Reflections
Search Articles
Lessons in Patience
St. Jane de Chantal is an inspiration for patience. Leading through both example and wisdom, she asks that we pray for "patient endurance." Learn about the beauty of patience…
St. Dominic
It is in our nature to want to avoid failure, but that very failure can lead to and help us succeed, this is especially true in spiritual life. How does St. Francis de Sales encourage us to embrace and love our flaws and failures?…
Religious Life is Alive!
Participating in two recent events broadened my view of the future of religious life in our country and our world. Meeting young people who are willing to be witnesses to the Gospel in the world today renewed my call to live as a religious and gives me hope in the future...
Delighting and Inviting
Like many of you, I am fortunate to have an incredible travel experience this summer that I will not soon forget. I have spent the past weeks in Annecy, France with brother Oblates from around the world. There are many stories and insights to share, but I want to focus on the lessons I learned from the gathering table...
Kindness and Good Will
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…
I Look to the Mountains
For the last two weeks I have been in Annecy, France attending the General Chapter of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, I cannot help but reflect on their deep symbolism, their references in the bible, and their connection to Salesian Spirituality...
Open Our Eyes
In his many ministries, including working with suffering veterans through the Fort Freedom program, Fr. Joe strives to see God in all people and circumstances. How can we learn from Fr. Joe and apply the motto of his ministry to our lives as a tool to help make God visible in our world?...
To Be Like Him
For a long time, I believed that my older brother and I were nothing alike, aside from both being Oblate priests. However, in his major works, St. Francis de Sales makes the point that we become like what we love. How is this reflected in our lives and how can this teaching help us be more like Jesus…
The Rule of Life
St. Benedict’s “rule of life” was written to help the monks, however, following his guidelines is not just for religious orders. How can we apply it in our lives to help create a balanced and simple strategy to embrace faith and live Jesus? …
Doing the Ordinary Extraordinarily
We live in the ordinary and many of us thrive with routine. Salesian Spirituality reminds us time and again of the power each ordinary moment holds. How can we make our daily lives and routines moments to praise God?…
Falling, Healing, Persevering
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?
Private Audience with Pope Francis: A Personal Catholic Spiritual Journey
Fr. Mathias Kumar, OSFS, shares his spiritual journey that led him across continents and cultures culminating in a profound encounter with Pope Francis in Vatican Rome.
You’ve Gotta Have Heart!
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…
Summer Rest
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…
The Power of Forgiveness
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?…
Heart to Heart
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...
A Few Thoughts on Friendship
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…
This is Going to be Messy
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?
Band of Brothers
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?...