Catholic Women Preach

Preaching for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time , Louise Lears, SC offers a reflection inviting us to allow Jesus to free us from that which holds us captive -- including our own prejudices: "Yet, Jesus was doing just what he was anointed to do. He was opening the eyes of those before him to their racism and nationalism. He was trying to set them free of their captivity, reminding them that God’s...

Preaching for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Carmen M. Nanko-Fernández offers a refreshing reflection on the Holy Spirit, saying, "For too long we have domesticated the Holy Spirit, imagining a peaceful white dove as a comforter to support the status quo, or as an advocate without the sharp edge of advocacy."   A self-described Hurban@́ (Hispanic and urban) theologian, Carmen is Professor...

Preaching for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time , Jane E. Regan offers a reflection on how we all might intentionally reflect the glory of God: "As we move into the second week in ordinary time, may we be those who intentionally reflect God’s glory through a sense of gratitude, through actions of kindness, and by nurturing within one another the voices that preach the Gospel in word and action."...

Preaching for the Baptism of the Lord, Andrea Hattler Bramson offers a reflection on staying true to our vocation despite the "curve balls" that life will inevitably throw our way: " As you ponder your life, tasks, and responsibilities, let yourself doubt, like John the Baptist be confident that God accompanies us with love and mercy, and then let yourself stay TRUE to your vocation – whatever it...

Preaching for the Epiphany, Barbara E. Quinn, RSCJ offers a reflection on how Epiphany calls and empowers us to broaden our visions and horizons: "When the light of the Epiphany star sears our souls, it also casts a beam of light across and beyond any horizon we have imagined before, calling us to a new vision."   Barbara Quinn, RSCJ is a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart, United Stat...

Preaching for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Wamũyũ Teresia Wachira, IBVM offers a reflection inviting us ask, "What can we learn from God’s action of choosing a woman, whom we, in our world will refer to as a nobody, to carry in her womb, Jesus – God’s loving son? What can we learn from God’s choice of shepherds, who are the poorest in the society, shepherds who smell of sheep to be the fi...

Preaching for the Feast of the Holy Family, Kerry Weber offers a reflection on family life, sacraficial love, and reliance on God.    Kerry Weber is an executive editor of America, where she has worked since 2009. She is a co-host of "America This Week," a weekly radio program on SiriusXM 129, The Catholic Channel. Kerry is the author of Mercy in the City: How to Feed the Hungry, Give Dr...

Yadira Vieyra Alvarez preaches for Christmas, offering a reflection on living Christmas joy, even in difficult times: "We must remember, however, that receiving this child is a decision. If we do not accept and embrace the presence of Jesus in our daily lives, of what use is his peaceful dominion? If we do not have peace in our families, our homes, our marriages, our communities, of what use is Go...

Preaching for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Sara Fairbanbks, OP offers a reflection on how we might birth Christ into our own time and culture: "As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, how can we birth Christ in our time and culture? What steps can we take to overcome racial injustices in our country? Like Elizabeth and Mary, will we, too, be full of grace? How will we labor with God, w...

Elyse Gallway preaches for the Third Sunday of Advent -- Guadete Sunday -- offering a reflection on developing and nurturing a disposition of joy, regardless of our circumstances: "Paul understood that happiness is ultimately a choice. One that is built upon an awareness and acceptance of God’s presence and power operating in our lives." Elyse Galloway is a Maryland native, receiving bachelor degr...

Natalia imperatori-Lee preaches for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, offering a reflection on how Our Lady and the solidary between two "misbehaving" women in the Gospel for the day offer an antidote to despair and hopelessness: "Guadalupe makes God present in the Americas, to dispel fear amid violence and trauma, and she does it through the virtue of solidarity with those in need." Natalia Imp...

Rebecca Muder preaches for the Second Sunday of Advent, offering a reflection on discipleship: "We are called to find and dedicate ourselves to the work that is uniquely ours to do, work that contributes to the creation of a more just and compassionate world." A self-professed perfectionist, she finds solace in today's readings, saying, "God isn’t interested in perfect. She is interested in our wi...

