Posted by Carol Johnson on 4/07/23
I would like to share my experience as an apostle for Holy Thursday Mass with you when I was 9-10 years old. The practice in my hometown was that boys my age were the apostles for the washing of feet. My two brothers and I were apostles more than ... Read More »
Posted by Carol Johnson on 3/26/23
In the XVI century when people from Spain were in Colombia, a representative from the king of Spain who worked in the town next to my native town, asked an artist to paint a portrait of Our Lady of the Rosary. He wanted to have it in his small ... Read More »
Posted by Carol Johnson on 3/19/23
I would like to focus my reflections today on the importance of being able to see spiritually, to see as God sees as God told the prophet Samuel. To see spiritually is important because we need to see the world beyond the appearance of the material. To see spiritually ... Read More »
Posted by Carol Johnson on 3/12/23
I was told that, centuries ago, in many cities in Spain there were public fountains for the people to draw water for daily consumption. A statue of Saint John the Baptist was usually placed overlooking the fountains, perhaps as a reference to baptism. People would come to draw water ... Read More »
Posted by Carol Johnson on 3/05/23
I would like to focus today’s reflections on the importance of prayer, prayer especially as a source of encouragement in the face of tribulations. The late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin was the Cardinal of Chicago when I was studying at that city’s seminary in 1996. At that time Cardinal Bernardin ... Read More »
Posted by Carol Johnson on 2/22/23
Not that I am counting the days, but it is impossible not to be aware that today is the third day of the rectory’s renovation. Because all the rooms needed to be emptied, all things were moved to the garage. It felt like moving again. Some parishioners helped me ... Read More »
Posted by Carol Johnson on 2/20/23
The Lord says, “Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you”. Along with “forgive not seven times but seventy-seven times”, these are arguably the Lord’s most challenging teachings.
“Love your enemies”. There are several possibilities for a person to have enemies. A person may ... Read More »
Posted by Carol Johnson on 2/13/23
The author of the Book of Sirach tells us, “If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you”. The sacred author makes keeping the commandments something easy to do.
At a recent meeting of priests with bishop Zarama, lunch was served. It happened that I was ... Read More »
Posted by Carol Johnson on 2/05/23
I was 16 years old when pope Saint John Paul II went to my native country, Colombia, on an Apostolic visit. I was one of thousands of Colombian youths who attended the Holy Father’s encounter with the youth in the stadium of Bogota. The detail of that special moment ... Read More »
Posted by Carol Johnson on 2/01/23
Like all the sacred sites in the Holy Land and especially around the Sea of Galilee, the Church of the Beatitudes is beautiful and peaceful. When I visited the site several years ago, I was impressed by the simplicity of the place. The building is small, built not to ... Read More »