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Holy Family Shrine

Posted by eph21920 on December 21, 2025 in Advent, Angel, Answer, Faith, Family, Jesus, Love, Mary, Relationship, Travel, Trust

The Gospel reading for today was about Joseph’s encounter with an angel in a dream who told him not to be afraid to take Mary into his home. I love when the spiritual world meets the human world and the first message is of peace, ” Do not be afraid.” Joseph was a faithful man and did as he was encouraged to do. Thus, the Holy Family was created. They lived with trials and tribulations from the beginning as they had to travel a long distance with Mary about to give birth. Then, the place that was provided for them was an animal stable. Quite a difficult start to their marriage. But, they were faithful and trusting. Joseph emulated selfless love as he cared for Mary and her son.

For the next few days before Christmas, I’ll share some photos of one more place I was blessed to visit – the Holy Family Shrine located in Eastern Nebraska, off of Interstate 80’s Gretna exit. I thought it would be appropriate given the name and focus of this extraordinary place. From their website:

“The Holy Family Shrine is a retreat, a faith-filled experience, and a peaceful setting designed to help visitors strengthen their faith through prayer and reflection. Consisting of a Chapel and a Visitor Center, every aspect of the Shrine was designed from a holy vision and brought to life for pilgrims on the highway. The Shrine provides an opportunity for quiet contemplation in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, as well as a unique and sacred space for church-oriented meetings and family events. Truly a one of a kind sanctuary to draw closer to nature, your faith and the Lord.’

There is a water feature that begins with a large corkscrew type metal structure hanging from the ceiling. Water follows the corkscrew from the top to the bottom where it drips into a pool. This pool feeds a stream that flows from the visitor center outside to the walkway that connects to the chapel. The visible stream continues underneath the pews and collects in another small pool under the altar. Then it is recycled back to the visitors center to start all over. Walking around the outside you can hear the drone of vehicles on the highway. But inside the glass and wood chapel, there is only the peaceful sound of water trickling.

I Found God today remembering a beautiful shrine dedicated to the Holy Family.

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God is With Us

Posted by eph21920 on December 20, 2025 in Advent, Creation, Eternity, Faith, Present

There has been a beautiful song going through my mind that I have been wanting to hear, but I haven’t been able to find it. Then it finally came on the station I was listening to. It is “God is With Us” by Casting Crowns. I think the lyrics are perfect as we enter the last few days of Advent.

Love is raining down on the world tonight
There’s a presence here I can tell
God is in us, God is for us, God is with us, Emmanuel
He’s a Savior we have been praying for
In our humble hearts He will dwell
God is in us, God is for us, God is with us, Emmanuel

I Found God today in a beautiful song.

Here are a couple last photos of the Basilica of St Francis Xavier.

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Life From Death

Posted by eph21920 on December 19, 2025 in Advent, Begin, Death, Faith, Forgiveness, Healing, Life

Today as I continued to listen to the podcast about the O Antiphons based on the hymn “O come O come Emmanuel” I payed attention to the lyrics of the fourth verse:

O come, O Branch of Jesse’s stem,
unto your own and rescue them!
From depths of hell your people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave.

This verse gave me a sense of hope in a couple of different ways. First was the hope for Heaven for my parents and those who have died. Jesus’ mission was to give life where there appears to be none. For those who have died, and for those of us still on this earth who get ourselves into a bad situation. Sometimes it seems as though there is no way out. In my own life, I have made decisions that I felt were irreversible. And while it is true that the decision itself cannot be undone, the pain doesn’t have to linger for myself or for others who were hurt. When I turn to God, go to Confession, and spend more time in prayer, He has healed difficulties and even led me to a better place despite seemingly terrible circumstances. The peace He offers is very welcomed.

I Found God in His promise of life beyond death.

Here are the Confessionals in the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier. Even they are ornate.

