A Blind Beggar Glorifies God

Photo of snail and dahlia speaking the Shalom Snail couplet, "A Blind Beggar Glorifies God."
โ€œA Blind Beggar Glorifies Godโ€
A reflection on Luke 18:35-43
Monday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
ยฉ๏ธ2022 Gloria M. Chang

What can we learn from a blind beggar who glorifies God through persistent faith amid rejection?

As Jesus approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening. They

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The Parable of the Persistent Widow

Photo of snail and hibiscus with text overlay of the Shalom Snail couplet, "The Parable of the Persistent Widow."
โ€œThe Parable of the Persistent Widowโ€ Luke 18:1-8 โ€œin a snailshellโ€ Saturday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

What does the parable of the persistent widow reveal about perseverance in prayer?

Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He

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River of Zion

Photo of snail by a waterfall with text overlay of the Shalom Snail couplet, "River of Zion."
โ€œRiver of Zionโ€ Psalm 46:5(4) Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

How does the “River of Zion” bring divine peace and stability to Godโ€™s holy city amidst a world in chaos?

The River of Zion: A Vision of Divine Peace

In the midst of social and political chaos and upheavalโ€”symbolized by the quaking earth, mountains, and raging watersโ€”a transcendent vision of paradise penetrates beyond the present turmoil and breaks into song: โ€œStreams of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High!โ€… Read the rest

All Saints’ Day

Photo of snail and lantana speaking the Benedictus antiphon of the Solemnity of All Saints' Day, "The saints will shine like the sun."
โ€œThe saints will shine like the sunโ€
Benedictus Antiphon, Solemnity of All Saints
ยฉ๏ธ2020 Gloria M. Chang

And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

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Praying Hands

Photo of snail and pansies with text overlay of the Shalom Snail couplet, "Praying Hands."
โ€œPraying Handsโ€ A reflection on Exodus 17:8-13 Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) ยฉ๏ธ2022 Gloria M. Chang

How did the praying hands of Moses, supported by Aaron and Hur, draw divine power to turn the tide of battle against the Amalekites?… Read the rest

True Blessedness

Photo of snail and autumn crocus with text overlay of the Shalom Snail couplet, "True Blessedness."
โ€œTrue Blessednessโ€
Luke 11:27-28 โ€œin a snailshellโ€
Saturday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

True blessedness lies in hearing and keeping Godโ€™s word, as exemplified by the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As he said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, โ€œBlessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!โ€ย 

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Praying with the Son

Photo of snail, tulips, and daffodils with text overlay of the Shalom Snail couplet, "Praying with the Son."
โ€œPraying With the Sonโ€
A reflection on Luke 11:1-4 and Romans 8:14-17
Wednesday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

Praying with the Son, we embrace our identity as beloved children of God, joining Jesus in the Our Father to address our heavenly Father as โ€œAbba.โ€… Read the rest

Contemplating the Face of Christ With Mary

Photo of snail and roses with text overlay of the Shalom Snail couplet, "Contemplating the Face of Christ with Mary."
โ€œContemplating the Face of Christ with Maryโ€
Our Lady of the Rosary
A reflection on Rosarium Virginis Mariae (1), Apostolic Letter of St. Pope John Paul II
ยฉ๏ธ2024 Gloria M. Chang

The Rosary: A Christocentric Prayer

The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, which gradually took form in the second millennium under the guidance of the Spirit of God, is a prayer loved by countless Saints and encouraged by the Magisterium.… Read the rest

Prayer to My Guardian Angel

Photo of snail and verbena speaking the Shalom Snail couplet, "Prayer to My Guardian Angel."
โ€œPrayer to My Guardian Angelโ€ (abridged)
Matthew 18:1-5, 10
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

In the Prayer to My Guardian Angel, we seek divine guidance and protection, reflecting the childlike humility and faith Jesus teaches in Matthew 18.… Read the rest

Prayer to the Sower

Photo of snail on a cherry tree speaking the Shalom Snail couplet, "Prayer to the Sower."
โ€œPrayer to the Sowerโ€
Luke 8:4-15 in a prayer couplet
Saturday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to him, he spoke in a parable.

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