Isaiah 2:4-5 He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples.They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. Born in Transkei, South Africa, on July 18, 1918, Nelson Mandela was the…
1 Thes. 3:12-4:2 Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen. At…
In this Christ the King homily, Fr. Michael uses the unlikely duo of Pope Francis and Bob Dylan to offer a challenge to each and every Christian: Decide who you will serve. Is it the Lord or is it another? Make the Gospel your guide, says Pope Francis, and live a life of and for…
Reflecting on the oldest public church in Rome, St. John Lateran (named for the Laterani family whose palace and lands were confiscated by Emperor Nero and eventually given to the Church by Emperor Constantine more than 1,600 years ago), Fr. Michael reminds us that sacred space is important, but equally as important is the spiritual…
As Catholics we remember and pray for our deceased friends and family, and all those who have gone from this life, that their souls will find peace in the heavenly embrace of our loving God. Matthew 11:25-30 At that time Jesus answered: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,…
In this gospel passage, Jesus extols those who hear the word of God and keep it. Fr. Michael reminds us that St. Ignatius echoes this thought but replacing our ears with our heart: If you love someone, show it by what you do for them. Luke 11:27-28 While Jesus was speaking, a woman…
The cross is the universal symbol of our faith which makes it at once iconic and at the same time common. Fr. Michael reminds us on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross how much more than a symbol the true cross of Christ is. John 3:13-17 Jesus said to Nicodemus: “No one…
On this Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, Fr. Michael reads the Stabat Mater Sequence and recalls his own prayer experience of consoling Mary at the foot of the cross. John 19:25-27 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When…
In this gospel listing out the names of the twelve, Fr. Michael asks us to consider, “Who are the chosen?” and to recognize that as followers of Christ, we are all the chosen ones. Luke 6:12-19 Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day…
This post concludes our daily quotes from Fr. Michael’s book What’s Your Decision? written with Jim Manney and Fr. Tim Hipskind, SJ. To make support Heart to Heart with a monetary donation, please visit htoh.us/donate. [From the Preface] This book is about making decisions. Many books, workshops, seminars, podcasts, and self-study programs give advice about…