Posted by Carol Johnson on 2/21/26
Prior to the fall, Adam and Eve existed in a state of grace far removed from the brokenness of modern humanity. Their hearts were equipped to always do good. Malice was not in them. Distrust of others and of God did not exist in their minds. However, this original ... Read More »
Posted by Carol Johnson on 2/18/26
“Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; rend your hearts, not your garments.” Originally a prophetic invitation to conversion in Joel’s time, these words now mark the Church’s official entry into Lent—a universal call for all to return ... Read More »
Posted by Carol Johnson on 2/16/26
In this Sunday’s Gospel, we encounter part of the Sermon on the Mount—the Lord’s most profound teaching. Here, the Lord addresses three specific commandments regarding murder, adultery, and swearing.
To truly grasp His message, it helps to examine the structure of the sixth, seventh, ninth, and tenth commandments of ... Read More »
Posted by Carol Johnson on 2/08/26
Today’s Gospel continues the Sermon on the Mount, following immediately after the Beatitudes. In this passage, the Lord uses two powerful images to describe His followers: salt and light. He tells His disciples, "You are the salt of the earth... the light of the world." There is something profound ... Read More »
Posted by Carol Johnson on 2/01/26
The Beatitudes describe a variety of human conditions: poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, hunger for justice, mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking, and persecution. Despite their different outward forms, these states share a common essence—they all emerge from a place of profound hardship and affliction.
While human reactions to hardship ... Read More »