Heaven’s Oil

Photo of snail on an autumn leaf with text overlay of the reflection on Matthew 25:1-13: "Heavenโ€™s oil burns, / As the world turns."
โ€œHeavenโ€™s Oilโ€
A reflection on Matthew 25:1-13
Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
ยฉ๏ธ2023 Gloria M. Chang

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

… Read the rest

God or Mammon

Photo of snail and orange lily with text overlay of the reflection on Luke 16:13: "The heart has a single throne, / For mammon or God alone."
โ€œGod or Mammonโ€
A reflection on Luke 16:13
Saturday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

Gospel

Luke 16:13

โ€œNo servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.… Read the rest

Citizens of Heaven

Photo of snail and snapdragon speaking the Shalom Snail couplet, "Citizens of Heaven."
โ€œCitizens of Heavenโ€
Philippians 3:20-21 โ€œin a snailshellโ€
Friday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time (Year II)
ยฉ๏ธ2022 Gloria M. Chang

What does it mean to live as a citizen of heaven in a world focused on earthly desires?

Fist Reading

Philippians 3:17-4:1 (ESV)

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many,… Read the rest

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Photo of a baby snail and adult snail on a hydrangea speaking the reflection on Luke 15:1-7: "Thank you, Jesus, for finding me. / Ninety-nine will rejoice with thee."
โ€œThe Parable of the Lost Sheepโ€
Luke 15:1-7 โ€œin a snailshellโ€
Wednesday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

What does the Parable of the Lost Sheep reveal about the boundless love and mercy of Jesus for every single person?… Read the rest

Beyond Consanguinity

Photo of snail and rose with text overlay of the Shalom Snail couplet, "Beyond Consanguinity."
โ€œBeyond Consanguinityโ€
A reflection on Luke 14:25-26
Wednesday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

What does it mean to love beyond consanguinity and place Christ above all earthly ties?

Gospel

Luke 14:25-26

Great crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and addressed them, โ€œIf any one 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.… Read the rest

Israel’s Universal Banquet

Photo of snail and wild flowers with text overlay of the reflection on Luke 14:15-24: "Welcoming strangers from streets and alleys, / God feeds the world from Israelโ€™s valleys."
โ€œIsraelโ€™s Universal Banquetโ€
A reflection on Luke 14:15-24
Tuesday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time
ยฉ๏ธ2024 Gloria M. Chang

How does Israel’s universal banquet invite everyone to God’s table of grace?

Gospel

Luke 14:15-24

One of those at table with Jesus said to him, โ€œBlessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.โ€… Read the rest

The Valley of Dry Bones

Photo of snail on a white zinnia facing a sea of white globe amaranth with text overlay of the Shalom Snail couplet, "The Valley of Dry Bones."
โ€œThe Valley of Dry Bonesโ€
Benedictus Antiphon, Commemoration of All Souls
From Ezekiel 37:1-14
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

Can hope rise from the valley of dry bones?

Gospel

Ezekiel 37:1-14

The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he led me out in the spirit of the Lord and set me in the center of the broad valley.… Read the rest

Stars and Saints

Photo of Hubble Ultra Deep Field
Hubble Ultra Deep Field
Fra Angelico, The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs
Fra Angelico, The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs

From eternity the Lord God designed humanity and the cosmos in his image, envisioning the constellation of saints bursting with Christic Light in the heavens. Formed from the dust of the earth, Adam evolves through the eons to completion in Jesus Christ, his descendant and Lordโ€”the Potterโ€™s masterpiece (Isaiah 64:8). … Read the rest

Friend, Go Up Higher

Photo of snail and dianthus chinensis speaking the reflection on Luke 14:7-11: "Seeds that descend into the humus / Ascend again a flowโ€™ring chorus."
โ€œFriend, Go Up Higherโ€
Luke 14:7-11 โ€œin a snailshellโ€
Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

Gospel

Luke 14:1, 7-11

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.ย … Read the rest

Spiritual Dropsy

Photo of snail and celosia argentea speaking the Shalom Snail couplet, "Spiritual Dropsy."
โ€œSpiritual Dropsyโ€
A reflection on Luke 14:1-6
Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
ยฉ๏ธ2023 Gloria M. Chang

How does the healing of spiritual dropsy reveal the tension between divine mercy and human pride in Jesusโ€™ encounter with the Pharisees?… Read the rest