In just about a week, we will hear these words from the Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom: Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord! First and last alike receive your reward; rich and poor, rejoice together! …
The Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom- Let’s keep hearing it Read More »
I graduated college in May 2020. The coming months were some of the most formative of my life thus far. I became a nationally certified athletic trainer after passing the Board of Certification exam. I spent a great deal of time with family and friends. I joined my home parish’s young adult ministry board. And, …
It’s interesting to think about the boundaries that exist all around us. There are many necessary reasons why houses have walls. Fences take their place around almost all back yards. Housing complexes have gates. Within houses, there are rooms. We can make a much longer list than this. How can we speak to the purpose …
It is the need and desire of every human being to be acknowledged. Whether we consciously recognize it or not, we all want someone to be interested in us. We want to be valued and welcomed into conversations. We want people to ask us what we think and agree with our thoughts. We want to …
A crucial aspect of serving others is putting time and energy into our own physical, mental, and spiritual needs. One common way of thinking about this is the “full cup” metaphor, which goes something like this: we must first fill our own cup so that we have energy and love to pour out onto others. …
One of the most difficult things about loving someone in their time of need is that there isn’t a road map. Every person is different, and every need is unique to them. Letting go of what you think you should say and do makes room for a response that serves that person. Staying present in …
Great Lent: An opportunity to ask the right questions Read More »
To think about a love without condition is daunting. In some ways, it is a legitimate concern to wonder if any of us can do more than strive for it. What might be a good place to begin is to understand it and, with God’s grace, to believe in it. What does it mean to …
Recently, on a YES Trip, we led a group of college students through a stretching and vulnerable activity. We first asked them to sit in pairs facing each other. Then, we gave each of them a piece of drawing paper and a pencil. For each of the participants, the task was to draw the person …
Encountering the suffering of someone else can be daunting. You can immediately feel afraid and responsible to say the right thing that fixes the problem you’ve decided there is. Why is it common to have a response rooted in fear when someone shares their pain, confusion, or darkness with you? Why do we often focus …
One of the most incredible acts of mercy I’ve ever seen happened during a YES Trip on Skid Row in Los Angeles. We were at a mission offering clothes and a woman approached us. She was weak and tired and had likely been wearing the clothes on her back for days. Our eyes were immediately …
YES is a program of FOCUS North America
FOCUS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, FEIN: 26-4427803
