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Standing Under the Cross
As Jesus was dying, the Gospels say that Mary, his mother, stood under the cross. What was she doing while standing there? On the surface, it seems she wasn’t doing
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Sin and Sadness
French philosopher, Leon Bloy, a man very instrumental in helping bring Jacques and Raissa Maritain to faith, once stated: “There is only one real sadness in life, that of not
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An Immune System within the Body of Christ
We’ve gone mystically tone-deaf. Robert Bellah tells how one of his researchers, speaking at a conference, made the statement: “Some people believe that human life is priceless.” A scientific expert,
https://ronrolheiser.com/an-immune-system-within-the-body-of-christ/
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Keeping Watch with the Shepherds in Bethlehem
“And shepherds were keeping watch in the night!” When the Gospel of Luke recounts the Christmas story, it tells us that, when Jesus was born, shepherds were keeping watch in
https://ronrolheiser.com/keeping-watch-with-the-shepherds-in-bethlehem/
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Don’t Worship Your Emotions
John Shea shares this story: He once invited a renowned storyteller, Reuven Gold, to meet with his students. During that visit, one of the students, a young priest facing a
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Being Blessed by Pagan Friends
Gilbert K. Chesterton, the renowned Catholic apologist, was a great friend with George Bernard Shaw, the famous playwright, even though Shaw, an agnostic, had major issues with Chesterton’s belief in
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Cataclysms of the Heart
There are times when the world unravels. Who hasn’t had this feeling? “I’m falling apart! This is beyond me! My heart is broken! I feel betrayed by everything! Nothing makes
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The Litmus Test for being Christian
Who’s a real Christian and who’s not? Who’s faithful to the teaching of Christ and who’s selective in following him? Who’s morally committed and who’s not? Everywhere, in the name
https://ronrolheiser.com/the-litmus-test-for-being-christian/
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Feeling God in Vulnerability
Sometimes we understand things through their absence. The experience of loneliness teaches us about love. Sometimes too the more painful the absence, the more we’re opened to what we’re missing.
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Reflections on Death
None of us likes to think about death, and that isn’t necessarily bad. Our every heartbeat blocks out death, pushes it away, and keeps us focused on living. That’s nature