SND BLOGS

Catholic Faith Corner

Living in the Light
of Jesus Christ

Sea of Galilee at Sunrise

Catholic Faith Corner

Living in the Light
of Jesus Christ

A Rest Test for the Stressed

Some (or most) days do you feel trapped in a hamster wheel? Your to-do list is a mile long. Taking a break, a rest, or, horrors, a nap seem out of the question. You are depressed, anxious, and feel an ulcer coming on. You don’t remember when you last laughed, had a good time with […]

The Bible: God’s Personal Words to You

“My words will never pass away,” Jesus said. His Word is contained in Scripture. This sacred book is meant to be a personal letter. It’s not addressed “To Occupant.” It’s not a duplicated letter like you might send at Christmas. No. It is a love letter from God to you, assuring you that he is […]

Art as a Springboard to Prayer

Long ago illiterate people relied on art to learn the faith. Churches were filled with sacred stained-glass windows and statues meant to convey truths and religious stories visually. Their beauty also lifted minds to God. As a child, I had a holy card collection, many of them with sacred art. Did you?                   Viewing art […]

Have You Made a New Year’s Resolution?

Here’s a suggestion to improve your life this year: Revitalize your prayer. This month I’ve been writing a book about praying. I offer you one chapter today that might prompt an idea of how you can enrich your relationship with God by dispelling a misconception you might have about prayer. •  Prayer should be long. […]

St. Dominic Gives New Prayer Ideas

St. Dominic de Guzman, who lived in Spain from about 1170 to 1221, was a great preacher and can still teach valuable lessons to us moderns. He was a man devoted to prayer who would contemplate and fall into ecstasy. Someone compiled his prayer methods into a booklet. They have become known as the Nine […]

Twenty Nuggets from My Retreat

Each year we Sisters make a week long retreat. Last week I had the pleasure of making one under the direction of Fr. Bernie Owens, S.J. It was a preached retreat, so every day we heard two conferences and were given handouts to mull over. I thought I might share with you some of the […]

Prayer Pictures: An Idea

A friend told me that she could never visualize things in her mind. I said, “If I say ‘red,’ don’t you see red in your mind?” “No,” she replied. “What if I said, ‘house’? Can you see a house?” “No. Nothing.” That day I learned to appreciate another gift if have: the ability to picture […]

Wisdom from the Saints, Our Friends in a High Place

In honor of the Feast of All Saints (the day after Hallowed Eve), I’m offering eighteen of their words of wisdom. The saints are our heroes. They lived life successfully and show us how to do it. One of my favorite lines comes from St. Turibius, archbishop of Lima, Peru: “Christ called himself the truth […]

The Prayer of Christians

This year for the first time I am a companion to a candidate for our Sister of Notre Dame Associate program. At the opening retreat, the women were introduced to the Divine Office. The Divine Office is a form of liturgy, the official public prayer of the Church, just like the Mass and the sacraments. […]

Take a Little Break

This week I am making my annual retreat. It is just what the word says. I am retreating from the business of the “world” in order to ground myself again with my Creator and nurture my relationship with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Therefore this is not a full-blown post. I encourage you to […]