SSJE Sermons

Br. Jim Woodrum reflects on what it means to live as people of covenant, in our civic lives, in our relationships, and in our life with God.

Br. Nicholas Bartoli invites us to fall in love with the mystery of creation, to become aware of God's presence in ourselves and all that surrounds us.

What should the role of the Church be in politics? Br. James Koester studies Jesus in Mark's Gospel to maintain that whenever we pray, whenever we seek to live out our baptismal vocation, we are engaged in political acts in keeping with Jesus' own mission: to restore power to the last, the least, the lost.

On the Feast of the Confession of Saint Peter, Br. John Braught explores how Jesus – in all his human vulnerability – can be our gateway to deeper intimacy with God.

Sometimes we are so focused on what is not that we lose sight of what is. Br. David Vryhof offers practical words of encouragement for how we can lift ourselves out of times of desolation or discouragement.

On the feast of the Holy Name, Br. David Vryhof reminds us that names are powerful, and the act of naming can be a way of exerting power for good or for ill. He wonders, "How have I used words to bless or to curse?" How might you invoke the most powerful of all names, "Jesus," not only on your own behalf, but on behalf of others?

"Are your hearts so full of the wonder of life that you want to cry out with the psalmist, 'What shall I render to the Lord, for all his bounty to me?'" In the final sermon of the "Radical Practices" series, Br. David Vryhof explores how gratitude is a practice we can cultivate, becoming aware of the gifts that surround us and giving our thanks back to the God, the giver of all our gifts.

How can we experience the presence of Jesus with us, as the disciples did on the road to Emmaus? From altars calls to the eucharist and daily prayer, Br. Jim Woodrum explores concrete practices that can help put us in touch with the presence of Jesus, our constant companion.

On his return from sabbatical, Br. Geoffrey Tristram shares his experience of God's faithfulness throughout his life. "God is not capricious, moody, changeable, fickle. God is always true to his character, of love and mercy."

"We are all novices in the brave, new world of contemplation, whether we’re cultivating this way of prayer from scratch, deepening it, or re-committing ourselves to it." Br. Keith Nelson celebrates the beauty of this deceptively simple prayer practice and offers practical suggestions to encourage all to explore this path. Perhaps you too will experience the grace-filled moment of letting go when "You can stop flapping your wings, and let the air current buoy you up."