Not a day goes by without hearing about another mass shooting, or just shootings of people who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, like the teenager who went to the wrong door to pick up his brother or the woman in the car that turned into the wrong driveway. In all […]
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The next four psalms in the psaltery, Psalm 140-143, are laments, perhaps in preparation for the explosion of praise and thanksgiving found in the last five psalms. Our psalm for this week, Psalm 140, reminds us that conspiracy theories are nothing new. With all of the conspiracy theories around, this psalm reminds us we need […]
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It’s only paranoia if your fears are not based in reality. Are the fears expressed in Psalm 83 real or paranoia? What do you do when God appears to be silent? Do you imagine the worst? Psalm 83 Psalm 83 starts with the people calling to God, trying to wake him up. The people are […]
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“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Famous words from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inaugural speech. However, Roosevelt wasn’t the first person aware of this. Thoreau is quoted as saying, “Nothing is so much to be feared as fear.” The writer of Psalm 64 also knows something of this concept. Psalm 64 After […]
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Ordinary Time – Happy Halloween! We love to be scared, until we don’t. We love scary movies about creepy things happening to other people, practical jokes that scare but don’t harm. That’s what Halloween is all about. The fun of getting dressed up, pretending to be someone you aren’t, going out at night and being […]
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Our Lady of the Rosary, October 7 Anxiety, creeping up on me, sneaking up till it grabs me by the throat, like a lion on the prey, swooping in to attack. Little fears and worries grow bigger in an instant. I find myself beset by worries and I don’t know what to do. So I […]
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Holy Week – Season of Passion Peter, Peter, foolish, fickle man. How you protest your love and devotion. How you speak from your heart, your feelings, and let these emotions get the better of you. One minute you are promising to follow Jesus anywhere, a true promise inspired by your love; then less than twelve […]
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Lent – Season of Change If only I knew what was happening inside me. I feel so ill at ease. Something isn’t right. Something needs to change. I have so much–everything my heart ever desired. But it isn’t enough right now. Sorrow saturates my heart. I search for something–but what? Anxiety, free floating fear that […]
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Season of Change – Lent Why do I fear change? Is what I have so good that I can’t live without it? Is everything so good that it can’t get better? Change can provide opportunity and growth. Change can be exciting, rewarding, and joy-filled. But change means giving up my sense of security, my comfortable […]
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Ordinary Time We fear the unknown more than the known. Even if the known is not favorable and frightening, we know how to deal with it and so hold on. Better the devil we know than the devil we don’t know. The pending presidency of Donald Trump fills many with free floating anxiety. As a […]
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