A young, bare-foot, baby faced Jesus, standing in the Temple and speaking to older, learned scholars. Why is it so surprising? He needed to be about his Father’s work. Twelve years back in that time, would have been more like 18 or even 21 in our time where we postpone adolescence into the twenties so […]
Read More
As the queen of goal setting, imagine my surprise when I went to look for my 2017 writing goals and didn’t find any! Yes, I had gone a whole year without having any goals written down. How had that happened? I really don’t know. I guess I was busy with other things and forgot. This […]
Read More
Forty days after Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple where he met two of my favorite people from Scripture: Simeon and Anna. In this church window, we see Mary and Joseph in the Temple with Simeon holding the baby Jesus. Over Simeon’s shoulder we see Anna, the prophetess, looking on. […]
Read More
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
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
This is how I NaNoWriMo. A large latte and an Egg McMuffin and I’m good for a three hour stint of writing at McDonalds. I was able to get my favorite booth, one where I can sit with my back to everyone else in the fast-food chain and look out the window. I can usually […]
Read More
