Peace
Safety and Peace
At one point, we planned on spending Christmas at the cabin. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. So today I decided to make a trip up there and take care of a couple of things. It may snow tomorrow, so I thought this would be the best time. When I arrived at the top of the […]
Tomorrow I Will Be There
This evening, I listened to the final podcast of the O Antiphons leading up to Christmas. The last verse brings us right back to the one we know: O come, O come, Emmanuel,and ransom captive Israelthat mourns in lonely exile hereuntil the Son of God appear. I learned that the 7 titles for Jesus in […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Finding Rest
I loved the Gospel reading for today: Matthew 11:28-30Jesus said to the crowds:“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke […]
Lord’s Battle
A friend of mine has been taking care of her 2 toddler grandchildren for a few days now as their parents went out of town. I went over and spent a few hours with all of them today. My friend was pretty tired and I could understand why. The little ones were full of energy […]
Silence
Today I started reading “The Reed of God” by Caryll Houselander. It was recommended by the Hallow Advent Challenge and was quoted in today’s reflection. Continuing with the theme of being still, the book touched on the problem of silence. It is in silence where we can find peace and even more importantly, it is […]