Squeezing through the Narrow Gate

Most people assume that they will spend eternity in heaven. Some of them might be like the Pharisee who prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers. . . . I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” This man thought he was right […]

To Be a Saint or Saintly Sinner

Since we are approaching the feast of the halloweds (the saints), I’ve been musing about sainthood. One of my favorite prayers as a teenager was, “O God Who art all powerful, make me a saint.” Some people exclaim, “I’m no saint,” yet we are all called to be saints. As French novelist Leon Bloy pointed […]

Life as a Test

Star Trek fans might recall my favorite episode in which aliens test a woman to see if her race is worthy of saving on another planet. The woman is an empath, someone who can absorb the suffering of others. Her test is to take on the pain of Dr. McCoy when he is dying, and […]

Heavenly Thoughts

The other day my mother and I were talking about heaven. In cartoons people in heaven are angels who sit on clouds playing harps all day. How boring for us who are used to TV, iPads, Kindles and the like! So what is heaven really like? According to Jesus, it has many mansions. He could […]

Appreciating Being Alive

We just celebrated my mom’s 91st birthday. She bemoans her loss of independence and her pains. “Just throw me in Lake Erie,” she remarks. Yet she is anticipating another birthday party next year. And her family is glad she is still with us. I too am moving closer to the end of my life. This […]