Category: Blog
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Return to Me
We could consider some lines from the readings that begin our Lenten journey today as a spiritual conversation. In the first reading, we are invited: “Return to me with your whole heart.” The refrain from the responsorial psalm is perhaps our reply: “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”…
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A Week of ‘Hoopla’
Are you going to watch the big game on Sunday? I watch it every year. My favorite part is actually the ‘hoopla’ that happens just before game time. The player introductions, the anthems, etc. The hype beforehand is exciting because the outcome is unknown. After watching weeks of playoff games,…
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Lots of Little ‘Thank Yous’
In trying to overcome a good amount of frustration and disappointment, I challenged myself recently with somewhat of a gratitude exercise. I absolutely know there are plenty of things in my life to be very thankful for, and I regularly offer prayers of thanksgiving. But I’m not always as thoughtful…
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A Call to Pray
I recently had a little spiritual ‘wow’ moment. One of those small, quiet moments when I realized later that God was telling me something. I’m typically not very good at noticing those immediately. I’ve often joked that I would like Him to provide a neon sign or something equally unmistakable…
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Sometimes You Gotta Crop
Do you have photos you love, but they’d be even better with a little cropping? I’ve done that often, especially with Christmas card photos—get rid of the wall and couch so the people fill the space. It’s more pleasing to focus on the main image and not be distracted by…
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Mending the Broken Pieces
I was blessed to have spent my 15th birthday in Vienna, Austria. I remember it was a Monday, and our family went out for Hungarian goulash. The only disappointment was the band that regularly played at the restaurant was off on Mondays. In Vienna, we visited extraordinary sites of course.…
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Freeing Our Nets
Well, here we go. We can tell by tomorrow’s Gospel reading (3 OT, Mk 1:14-20) that it’s about time to get moving. I’m struck by this image of Simon and Andrew, then James and John abandoning their nets to follow Jesus. What they believed and felt in their hearts must…
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Listening Through the Noise
The Catholic Church closest to me has a small 24-hour Adoration Chapel. Thankfully, it is open to anyone during regular business hours. I try to go once in a while and am certainly fulfilled by my time there. The chapel itself is small, just two rows of a few short…
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Setting (Faith) Goals
So, we are just over two weeks in – how are your New Year’s resolutions going? Instead of coming up with something new this year, I’m actually carrying over some unfinished items from 2023. There are some things I didn’t quite accomplish even though I hoped to, planned to, meant…
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A Horse of Course
The Wonder of a New Year My black lab Bella and I were out on our regular morning walk, enjoying the sun which hadn’t shone for two days. It was cold, snow was still on the ground, but the sidewalks were clear for the most part. As we made our…
