I often take my imperfections and make them my identity, and get spiritually trapped by shame.  Does that sound familiar? As we journey through Lent, let's reflect on the difference between guilt and shame. and what St. Francis de Sales teaches...

It can be difficult to discern God’s Will in our lives, and often takes an open, honest dialogue with God, or is made clear through someone we encounter in our lives. How can we tune into God’s Will, and what questions can we ask ourselves to help us? ...

Jesus' sacrifice is a model of selflessness and genuine love. Twenty-five years ago, the Church recognized a group of religious women who made the ultimate sacrifice during one of the darkest times in modern history. How can we learn from their selflessness, faith, and courage?...

Peter, James, and John grow in their understanding of who Jesus is through their experience of the Transfiguration. How are we challenged to find a God of our understanding? What can the uniqueness of Salesian Spirituality offer in this search?...

When the Visitation Order was founded in America, it also embraced a ministry of education to young women. As schools and monasteries grew up together, students, faculty, staff, and families learned that to be cloistered didn’t mean to be invisible. What can we learn from their devotion to the ministry of showing?…

Lent is a very special time in the Church year when we are invited to “go the extra mile.” Traditionally, our Lenten practices include prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. How can you go the extra mile, deepen your heartfelt outreach? What does St. Francis challenge us to do?...

Looking for people to love what we love is natural, but it is also a recipe for great upset. How many times have you hoped someone would think, feel, or love as you do, only to be disappointed? Since we cannot expect people to always be like us, where can we turn in scripture to guide our hearts? ...

Almsgiving is one way to show gratitude for all the Lord has given to us. What can we do this Lent to give back to those who are in need? How can we dedicate time each day to talk with our God, heart to heart?…

The deadline of Carnival reminds me of the fairytale, Cinderella, and her midnight transformation. In some ways, this is a perfect metaphor. How can we be transformed through our Lenten duties and devotions?…

What does it mean to fast in today’s Church? And, in today's parlance, is it in or out? As Lent arrives, how can we use the Lenten practice of Fasting to go deeper and look at personal and spiritual areas that need attention... R

Jesus often uses children to make a point. He not only says, “Let the little children come to me” but He also embraces them. Why is this a radical response by Jesus? What’s the big deal and how can we carry out this teaching?...

The depth of God's love for us goes beyond this world. It has been said that the proof of God’s presence in a person‘s life is the presence of joy. How do joy and hope work together and help us spread our faith?

Many of us spend time imagining aspects of the afterlife. Images from the Bible speak of the great “banquet table” in heaven. How do you envision the reunion with loved ones? What does St. Francis say in his teaching?

DeSales Service Works, an Oblate ministry in Camden, NJ, hosts school and parish groups to join the efforts of our “service partners.” Instead of learning about problems and issues, volunteers come to know their sisters and brothers of the same God.  These service partners can inspire all of us to contribute to their efforts—and importantly— to see ways to serve in our regular communities…

St. Francis de Sales wrote, “We pray best before beauty.” It is no coincidence that the Christian tradition is full of works of art. If we can learn to value a work of art for its own sake, then how much more can we learn to value an act of kindness or a moment of prayer for its own sake?...

I always enjoyed the Gospel passage where Jesus says, “Come, follow me,” because following is in my nature! But what if it was interpreted as “Come and be dependent on me.”  How does that resonate differently and how is dependence on the Lord truly what we need?...

As we mourn the victims of the recent plane crashes, we may begin to think: "How can God let this happen, where is God during these times? For Christians, the answer is not in a book but in a person...

DeSales Service Works (DSW) and the City of Camden, NJ have changed a lot since this fence was built. How does it symbolize our humanity and the constant choice between living Jesus and the desires of our ego...

St. Francis de Sales lived two hundred years before Don Bosco but was admired tremendously by him. Why? Because of his zeal for souls! Don Bosco made De Sales’ motto his own – Da Mihi Animas Caetera Tolle – “Give me souls, take away the rest”…

The Oblates around Toledo gathered together and celebrated the Feast of St. Francis de Sales on January 19th. The highlight of the gathering was a reflection given by Jenn Okuley...

When I came to Salesianum School in 2014 I could not have imagined how St. Francis would influence my life. His emphasis on gentleness and patience sparked my heart through interactions with Oblates, teachers, and students, and changed the way I see the word. How can his teachings influence you?…

As we celebrate the feast day of our patron saint on January 24, I am reminded that so many men and women from around the Oblate world wholeheartedly understand St. Francs’ Spirituality. How can one student’s simple explanation of St. Francis’ spirituality, inspire us to carry out Francis’ teachings?…

Welcome to the season of Ordinary Time!  How can the ordinary gift of a mug help break the myth that days are ordinary? How does this remind us of God's continuous wonders? ...

Have you ever offered a blessing to someone you love or care for? Through the sign of the cross, laying of hands, etc, we bless others with the love of Christ. As we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, let's reflect on how we can be a blessing and give blessings to one another...

On Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, when the Wise Men from the East followed a star to Bethlehem. Here, Mr. Ramos shares traditions of this feast day in his home country of Spain and how through faith we follow our own stars laid out by the Lord…

Scripture tells us that the Lord will sing joyfully because of you. The gift of Christmas that we all receive is the love of the Lord. He loves us so much that he sings joyfully, even when we may not be joyfully singing (or humming) ourselves...

To bring Jesus' teachings to others is an awesome gift and responsibility! It means that we make a serious commitment to live our Baptism. How do we “Live Jesus” and how can we make His coming known?…

Christmas week, as the hustle and bustle of the holiday slows, it is good to take time to search for the peace, joy, and grace of Christmas. What examples does St. Francis give of finding God in the natural, ordinary moments of life?...