Author Archives: anastaziejoy

Genesis 3:6 “The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So, she took some of the fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” As I consider Eve in the garden beforeContinue reading “What am I gazing upon?”

Most faithful, practicing Catholics are familiar with the section of John’s Gospel known as “The Bread of Life Discourse.” We reference John chapter 6 when defending our teaching on the Eucharist. And, rightly so, Jesus is quite adamant about our need to “eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,” (JohnContinue reading “Remaining with Jesus”

One of the passages in the “Return of the King,” that resonates well with me is when, after returning home and restoring the Shire, Sam hesitates to move in to Bag End with Mr. Frodo because he is finally ready to marry Rose. He says that he feels torn in two. His heart is tornContinue reading “The Joy of a Scattered Heart”

One of the things that blesses me most about the Catholic faith is the tradition of our liturgical seasons. Each year there is a rhythm to our liturgies that reminds us to focus on the various realities we face throughout our pilgrim journey. We are reminded of need for penitence and mercy, we are exhortedContinue reading “Waiting with hope”

The goal of our existence is holiness. Often we lose sight of this truth, thinking that the goal is a certain occupation, or in the Catholic world, entering into a certain vocation. We think in terms of accomplishments, of success or failure. If a young man leaves seminary he has failed and must now seekContinue reading “Success Redefined”

I have been thinking quite a bit about the fact that we often don’t know or understand what leads to a person’s insecurity, even a person we might know and love well.  Maybe we only see the amazing, healed person they have become, but we don’t know about the wounds that lead to them becomingContinue reading “Insecurity”

Life is a death sentence. The statement, “from the moment we start living, we are dying,” is no less true for being a cliché. When, after being sentenced to execution, Thomas More said, “Death…comes for us all, yes even for kings!” he was not, even then, showing malice towards Henry VIII. He was simply statingContinue reading “Memento Mori”

In Mark chapter 12: 18-27 Jesus is approached by some Sadducees who question him about the resurrection. It is a familiar passage, and often used to teach about the truth of the resurrection, which is perfectly fitting. However in reflecting on this passage recently I was struck by Jesus’ understanding in response to the Sadducees.Continue reading “Sharing Truth”

When thinking about sacred space, the first things that typically come to mind are churches and chapels, or perhaps nature where I encounter God near a body of water or while walking in the woods. These spaces certainly are sacred, are places where it is good to pray, to seek God, and to experience hisContinue reading “Creating Sacred Space”