Faith
Open the Doors
Today I learned about how Pope Francis opened the holy doors at St. Peter’s Basilica signifying the beginning of an Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy. The purpose is to encourage the church to focus on mercy – to offer forgiveness and welcome all to encounter the incredible love God has for them. But then, it goes […]
A Child’s Faith
A friend reached out for prayers for her daughter, son-in-law, and their 2 little girls as they were traveling to visit family. On their way, they were told that a very close uncle had passed away. Evidently he was a very faithful man and shared his love of God with those around him. He had also […]
A Sacrifice
Today at Mass, there were two little girls making their first Holy Communion. Typically, children learn about the Sacrament during the school year then receive their first Communion in the Spring, so this was an unusual time. The priest introduced the girls who were twin sisters. He explained that their father is to be deployed […]
What Good is Prayer
Like most people, I have been listening to the news about the shooting in California and taking in all the personal comments that have followed. One particular magazine cover I saw read, “God Isn’t Fixing This”. The article itself was berating particular presidential candidates for sending prayers to the victims and families but not taking […]
Football, Family, and Faithfulness
The past few days have been a whirlwind – but in a good way. At the beginning of the year, my son said he really wanted to go to a specific football game. I put it off as it would be an expensive and hectic venture, but it lingered in the back of my head. […]
King of the Universe
Today my mom, dad, and I took a drive to their cabin in the mountains. We were all so happy that everyone felt up for the trip. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful drive. We went to church in the small town near the cabin. Today the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Our […]
No More Cancer
Today I received a beautiful note. After reading the return address, it took me a while to realize who sent it. The letter was from a friend’s mother. She found out over the summer that she had cancer. She is a fairly young woman about my age and eats a very healthy diet, so the […]
Prepare to be at Peace
At one point today I could feel myself losing my inner peace. There is so much turmoil in the world, on the news, on social media, and it is too easy to get sucked up into it. It breeds fear and despair. I feel that there is not much I can do to make a […]
Faith Stronger Than Fear
During the past few days, the events around the world – particularly in France – have left many again in fear, wondering where and when the next terrorist attack is going to be. Today at church, the scripture readings were very relevant for what we – the world – are experiencing. The readings from Daniel […]
Stray Dog
Tonight as I was flipping through channels on the TV, I came across the PBS Independent Lens series. It was called, “Stray Dog”, and the first scene was a man sitting on his front porch grooming a small black poodle. Thinking it was a story about animals – perhaps this person rescues dogs – I […]