The LATEST: The Heartbeat of Faith: 59 Poems, Fingerplays, and Prayers (for children ages 3 to 7), published by ACTA Publications, should be on Amazon.com any day now. If you would like a copy that has 12 additional art pieces and is autographed, send me a check for $12.95. (4237 Bluestone Rd.; South Euclid, […]
In this Extraordinary Jubilee, Year of Mercy, I’ve given talks on mercy, which meant researching this topic. I gleaned some thoughts on mercy that you might find worth pondering. Pope Francis declared the year in hopes that new flood of mercy will flow over the world. He said, “Mercy is the true power that can […]
These days we are focusing on creation and on our responsibility to be caretakers of our beautiful home planet. Recently I reread my book “Voices: Messages in Gospel Symbols” and realized that its introduction would be a fitting post to share. So here it is . . . “I said to the almond tree, ‘Sister, […]
We humans love heroes—people who excel in sports like the Olympians, music like rock stars, politics like senators and presidential candidates, acting like movie stars, and in other endeavors. We not only look up to them, but they serve as models for us. They inspire us to be better. How disappointing and depressing it is […]
According to the Gospels, Jesus was aware of the horrible way his life would end on earth. This might have put a pall on his thirty-three years. He could have spent each day dreading his future. Maybe that is why there is no record of Jesus laughing or even smiling. But when you think about […]
Most people assume that they will spend eternity in heaven. Some of them might be like the Pharisee who prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers. . . . I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” This man thought he was right […]
This post is quite a departure from my other ones, but I have good reason for putting it up. During this Year of Mercy, it’s my attempt to practice the spiritual work of mercy “instruct the ignorant”! For most of my teaching ministry, I taught English. To help my students spell commonly misspelled words, I […]
Providentially, I received my newest book, The Heartbeat of Faith: 59 Poems, Fingerplays, and Prayers, on my birthday. I wrote this book because a teacher at a workshop I gave commented how useful she found my poem about etiquette in church. Strangely I didn’t even remember writing it! If this poem was a help to […]
Human trafficking is one of the largest businesses in the world. People unscrupulously make money from enslaving others, even young children, and selling them for sex. According to the U.S. State Department’s annual report, in 2015 there were 6609 convictions for human trafficking and an estimated 20 million victims. How long will God tolerate this […]
Jesus ordered us to make disciples of all nations and teach them. Mary Kathleen, a Sister of Notre Dame from Chardon, Ohio, responds to this call through writing, speaking, giving retreats, and teaching (every grade from 1st to 12th). Her motto, adopted from Eddie Doherty’s gravesite, is “All my words for the Word.”
The Sisters of Notre Dame of Chardon, Ohio, belong to an international congregation of more than two thousand apostolic women religious. We are one in mind and one in heart for the transformation of the world in Christ. 