It is not surprising that my sons are animal lovers, considering I am their mother, and that our house was always full of animals we adopted or were caring for in some capacity. Orphaned rabbits and baby possums, birds of all varieties, and a stream of escapees from the nearby animal shelter all became members of our family at some point in time.
(July 28, 2019) Lectionary: 111
Gospel: Luke 11: 1-13
Years ago, before Superstorm Sandy hit the Jersey coast and changed life for so many people, including me, I often visited a small café on the ocean where breakfast was served on a dock overlooking the water.
I found it a wonderful place to decompress and absorb the restorative energy of the ocean. It was enchanting, but when dolphins sometimes showed up, it wasn’t just me who was enchanted.
In an instant, children would run from their chairs to the deck’s edge, breakfast chatter quieted, forks went down and attentions were strained for a better look at these amazing creatures.
What is it about these spirits of the ocean that captures the heart and imagination? Why are so many compelled to stop their ceaseless running through time even for a few seconds just to get a glimpse of these free and powerful mammals?
(July 21, 2019) Lectionary: 108
Gospel: Luke 10: 38-42
Ora et labora—pray and work.
This motto of St. Benedict is reflected in the typical daily schedule of a monastic community, which includes time for prayer and silence and time for work and community life.
After a recent visit to a friend’s house where her brood of four were regularly engaging in arguing, pushing and shoving and fighting over toys, their mom said to me, “I would give anything for some peace!”
The constant conflict among her children, which as parents we know is inevitable to some degree, was robbing her whole family of peace of mind, body and spirit.
(June 16, 2019) | Lectionary: 166
(June 23, 2019) | Lectionary: 169
(May 30 or June 2, 2019) | Lectionary: 58
Lectionary: 54
As a child, I grew up in a house without air-conditioning. It was a small, three-bedroom ranch and not a lot of windows for airflow. Air-conditioning made my mom sick, so there was no chance we would have one in the house. But one year my dad finally convinced her to let him put a window unit in the garage, which, in the warm weather, became our summer room.
This morning’s news included an interview with Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish student and climate activist who was recently nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Deeply disturbed by the global environmental crisis and frustrated by the fact that no one was doing anything about it, Greta staged a strike, standing alone outside the Swedish parliament. That was in August of 2018.
When my children were young one of our favorite vacation haunts was Wildwood, NJ. My husband and sons loved staying for a week in the motel, spending hours in the motel pool and exciting times on the boardwalk rides.
I loved being able to see the ocean every day, walk to the beach, find a quiet spot away from the crowds and think undisturbed. This was God’s creation and I could feel the divine presence in it all.
One year, when I was serving as a catechist in my parish, I was asked to prepare a small group of five high school students for Confirmation. They were older than the other candidates preparing for the Sacrament, and came from varied family situations.
Among the group was a young man, Joey, who had missed several years of religious education classes, so there was a lot to teach him.
Throughout my many years as both a religious educator and a journalist for Catholic newspapers, I have met myriad people and heard many varying thoughts on innumerable topics – some enlightening, some worrisome, and many that were memorable.
This month, I’d like to invite you to do a bit of exploring to find some treasures available to you for free throughout the catechetical year. This month’s newsletter provides you with three...