Prayer

Growth During Advent

Once Thanksgiving rolls around, I start thinking about Christmas gifts, treats to make, cards to send, decoration to put up and the like. Advent can seem like a chore. That is the point of the meditations I have been listening too. It is very realistic, acknowledging the current state of the world. The hope is […]

Full Of Thanks

I felt so blessed on Thanksgiving this year and had so much to be grateful for. As soon as I awoke, friends and family started sharing messages of gratitude. I decided to go to Mass in the morning. It was such a beautiful way to start the day. There was a bell choir directed and […]

Universal Church

One of the things I appreciate most about being Catholic is the universality. You can go to Mass anywhere in the world and it will consist of the same prayers and scripture readings. I have been listening to and praying with the Hallow app for a couple of years now. Recently, as part of the […]

Difficulty of Priesthood

A friend of mine shared something he read that gave insight into the difficulties of being a priest. As I read it, I thought about how true these statements are. I was remembering when I worked in a parish and how so many times people expected the pastor to be a certain way or act […]

Christs’ Kingdom

Today is the Feast of Christ the King. I always feel a special sense of joy on this day as it is the name of my previous parish where there are many wonderful memories and still very faithful friends. At Mass today, the priest talked about our mission to share the Kingdom of God here […]

Zoom Rosary

I was at the Newman Center today visiting with my priest friend when he received a phone call. He excused himself and when he returned, he looked concerned. He asked for prayers for a family member who had been in an accident and had to be airlifted to the hospital. After telling the story to […]

Mother Cabrini Shrine

Today I visited the Mother Cabrini Shrine with some ladies from the church social group that I joined. It was about an hour and a half drive from the city we live in, so I got to know the ladies a little bit more. One of them shares a birthday with me. Not only that, […]

Worth Pondering

I was going through social media today as I haven’t really been on too much – which is fine. I came across several thoughtful quotes from TobyMac that made me pause and think. “Please don’t settle for something you know isn’t God’s plan for you just because you’re tired of waiting.” “He calls each and […]

Remembering Loved Ones

After celebrating All Hallow’s Eve followed by All Saints Day, today I went to Mass celebrating All Souls Day. The entrance of the church has a very large Baptismal font. When adults are Baptized there, they can actually walk in and out of the pool. Today, the font was adorned with probably 100 lit candles. […]

Struggling Priest

This morning, I went to Mass to celebrate All Saints Day. The 2 priests and deacon processed up to the altar at the beginning. I noticed the priest leading the way was struggling a bit. That would typically be the pastor. During the Mass, he didn’t read any of the scripture, or share the homily […]