Merry Christmas! Mary, Joseph and the baby, surrounded by angels playing musical instruments: harp, lute and violin! What wonderful music the heavenly chorus must have made as they proclaimed the birth of Emmanuel. We, too have reason to praise our God and join with all of the angels and saints in singing: “Glory to God […]
Read More
We are starting the peak travel time of the year as families, separated by miles, gather to celebrate Christmas. Some of these women travelling are pregnant. They know first-hand the difficulties of travelling when dealing with morning sickness or a bladder that is being pressed upon by a developing baby. Mary, after being told by […]
Read More
Life is full of promises–those we have made and those made to us. Considering how often promises influence our lives, it is surprising how little we reflect on them. The liturgical season of Christmas provides rich opportunities to reflect on the promises of God’s love. This book blends seasonal vignettes and Scripture passages to help […]
Read More
The image of God as a shield is found throughout the Old Testament. Clearly it was an important image to the early Hebrew community. But what does it mean to say God is our Shield? God as Shield in the Psalms The image of God as a shield appears eleven times in the Psalms. 3:3 […]
Read More
My home church, St. John the Evangelist in Jackson, Michigan, is filled with beautiful stained glass windows. I’ve long admired them and the way they tell the story of Jesus through art. And so I’ve decided to share them with you, starting with the ones that depict the five joyful mysteries of the rosary which […]
Read More
I love the Advent season. While society is rushing to Christmas, I savor the sights and sounds of Advent with somber purples and music that speaks of longing and anticipation. I love the Advent readings which speak of hope to a people praying for the long awaited Savior. Yes, I’m not a purist. I do […]
Read More
Now doesn’t that sound more celebratory than a chicken dinner? That’s how we celebrate in my family! Steaks, preferably rare and cooked on a grill. On Wednesday at 5p.m. I entered the winner’s circle, having completed my 50,000 words for the NaNoWriMo challenge. The novel isn’t done yet. I have at least another 5,000 to […]
Read More
Season of Gratitude In the end times, at the end of the world, we will be divided into sheep and goats. The Lord tells us so. There will be a judgment. We will be judged by how we treated those who are most vulnerable among us, by our kindness to strangers, the poor and widowed. […]
Read More
Season of Gratitude Oh, how I love that first bite of a cool, crisp, juicy apple! If I could, I would only have first bites of apples. I’d leave baskets full of partially eaten apples to use as fodder for animals. Others relish the whole apple, down to the core. They don’t stop eating until […]
Read More
Season of Gratitude Lord, I am grateful for my children who challenge me to grow in so many ways, who challenge me to be more than I am. Lord, I am grateful for the struggles of married life that challenge me to always be open to new ways of relating. These struggles promote change, growth, […]
Read More
