faith – Beloved Reflections

God Wink

I was sitting in the peaceful ambience of a restaurant at Fond Deux, St. Lucia, when a man I had briefly met the day before approached me. He asked, “Do you know the meaning of ‘God’s wink’?” I said no, and he explained that it refers to a seemingly coincidental event or personal experience interpretedContinue reading “God Wink”

Rum, salt and blessings

THE EDITOR: Madam: Two events, occurring at different times, caused unease among Christians in Jamaica. On November 17, 2013, The Gleaner reported that Rev Marjorie Lewis used salt to bless offices at the Ministry of Youth (‘Salty Ritual leaves youth ministry staff concerned’). Recently, Minister Daryl Vaz used white rum to bless school buses, prompting the JamaicaContinue reading “Rum, salt and blessings”

Living in the Present Moment

focusing on what is happening now, acknowledging my racing thoughts and strong emotions, and noticing those around me are my greatest challenges. The fierce and gentle winds of distraction, along with clouds of worries about the past or future, shift my focus away from the present, pulling me back either into the past or forwardContinue reading “Living in the Present Moment”

Shaping New Life Through Suffering

“If God causes you to suffer much, it is a sign that He has great designs foryou…” (St. Ignatius of Loyola). Reflecting on this line, I find it difficult to accept. There is a deeper meaning to thosemoments of suffering, but I often get caught up in the pain and discomfort of thepresent. The imageContinue reading “Shaping New Life Through Suffering”

God Becomes Clay

“Our hope has a name – Jesus – God who was not disgusted by our clay, and who, instead of saving us from the clay, became clay for us” (Pope Francis, 2025). How do we perceive Christ amidst the clay – the imperfections, woundedness, incompleteness, and brokenness – of the world and our humanity? WhenContinue reading “God Becomes Clay”

Managing the Ego through Prayer

To what can I liken the human ego? It is like an artist performing on a stage. Its only desire is the affirmation and praise from the audience. It lives to be applauded, to receive an encore, to be praised for its excellent work. When this happens, it triggers feelings of happiness and joy. Sometimes,Continue reading “Managing the Ego through Prayer”

Complexity of Relationship

Relationships are not fixed like lifeless statues. Rather, they are organic, fluid, and moveable, able to change, existing like a conveyor belt on a continuum, constantly shifting and evolving. We are either hated or loved, accepted or rejected, or we experience relationships at some point between these extremes. Some people love us, and othersContinue reading “Complexity of Relationship”

Communion as friendship

“Friendship flourishes when we dare to share our doubts and seek the truth together” —Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP, Friendship, Synod Assembly 2023. Sharing doubts and seeking the truth together is possible only by swimming through the turbulent waters of vulnerability. Brené Brown states vulnerability is an uncomfortable feeling of “uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure”. VulnerabilityContinue reading “Communion as friendship”

Smal up yourself’ on the synodal bus ride

I have travelled on public transportation in different countries, and my experiences have ranged from dangerous to hilarious. In Jamaica, for example, passengers have their seats when a bus departs the terminus. The bus stops periodically along the route, not for passengers to disembark but for more passengers to embark, accompanied by the conductor’s words,Continue reading “Smal up yourself’ on the synodal bus ride”

Steps along the journey for Jubilee Year

In this article, I offer a step-by-step guide to various groups for celebrating Jubilee 2025 Year as a rest stop on the Synodal journey. Step One: Each member reads and silently reflects on the following excerpts from the previous article entitled ‘Jubilee Year 2025: A Spiritual Rest Stop on the Synodal Journey’, published in The Catholic News AugustContinue reading “Steps along the journey for Jubilee Year”