Enkindle: Family Scripture Reflections

In this reflection for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Adam Novotny connects Isaiah's image of rain watering the earth to the parable of the sower, showing how God generously scatters His Word into all hearts and challenging us to ask whether we are good soil, ready to receive and grow from the Word of God.

In this reflection for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Scott Oesterle uses his two-year-old son's insight that "good kings ride on donkeys" to explore Jesus's meek and humble heart, challenging us to flip our idea of greatness and love our families with the gentle strength that serves rather than demands to be served.

In this reflection for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Fr. Erik Arnold uses a 17th-century painting of the Adoration of the Christ Child to illuminate the call to love Jesus above all else. This is not a demand to choose between God and family, but an invitation to fall more deeply in love with Jesus than we ever thought possible. See the painting here .

In this reflection for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Scott Oesterle explores how God notices the smallest details of our lives, encouraging us to acknowledge Christ by paying attention to and welcoming the people around us who feel overlooked.

In this reflection for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Adam Novotny explores Jesus's words "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," reminding us that heaven is an immediate, accessible reality through Christ, not just a future promise, and encouraging us to repent and reconcile "early and often."

In this Corpus Christi reflection, Kristen Fisher tells the story of Tarcisius, a young altar server who died protecting the Eucharist while bringing it to imprisoned Christians, using his courageous faith to challenge us to believe what Jesus truly promised: that His flesh is real food that gives us strength for the journey to heaven.

In this reflection for Trinity Sunday, Scott Oesterle traces the story from creation through sin's separation to John 3:16, showing how the Trinity's eternal love moved God to send His Son to heal what sin broke and invite us into that love beginning at baptism.

In this reflection for Pentecost, Fr. Erik Arnold shares a personal story of how he encountered the Holy Spirit, and he encourages us to open our hearts to the One who brings our faith, our church, the Sacraments, and everything to life.

In this reflection for the Ascension of the Lord, Kristen Fisher explores how the apostles experienced confusion and doubt at Jesus's ascension, expecting Him to restore Israel's earthly kingdom, but His final words called them not to understand everything but to trust: "I am with you always."

This week Adam explores a theme woven through all three readings: God doesn't just exist above us, he dwells within us. With a little help from the Genie in Aladdin, discover what it means that the all-powerful, transcendent God chooses to make his home in you.

In this reflection for the fifth Sunday of Easter, Scott Oesterle reminds that our Father is preparing the perfect Home with him and that Jesus leads the way towards it.

In this reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, Fr. Erik Arnold encourages us to listen to the voice of Jesus speaking in our hearts.

In this reflection for the Third Sunday of Easter, Scott Oesterle explores the road to Emmaus story where the disciples walked with Jesus but didn't recognize Him until He broke bread with them. He encourages us to notice where Jesus is walking with us in hidden ways, to pay attention to our stirring hearts, inviting Him to "stay with us," and share these moments with others.

In this reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Easter, Adam Novotny encourages us to be like the apostle Honest Thomas and recognize and proclaim the Divinity of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

In this reflection for Easter Sunday, 2026, Kristen Fisher reminds us that Jesus always keeps his promises and that he remains victorious over sin and death in our lives today, just as he conquered death on Easter Sunday.

In this reflection for Palm Sunday, Kristen Fisher explores the crowd's cry of "Hosanna"—meaning "save us"—and how they expected Jesus to defeat Rome like King David, but Jesus came to conquer a greater enemy: sin and death, not through violence but by laying down His life.

In this reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Fr. Erik Arnold uses the raising of Lazarus to invite families to trust Jesus with whatever feels like a sealed tomb and to let the stone be rolled away.

In this reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Scott Oesterle uses his son's Easter game and the story of Jesus healing the blind man to explore how familiarity can create "relational blindness" where we stop truly seeing the people closest to us and put them in mental boxes.

In this reflection for the Third Sunday of Lent, Adam Novotny connects Moses striking the rock for water in the desert to Jesus meeting the woman at the well, exploring how Christ is the living water who satisfies our deepest thirst, inviting us to worhip Him in spirit and truth.

In this reflection for the Second Sunday of Lent, Kristen Fisher highlights a detail from the Transfiguration—after hearing God's voice, the disciples "saw no one else but Jesus alone"—and invites us to ask for help seeing Jesus in both His dazzling glory and His hidden presence throughout daily life.

In this reflection for the First Sunday of Lent, Fr. Erik Arnold connects Christmas to Jesus's temptations in the desert, explaining that the Incarnation means Jesus truly knows our struggles because He experienced real temptations Himself

In this reflection for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Scott Oesterle explores how Jesus fulfills the law by moving it from external rules to matters of the heart, challenging us to prioritize being loving over being right as Lent approaches.

In this reflection for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Adam Novotny explores the Lord's call to be "salt and light," explaining how we add flavor and healing like salt while bringing Christ's warmth and awareness like light.

In this reflection for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Kristen Fisher explains why Jesus begins the Beatitudes with "Blessed are the poor in spirit"—recognizing our complete dependence on God is the essential first step that enables us to live all the other Beatitudes by welcoming His strength instead of relying on our own.

In this reflection for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Scott Oesterle explores how John the Baptist's simple, faithful words "Behold the Lamb of God" have been repeated at every Mass for 2000 years, inviting us to truly behold—to stop, pause, and be moved by—Jesus's presence in the Eucharist rather than letting this sacred moment pass by unnoticed.