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Great Expectations

Posted by eph21920 on December 18, 2025 in Advent, Answer, Faith, Hope, Life, Mary, Peace

Sometimes I feel like I have heard some biblical stories so many times, that the meaning can be lost on me. I know the words and what comes next. But, what makes any story engaging is when you are able to use your imagination or put yourself in the scene. In a meditation that I listened to today, the speaker recounted the events leading up to the birth of Jesus. He read the scripture that I have heard hundreds of time, then went through the events in real life. He talked about what may have Mary and Joseph actually had to endure in their lives. Surely before they were married, they didn’t anticipate what was in store. They likely had their own dreams, plans, and expectations. Instead, they had to constantly pivot, go a different direction, and most of all they had to trust in God. And they did. Even though their lives may not have been what they planned, God’s plan was far greater than either of them could have imagine. The speaker encouraged the listeners to think of any situation in our own lives that may have been similar. I closed my eyes to see what would come to mind. It was the true fact that my life now and the events leading up to it are not at all what I planned. When I was young, I think I had very simple dreams of being married and a mom and perhaps having a career. I started classes to become a nurse at one time since I was comfortable with the medical professions after spending so much time in a doctor’s office as a child. I never imagined that I would be divorced and living on my own after working as a youth minister and caring for my parents as I watched them suffer. I took big leaps of faith on this journey so far and learned that I could trust God with my life. He has allowed me to experience great joys, truly loving relationships, and the peace of His presence. I questioned His plan many times, but knew that it was always better than mine. As I continue on, I have no idea what the future will hold for me. And that is why I hang on to Him.

I Found God today reminded of how His plan is greater than mine.

Here is the pulpit and side altar dedicated to Mary in the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier.

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O Wisdom

Posted by eph21920 on December 17, 2025 in Advent, Connected, Faith, Jesus, Knowledge

I discovered that the podcast I listened to yesterday on Hallow was the introduction to the “O Antiphons”. The verses from the hymn “O come, O come, Emmanuel” are featured as we celebrate the last few days leading up to Christmas. They are prayed at Mass, during the evening prayers used by priests, and are encouraged for everyone especially during the lighting of the Advent wreath. Each verse highlights a different title of Jesus each day. The reflection today was on His Wisdom, which was present before the world was created. Michael Iskander, who plays the role of David in the series “House of David”, beautifully sang the verse and allowed time for contemplation.

“O come, O Wisdom from on high, who ordered all things mightily; to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go.”

As I listened to these words, I thought about God’s perfect plan and order for our world and for my life. Even though the world around us and even our own lives can seem chaotic, there is a path to peace. I have found that when I fight against God or just do what I want instead of trying to live in harmony with God’s Will, I can make bad decisions, hurt other people, and even hurt myself. The best ways for me to know God’s Will and Wisdom is to spend quiet time with Him in prayer, reading about Him in books and scripture, or getting insight from other faithful friends. I don’t do any of it perfectly, but when I feel closer to God, I definitely have more peace.

I Found God today thinking about how I am able to experience God’s Wisdom.

I love this photo of the altar in the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier. If you zoom in on the ceiling, you will see paintings of holy men and women, saints, and angels, worshipping the Lamb of God.

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Heaven’s Peace

Posted by eph21920 on December 16, 2025 in Advent, Angel, Baby, Bible, Connected, Faith, Jesus, Peace

This evening I had great fun going to dinner with some friends. As always, there was a lot of talking and laughter. On my drive home, I thanked God for these friends and the ability to see them on a regular basis. When I got home, I listened to a new podcast based on the song, “O come O come Emmanuel”. Lauren Daigle sang the hymn with her hauntingly beautiful voice. I closed my eyes, breathed and listened to the words. The line that stood out for me was, “Fill the whole world with Heaven’s peace.” That would be amazing. I thought about Mary and Joseph and wondered what their expectations were, if any. They knew God’s Son was about to come into the world. Were they hoping that He would bring peace to the whole world?

I Found God today in a beautiful hymn.

This photo is one of the side altars in the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier. The description from the website is as follows:

Here is the 1897 Altar of St. Joseph, and the Holy Family. This is 36 feet high and 15 feet wide. In the central niche is a 1900 Bavarian wood carving of the Holy Family with an angel presenting a small church to the Infant Jesus. Surrounding this niche are four oil paintings. The top two (left to right) are the Betrothal of Mary and Joseph, and the Flight into Egypt. The bottom two (left to right) are the Holy Family at Work, and the Death of St. Joseph.

