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“I thirst.” Mother Teresa loved this phrase of Jesus from the cross so much that she had it inscribed in prominent places in her convent chapels.

This saying of Jesus — one of seven that he spoke from the cross despite his great suffering — has profound implications for the Church militant here on earth. For us, it’s go time. For those who love, when we hear Jesus say “I thirst,” we hear him say, “Bring me as many precious souls as possible. I yearn to be loved by the souls I have died to save!”

We in the West love to daydream about our retirement. We pine for it. We thirst for it. In affluent nations like ours, we believe that at a certain point we have “earned” a rest. But can one take a vacation from loving? Can we retire from serving Jesus with our lives?

We would do well as Christians to meditate often on the shortness of our lives here on earth. Like the Psalmist, we need to beseech the Lord for wisdom: “So teach us to number our days that we may gain wisdom of heart.” (Ps 90) And how few days we have to quench the thirst of Jesus! Tomorrow makes one less day.

It is so easy to become dizzy with indecision over how to serve Jesus. There are so many around us who do not believe. What do we do with our own families who have rejected the faith? Where do we start?

The starting point is very simple. We must attend to the thirsting Jesus in front of us.

As a parent, there is no shortage of opportunities to satisfy the thirst of a child — thirst for water, yes, but also thirst for attention, thirst for playtime, thirst for comfort. There is no shortage of people out there who thirst for a listening ear. There is no shortage of people who are difficult to love or who need help with daily living.

When we give to all of these little ones, we mystically and actually satisfy the thirst of Jesus. In attending to these little needy ones, we simultaneously attend to Jesus and also welcome little ones into the caring arms of Jesus, which look a lot like our arms, come to think of it.

Jesus yearned for consolation from the cross — consolation for all of the blasphemies and indifference that would follow even after his offering of his life for us. Will we ignore his cries from the cross and seek our own comfort and rest as our ultimate goal?

It is justice that we seek to open the eyes of those around us.

If an angel appeared to you and announced news that caught you off guard, how would you react? I wonder how I would respond.

The feast of the Annunciation is on March 25, nine months before Christmas, when the Church celebrates Mary’s vocation and the Incarnation. When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she was surprised and full of wonder. Mary did not need time to prepare her body, mind, and heart for receiving the Holy Spirit. Her whole life was spent in union with God, as she herself was born without original sin. She was ready. It was her faithful response to the angel’s message, her fiat, that began the work of redemption.

Dominican spiritual writer Father Luis de Granada said, “When God decided to create the first man, he first took care to create a fitting environment for him, which was the Garden of Eden. It makes sense, then, that when God made ready to send his Son, the Christ, he likewise prepared for him a worthy environment, namely, the body and soul of the Blessed Virgin.”

When my husband and I found out that I was pregnant, we were overjoyed. I can only imagine how Mary might have felt at the news that she would be carrying a child — especially since it wasn’t just any child, but the Son of God.

There was a mixture of feelings for me: fear, joy, and excitement as I began a new life. Becoming a family of three was a change that made me realize how important it was to prepare my body, mind, and heart for motherhood. Mary must have felt fearful because she was unwed, betrothed, and pregnant. At the same time, she must have felt joy to be chosen as the Mother of God.

It was with patience and prayer that I could trust in God’s plans for our family. Mary’s “yes” to God was a beacon of faith to me. In my pregnancy, I started to pray for my unborn child to be healthy and happy. I began to take more care of my physical, mental, and spiritual health as my unborn child needed the best environment to develop and grow.

I remember thinking that so many women have gone through this same journey. This thought made me feel connected to the whole of humanity, which made me excited to be a co-creator with the Master Creator.

“Without Christ, life has no meaning… it is only through Christ that we will come to comprehend our inner self and everything that matters most to us: the hidden value of pain and of work well-done, the authentic peace and joy which surpass natural feelings and life’s uncertainties, the delightful prospect of our supernatural reward in our eternal homeland.”

Transform your Lent with the virtual Word on Fire Institute Lent Retreat led by Sr. Miriam James Heidland, SOLT—renowned retreat leader, speaker, and author. 

This is the first of seven retreat sessions, each offering you the opportunity to drink deeply of the living Word of God by reflecting on the Sunday Mass readings throughout the Lenten season.

Transform your Lent with the virtual Word on Fire Institute Lent Retreat led by Sr. Miriam James Heidland, SOLT—renowned retreat leader, speaker, and author. 

This is the first of seven retreat sessions, each offering you the opportunity to drink deeply of the living Word of God by reflecting on the Sunday Mass readings throughout the Lenten season.

Fr. Mike Schmitz delivers a timely video in the midst of our Lenten journey as he explores the ancient concept of acedia. This temptation tends to come in the middle of the day and can obscure our resolve by distracting us from God’s purpose for us. While even great saints were tempted by it, the remedy is something we can all receive with a little faith.

Fr. Mike Schmitz delivers a timely video in the midst of our Lenten journey as he explores the ancient concept of acedia. This temptation tends to come in the middle of the day and can obscure our resolve by distracting us from God’s purpose for us. While even great saints were tempted by it, the remedy is something we can all receive with a little faith.

Fr. John Riccardo preaches on the home as the place where the world meets the Church. And this isn’t about the domestic Church.  Fr. John preached on March 6, 2025 at Saint John’s Resort as part of the AIP Speaker Series.

Fr. John Riccardo preaches on the home as the place where the world meets the Church. And this isn’t about the domestic Church.  Fr. John preached on March 6, 2025 at Saint John’s Resort as part of the AIP Speaker Series.