Ginny’s Gems

3rd Sunday of Advent Scripture Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2A, 10-11 All of us who are in Christ have been given the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit of God within us ...

by Emily Molitor | Growing up in a large family, this time of waiting meant baking cookies, reading books, and creating crafts.

2nd Week of Advent Scripture Reading: Matthew 17:9A, 10-13 In today’s Gospel reading, we see the danger of allowing our pre-conceived ideas and notions about God to blind us to ...

As I finish out my blog posts of 2014, let me just say thanks to all of you who have read and contributed to the success of this blog. I ...

2nd Week of Advent Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26-38 In today’s Gospel reading, we see the archangel Gabriel bringing to Mary’s attention God’s specific will for her life, and we see ...

This famous short story that often appears in Christmas anthologies perfectly captures the Christian ideal of the joy of giving and the virtue of poverty of spirit. A young husband ...

2nd Week of Advent Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:11-15 In today’s Gospel reading Jesus speaks of violence, but what exactly does He mean by His words? The “violence” of which Christ ...

by Mary Kay Clark | Students like this tend to be overlooked in a classroom situation, and often fall seriously behind in the junior high grade levels.

2nd Week of Advent Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:28-30 In today’s Gospel Jesus invites us to enter into His “rest.” The “rest” of which He speaks, however, is a spiritual rest, ...

by Abby Sasscer | We here at the little house on the hills are big fans of black beans.

2nd Week of Advent Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:12-14 In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of the shepherd leaving the 99 sheep on the hills in order to go in search ...

by Dr. Mary Kay Clark | With all the hectic activity of December—preparing for Christmas parties, buying gifts, cleaning the house—it’s easy to forget that we should mainly be preparing our hearts

2nd Week of Advent Scripture Reading: Genesis 3:9-15, 20 In the book of Genesis, we read about a lot of “firsts,” such as the first man, the first woman, the ...

2nd Sunday of Advent Scripture Reading: Mark 1:1-8 In today’s Gospel, we see St. John the Baptist in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ...

by Lorraine Espenhain | If our motives for working give value to our labors for God, how can we be sure that those labors are done for love of God and not to promote and glorify self?

1st Week of Advent Scripture Reading: Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5A, 6-8 When Jesus looked out on the crowds, He had compassion on them because He saw the condition of their souls. ...

by John Clark | Pope Francis challenged me to see the joy in the virtue of poverty. For whatever reason, I got a glimpse of it, and it looked wondrous.

1st Week of Advent Scripture Reading: Isaiah 29:17-24 What makes living in this world so difficult for those who serve the Lord are those who have chosen not to serve ...

by Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian | In G.K. Chesterton’s “The Wrong Shape,” Father Brown makes a curious observation that puzzles Flambeau, another master detective like the priest.

1st Week of Advent Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:21, 24-27 Many people profess to be in Christ, but to truly follow Him means to do the will of the Father in ...