Unless a Grain of Wheat

Amen, amen I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat: but if it dies, It produces much fruit. (John 12:24, NAB) Every year I buy seed…

Threshold Conversation

A few weeks ago I read a great book, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus, by Sherry A. Weddell.  There is a general review on my blog.  I would like to focus on one part of the…

Grace for the Taking

Readings for March 17, 2013: Fifth Sunday of Lent It really looked like the end of the road for her.  Caught in the act of a capital crime, her fate lay in the hands of an angry mob.  Desiring to…

I *WANT* That!

God’s word says: “Store up treasures in heaven.” (Mt 6:20) “You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Mt 6:24) “Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God… . Do…

From Science to Salvation

Albert Einstein derived the formula E = mc² over a century ago. I love this equation…it’s easier to understand than you might guess. E is energy; m is mass (you know, stuff); and c² is the speed of light squared, which…

Good Catholic, Bad Catholic: How would YOU respond?

Scene: The vestibule of a church after Sunday noon Mass.   A middle-aged woman – let’s call her the Good Catholic – approaches a like-aged woman who is leaving the church with her 15-year-old and 17-year-old sons.  The latter has…

Why I Bother with Lent

Lent is, well, a pain. In recent years, it’s turned into something that I personally struggle with into something that I also have to wrench my family through. It’s a desert, alright. A big, fat, empty, pain-in-my-rear-end desert. So why do…

Sede Vacante Twitter Account

Sede Vacante Twitter Account

It looks like we have the newest papal interregnum ritual: the Sede Vacante @Pontifex Twitter account. We have the dismissal of the Swiss Guards, the sealing off of the Papal Apartments. The liturgies. The tears. And the Sede Vacante Twitter…

Seeking Hearts of Humility

At times I struggle to live humbly. One could assume that because I am a mother of young children whose activities keep me pulled in so many directions I can barely cook a decent meal and whose honesty rarely shies…

How to Help Others in Their Lenten Journey

For many, Lent means spiritual self-improvement through sacrifice.  It’s often all about what to “give up” for Lent. But Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness was not for his own sake.  It was all to prepare for his ministry, a…