There are hardly any words in all the gospels more blunt than the stark ones Jesus proclaims in Luke’s 14th chapter.
vincentian spirituality
Taking In (Nehemiah 8; I Corinthians 12; Luke 4: 18-21)
by Tom McKenna, CM | January 26, 2022 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments
“Taking in the news.” It can refer to events both good and bad, taking in the news of a baby’s birth, for instance, or at the other end, receiving word of a loved one’s passing.
Being The Beloved (Isaiah 40:11: Lk 3:22)
by Tom McKenna, CM | January 12, 2022 | Formation, Reflections | 2 Comments
A gift – something given over freely, with good will and coming not from obligation but from good will and esteem. It raises the question: of all the gifts to receive, which would be the most valuable and precious?
Three Epiphany Words (Mt 2:1-12; Is 60:1-6)
by Tom McKenna, CM | December 29, 2021 | Formation, Reflections | 4 Comments
This thread of “Stop, Look and Go” winds through the words and actions of this Feast of Epiphany.
Ready to See (Luke 3:1-6; Phil 1:9-10)
by Tom McKenna, CM | December 15, 2021 | Formation, Reflections | 2 Comments
What the teacher had done was prepare him to see. She had given him a way to notice more of what was there.
Widening The Gate (Luke 13:22-30)
by Tom McKenna, CM | Aug 24, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
One of Jesus’ more intriguing images is that of the gate, the entranceway into his Father’s Kingdom. Entrance depends in large part on the practical steps we take to build the kind of unity, accord and cooperation that reflects his Father’s world.
The Treasures’s Location (Hebrews 11:1-19; Lk. 12:32-48)
by Tom McKenna, CM | Aug 10, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Lk 12:34)These words of Jesus shine a light on what it is that a given society values — what it treasures most, what tops its list of things most sought after?
Light Through Darkness
by Tom McKenna, CM | Dec 19, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
The Christmas truth is that God’s light suffuses the dimness of those times and in the end beats back the encroaching darkness.
The Future Pulls The Present
by Tom McKenna, CM | Dec 5, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
Advent (Ad: toward; Vent: coming), lays out the direction of the season. It doesn’t just celebrate the future but what of that future is being poured into the present.
The Kingdom Interpretation
by Tom McKenna, CM | Nov 21, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
The Kingdom Interpretation (Mk 12:44-48) To profess myself a Christian is to profess a desire – and that desire is to follow behind the Lord, Jesus Christ. Perhaps “follow behind” doesn’t quite get to the heart of it. It’s more accurately a “stepping into his...
Testifying
by Tom McKenna, CM | Nov 7, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
Testifying (Luke 9:1-2) Reading Luke’s account of the disciples being sent out, I put myself in the shoes of one of those 70 individuals directed to go forth and proclaim the Good News that in Jesus, God’s forgiving compassion is drawing near. How would I feel...
On Listening
by Tom McKenna, CM | Oct 24, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
“On Listening” (Luke 11: 16, 29-31) One of the most gratifying compliments is to hear that you listen well. It conveys another’s feeling that something of his or her inner self has gotten through, that not just the words but the deeper resonances of those words have...
The Ministry of Encouragement
by Tom McKenna, CM | Oct 10, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
The Ministry of Encouragement (Hebrews 12:1) There’s a wonderfully comforting image in the Letter to the Hebrews which has special application to us in Vincent’s Family. The author sets out to build up his struggling fellow believers and does this through a...
Sent Out
by Tom McKenna, CM | Sep 26, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
“Sent Out” (Isaiah 61:1-2) There was a documentary on TV about the Renaissance, that period of awakening in the history of Europe when a fresh energy flooded into the culture and triggered off a whole new view of the world. The reason for it, as the show presented,...
A Life Time of Answering
by Tom McKenna, CM | Sep 12, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
A Life Time of Answering (Mark 8:27-30) People have wondered about the surprising, almost jarring response Jesus makes to Peter right after this apostle gives the exact right answer to the question, “Who do you say I am?” His reply, “You are the Christ.” But Jesus...
The Grace of Visibility
by Tom McKenna, CM | Aug 29, 2018 | Formation, Reflections
The Grace of Visibility (James 2: 1-5) America Magazine (8/06/18) recently featured an article entitled “Becoming Invisible.” The author observes how in both the early and ending years of life, a person is less visible to the surrounding world. A newly born looking...