March 21, 2023

Posted on by Johanna Garcia
My reflection is from Living Faith:
Jesus said to him, “Do you want to be well? …Rise, take up your mat, and walk.”… So the Jews said…, “It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” John 5:6, 8, 10
“If I were rushing someone to the hospital in my car, I might never wait out a stoplight at an empty intersection. Some laws, if followed to the letter, might do more harm than good. Others prove to be unjust, as did previous laws allowing slavery in years past. When religious leaders in today’s passage nitpick Jesus about the sabbath they’re not exactly wrong, but they’re missing the point. Sabbath rules were meant to uphold it sanctity, but what is holier than the healing power of God?
Rules matter. If we knowingly break them, we should be prepared to accept the consequences. Yet we must also be mindful of whom and what our rules are meant to protect. We must examine them in light of our Lord’s greatest commandments.
Lord God, help us to uphold rules that support love for you, our neighbors and ourselves.” Karla Manternach

March 20, 2023

Posted on by Johanna Garcia
My reflection is from Living Faith:
… the father of many nations. Romans 4:18
“There is a resurgence in devotion to St. Joseph. Many of us grew up thinking him a kindly old man but of little importance. People are now rediscovering the spiritual efficacy of this great saint. For example, given the many assaults on family life today, the fatherly care exercised by St. Joseph can be a source of strength. He can help us regain a sense of a humble and holy example of fatherhood.
In the litany of St. Joseph, one of his titles is ‘terror of demons’. In these days when evil can seem to have the upper hand, St. Joseph is a powerful intercessor in our own struggles against evil.
And is there any saint closer to Jesus besides Mary? If God chose Mary to be the perfect mother for her Son, wouldn’t God also choose the very best of fathers? For our daily petitions, we know this humble father has Jesus’ ear.
St. Joseph is uniquely a man for our time. ” Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti

March 18, 2023

Posted on by Johanna Garcia
My reflection:
“The spirit of God lives inside you. He loves you because you’re His own. Friends may desert you and families disown you, but He’ll never leave you alone.
If you’re broken, He’ll fix you-after all, He created you. You are one of His dreams that came true. He’ll answer your prayers-sometimes out of the blue – after He sees your faith in Him too. He promises an abundance of life here on earth, and – though it may sound odd- we’re also blessed with the miraculous spiritual life everlasting. Just imagine! What a God!
The prisons we make for ourselves are no place for the forgiven who’ve made mistakes they’re so sorry for. He even said we could cast ALL our cares on Him. You just can’t out love Him; He loves you so much more. He’s a ‘hands-on’ God. He’ll give you the desires of your heart, make your dreams come true, and make you well. He’s as good as His word if you will only believe Him…He’s got your back and you will not fail!” Donna Fargo
Our God is a God of love! A God who loves us unconditionally

March 15, 2023

Posted on by Johanna Garcia
My reflection:
 “Simplicity is different from focus, different from balance, different from harmony-although simplifying your days can make the process of focusing and balancing much easier. The process of simplifying your life is primarily the process of making room, clearing out space, and letting some light into the cluttered closets of your days. In a sense, the act of simplifying your life is really the process of giving yourself freedom-freeing mind and schedule from the overload of activities and occupations that inevitably weigh you down.” Thomas Kinkade
As we empty out spaces in our life that God fill those spaces with love and compassion. ?

March 14, 2023

Posted on by Johanna Garcia
My reflection:
“Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you.” St. Thomas Aquinas

March 13, 2023

Posted on by Johanna Garcia
My reflection:
“God has said He wants you to have the desires of your heart, that He loves you and wants you to have an abundant life. Trust in the fact that He’s as good as His word. Rest in the attitude that all things will work for your good, and believe it.” Donna Fargo

March 12, 2023

Posted on by Johanna Garcia
My reflection is from Living Faith:
In those days, in their thirst for water, the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it just to have us die here of thirst with our children and our livestock?” Exodus 17:3
“Ah, yes, I can identify with the grumbling pilgrims in Exodus. I, too, want freedom from work what enslaves me. But when the going gets tough, if I must make difficult choices to leave old habits and unloving behaviors behind, I can get a little huffy: Spiritual growth ought to be easier. I’m tired of this. How come this is taking so long? What difference do Lenten practices make anyhow?
We are probably each tempted from time to time during Lent to turn around and head back to our own Egypts, to sink into old familiar patterns that do not demand much from us. Today’s grumblers in Exodus give us a little poke in the spiritual ribs to encourage us: ’Keep at it. You’ll make it through the desert just like we did.'” Sr. Joyce Rupp O.S.M

March 11, 2023

Posted on by Johanna Garcia
My reflection is from Living Faith:
While he was still a long way off, his father caught side of him… Luke 15:20
“The parable of the Prodigal Son is a powerful story of sin and forgiveness many of us may relate to the younger son who has made such a mess of his life and returns to his fathers home in abject humiliation.
Yet the absolute surprise of the story is the father, who has been waiting for his son and finally sees him coming from ‘a long way off.’ The father rushes to his son embraces him and welcomes him even before the sun can make his confession.
God is waiting for us, watching for us, hoping for us to return when we wander off. We humans might want to let the son stew in his own juices for a while, but God rushes to forgive.
What an affirmation of God’s mercy. His ways are not our ways. Thanks be to God!
Holy spirit, let me trust always in God’s mercy and help me extend that mercy to others. ” Greg Erlandsen