Father Mark talks about maturity and immaturity in both adults and children, with 1 Corinthians 13:11-12, as a starting point. "When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known."
Father Mark reads MORE letters from kids to Pope Francis along with the Holy Father's responses. From the New York Times best selling book, "Dear Pope Francis: The Pope Answers Letters from Children Around the World."
Humility and the desire to learn and grow are important virtues and qualities to possess. Having a true sense of my brokenness and incompleteness is essential for developing and maintaining healthy, challenging and stimulating relationships. Jesus is all about relationships. After all, justice in the biblical sense is about restoring relationships to their proper order. It’s a priority to do all in our power to restore balance and bring reconciliation to places of discord. These are all worthy ideals to pursue. They also sound great on paper but are extremely difficult to achieve. Conflict is unavoidable.Weakness and sin will [...]
How do we go about uncovering the moments of God's presence in our lives? Father Mark reflects on that idea in this edition of Connecting with Spiritual Purpose, as he continues his reflection on the writings of Jean-Pierre de Caussade's "The Joy of Full Surrender."
Father Mark reads, “The Gifts of the Enemy,” by Trudy Ludwig. It recounts the story of Holocaust survivor Alter Wiener, and the mysterious woman who gave him hope during some of his darkest days. Author Trudy Ludwig’s skillful writing provides historic perspective without overwhelming or frightening readers or listeners.
Father Mark reads "One Green Apple," by Eve Bunting, which covers the topics of acceptance and tolerance for those who look or sound different from ourselves.
Father Mark Suslenko reflects on the writings of Jean-Pierre Caussade, whose most famous book "The Joy of Full Surrender," asks us to simply let God's will be done, and live in the moment. It is more difficult than one might think!
Father Mark Suslenko is back! He kicks off the latest series of video messages with a reflection on faith, growth and darkness.
Our current journey through this pandemic forces each of us to stop and consider what is really important. Our lives have been turned upside down and we have been asked to change how we approach even our most routine of tasks. Shopping in a grocery store, visiting a loved one in a nursing home, going to work or school and countless other everyday givens now have to be thought about and negotiated in ways unfamiliar to us. For the last several months we awake each day and do what needs to be done, continue to isolate ourselves from others [...]
Have you ever considered the question of what gives your life meaning? Father Mark tackles that topic (with a little help from Pope Benedict XVI) in this week's chat.