I like praying the Rosary. But I also bore easily. As I mentioned in last month’s article Rosary Riff, to keep the Rosary fresh I make up my own Mysteries. But sometimes I won’t use a mystery set at all….
The More the Merrier
Fasting
One of the things the church asks us to do in lent is fasting. But why? Does Jesus really want us to go hungry? The truth is, it is not hunger that Jesus wants for us, but holiness. To become…
Just Leave me God
I want to climb in a hole. I am uttering every profanity known to the universe – sick of it all. Pushing people away is so easy. Isolating myself is the only answer. Darkness, no light. Just leave, leave me…
Invitation to Mercy: Concrete and Immediate
I’m going to propose something that sounds utterly impractical. Completely inconvenient. And, at first, flat out impossible, maybe even ridiculous. Here goes: during this Jubilee Year of Mercy (and beyond!), when we know that it’s an occasion where a lot…
High Adventure or Cautious Mediocrity?
Readings for Feb 7, 2016 the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Peter. Paul. Isaiah. Frodo Baggins. They have more in common than meets the eye. Of course there are differences, too. Peter is a small business man, trying to wring…
Come Away And Rest With Jesus
In today’s Gospel reading from Mark, the disciples have just returned from a teaching mission to the villages in the area where they were traveling with Jesus. They had followed their instructions to preach repentance and had anointed the sick,…
“Your Will Be Done”- The Most Troubling Words in Catholic Prayer
If we want to share the good news of Jesus Christ, if we want to live as adopted children of God, and if we want to reflect God’s glory through our example, we must have a solid prayer life. It…
Lent: Experiencing the Season Through Our Five Senses
As a mom, I try hard to make spiritual experiences as tangible as possible for my children. I do not want them to think of God as a far-away being but rather as Someone who is near, next to,…
Scripture as Teacher
When we last left our hero (Jesus, of course), in my December 2015, Practical Steps to Fill Your Grace Well, New Evangelizers column, He was calling us to be strengthened through the Scriptures. To be honest, many years ago I…
Something New
January. Just the mere mention of it brings forth images of dark mornings, cold days, ice and snow (at least for those of us living in the Northeast.) Regardless of your climate, January means an end to the holidays and…