Faith

Redemption Through Suffering

Tonight in my Bible class, we finished studying the book of Job. The verse for our prayer and contemplation was Job 42:2, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” As I meditated on these words, my thoughts went immediately to my father. I know that […]

Reflecting

I joined in on an online caregiving group today. I realized it has been 2 months since I had participated. The last time I talked with them, we were in the midst of trying to find a good place with good people who would take good care of my dad. As I caught them up […]

Back to God

Tonight in my Bible class, a student shared a touching story. A family member was pregnant and found that the baby would not live long after birth due to extreme medical problems. She continued the pregnancy until the baby was born. The family had a priest waiting in the wings. When the little one came […]

Bye Jesus

Today in church, a very young couple sat in front of us with 2 little boys. When they arrived, the dad pointed out Jesus on the crucifix to both children, even though the younger was still too young even to walk. Mom and dad had their hands full, but the boys were so cute and […]

Just a Sprinkle

Yesterday, my sister and mom went to visit my dad. Evidently he had a bad night and didn’t sleep much. So, when they came for their visit, he was fast asleep. The caregivers were somehow able to get him up and outside for a brief period of time, but I guess he was pretty out […]

Giant Incense Burner

Ever since I saw the movie, “The Way” with Martin Sheen, I have been fascinated with the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James. There are actually several different pilgrimage trails called the Way, but they all end at the Cathedral of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The Cathedral is believed […]

Lamenting Loss of Worship

In my Bible class tonight, we took a look through Book 3 of the Psalms. In this section, the temple of worship had been destroyed and defiled. David and others were lamenting the loss of the physical temple, the place where they would worship God. They also felt victimized – rightly so – by their […]

Bonus Bishop

A couple of months ago, our Diocese ordained a new bishop. We watched the celebration online at that time. He seemed very kind and humble. He has been making his rounds of the parishes and was scheduled to celebrate the 9:30 Mass this morning at our church. We debated about going as we wanted to […]

St. Therese Novena

I have been praying the St. Therese Novena that will be completed on her Feast Day – October 1. As always, God sends me prayers, meditations, readings, etc, that are exactly what I need. Today these words touched my heart:Loving God, you loved St. Therese’s complete trust in your care. Help me to rely on […]

Most Powerful Weapon

Today is the feast day of St. Padre Pio. He suffered much in his life as a priest, but remained prayerful and vigilant. One of his quotes is, “Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, […]