Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Today we hear the famous Gospel reading of Jesus walking on water (Matt 14:22-36). When Peter hears Jesus telling them not to be afraid, that it is Him, Peter replies, “ Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water ” (Matt 14:28). Jesus tells Peter to come out to meet Him and Peter does just that. However, Peter sees how strong the wind is blowing, and he begins to sink in the water. What does Jesus say in response to that? “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” What was Peter’s Problem? Why do you think Peter made such a comment, if he did not have the faith needed to follow through on Jesus’ command? Sometimes, we think we have enough faith to weather a storm, only to learn, when faced with adversity, that we are weak. We doubt the efficacy of the saving power of God. Faith is a mysterious thing. We do not know how much faith we have until it is put to the test. Why did you doubt? When was the last time your faith was put to the test? How did you do? I ...

With today being the Feast of Saint Thomas, the Apostle, we read from the Gospel of John, regarding Jesus’ appearance to the Apostles, post His resurrection. It is Easter Sunday evening, and the Apostles tell Thomas, (who had not been present) that Jesus appeared to them. Thomas tells them in oh, so many words, “you’re nuts.” He refuses to believe their audacious comment. Fast forward one week later, when all the Apostles were present behind locked doors, and Jesus appears to them. Revelation I find this Gospel passage quite revealing of God’s omnipresence. One week earlier, when Saint Thomas heard the audacious comments from his fellow Apostles, he responded to them, “ Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into his side, I will not believe ” (John 20:25). When Saint Thomas made this comment, Jesus was not physically present. There had been no interaction between the Apostles and Jesus since Easter Sunday night, for any of the other Apostles to infor...

A Reflection based on the movie Risen  ... Halfway through our viewing of the movie  Risen  ( DVD available May 24th ) - my husband, Kevin, turned to me and said; "Do you ever wonder what you would have believed if you were there during the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus?"  While it is impossible to know how exactly I have believe, there is way too much hindsight and history behind my contemplation - I am very certain I would have been like  Nicodemus .  The one who was curious, sensed there was something to what this man was preaching, and followed him in secret; however in the end, after all he had heard and witnessed, was truly convinced Jesus was the Messiah.  If 2000 years later, this is who I am, why would I have been any different if it was unfolding before my very eyes.     Read more and view exclusive movie content   All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016 

How is your spiritual life going? Are you feeling frustrated with yourself? Are you distraught over your lack of progress? Do you keep falling into the same sins repeatedly? Welcome to the human race! No, I’m not trying to dismiss your concerns flippantly. Sometimes we just need a reminder that we are, after all, fallen. Adam’s sin affects us all. But here’s something you may not have realized: Your sins do not shock God! God is used to sinners. He has centuries of experience with them. He even came down from Heaven to live among them. Then people criticized Him for eating with sinners instead of the “righteous.” Yes, He loved to hang out with people like you and me. God delights in showing mercy. He delights in lifting our burdens. He delights in carrying our yoke with us, comforting our sorrows, calming our fears. Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.