Matthew 16:13-20 Dear Friends, Peter had quite a journey from the time Jesus asked him to leave his boat and nets and follow Him. He saw it all: the blind seeing, the lame walking, the devils cast out, the loaves and the fish and, of course, his short, ill-fated attempt to walk on the water and a lot more. Now Jesus asks the question, “Who do you say I am?” (Mt 16:15)Peter was ready, or at…

The Interior Castle: Teresa of Avila’s Major TextThis the first of a series of blogs on some major themes of The Interior Castle.The Interior Castle was the most important and influential of all of Teresa’s writings. As a Doctor of the Church, we are assured that her message is profoundly rooted in the gospel of Jesus. The original audience of the text was a small group of nuns in the early days of her reform….

Matthew 15:21-28 Dear Friends, In days of Jesus and from their earliest history the family of Abraham always treasured their heritage as God’s Chosen People. It is very hard for us to grasp how deeply the Jews at the time of Jesus saw themselves as the Chosen People of God to the exclusion of all others. It penetrated and permeated their reality with a clear vision and an acutely guarded set of protocols that defined all…