Faith
Open Wide the Gates
I know it’s Lent, but today I listened to a meditation that focused on Jesus’ appearance to the disciples in the upper room after His Resurrection. According to the scripture, John 20:19-23 the doors were locked as the disciples were in fear for their lives. When Jesus came to them, the first thing He did […]
Hope and Inspiration
Today I was thinking about a friend who I haven’t talked to in quite a while. As I was planning on touching base with her, I heard from her first. Her initial question was, “How can I pray for you this Lent?” I was so moved that she thought of me in this way and […]
Back to God
The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes always gives me pause to reflect and I welcome the opportunity. This morning I found the Lourdes Live station on YouTube and was immediately brought back there in my memory. As a child it was an overwhelming experience that I couldn’t have been prepared for and one that […]
Friends From Afar
Tonight was my prayer group meeting. We all saw each other yesterday at the funeral, but kept our regular meeting anyways. One of the ladies had moved to another state and had been joining our sessions via Zoom. It was good to see her in person again. Another woman came to the group for some […]
Reaching For Heaven
A friend of mine in my prayer group had been battling cancer. He started on Hospice Care 10 months ago. He was a very faithful man and I always enjoyed what he had to share in our sessions. While he was on the quiet side, I knew that when he spoke, his words would be […]
Fortitude
In a meditation that I listened to today, the statement that hit my heart was about prayer. “Do not pray for easy lives – pray to be stronger. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for powers equal to your tasks.” This is, after all, what I should be praying for. Not […]
Stay With Me
I have been listening to a podcast based on a retreat by St. Ignatius. This morning I listened to a meditation based on the beginning of the Passion of Christ. The scripture passage Matthew 26:36-46 was the account of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus asked his apostles to stay awake while he prayed, […]
Knew My Struggles
It’s been a rough week. Yesterday I met with a counselor who has been helping me work through my challenges of caregiving and grieving. As I thought about my dad and as I do my best to care for my mom, there are many ways that I wish I could do better – be a […]
Many Reminders
As I was driving to an appointment this morning, I saw the moon setting behind the mountain. It was such a beautiful scene that was almost identical to what I saw 2 years ago when my dad entered Hospice Care in the hospital. The first morning I went to see him, I opened the blinds […]
Two Years
Today was the two year anniversary of my father’s death. I had been anticipating this day for several weeks now and wondering what it would be like for my mom. I set up to have my dad prayed for at the parish Mass this afternoon. While mom doesn’t always remember that my dad died, she […]