Brian Junyor

Good morning and happy Sunday from the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis. “.. stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

From today’s Gospel: “Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” Waiting for Christ can feel uneventful. The habits of prayer we keep on ordinary days help us remain ready to welcome him.

Sometimes the consequences of our choices begin long before anyone calls them punishment. My latest reflection looks at resentment, forgiveness, and what Saint Benedict teaches about finding a way back. Read: ordinarythings.org/when-sin-… Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/19L…

From today’s Gospel: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth.” “Dishonest wealth” means ordinary money, with its pull toward greed and dishonesty. Jesus asks us to use it generously for others, without making it our master.

“The anger we were so determined to justify has begun to cost us the relationship we wanted to protect.” Read When Sin Becomes Its Own Punishment, a reflection on the harm we do and the possibility of return. ordinarythings.org/when-sin-…

Advent is still a few weeks away, but December has a way of filling up. I made a free Benedictine Advent Companion to help make a little room for prayer in the weeks ahead. ordinarythings.org/advent-co…

The return begins with a promise to change. That can be harder than coming back. If an apology is owed, it helps to name what we did and what we will do differently.

Today’s reading from the Rule of Saint Benedict “If a brother who leaves the monastery through his own fault wishes to return, he must first promise full amendment of the fault for which he left.” RB 29:1–3

“Do more of what feeds you and less of what drains you.” Really enjoyed this conversation with @ChrisStefanick and @patricklencioni. If you’ve ever wondered why some work energizes you and other work leaves you drained, this is 40 minutes well spent. youtu.be/kCJkdwYEO-Y

A great piece from Fr. Terrance Klein’s homily for this coming Sunday. ‘Worship is not our work. It is God’s.’ americamagazine.org/good-wor…

December is already filling up. I’ve made a free Benedictine Advent Companion with a calendar, weekly reflections and room to write. Get your copy by email in US Letter and A4. ordinarythings.org/advent-co…

Who is someone you still pray for, even years later?

Today we remember St. Martin de Porres, who cared for the sick and poor in Lima. His life gives us a simple place to begin: notice who needs help, and use what is already in our hands. A meal. A clean bed. Time to stay a little longer.

Pope Leo’s November prayer intention is for the proper use of wealth. May we use what we have generously, serving the common good and standing with those who have less. popesprayerusa.net/2026/10/3…

When you're praying for someone you've lost, you don't need the right words. Saint Benedict told his monks to keep prayer short and simple. Say their name and ask God to have mercy on them. That's enough.

On All Souls’ Day, remember the people who have no one left to pray for them. You don’t need to know their names or their stories to ask God to have mercy on them.

You see something in a store and almost buy it for someone who is gone. The wish to care is still there. It just has nowhere familiar to go. A reflection for All Souls. ordinarythings.org/rememberi…

All Saints Day isn't only for the saints with feast days. It's for all the unnamed people already with God. And it's a reminder that holiness is meant for ordinary people too.

Check out the work my giving group 'Albuquerque Guys for Good' is doing on @GrapevineGiving and consider joining us! grapevine.org/giving-circle/…

Just read an insightful article on the determinants of planetary health from an Indigenous perspective. A call to action to consider Indigenous-specific methods of knowledge gathering in the discourse on planetary health & sustainability. Honoring the deep connections between Land, People & the environment.