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King of Peace
I heard verse 7 of “O come O come Emmanuel” today. I sat quietly and just let the words and melody permeate my heart and mind. I thought the lyrics were particularly relevant as we get closer to Christmas Day. O come, O King of nations, bindin one the hearts of all mankind.Bid all our […]
Holy Family Shrine
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 […]
God is With Us
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 […]
Life From Death
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 […]
Great Expectations
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 […]
O Wisdom
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 […]
Heaven’s 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 […]
Search for Shelter
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 […]
Basilica of St. Francis Xavier
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 […]
All the Lights
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. […]
Still Finding God 