In this Vincentian Mindwalk I explore whether there is an unconscious tendency to think of heaven as something awarded to us if we have enough evidence to convince the judge. Or, do we have a deep-down feeling heaven will be the best family gathering?
What is the name of the new Blessed who wore blue Jeans and Nike? He is the first millennial to be named “Blessed “. He is presented as a role model for youth, a “saint of the ordinary,” and a possible patron saint for IT workers.
Let’s think of a large family in which there is a son, the firstborn, who admires and loves his father beyond measure. He asks all his brothers and sisters to put their signature on the gift.
Christians must rediscover and always keep alive “the Eucharistic amazement”. We must rediscover the Eucharistic wonder.
A woman wrote of the beginning years of her marriage: “I have become aware of what it means to be loved and it is that awareness of being loved that I am trying to share with others.” What a beautiful way of getting at yet another dimension of loving.
Is the Church like a closet where we wistfully keep things from the past, a dreary chamber filled only with us, our problems and our disappointments? Then it will be impossible to recognize God’s silent and unassuming presence.
Were there “culture wars” In the early church? When people from various groups began to follow Jesus they brought with them.deep-seated cultural biases.
The tradition of ‘thanksgiving” is not new. It has deep roots in the Old Testament and especially the New Testament. The Last Supper was a celebration of thanks but it was also a call to giving.
Does our self-centered focus on what God does for us in the Eucharist blind us to what God asks us to do in the Eucharist?