Annemarie Paulin-Campbell preaches for the Immaculate Conception, offering a reflection on how we might respond to our own "annunciation moments when our former understanding of our future is shattered and a new one is held out in invitation." Dr. Annemarie Paulin-Campbell is a South African Catholic laywoman who has been working in the area of Ignatian Spirituality for the past twenty years. She...

Carmen Sammut, MSOLA preaches for the First Sunday of Advent, offering a reflection on recognizing Jesus, the Emmanuel, God-with-us in every person we meet and sowing seeds of hope this Advent. Carmen Sammut, msola was born and lived her first 22 years on the island of Malta. She was trained as a teacher and taught for 3 years before joining the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (msola) in...

Agnes Brazal preaches for the Solemnity of Christ the King, offering a reflection on making God's reign a reality in our hearts, minds, and society. Dr. Agnes M. Brazal is associate professor and research fellow at the De la Salle University, Manila. She is past President and founding member of the DaKaTeo (Catholic Theological Society of the Philippines) and one of the first "mothers" of the Eccl...

Claire Noonan preaches for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, offering a reflection on finding our way in these troubled times: "In times such as these, where do we turn? How do we set our feet, as the psalmist says, on the path of life, toward fullness of joy? Who can show us the way? " Claire Noonan, DMin, is a practical theologian who brings more than two decades of experience in univers...

Kelly Miguens preaches on the readings for the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, offering a reflection which lifts up the women in today's readings as models of discipleship and invites us to ask ourselves, "What must change in my life and heart, so that I too may offer myself generously, from my own poverty, to the work of God in this world.?" Kelly Miguens currently works as a faculty membe...

Preaching on the readings for the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Marina Pastrana asks us to consider how we might go beyond prescribed responses that society and even religion ask of us by responding to our neighbors in need with love. Marina was born in Chihuahua, Mexico and grew up in the border towns of Tijuana Baja California and Chula Vista, California. Marina graduated from Boston Col...

Kerry Robinson preaches for All Saints Day, offering a reflection on the communion of saints "to which [we] are called and to which [we] belong." She reminds us that "the invitation to sanctity is not for the unattainably pious or impossibly virtuous, but for all of us." Kerry Robinson is the founding executive director and global ambassador of Leadership Roundtable, dedicated to promoting excelle...

Jocelyn Sideco preaches from her terrace in Assisi for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, inviting us to contemplate the Gospel reading from three perspectives: that of blind Bartimaeus, of the crowd, and of Jesus. For her, contemplating the actions and words of Jesus proves most fruitful. Jocelyn is a retreat leader and spiritual director in the tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola. A graduate...

Maria Cataldo-Cunniff preaches on the readings for the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, offering a reflection on truth and truth-telling. Maria Cataldo-Cunniff is a person with a disability. She holds Masters degrees in theology from University of Notre Dame and Weston Jesuit School of Theology and is a member of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. She has served as chaplain at bo...

Trena Yonkers-Talz preaches for the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, offering a reflection on readings by sharing the lived example of one of her friends from El Salvador. Trena Yonkers-Talz has lived in Central American for over 20 years working in Jesuit higher education. She and her husband, Kevin, co-directed Santa Clara University’s study aboard program, Casa de la Solidaridad. Currentl...

Susan Ross, Ph. D. preaches for the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary time, offering a reflection on our need to be loved and to love. Dr. Susan A. Ross is Professor of Theology and a Faculty Scholar at Loyola University Chicago. She is Past President of the Catholic Theological Society of America (2012-13) and served as Vice President and member of the editorial board of Concilium: International...

Lorna Gold preaches for the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time in light Pope Francis' visit to Ireland which was overshadowed by the latest revelations and developments regarding clergy sex abuse and cover-up. Lorna works for Trócaire, the Irish Catholic Development Agency. She is a specialist in International Development who has worked in an academic and NGO context for almost two decades. Curr...

Mar Muñoz-Visoso preaches for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, offering a reflection how we might grow in discipleship. María del Mar Muñoz-Visoso is executive director of the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In that capacity, she supervises the and directs the work of the staff serving the Bishops’ Committee on Cultural...