Recently I came across a Portuguese word, “saudade,” which means a melancholic longing for what was lost; a missing person, place or experience that is unreachable, once had, or never had at all. There is, evidently, no direct English translation for this word which is more feeling than verb. Saudade (pronounced something along the lines […]
Three Forms of the Apostolate The Confiteor of the Mass outlines three areas of sin: “I confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of heaven, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed; in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, […]
If you’re Catholic, you’ve probably heard at least once in your life that you should pray, fast, and give alms. These are the three traditional acts of piety that the Church encourages above all others, especially during Lent (although we are supposed to practice them all year round). There are several reasons why these practices […]
There’s probably a good chance there are others, like me, who get bogged down in their everyday attempts to pray. But not giving up on prayer when the going gets tough is the only real solution to overcoming dryness in prayer. Everyone who prays regularly probably goes through dry periods in their prayer life. I […]
I was so sorry to hear that my boyhood hero died recently. His name was Roger Bannister, or Sir Roger Bannister as he became later. I had seen him run several times, but sadly I wasn’t present to see him break the record by becoming the first man to run a mile in under four […]
The America I Remember Still Exists Frequently, I feel as if I had been born as the Wisconsin Glacier retreated from New England. In reality, of course, it was not quite that long ago. At the time of my birth in America, World War II had ended, the Korean Conflict had not yet begun, television sets were the […]
Praying the rosary is a devotional practice by which the faithful meditate on the mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary. In purposefully slowing down our pace by means of this prayer, we become open to what our Lady and our Lord have to say to us during the prayer, as well as in […]
Many years ago, I attended a retreat given by Fr Michael Hollings, who was in great demand as a fearless and outspoken preacher. The retreat was for religious from many different orders. After joining the community for the communal recitation of the divine office, Fr Hollings began his first lecture with a tirade that reminded […]
The other night, I woke to a phone call around midnight and then I couldn’t get back to sleep. This could have been due to the humidity, which isn’t yet bad enough to warrant turning on the A/C unit, but is to the point where even having several fans going doesn’t really make a dent. […]
When people hear the term Kung Fu they probably think of the martial arts and guys like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan, or even the 1970s TV show Kung Fu. But expertise in the martial arts is apparently only one kind of Kung Fu. The term Kung Fu translates as an acquired skill, work performed, […]
Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times. He broke down and wept. ( Mark 14: 72) This verse from the Passion narrative of St. Mark’s Gospel reminds us of God’s rich mercy. In that short passage, we understand how Jesus is […]
Sometimes when something comes easy, we become complacent and start taking it for granted. But if that thing that we are taking for granted is a God-given talent, not developing it can lead to a life that is not being lived according to His plan for us. When I was in grade school and high […]
Over the Easter weekend, my family and I traveled to a local mountain resort to get away from the city. We also thought it would be the perfect setting to celebrate Easter. The weather cooperated, but this is Southern California so it usually does. The road up to the resort allowed us to take in […]
I have recently purchased a preschool curriculum that is all about “sensory play”. Let them get dirty, “say yes” to the mess, let them explore through their senses is the idea. If you look up “sensory play” on Pinterest, you will see that this is a trending idea. In fact, there are studies that show […]
This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord, the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then […]
In 1992, my husband and I told my parents we were expecting an addition to the family. They responded with excitement. Mom expressed how happy she was that I was going to experience the joy of being a mother. Her words revealed much about herself, and the joy in her heart. It was a beautiful […]
Several places in Scripture tell us that Jesus was troubled or worried, or experienced grief. John 11:33: When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. . . . John 11:35: Jesus wept. John 13:21: After he had said this, Jesus […]
We must all pray for Divine Mercy. God’s mercy is infinite, as St. Faustina tells us. God hungers for us to turn to Him in our times of trial so that we can find relief in His mercy. When I reveal to others that my depression and anxiety have worsened over the last several months, […]
The Church has talked about the need to forgive our enemies for centuries. One of Jesus’s greatest missions during his last hours on earth was to forgive his enemies. Not only did He forgive those who hurt Him physically, his soul was hurt by betrayal from his close friends and those who had followed Him. […]
There is no small amount of discussion and even controversy over the meaning of the Hebrew word Selah. There are those who are firmly in the camp that believe the word is simply a term which gives musicians directions, such as adagio. On the other side, there are many who ascribe a more literary meaning […]
The local Charismatic group were celebrating forty years since their foundation and were preparing a special Mass for that purpose. The readings, the psalms, and the prayers had all been chosen to echo the overall theme of asking God to give his love to all those present and to the whole world that would be […]
The Season of Lent can be seen through many different lenses, all correct and important. This diversity makes lent a truly rich season for any Christian willing to open themselves up to the experience it offers. Recently, my mind is on the idea of obedience as an important lens that lent offers us. The life of a Carmelite […]
In the Gospel according to Mark, Christ talks about the sower of seeds. As he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, other seeds fell on rocky ground, while still more fell among thorns. Only the seeds that fell on fertile soil took root and produced fruit. As we get ready for Easter, let us […]
Living in this fallen world we all desire, deep in our hearts, to help, to heal, to restore what has been lost since leaving Eden. More intimately, we desire to heal our families, bless our friends, and bring order and peace to the communities we live in. Politics, government, laws, agencies and huge bureaucracies are […]
A Tale of Two Cooks and Two Meals
We understand the adage “too many cooks spoil the broth” to mean that splitting a task in too many directions can be counterproductive. Certainly, having five people with equal authority directing a play or project is a prescription for trouble. Invariably, there will be disagreements and power plays which will sabotage the group’s efforts to […]
Moral Relativism vs. Reasonable Judgement
I grew up in a Catholic family and attended Catholic school through high school. One of the many teachings involved in this upbringing was the aphorism my Mom frequently cited – “Never judge another until you’ve walked a mile in his moccasins.” I took this to mean that we should not sit in judgment of […]
A Call to Compassion in the Catholic Online Community
Online Catholics I’ve recently been discouraged by a number of responses to Catholics asking advice on the internet. Usually, a sincere Catholic posts a question on a group page, or on a column, asking for some support or guidance on a matter related to faith. These people are hoping for encouragement, support, and guidance on […]
Pope Francis Is A Canary in the Coal Mine
Pope Francis is like a canary in the coal mine, identifying toxic trends in our society, then, offering hope as he suggests Christian solutions to current issues. The expression, a canary in the coal mine, is a saying which refers to caged canaries miners would bring with them into mine tunnels. These birds were used […]
It is well known that there is a crisis in the Catholic Church across the western world. Parishes have closed due to declining attendance and demographics; churches sold off to private parties and converted to condominiums, offices or nightclubs; the assault on religious liberty seems to continue unabated; the shadow of the clergy abuse […]
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