Easter Reflections: May 3, 2016 Phillip & James, Apostles

Show us the Father. (John 14: 8)
“Show us the Father” was an opening for Jesus to affirm the oneness in being of the Godhead present in the midst of those who followed Jesus and witnessed the works flowing out of the divine unity. He gives a hint of the mystery of the Trinity and of the potential union of humankind with God. Do you want to know God? Listen to Jesus, marvel at his works, and ponder his relationships with persons in his life. Whatever is asked in his name he will do.
In Jesus’ name we ask for the courage to love our enemies, that our hearts and theirs be converted to compassion and peace, and that terrorism and violence be erased from the human family.
-Sr. Eileen Schieber, CPPS (O’Fallon)
This reflection comes from the Easter Reflections, prepared by the Precious Blood Family of communities:
Adorers of the Blood of Christ (US Region)
Missionaries of the Precious Blood (Atlantic, Cincinnati & Kansas City Provinces)
Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (O’Fallon, MO)
Sisters of the Precious Blood (Dayton, OH)
Sisters of Saint Mary of Oregon
Easter Reflections is available for printing here.

Easter Reflections: May 2, 2016 Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter

I have told you this so that you may not fall away. (John 16:1)
We all know that living our Catholic faith is not easy. All around us we are bombarded with the ways of the world. We are ridiculed, called ignorant, intolerant, you name it. And we can feel like we are losing. But it is times like this that we remember the words of Christ from today’s Gospel. We have been given the Holy Spirit, the Advocate to guide us and to strengthen us. We need to hold on to that reality and let it give us the courage to live our Catholic faith proudly. The Holy Spirit is the God, and with God on our side we have nothing to fear.
-Fr. Michael Mateyk, CPPS (Atlantic)
This reflection comes from the Easter Reflections, prepared by the Precious Blood Family of communities:
Adorers of the Blood of Christ (US Region)
Missionaries of the Precious Blood (Atlantic, Cincinnati & Kansas City Provinces)
Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (O’Fallon, MO)
Sisters of the Precious Blood (Dayton, OH)
Sisters of Saint Mary of Oregon
Easter Reflections is available for printing here.

Easter Reflections: May 1, 2016 Sixth Sunday of Easter

The Advocate . . . will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have told you. (John 14:26)
Lord, your promise of One Who would remind us of all that you told us
drops like soothing oil on hearts too often cranky and cold.
Try as we might to remember
we still so quickly forget:
Don’t be afraid!
Forgive as you have been forgiven!
This is my blood shed for you!
I am with you always!
Instead we let ourselves become anxious and afraid,
hold on to grudges like penny candy,
and exclude others when we know the pain of exclusion,
Your words are not written on some ancient rock.
Rather they pour from your heart
in such a torrent of mercy
that only the Cup of the New Covenant can hold them.
-Sr. Joyce Lehman, CPPS (Dayton)
This reflection comes from the Easter Reflections, prepared by the Precious Blood Family of communities:
Adorers of the Blood of Christ (US Region)
Missionaries of the Precious Blood (Atlantic, Cincinnati & Kansas City Provinces)
Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (O’Fallon, MO)
Sisters of the Precious Blood (Dayton, OH)
Sisters of Saint Mary of Oregon
Easter Reflections is available for printing here.

Easter Reflections: April 30, 2016 Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter, Misunderstanding, Grace, and Mercy

One of the things that each of us strives for in life, is to be understood by friends, co-workers, and family members. To be understood, means that we have been able to express our views on a particular issue, and whether or not someone agrees with me, at least the person knows the context of my thought. Within conflicting areas, being understood means that I am still a good person in faith and reasoning, but I have simply arrived at a different conclusion. Frequently, the area of disagreement does not cause great concern if the understanding has taken place. To reach this level of understanding in life is difficult and sometimes impossible.To be a person of mercy in light of the Gospel of Jesus, means that I am called to take thefirst step in reaching out to people for greater understanding. As Jesus was also misunderstood, let us persevere!
-Fr. Daniel Torson, CPPS (KC)
This reflection comes from the Easter Reflections, prepared by the Precious Blood Family of communities:
Adorers of the Blood of Christ (US Region)
Missionaries of the Precious Blood (Atlantic, Cincinnati & Kansas City Provinces)
Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (O’Fallon, MO)
Sisters of the Precious Blood (Dayton, OH)
Sisters of Saint Mary of Oregon
Easter Reflections is available for printing here.

Easter Reflections: April 29, 2016 St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another. (John 15:16-17)
Precious blood spirituality is crying out to reconcile and to heal the needs in our world: bullying, “wars of words”, public rhetoric villainizing an entire faith tradition, the hardening of our hearts to the pain and the needs of the poor and the immigrant, using people as a means to an end, all rooted in the rampant fear of anyone who is “other”.
How does Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), Doctor of the Church, encourage and inspire the recognition of God “who chose you” in the struggles of our time? Catherine understands our struggles having lived during the arduous era of the Black Death, mercenary armies warring throughout the city states of Italy and Europe, as well as a divided papacy. Catherine’s response to the overwhelming difficulties of her time was to embrace being chosen by God to engage in the ministries of caring for others, preaching God’s word, and reconciliation. May Saint Catherine of Siena inspire us to respond to our call to be deeply rooted in prayer, to courageously live with moral integrity, and to engage in reconciliation as we live our Precious Blood spirituality.
-Sr. Karen M. Elliott, CPPS Dayton OH
This reflection comes from the Easter Reflections, prepared by the Precious Blood Family of communities:
Adorers of the Blood of Christ (US Region)
Missionaries of the Precious Blood (Atlantic, Cincinnati & Kansas City Provinces)
Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (O’Fallon, MO)
Sisters of the Precious Blood (Dayton, OH)
Sisters of Saint Mary of Oregon
Easter Reflections is available for printing here.

Easter Reflections: April 28, 2016 Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love.
(John. 15:10)
It is always so nice when Jesus is clear and straight to the point. No riddles here, no parables, no cryptic language. If we want to remain in God’s love we are to keep the commandments. That is the litmus test that Jesus gave us. Do I want call myself a Christian? Do I want to remain in God’s love? Do I want to feel the infinite mercy of God? Then I need to keep the commandments. And we know that Jesus always tells us the truth. And so today we remember his words, “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.”
-Fr. Michael Mateyk, C.PP.S. (Atlantic)
This reflection comes from the Easter Reflections, prepared by the Precious Blood Family of communities:
Adorers of the Blood of Christ (US Region)
Missionaries of the Precious Blood (Atlantic, Cincinnati & Kansas City Provinces)
Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (O’Fallon, MO)
Sisters of the Precious Blood (Dayton, OH)
Sisters of Saint Mary of Oregon
Easter Reflections is available for printing here.