These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control . . . . If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.  (Gal 5:18-25)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101222.cfm
To live in the freedom of the Spirit of Christ—we could certainly use a little more of the fruits of the Spirit in our communities: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Perhaps if we live in the Spirit more people would feel welcomed and at home in the Christian community. Today's photo is of my friend, Sister Jeannine Gramick, taken at the 2022 Ministry Conference of OUTREACH, a Catholic faith initiative reaching out to the LGBTQ community. Sister Jeannine has been an instrument of kindness and welcome to those whom the church rejected in the past.