DeSales Weekly Archives
When I was a senior at DeSales University I joined the cycling team. I enjoyed the sport but quickly learned that even the best cyclists fail. How can the classic saying “get back up and try again” be applied to our spiritual lives?
Sometimes we find ourselves thinking, talking, and acting from our heads rather than our hearts. Fr. Paul shares a few lessons he has learned about heart to heart speaking and how it leads to deeper connection…
St. Francis tells us there is a spiritual element to everything we do - even sleep. How can we look to Jesus, Joseph, and our patrons to lean the art of rest…
Fr. William Buckley, OSFS, felt a vital call to serve Jesus and minister to the health of souls. How can we learn through his example to live Jesus not only through Salesian virtues but also through abiding forgiveness?…
Last week, almost 90 members of both provinces of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales came together for the first joint meeting between provinces since 2018. During our time together, we focused on spiritual renewal and examined Pope Francis’ writings on our patron saint...
Some friends are for a reason. Other friends are for a season and still others are for a lifetime. St. Francis loved to talk about friendship. We can follow his teachings to learn what it means to be a friend and how we can be a better friend to others…
Camp DeSales in Brooklyn, MI begins sessions with “messy games” to set a tone of humility and freedom for the retreat. What sacrament leaves us a little messy but very free? How can we continue to bring the gifts of that sacrament into our lives?
Today we commemorate the 80th anniversary of “D-Day.” As I attended Baccalaureate Masses of two Salesian high schools, I was reminded of the generation who fought for freedom. This led me to consider the challenges the Class of 2024 will face. What advice would St. Francis give?...
A recent reading at Mass told us to be holy because the Lord is holy. St. Francis de Sales tells us that “holiness is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.” This led me to reflect on the questions: “What does it mean to be holy and what can I do every day to live more like Jesus?…
I often confuse our loving God with a dutiful one. With our spirituality emphasizing God’s presence in the here and now, I often feel I am not ready for Him. Have you felt this? What is God’s reply?…
As I continue my Oblate formation I am continually surprised how certain pearls of wisdom suddenly stand out with a new depth and relevance. God is the expert at using anything He can to put a spotlight on exactly what we need to realize at our particular place in our journey…
As we gather in circles of friendship, encounter, and community this spring, how can we bring Salesian hearts and the spirit of the Visitation to our lives?...
Pentecost is a day to commemorate a past event and a time to celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our world today. We see this in the Salesian bonds formed in the Oblate community...
You will find what you must already know—that such poise in the face of adversity is achieved only by confidently turning the day over to God who made it. What, after all, is a bad day? ...
As I prepare for Pentecost, I think of two Oblates who have impacted my life. and how the work of the Holy Spirit through them made many lives richer…
As Annecy Hall celebrates 30 years, learn how it has been and still remains a special place for Oblates…
Mother's Day, and other family gatherings, can be bittersweet when our moms aren't with us. St. Francis de Sales offers insight for those joyful days that don’t always feel so joyful…
When God wants to get your attention about something, He keeps showing up! This National Nurses Week, Susan Susan shares her journey of listening to the Lord's call…
The priest always sits next to the grandma at wedding receptions. I love this for several reasons but most of all because I learn more about who God is when I’m seated next to a grandma…
Have you ever imagined your heart/soul as art? As I explore Pablo Picasso’s political worldview and his paintings of war’s dehumanization, it has given me a chance to reflect on art and its purpose in the world through the lens on Salesian art as art with a spiritual purpose...
Fr. Joseph Murray, OSFS, was the first to teach me St. Mark's Gospel back in high school. As I reflect on this Gospel, I realize that Fr. Murray used it to help prepare students for the real world. How does St. Mark help us to look at our relationship with Jesus and live more like Him…