Some of the traits which come out in the Samaritan woman as she interacts with Jesus at the noonday well could paint her as a hard-hearted and difficult lady.

by Tom McKenna, CM | May 31, 2023 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments
Rereading Andre Dodin’s biography of Saint Vincent de Paul recently, I was struck with the phrase he used to weave together the various threads of Vincent’s life.
by Tom McKenna, CM | May 17, 2023 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments
This homily was preached on the occasion of the taking of Final Vows by a Vincentian seminarian, Alex Palacios, in Philadelphia, PA.
by Tom McKenna, CM | May 3, 2023 | Formation, Reflections | 1 Comment
Preparing for this Sunday, which is often called Good Shepherd Sunday, I came across a description of the things a shepherd in Jesus’ time would do to care for his — or her — sheep.
by Tom McKenna, CM | April 19, 2023 | Formation, Reflections | 0 Comments
In the Acts of the Apostles, we come across a behavior that is not quite self-explanatory.
by Tom McKenna, CM | Feb 22, 2023 | Formation, Reflections
Some of the traits which come out in the Samaritan woman as she interacts with Jesus at the noonday well could paint her as a hard-hearted and difficult lady.
by Tom McKenna, CM | Feb 8, 2023 | Formation, Reflections
There’s a phrase from the sports world, “setting a high bar.” It means raising the height of the jump just beyond the mark the athlete think he can clear.
by Tom McKenna, CM | Jan 25, 2023 | Formation, Reflections
The word “bias” doesn’t have an especially pleasing connotation. It usually means an unfair leaning toward one group and a blindness toward its opposite.
by Tom McKenna, CM | Jul 13, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
The years-ago world of sacramentals — as you might remember, these were the scapulars and medals and holy cards and statues you’d find in a Catholic home.
by Tom McKenna, CM | Jun 29, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
When breaking into any new territory, organizations send out what is known as an advance team.
by Tom McKenna, CM | Jun 15, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
The mystery of the Trinity is definitely that: a mystery who’s depth and range we can never come close to penetrating.
by Tom McKenna, CM | Jun 1, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
The word Glory shows up frequently in the Scriptures, all those praises of God’s Glory and in particular Jesus’ petitions to His Father asking to give the disciples (and all of us) the Glory that the Father has given Him.
by Tom McKenna, CM | May 18, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
Years ago, walking along a crowded beach, I came upon a group of people gathered around a crying, screaming child.
by Tom McKenna, CM | May 4, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
“They recounted how…he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.”
by Tom McKenna, CM | Apr 6, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
In Luke’s 15th chapter, Jesus relates his perhaps most famous parable, aiming to open another window onto the Kingdom of God, especially its meaning for the present.
by Tom McKenna, CM | Mar 23, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
Through the ages, the episode of Moses and the burning bush has figured into the religious experience of many.
by Tom McKenna, CM | Mar 9, 2022 | Formation, Reflections
In a Lukan parable, Jesus uses the image of “storing,” accumulating and building up a certain quality inside one’s heart.