Life Lesson from St. Clare
In this week when we ponder the eternal life won for us, I thought I’d share thoughts about our precious earthly life from a page in a book I’m currently writing: Saint Clare guided by St. Francis, founded the first Franciscan community for women. Today at the Poor Clare monastery in Assisi, visitors can view the corner of a room where Saint Clare died. Above the site is a plaque that reads, “Blessed be you, my God, for having created me.” What a perfect way to end one’s life—praising the God who made it all possible! (more…)
Malaysian Plane, a Double Mystery
So far no one on earth can explain what happened to the Malaysian plane that disappeared somewhere over the ocean. This horrifying occurrence may forever remain a mystery. The shocking, sudden deaths of 239 people poses a greater mystery: why would God allow this to happen? I’m writing this on the feastday of St. Julie Billiart, the spiritual mother of our community, who incessantly proclaimed, “God is good.” How could a good, all-powerful God not prevent this catastrophe and others like it? Purportedly God loves us and regards us as his children. Does a good Father stand by and let his children suffer? If you expect me to offer an answer, I’m going to disappoint you. This age-old mystery of suffering has been tackled by many people far wiser than I. But no satisfactory answer has been given. Not even in the biblical book of Job does God give us an inkling into the mystery. The innocent, suffering Job is merely told in no uncertain terms that God is in charge of the universe, so who is he to question him. (more…)
Prayer with Five Senses
The other day as I prayed the Liturgy of the Hours, at the line “God himself will set me free from the hunter’s snare” suddenly I imagined myself in the woods with my foot caught in the sharp jaws of a trap. I felt the pain and the desperation. “Hmm,” I thought. “This is how I teach people to pray the Gospel stories, by putting themselves into the scene and letting all their senses come into play.” For some reason it never occurred to me to apply this method St. Ignatius promoted to other prayers too. (more…)
God’s Presence Everywhere All the Time
Remember the joke about the little boy who was afraid to get the broom out of the dark closet for his mom? She assured him, “Don’t be afraid. God is everywhere.” So the little boy cracked open the closet door a little and called in, “Hey, God, would you hand me the broom!” Catholic Vitamins is a podcast that presents topics following the alphabet. Last week I spoke on U for the Ubiquity of God. (You can listen to this talk on www.catholicvitamins.com. It’s in the second half of the program.) Ubiquity was a pleasant topic because God’s omnipresence is a comforting attribute. We are never alone because God is constantly with us, and so we needn’t feel lonely or be afraid. God says in Isaiah 41:10, “Do not fear, for I am with you. . . I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (more…)
Tapping into Gifts
For years, decades actually, I’ve been trying to learn Spanish. One discouraging drawback is that I couldn’t roll my “r’s.” Nothing I was told or read on the Internet helped. Then last week, without even giving it a thought, I pronounced the word for “guitar,” and the “r’s” rolled! It was not at all how I thought it was done. This achievement gives fresh impetus to my mastering Spanish. It also made me feel very good about myself. Writing a novel for the first time last year had the same effects. Now I’m wondering what other new, surprising things await me on my life’s journey. Maybe I’ll learn to swim! (more…)
