Second Sunday in LentMarch 1st, 2026Genesis 12:1-4; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17 “One must travel to sharpen and rub one’s brain up against that of others,” wrote Michel de Montaigne in his essay on the education of children. The phrase is sharp and clearly shows that traveling is not primarily a leisure activity; it is…
First Sunday in LentFebruary 22, 2026Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Romans 5:12-19 Matthew 4:1-11 I think we can all remember a conversation we have witnessed or participated in—perhaps it may even be a conversation we have had with ourselves. The season of Lent that we have just entered invites us to pay special attention to these conversations.…
EPIPHANY IIIJanuary 25, 2026Isaiah 9:1-4 I Corinthians 1:10-18 Matthew 4:12-23 According to recent studies, most liberal democracies (e.g., in Europe, the United States, and Japan) are currently experiencing historically low levels of trust in elected officials and institutions. In France, only 20 to 30% of citizens say they trust politicians or feel truly represented…
Epiphany IJanuary 11, 2026Isaiah 42:1-9 ; Acts 10:34-43 ; Matthew 3:13-17 We have all experienced not knowing how to greet someone. There is that brief moment of hesitation: should we shake hands, kiss, wave, or give each other a bise? This momentary awkwardness, which we pay little attention to, also occurs when we have to…
The EpiphanyJanuary 4, 2026Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 The story of the visit of the Magi to Jesus is an ideal place to start when exploring Ignatian spirituality and its way of interpreting the bible. The method is easy to remember. Broadly speaking, it has six steps. (1) Still your mind. Pray…
Advent IVDecember 21, 2025Isaiah 7:10-16Romans 1:1-7Matthew 1:18-25 When I was a child, I developed a somewhat all-consuming passion for stick insects… I had several species in terrariums in my room until the day I learned (thanks to my sister’s screams) that some of them had escaped, causing a domestic commotion! Stick insects have several surprising…
Advent INovember 30, 2025Isaiah 2:1-5 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24 :36-44 How do we initially react when we hear the words “judge” and “judgment”? It depends greatly on our personal experience (even professional experience, for some) with courts, justice, and judges. It also depends on how we have used the justice system. A defendant, a victim,…
Pentecost XXOctober 26, 2025Joel 2:23-32 II Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 Luke 18:9-14 The United States is a fascinating country. Few places in the world have such a diversity of movements that all claim to follow the same Jesus Christ. I wouldn’t be surprised if God himself had given up counting how many church movements there are…
English Pentecost XVI September 28, 2025Jeremiah 32:1-3, 6-15 1 Timothy 6:6-19 Luke 16:19-31 When in church, we often read Jesus’ stories in a very devotional way, which sometimes keeps us from seeing that they are often caricatural, humorous, or even biting. Much of his social critique and his moral insightsare expressed in this manner. We tend to listen to or to read Jesus’ words as if they were the oracles of a deity—and,…
English Pentecost XIII September 7, 2025Jeremiah 18:1-11 Psalm 139:1-5, 13-18 Philemon 1:1-21 Luke 14:25-33 I am often struck by the gap between the way the first disciples, like Paul, lived the Gospel and the way we live the gospel today. Many times, the words of Jesus themselves seem very much at odds with how we…