Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament
We are in the midst of a three-year National Eucharist Revival. A parish has asked me to speak about the relationship of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the Eucharist. Today I share some thoughts with you. At the Eucharist the priest declares over the bread and wine, “This is my Body” and “This is my […]
Twenty Nuggets from My Retreat
Each year we Sisters make a week long retreat. Last week I had the pleasure of making one under the direction of Fr. Bernie Owens, S.J. It was a preached retreat, so every day we heard two conferences and were given handouts to mull over. I thought I might share with you some of the […]
Human Hands of Jesus
When I was a high school freshman, my first article was published. The piece, “The Hands Tell the Story,” was printed in our school’s literary publication. I thought of it now that I’ve developed a trigger finger, which has made me pay more attention to my hands. This has also led me to reflect on […]
Inspired, Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, CSC, was the President of Notre Dame University for 35 years. He was also involved in myriad government, international, and Church projects. One day someone asked him, “So, how’d you do it all?” Fr. Hesburgh replied, “Every morning, I pray, ‘Come, Holy Spirit’ … and away we go.” I love that story. […]
God Loves You…Unconditionally
Here is a very abridged chapter from my book, A Love Affair with God: Twelve Traits. It’s entitled “Presence.” When we love a person we long to be with them. Meister Eckhart asserted, “No human being has ever desired anything as much as God desires to be with him or her.” At the Last Supper […]
The Sacred Heart Is Not Passe
This Friday is the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It fittingly occurs during June, the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart. To some people this title for Jesus smacks of times gone by. On the contrary, the concept of the Sacred Heart is relevant and meaningful. Take the idea of heart. To us, […]
The Eucharist: An Everyday Miracle
On Saturday I spoke at my community’s Solemn Eucharistic Adoration for five minutes. I thought I would get more mileage out of the talk and use it for my post this week! I hope you find it inspiring. . . . At one of our schools, a teacher was taking her little ones to chapel. […]
What Is the Eucharist? Where We Feast on God Together
In view of Sunday’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), an excerpt from my upcoming book, “I am going . . .” Reflections on the Last Words of the Saints is fitting: A teacher was taking her little ones to chapel to visit Jesus. As they passed classrooms, she […]
Journeying with Jesus
The first time I was to fly alone to Abu Dhabi to speak at a religious conference, I was rather frightened—petrified would be more accurate. It meant stopping in Chicago to switch to Etihad, the United Arab Emirates airline, flying over the ocean (daunting to a non-swimmer like me), and then counting on someone to […]
Reflections on the Manger in Bethlehem
The first chapter of my new book out this month, Voices: God Speaking in Creation, is “Manger.” It makes a fitting post this week as we celebrate Christmas . . . “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger” (Luke 2:7). Jesus […]
