Come Away By Yourselves

Originally published in 2021. Jesus laments the lack of response from his hearers.  Lent is a time for us to be a good audience.  https://comeawaybyyourselves.com

Originally published in 2021. Forgiveness for our sins is an essential part of Lent.  But to receive forgiveness we must be ready to give it.  https://comeawaybyyourselves.com

"What you did to the least of these my brethren, you did to me."  The final exam of our life will have only one question.   https://comeawaybyyourselves.com

The Lenten practices of prayer and self-denial should increase our Christian charity.  Without an increase in love of God and others, Lenten sacrifices risk becoming self-righteous and egotistical.   Charity, as described by St. Paul, demands a patient process of growth and self-mastery.   The Cross of Christ, which we look forward to at the end of Lent and which we are called to take up daily, is...

Originally published 2021. In order to have Jesus as savior, we have to admit our need for salvation.  Unless we realize we are spiritually sick, he cannot save and heal us. https://comeawaybyyourselves.com

Originally published 2021. The Church only requires two days of fasting each Lent.  If we can, it's good to do more. https://comeawaybyyourselves.com

Originally published 2021. "Whoever saves his life will lose it."  A huge task in life is giving up control.  For more visit https://comeawaybyyourselves.com

The first daily Lenten Homily.   Originally published 2021.  For more information, visit  https://comeawaybyyourselves.com

Jesus' forty days in the desert serve as a model for Lent.  Detached from normal necessities, Jesus fasts, prays, and battles the devil. Our Lenten sacrifices help us to live more dependent on God, focusing on the “one thing necessary.”  Fasting and self-denial give life and energy to the spirit.  A generous and fruitful Lent takes insight and courage. The reward for our spiritual life is mor...

The Sermon on the Mount is the core of Jesus's teaching on how to live with faith.  At once challenging and comforting, Jesus's vision of faith calls us to a radical dependence on God and detachment from all other goods.  At the heart of faith is an unshakable trust in God's infinite love for us.  This conviction frees us to live without fear and to strive for virtue without anxiety...

A woman suffering from a  hemorrhage fights through a crowd to touch Jesus with faith.  This Gospel story teaches a great deal about our own relationship with Jesus.  Her miracle has three key ingredients: need, faith, and contact with Christ.  Our own encounters with Christ will be more impactful and fruitful the more we need him, trust him, and have direct contact with him.  Like this woman, we...

The parable of the prodigal son is a parable of freedom and filiation.   The prodigal son and his older brother both misuse their freedom.  They mistakenly feel constrained by their relationship with their father and end up rejecting him.  The prodigal son rediscovers his sonship by reflecting on the truth of his situation.  This speaks to a close connection between true freedom and the truth itse...

This is the audio of a Zoom class given last year to a women's group at a local parish.  The topic is The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.  We review the basic theology of this wonderful doctrine: why we believe it, where it comes from in the Bible, why it's possible, how it works, and its import for our spiritual life.  There are about 30 minutes of lecture followed by a time of...

Originally published 9/23/20 Having the true God as our personal God is a great accomplishment and privilege.  The worship of false gods can take various forms.  In order to be truly human and  to love God as he deserves, we need to identify and cast out our idols.  https://comeawaybyyourselves.com

Jesus is the anointed one, sent by God to preach good news to the poor, to liberate captives, to give sight to the blind, and to free the oppressed.  Believing this means bringing all of our problems to him.  If we don’t depend on Christ in this way, he is not truly Christ for us.  Our souls also need to grow in loving Jesus above everything and everyone else.  St. Paul is a model of loving Christ...

At the wedding feast of Cana, a young couple is privileged with the presence of Jesus and Mary.  Mary's interaction with Jesus shows us the power of her intercession and teaches us to have a great trust in God.   Our Lady's advice, 'do whatever he tells you,' is at once practical and profound.  Coming from her own experience of fruitful submission to God's will, this piece...

First published 1/11/21: In Jesus's Baptism we see Jesus doing something unnecessary and in a sense unfair.  He takes on the role of a sinner, allowing John to baptize him with his baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  At the beginning of his public life, this event foreshadows our redemption at the end of Jesus's life--his death on the cross.  Jesus loves us by lowering hi...

The three Magi give us an example of humility and daring.  Their three gifts each symbolize an aspect of the Mystery of Christ.  Christ is King, Victim, and God.  In our own way, we can give him Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, with our generosity, our spirit of sacrifice, and our adoration.  The gifts of the Magi remind us of the greatest gift of Christmas, the gift of Christ himself.  In Christ we...

Our desire to see Jesus this Christmas is a deep desire to see God.  Made for heaven, we will be unfulfilled until we see God "face to face."   The Church calls the sight of God in heaven the "beatific vision."  Our earthly happiness also depends on our seeing God in Christ.  This happens in our faith and in our prayer.   Only by purifying our ideas and desires for happiness, m...

Originally published 12/21/2020.  We can join Mary and Joseph on their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  The divine adventure that they were on was filled with trust in God, which counteracted their natural concerns and fears.  The silent presence of Jesus within his Mother's womb was a source of wonder, love, and prayer for Mary and Joseph.  Jesus's silent presence in Mary and his si...

Jesus comes to make us joyful.  He shares his joy with us and calls us to a deep happiness.  Our times of sadness and sorrow are certainly part of his plan for us, but they can coexist with a constant joy.   When we put too much value in passing things, of whatever kind, our joy becomes fragile and fleeting.  To make God our joy, by contrast, is to have a joy "that no one can take from you.&q...

God's victory over sin begins with his Mother's Immaculate Conception.  His mercy for us as sinners also includes our struggle against sin and eventually our complete purification.  The means we have are the same: openness to grace, use of our freedom, and having the Lord stay with us.  https://comeawaybyyourselves.com If you enjoy "Come Away by Yourselves", please take a momen...

Advent is a penitential season, a time to reckon with our sinfulness and to convert.  Conversion requires the belief that we can radically change with God's help.  God can fill the valley of our frustration and loneliness.  He can lower the mountain of our pride and self-reliance.  For this to happen, however, we have to desire it and ask for it with confidence.  https://comeawaybyyourselves....

In Advent we prepare for the coming of the Christ Child at Christmas. Jesus, who found no room in the inn at Bethlehem, can find room in our souls and our lives if we prepare well for his coming. Making room for Jesus means clearing other things out, finding time for prayer, and welcoming him in others. 

Originally published 11/24/2020 On this Thanksgiving weekend, we take time to reflect on gratitude.  Gratitude is an essential act of prayer.  Being grateful is closely linked to joy and freedom from sadness and despair.  The grateful soul needs humility, temperance and chastity to continually recognize all of the gifts that come from God.  For the study on gratitude and well-being, please visit:...