Encountering Jesus
This week someone told me how much she liked my book The Fisherman’s Wife: The Gospel According to St. Peter’s Spouse. She said it made the Gospel come alive for her and helped her realize more what it was like for Jesus to live on earth. She also appreciated the humor. So this week I […]
Lent: Time for Spring Cleaning
Are you weary of snow, slush, and black ice? Are you tired of putting on layers of clothing to protect against the cold? Take heart! Spring is March 20—only a few weeks away. Then it will be time for spring cleaning, when we move the sofa and wash the windows. We are quickly approaching Lent, […]
About Prayer: A Video Christmas Gift
Here is a Christmas gift for you! My nephew Andy videotaped my presentation on prayer that I gave at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst library on December 1. If you have time, you might enjoy watching it. Before I began, I asked the audience to state their name and their favorite prayer or favorite way of praying. […]
For Christmas: Heart to Heart with Mary
Do you like the popular book “Jesus Calling” in which Jesus speaks to you every day? My newest book, “Heart to Heart with Mary,” contains Mary’s words for each day of the year. She speaks as our mother who loves and cares for us. Each entry ends with a suggestion for continuing the conversation with […]
Preparing to Give Thanks with Pennies
As we approach the heartwarming feast of Thanksgiving, you might visit the two sites given here. The first one offers a clever way of brightening your days by using pennies, and the second one is a visual that explains how to write a good thank-you note. By the way, on December 1 at the South […]
A Meaning-full Advent
We are on the verge of Advent, four weeks that tend to be a flurry of activity in preparation for Christmas. This week Jen Deshpande, who is on the parish staff of St. Dominic, wrote a reflection for our parish email that I needed to hear and thought you might too. She allowed me to […]
Holy Places and Memories
This week I have to agree with the movie title “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” How do we cope with the anxiety and the frustration brought on by world events? We might take refuge in one of the lovely Catholic sanctuaries our country boasts, breathe deeply, relax, and pray to the God in […]
Jumpstarting Your Prayer Life
This chapter (abridged) called “Priming the Pump” from my book “Praying on Empty” was reprinted in a daily devotional . . . Grant, O our God, that we may know you, love you, and rejoice in you; and if in this life we cannot do these things fully, grant that we may at the least […]
Trusting in the Lord for Miracles
Saturday’s first reading at Mass included the angel’s words to Abraham about Sarah becoming pregnant at the age of ninety: “Is anything too marvelous for the Lord to do?” This is echoed by the angel Gabriel when he tells Mary that the elderly Elizabeth will bear a son: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” […]
The Labyrinth as Prayer
Sometimes we are in a rut regarding our prayer. One remedy is to try out a new way of praying. A change might be just the thing to jumpstart a faltering spiritual life and renew our friendship with God. If you have never prayed with a labyrinth, you might explore this centuries-old prayer method, which […]
