Catholic Women Preach Catholic Women Preach

Preaching for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Kathleen O'Brien offers a reflection on basking in God's abundance:

"Whether you are in the beginning stage, budding stage, or at the end, Jesus reminds us that God is always present along the journey and abundance is always before us– let us be surprised by abundance! It’s natural for us to want to be in control and cling tightly to the imagined end result. But Jesus challenges us to give up control and to be present to God in this unfolding."

Kathleen O'Brien currently lives in Berkeley, CA where she works for the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers in the Mission Formation Department. After serving three years as a Maryknoll Lay Missionary teaching English in China at Jilin Agricultural College and Jilin Catholic Seminary, she attended Catholic Theological Union in Chicago where she obtained a master's degree in systematic theology.

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/06162024 to learn more about Kathleen, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Terresa M. Ford offers a reflection on God's unconditional love:

"God is love and only love. God loves us with a faithful love and desires that we remain close to him. This is a love that defies reason and never gives up on us. God never changes God’s mind about loving us."

Terresa M. Ford, M.Div., MFA is a hospice chaplain and an Ignatian spiritual director. A graduate of the Candler School of Theology at Emory University and the Maryland Institute of Art, Teresa has written for Jesuitprayer.org, the Black Catholic Messenger and offered Contemplatios for Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center in Sandy Springs, Georgia. She is a member of Assisi Community, a Catholic community dedicated to the works of non-violence and social justice, based in Washington DC.

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/06092024 to learn more about Terresa, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Sr. Julia Walsh, FSPA preaches for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ:

"In our culture and time, we honor the body and blood of Jesus Christ—we become united as Christ’s body—as we honor the sacrifice of Christ upon the altar. We are nourished and strengthened, and sent to share feasts with our friends and boost one another up. We celebrate communion at restaurants, at dining room tables and at the Holy Mass. As we take the cup of salvation, we become healed, we become One. Thanks be to God."

Julia Walsh is a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration who serves as a vocation minister plus hosts the Messy Jesus Business podcast. She is a widely published spiritual writer and author of For Love of the Broken Body.

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/06022924 to learn more about Sister Julia, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for Trinity Sunday, Julia Erdlen offers a reflection on the many ways of relating to God:

"God is always bigger than we can imagine, and the Trinity is a constant reminder of that. If I try too hard to nail down one metaphor, one perfect image to describe this mystery, I’ll hit up against the limit of my own human understanding. I can’t smush down God into a tiny box. God simply won’t fit. God is always bigger than I can imagine, and all I can do is keep adding more and more ways to describe and understand God, as I grow in my own understanding and encounter with God."

Julia Erdlen (she/her) currently serves as the Liturgy Coordinator at Saint Louis University. Originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia, she completed her MDiv at Boston College’s Clough School of Theology and Ministry, where she worked with low-income and LGBTQ+ students. She has also written for US Catholic & New Ways Ministry, and is a part-time hospital chaplain.

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/05262024 to learn more about Julia, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for Pentecost Sunday, Maureen O'Connell offers a reflection on becoming a people:

"A people are those who share a vision and a desire to work together toward it. A people decide to go through hard things together, confident they will be different on the other side."

Maureen O'Connell is professor of Christian ethics at La Salle University in Philadelphia and director of synod and higher education engagement for Discerning Deacons.

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/05192024 to learn more about Maureen, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Solemnity of the Ascension, Martha Ligas offers a reflection on proclaiming the Gospel by following the example of creation:

"Our invitation, then, is not to tell others how they are to live. Instead, we are called to lean into our own becoming. The more we can learn to live boldly as ourselves, with integrity, with confidence, and with purpose, the more we will become the Body of Christ that our Christian faith compels us to become. This is how we are to evangelize— by demonstrating what it means to be embodied, fully alive, and rooted in purpose." 

Martha Ligas (she/her) serves as the Pastoral Minister at the Community of St. Peter in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Communications Coordinator at FutureChurch. Both spaces give her room to ride the coattails of the Spirit by reimagining what it means to create faith communities of belonging. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Ministry from Fordham University. Martha lives in Cleveland, OH with her partner and their pets.

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/05122024 to learn more about Martha, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.