Meditations in Manhattan

By entering into the Paschal Triduum, we can respond to Christ's invitation, "Love one another as I have loved you."

We are called to be saints in the middle of the world. And to become saints, we must begin again and again. During Lent, through our prayer, penance and almsgiving, we can follow Jesus closely. God loves us unconditionally. He calls us to live a life of commitment, and through that to live a life of joy. This meditation is the final of seven meditations we are posting from a Lent retreat by Father...

In the Eucharist, Jesus offers himself to us as the Bread of Life. We draw our life from him, and we learn to be humble of heart. This meditation is the sixth of seven meditations we are posting during Lent from a retreat by Father Timothy Uhen. During Lent, we seek a deeper love of God and neighbor through prayer, self-denial, and charity. The aim of these Lenten meditations is to help us, throug...

In the Sacred Humanity of Christ, we have the perfect model for our life hear on Earth. Jesus said, "Learn from me." That is what the saints have done. Like Saint Paul, we should strive to live so that "it is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me." This meditation is the fifth of seven meditations we are posting during Lent from a retreat by Father Timothy Uhen. During Len...

While the prospect of death and judgment may bring a natural fear to our souls, our Lord is constantly reminding us that he is always with us, and that his mercy endures forever. Indeed, the reality of Last Things spurs us to use our time well and always be merciful to others. This meditation is the third of seven meditations we are posting during Lent from a retreat by Father Timothy Uhen. During...

Jesus came to "cast fire upon the earth," yet the danger of lukewarmness is always lurking. We do well to heed the words of Our Blessed Mother at Cana, and do whatever Christ tells us. This meditation is the third of seven meditations we are posting during Lent from a retreat by Father Timothy Uhen. During Lent, we seek a deeper love of God and neighbor through prayer, self-denial, and c...

From the abundance of Love, God has created the world and given us a special place in it: We are made in his image and likeness. During a retreat, and during prayer, Jesus wants to “take me aside privately,” as he did with the deaf-mute, in order to heal me and bring me to a realization of my dignity as a son of God. Will I allow him to do so? This meditation is the second of seven meditations we...

This meditation is the first of seven meditations we are posting this Lent from a retreat by Father Timothy Uhen.  The theme of this first meditation is prayer and interior silence.  "O God, you are my God .. My soul longs for you (Psalm 63)." In prayer we recognize our sinfulness. But we also can learn to experience God's mercy and unconditional love.  During Lent, we seek a deeper...

Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the clean of heart. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Pope John Paul II called the beatitudes "a portrait of the heart of Christ." Especially during this time of Lent, let us learn through the beatitudes to follow Christ more closely. A meditation by Father Thomas Bohlin.

Let us discover Christ in our ordinary lives. Jesus is there waiting for us.  A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.

Jesus has told us, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.” We wish to draw closer to Christ in our prayer. And the best way we can do this is through the Gospel, the inspired Word of God. For the Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture, and in Scripture the Holy Spirit will lead us to Jesus. A meditation by Father John Agnew.

During the Christmas season we place the Holy Family — Jesus, Mary and Joseph — in the center of our home. A meditation by Father Joe Keefe.

These days the Church invites us to ready ourselves for Christmas, the birth of the Son of God. It is a time of joy, but also a time of penance. The infant Jesus reminds us of the virtue of self-denial, because he is born in a manger. Let us look at him in that manger, and let us learn from him. A meditation by Father Henry Bocala.

Let us live Advent well. This is a time of grace, of preparation, of conversion, and of wonder, pondering a God who loves us so much. We have so many things to do, but the most important thing is that we pray, and ready ourselves for the coming of the Infant Jesus. A meditation by Father Thomas Bohlin.

“Hail, Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee.” These are words that the Archangel Gabriel addressed to Mary at Nazareth. From these words we get an indication of God’s special gift to Mary. From the moment of her conception, she was full of grace: She is truly immaculate, without stain. Mary Immaculate is our advocate with her Son. Turn to her, and she will bring you closer to Christ. A meditation...

In this meditation, Father Henry Bocala reflects upon the virtue of hope – our hope to become saints, the hope we nurture in our hearts to see God face to face.

Let us have a heart that is grateful. Let us give thanks always, an attitude that makes us happy, pushes us to share, and makes us more attentive to God. A meditation by Father John Agnew.

Jesus is calling each of us to be a disciple. We have the opportunity to say, "Yes, Lord, I long to see your face." This is why we were created, to see God. And we should remember those who have gone before us: pray for them, if they are in purgatory, that they get to heaven; pray to them, if they are in heaven, that they intercede for us. We want to see God, to be in that communion of saints. A m...

Jesus Christ died for us that he might bring us into the freedom and liberty of the children of God. But we are free to follow Christ, or reject him. We need the Lord’s mercy, for without him, we are hopeless. With Christ’s help, we can achieve true freedom, by being obedient to the ways of God. A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.

In the month of November, we recall the deep bond we have – known as the communion of saints – with the three branches of the Church: the Church militant, the Church triumphant, and the Church suffering. Here on earth we are part of the Church militant, working out our salvation. We pray for the Church suffering, the souls in purgatory, undergoing final purification. And we enjoy the help and pray...

Jesus was born in a stable, and warned his apostles how hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. To follow Christ, we must live a spirit of detachment from material things and even from our own likes and preferences. We must choose God above all things, allowing Christ to show us the way. A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.

In this meditation, Father Henry Bocala reflects upon the core message of the founder of Opus Dei: seeking holiness in the middle of the world through our ordinary work. In the Gospel of Matthew, we read, “Be you perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Despite our defects and limitations, with God’s help, we can be saints.  We can truly love God with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul,...

On Oct. 2, 1928, Saint Josemaria “saw” Opus Dei – he saw that God was calling him to proclaim the universal call to holiness. Jesus says to each of us, “Come follow me.” We are called to seek Christ, to find Christ, to love Christ. There is no greater goal for our lives. If we have Christ, we have everything. A meditation by Father Thomas Bohlin.

Saint Josemaria Escriva founded Opus Dei on Oct. 2, 1928, to foster the universal call to holiness. In this meditation, Father Timothy Uhen explores this important truth, that all of us are called to be saints, and that we can find Christ in our work and everyday activities.

In this meditation we consider the importance of humility. Humility is offering ourselves to the Lord, walking in the truth. And Scripture tells us: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." A meditation by Father Timothy Uhen.