The Holy Spirit is not a force we can domesticate or predict. Like the waves hitting the rocks at Loyola, the Spirit moves with its own rhythm, offering a cleansing that we cannot manufacture for ourselves.

Pastor Kristin Hutson chose a text that, at first glance, carried an unexpected charge. It was the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, from the fourth chapter of John.

When we think of Advent, our minds naturally drift toward Christmas. We think of shepherds, angels, and a baby in a manger. We think of the first coming of Christ in history. But the Church, in her wisdom, does not start us there.

God sees what we do even when no one else is watching.

He warned that nationalism—the dangerous lie that our country matters more than human life—is poisoning the soul of our faith.

They lived in a world ruled by power-hungry leaders and unjust decrees. Sound familiar?

In a world that seems to change by the hour, it’s natural to feel unsteady.