Gratitude and Prayer

Posted on September 6, 2017 by - Brother John's Reflections

We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the holy ones because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. Of this you have already heard through…[read more]

Mission and Self-Esteem

Posted on August 15, 2017 by - Brother John's Reflections

It well may be that nothing is more sought after and yet found more elusive than what we term “self-esteem." It is psychologically understood to be our subjective evaluation of ourselves, and we have come to recognize it as a significant influence on a person’s behavior.…[read more]

Seeking and Faith

Posted on August 9, 2017 by - Brother John's Reflections

Jesus declares that this woman, who knows nothing of the tradition which forms Jesus and his own self-understanding, has great faith. She is able to recognize the truth of Jesus that so many others who have been raised and formed in the same tradition as Jesus cannot begin to really grasp.…[read more]

The Presumption of Knowing

Posted on August 4, 2017 by - Brother John's Reflections

What is our greatest obstacle to change, reformation, and transformation in both our personal and shared lives? One of the ways we navigate the mystery of life is by an arrogant presumption that we know and understand. This is most at work in us in the most familiar settings of our lives.…[read more]

Faith and Idolatry

Posted on July 28, 2017 by - Brother John's Reflections

Belief in the one, true, and jealous God is hard work. To be “owned” by God and to be a trustee of God’s truth is difficult to maintain in the everyday. Even as believers we tend to forget whose we are. In our laziness we unconsciously lay claim to an autonomy that is not ours, and, in its service, we tend to relinquish our freedom by speaking and acting out of our many unconscious idolatries.…[read more]