There are many points to meditate on in John’s account of the wedding at Cana. Jesus’ command to the servers has especially attracted my notice.
“Fill the jars with water.”
What a simple order. Anyone can do this. What this means is that…
I had coffee recently with my friend Frances. We were talking about the struggle all of us encounter at times when people fail to understand us. Frances then shared with me a beautiful image God planted in her mind regarding this difficulty.
My fellow writer Vir Christi made a striking observation to me about parents and priests and their children. He pointed out how parents are available to their children, 24/7. Vir Christi wondered what the world would be like if all priests were as generous with their spiritual children.
When I recently began praying the Divine Office, something significant leapt out to me. In prayer, it is easy to focus on ourselves. We ask for favors, thank God for things He’s done, and beg His pardon for our sins. How much time, though, do we devote to praising Him?
“Do you know,” said Anne confidentially, “I’ve made up my mind to enjoy this drive. It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.”
In this scene, eleven-year-old Anne is facing the prospect of being sent back to an orphan asylum because…
With Laetare Sunday come and gone, we are officially more than halfway through Lent. It’s about this time that priests break out the “Stay on track! Don’t give up! Easter is coming!” homilies. Not without reason, mind you. It’s easy to start out Lent with grand resolutions only to…
Too often we treat the Lenten season as a self-improvement program. Instead of seeking to draw closer to God, we end up seeking ourselves. A classic example is someone giving up chocolate so they can lose weight. Their focus is on an ulterior motive, not God.
The account of David committing adultery with Bathsheba opens thus: “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.”
Take note of that last bit, “but David remained in Jerusalem.” That’s where the trouble begins.
November’s at an end, and it seems we barely scratched the surface with the topic of “Suffering with Christ”. Don’t worry, we’ve got it noted down as something to cover more of in the future.
To decorate for the season of Advent, starting December 1st, we’ll have an Advent wreath….
Are you ready for your death? So many things in the world attract us and take our attention away from the fact that we were made for eternity. Beginning with Halloween at the end of October and all throughout November, the Church remembers in her prayers in a special way all those who have died.
September has been quite a month at St. Joseph’s Shelf! This past weekend, Vir Christi’s article “The Role of Friends in the Spiritual Life” was featured in a Catholic daily news roundup. To all you new readers who found us that way, welcome!
With the arrival of September, we’re ready to resume our twice weekly posting schedule with a series on cultivating a deeper prayer life. Readers offered some great ideas for articles in this series. Some suggested topics include…
Throughout July, we’ve delved into the lives of a variety of saints from all different walks of life. Each one of them was entrusted with a mission. All of these men and women were needed. So are you.
June has been another wonderful month here at St. Joseph’s Shelf. Rose (a graphic designer by profession) has been taking the lead this month with writing articles on art and entertainment.
Rose and I would like to express our gratitude to all of you who have checked out St. Joseph’s Shelf this May. Readers have also been asking how they can be of help to us. As it turns out, there are several ways!