The other day I was talking with a friend who lives in Germany. It was already nightfall for her and she was sharing with me the beauty of their first snowfall this season. She described the scene outside her window with such clarity, that I couldn't help but close my eyes and imagine it for [...]
Christmas holds a special place in my heart, not because of any religion or theological beliefs, but mostly because it was my dad’s favorite holiday and because it’s a time of year for many family traditions and rituals to be played out. Every year we know the traditional frustration of hanging lights on the house [...]
Spiritual health can often be a casualty of war in times of unprecedented upheaval and change. There are a number of shifts that occur in times of disaster in regards to an individual's faith, beliefs and spiritual practices. I think sometimes this can get neglected or overlooked, especially by mainstream media coverage, and yet it [...]
I recently sat in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, a mecca for Catholics. Ironically, I think it’s a mecca for anyone deeply rooted in a religious tradition. I am surrounded by the trappings of my past, of all that is Catholic: stained glass windows my great grandfather worked on, statues and carvings of [...]
If you think about it, doors are everywhere, we breeze through them hundreds of times a day, rarely noticing them. Doors offer us protection, solitude, safety. They can let someone in, or keep them out! They show us the direction in which we are headed. Stop and think about all the doors you have passed [...]
Many churches have signs facing the road with instructions for living your life, and sometimes they are quite entertaining. Over the years I have chuckled, rolled my eyes, or sighed heavily at many I have seen. A few of the funny ones include, “WalMart is not the only saving place,” “Forgive your enemies – it [...]
It’s still dark outside, and I wonder what others are doing at this hour. I am sitting with my laptop as I work to finish my Palm Sunday talk for tomorrow, and I am flooded with childhood memories. Easter is so alive for me this year, which I think is a little odd, since I [...]
