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Saturday, September 12, 2026

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Abide in Him

Abide in Him

Mary’s unique relatability

Mary has uniquely experienced every state of human relationship with God except sin. Because by grace she was conceived without original sin, she began her existence in a state akin to Adam and Eve before the fall. As a Jew, she grew up part of the people of God living in the Mosaic covenant. At the Incarnation, she became the first Christian and part of the New Covenant instituted by Christ. Everyone can find in Mary a relatable example of receptivity and faithfulness to God.
Abide in Him

The weeds among the wheat

This time of year, it’s hard not to think about weeds. They intrusively obscure the vibrancy of garden flowers and the tidy uniformity provided by fresh mulch and a neatly mowed lawn. Not only do they make for more work, but they also diminish the hard work that has already been accomplished. I’m reminded of Jesus’ parable of the weeds among the wheat (Mt 13:24-30). Like his servants, I say, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?” 
Abide in Him

God’s joy

Everyone longs the most for joy — that kind of happiness that dwells deeply in the soul.
Abide in Him

The helmet of hope

Awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness has risen tremendously in recent years. Much like medicine, which has expanded from treating illnesses to preventing them, and even grown to include healthier and more vibrant living, an appreciation for investing in mental health and flourishing has been a positive advancement.
Abide in Him

The heart of our work

Jesus’ last words from the cross were “it is finished” (Jn 19:30); and when he describes our own final judgment, he gives us a similar image of having completed a work — “Well done my good and faithful servant” (Mt 25:23).
Abide in Him

Turn to the Father instead

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the darkness in the world. Seeing so much strife and so many problems, we can feel powerless to fix things. Even in our families we can grow despondent over the struggles of loved ones we can’t fix ourselves. As Christians, it’s especially disheartening to see so many people reject God or ignore him as if he has nothing to do with their lives. And then there’s the struggle within — our own inner tensions as we wrestle with personal sin and the sufferings life has presented that can bring worry, anger and exhaustion.
Abide in Him

Taking our thoughts captive for Lent

Lent is a time we do spiritual battle. Since the best defense is a good offense, we ought to begin as Christ did, by spending time with God in prayer and fasting, rooting us in his truth and love.
Abide in Him

Christ our teacher

The prophet Isaiah delivered this hope: “No longer will your Teacher hide himself, but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher, and your ears shall hear a word behind you: ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Is 30:20b-21). With so much uncertainty in life on the one hand and opportunity on the other, we all yearn for that wise person to show us what to do and how to do it. We look for someone we can be confident knows the way and won’t lead us astray. Thankfully, Isaiah’s prophecy has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and we have such a teacher near to us and eager to instruct us.
Abide in Him

God’s humility and gentleness

“God is love,” St. John writes in his first letter. Such a simple phrase, and yet plumbless in its depths. Father Romano Guardini, in his book “The Lord,” reflected that to understand the kind of love God is, given his self-revelation in Jesus Christ, we must also say that “God is humble.” 
Abide in Him

God’s power in man

God is all-powerful, and when he made us in his image he bestowed some of that power upon us, too. As children of God, Adam and Eve were to take part in God’s work — to be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over the Earth. In God, power is coupled with love and expressed through self-gift, and so their power was meant for the same purpose.
Abide in Him

The need for Christian formation

When St. Augustine penned “The City of God,” he contrasted pagan culture, marked by the values and practices of fallen human nature, with Christian culture, marked by the love of God and grace.
Abide in Him

Full hearts

God is love, and we are made in his image. Therefore, the perfection of the human person means becoming perfect in love. Lest we rationalize a way to lower the bar for ourselves, Jesus made this standard clear, saying, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The word perfect doesn’t refer to the absurd perfectionistic standards driven by our hyper-competitive culture.
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