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Search for Shelter

Posted by eph21920 on December 15, 2025 in Advent, Bible, Connected, Faith, Grateful, Peace, Trust

Today’s reflection in the Hallow app was titled, “The Search for Shelter”. They were talking about Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter when Mary was about to give birth. I tried to imagine their state of mind as they knocked on door after door, perhaps praying that someone would let them in. If it were me, I would have wondered why God was putting us through all of this, when we said yes to Him and have been trying to obey Him every step of the way. As a matter of fact, when I was caring for my parents, I thought this often – probably more often than I should have. But Mary and Joseph kept on searching until they found a place to enter. Perhaps an animal’s stable wasn’t what they would have liked. Or perhaps they were simply grateful to God for taking care of their needs. I imagined their relief when they were finally able to get situated for the birth of their son – God’s Son – God Himself. Perhaps they thought that if this is what He chose, it must the right thing. I thought about where I find shelter. I have always found serenity when I go into my bedroom and close the door. And I have always felt a profound sense of peace in a church. No matter what the size, style, layout, decor, a church feels like Heaven touching Earth to me. This photo from inside the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville, IA, is so full of scenes, it could take hours to notice all the details. On their website is a tour and explanation of the remarkable artwork.

I Found God today in the shelter and peace of a church.

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Basilica of St. Francis Xavier

Posted by eph21920 on December 14, 2025 in Advent, Grateful, Opportunity, Peace

This week I’m sharing photos of the Basilica of St Francis Xavier in Dyersville, IA. This Gothic style church was in stark contrast to the stone and shell grotto and shrines I saw in WI. The parish in Dyersville was formed in the late 1880’s to serve the growing number of German immigrants who had come to America seeking the opportunity to own their own land to farm, and religious and political freedom. They were joined by the Irish immigrants who had come to farm the land as well. In 1889 the Basilica was completed and named for the patron saint of the large donor who purchased the plot of land for the church – St. Francis Xavier. The beauty of this church reflects the style and history of the original European parishioners who were grateful for the blessings God had bestowed upon them. There is a school on the site as well. When I visited, it was near Halloween and the school lot was full of decorated cars for a Trunk or Treat event. Kids and families came in costumes and were greeted by firemen who brought their truck as well. It was the modern day world upon the historic immigrant foundation. Even with all the activity outside, the atmosphere inside the church was peaceful and serene.

I Found God today in another beautiful church.

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All the Lights

Posted by eph21920 on December 13, 2025 in Advent, Family, Fun, Hope, Jesus, Tradition

The weather was mild today, so I took advantage of the opportunity and put up some Christmas decorations and lights on the outside of my house. I didn’t do too much, but enough to look festive. Later in the afternoon, my sister and I  bundled up and went to the Electric Safari at the Zoo. There were beautiful colored lights, fun moving scenes, and we even spotted some live animals – most of whom were snoozing. We got some dinner downtown and looked at Christmas lights on the way home. We stopped at one of our favorite houses that has a light show with music and were glad that they were continuing their annual event. I was thinking about why we enjoy light so much and was reminded that the coming of Jesus was likened to bringing light into the darkness – shining hope in our world that can be dark and worrisome. Lighting the candles on the Advent wreath gradually creates more light also as we get closer to Christmas.

Isaiah 9:2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light”

I Found God today in light.

These final photos from the Dickeyville Grotto and Shrines in WI show the Church of the Holy Spirit next to the grotto. All the fencing and everything is made of different shells and stones and such. It was such an amazing place.

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Praying With Our Lady of Guadalupe

Posted by eph21920 on December 12, 2025 in Advent, Faith, Grateful, Prayer

I participated in the Diocese celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Sunday with a friend. The weather was perfect for a procession from the park to the church. Praying the rosary on the way gave more meaning to the walk. The dancers and colorful costumes really added to the festivities. I have always had an attraction to this image of Mary for some reason and have been fascinated by the story. A while ago, I bought a large, plain cement statue of her. My sister and I added a little bit of paint for embellishments. Then I put her in my window well so I could see her when I opened my curtains. I loved it there for a long time, but recently I felt like she was too isolated out there. I asked my son to come over and he moved her inside. Now she is in my room. When I pray the rosary at home, I like to light a candle near her, ask for her intercession, and be in my own little prayer area. It helps to give me some peace.

I Found God today in my quiet prayer space with Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Here are some photos of the celebration.

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