God is Love, Day 5

Photo of snail and rhododendron speaking 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love."
โ€œGod is Love, Day 5โ€
1 John 4:18
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

“Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.โ€

St. Francis of Assisi

There is no fear in love, 
but perfect love drives out fear.

Traditional Chinese Translation

ๆ„›่ฃกๆฒ’ๆœ‰ๆ‡ผๆ€•๏ผ›
็›ธๅ๏ผŒๅฎŒ็พŽ็š„ๆ„›่ƒฝ้™คๅŽปๆ‡ผๆ€•ใ€‚

… Read the rest

God is Love, Day 4

Photo of snail and rose speaking 1 John 4:16, "God is Love."
โ€œGod is Love, Day 4โ€
1 John 4:16b
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

“In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.โ€

St. John of the Cross

God is love, 
and whoever remains in love 
remains in God and God in him. 

… Read the rest

God is Love, Day 3

Photo of snail and dahlia speaking 1 John 4:9, "God sent his only Son into the world..."
โ€œGod is Love, Day 3โ€
1 John 4:9
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang


“The love of God is the cause of the Incarnation.โ€

St. Thomas Aquinas

In this way the love of God was revealed to us: 
God sent his only Son into the world 
so that we might have life through him.

… Read the rest

God is Love, Day 1

God is Love, Shalom Snail, 1 John 4
โ€œGod is Love, Day 1โ€
1 John 4:7a
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang


“Nothing is so great as love; for love is the bond of perfection.”

St. John Chrysostom

Beloved, let us love one another, 
because love is of God.

Traditional Chinese Translation

ๅ„ไฝ่’™ๆ„›็š„ไบบๅ“ช๏ผŒ่ฎ“ๆˆ‘ๅ€‘ๅฝผๆญค็›ธๆ„›๏ผŒ
ๅ› ็‚บๆ„›ๆ˜ฏๅ‡บๆ–ผ็ฅž็š„ใ€‚

… Read the rest

Feast of the Holy Family

Photo of baby snail resting on a hubei anemone with text overlay of the Shalom Snail couplet for the Feast of the Holy Family.
โ€œFeast of the Holy Familyโ€
A reflection on Luke 2:8-20
Inspired by the Liturgy of the Hours, Feast of the Holy Family, Evening Prayer I, Antiphon 3
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

The shepherds went in haste and found Mary and Joseph,
with the child cradled in a manger.… Read the rest

Before the Big Bang: Saint Johnโ€™s Eyewitness Account of the Eternal Word Made Flesh

Hubble image of galaxy with Nativity overlay illustrating Saint John's theology before the Big Bang.
Original Hubble image of galaxy MCG-01-24-014: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Kilpatrick
Artistic composite with Nativity overlay by Gloria M. Chang, 2025

What existed before the Big Bangโ€”and did Saint John touch it?

Beloved:
What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of life โ€”
for the life was made visible;
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to usโ€”
what we have seen and heard
we proclaim now to you,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
for our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

… Read the rest

Saint Stephen the Protomartyr

โ€œSaint Stephen the Protomartyrโ€
A reflection on Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59
ยฉ๏ธ2022 Gloria M. Chang

Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people. Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen, Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and people from Cilicia and Asia, came forward and debated with Stephen, but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. 

… Read the rest

Joseph’s Dream

Photo of snail and rose with text overlay of the Shalom Snail couplet, "Joseph's Dream."
โ€œJosephโ€™s Dreamโ€
A reflection on Matthew 1:18-24
Third Sunday of Advent (Year A)
ยฉ๏ธ2022 Gloria M. Chang

In Joseph’s Dream, divine mercy transformed a righteous man’s sorrow into joyful guardianship of the Savior.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

… Read the rest

The Root of Jesse, Day 8

Photo of a snail and an insect speaking Isaiah 11:8 about the baby playing by the viper's den.
โ€œThe Root of Jesse, Day 8โ€
Isaiah 11:8
ยฉ๏ธ2020 Gloria M. Chang

In the viperโ€™s den, perfect love reignsโ€”fear flees where Christ is victorious.

The baby shall play by the viperโ€™s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adderโ€™s lair.

… Read the rest