchful eye on us as we traveled through the ages. She has made her maternal presence known in many different parts of the world, including the […]
Re-Creation of a New World
For the second week of Advent Vespers, Sister Valorie preached about the connection between the Immaculate Conception and Peace in Haiti. Like Mary, we are called to share our sacred power to re-create the world. Sister Valorie Lordi, OP, is the school nurse at St. John Chrysostom School, Bronx, NY.
Living in Hopeful Expectation
Today, we mark the beginning of the liturgical year once again. Once again, we enter into the mystery of God’s coming into our world. Advent is a season of expectant waiting, a season of longing. In the first reading from Jeremiah, we are reminded that God’s coming is near. This is not a cause for […]
Saint Martin de Porres
In a recent conversation, Sr. Ellen Joseph Moore shared insightful reflections on St. Martin de Porres, a saint who has profoundly influenced her life since childhood. Raised in a Celtic culture with a deep reverence for St. Martin, Sr. Ellen recalled how many of her relatives cherished a statue of St. Martin; she keeps one […]