Prior to his death, Pope Francis declared 2025 to be a Jubilee Year, A Jubilee Year is an "event of great spiritual, ecclesial, and social significance in the life of the Church." The concept of "Jubilee" has its origins in the Book of Leviticus (chapter 25) as a special year of reconciliation, pilgrimage, and coming … Continue reading Pope Leo XIV: 2025 Jubilee Year is Time for Forgiveness and Reconciliation
mercy
Pope Leo Connects Justice to Forgiveness
(photo: Vatican Media, September 20, 2025) Today Pope Leo XIV delivered an address in St. Peter's Square on the occasion of the Jubilee of Justice. In Pilgrims on the Way of Hope: A Resource for the Jubilee of Justice, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) explains: The Jubilee of Justice is an opportunity … Continue reading Pope Leo Connects Justice to Forgiveness
Franciscan Wisdom for Forgiveness: Balance
(photo: Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota, 2025) We had a little surprise in the daily parade of deer along the woodline when this young White-Tailed Deer (Ordocoileus virginianus) buck showed up. In Anishinaabemowin, the language of the indigenous Ojibwe people of our area, these deer are called waawaashkeshi. In the language of the indigenous Dakota … Continue reading Franciscan Wisdom for Forgiveness: Balance
Mercy Makes Forgiveness
(photo: Pope Leo XIV and author Diane Foley, Vatican Media, 2025) I have a theory: Learning from experience is fundamentally human. We learn from our experiences, and what we learn changes the way we think, feel, and act -- sometimes a little, but sometimes in ways that transform us. When we are in community with … Continue reading Mercy Makes Forgiveness
You’ve Got a Friend
(photo by Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota 2025) Wild grapes frequently show up on the borders of pastures here on the oak savanna of Central Minnesota. This year I made a point to help them grow by doing some vine dressing and using the fence around the north pasture as a scaffold of sorts. More … Continue reading You’ve Got a Friend
When you know how important you are, you know how important your forgiveness is!
(photo by Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota, 2025) An amazing summer for wildlflowers continues on the oak savanna here in Central Minnesota. A patch of sage by the pastures does well every year, ans this year hosts a guest Black Eyed Susan. Today's Liturgy of the Hours and Liturgy of the Word again gives us … Continue reading When you know how important you are, you know how important your forgiveness is!
“…made the two of us one…”
"Now in Christ you who once were far off have been brought near through the Blood of Christ. It is he who is our peace, and who made the two of us one by breaking down the barrier of hostility that kept us apart. In his own flesh, he abolished the law with its commands … Continue reading “…made the two of us one…”
Live and Forgive 