Going the Extra Mile (Especially in Lent)
This morning I saw a commercial for a car inviting people to “go the extra mile.” Now that is a good slogan for a Christian. After all, Jesus taught us disciples, “If anyone wants to sue you and take you coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, […]
Perseverance to Mars and Heaven During Lent
On February 18, 2021, the rover Perseverance is to land on Mars and collect samples. This achievement is the result of NASA’s perseverance. Perseverance, or persistence, is a virtue. Its partner patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Perseverance takes courage, a gift of the Holy Spirit. How is your New Year’s resolution going? […]
The Greatest Love of All
Today I saw this posted on Facebook: “The sweetest time of the day is when you pray because you’re talking to the one who loves you the most.” Valentine’s Day is a good time to reflect on God’s love for us. We all crave to be loved. Sometimes we need to know we are loved […]
Meditation on a Sinner, Zacchaeus
Today’s Gospel was the story of Zacchaeus. It reminded me of the time I led a class of ninth graders through a reflection on it. The next day they surprised me by asking for another prayer like that one. Wow! I saved the reflection, and for what it’s worth I’m presenting it here. It may […]
Trust in the Time of Pandemic
Some time ago a friend gave me this little bird along with the scripture verse “Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feed them. Are you not you more important than they?” (Matthew 6:26) The bird sits next to my […]
Heart of Jesus: Sacred and Human
Today I finished writing a book about God’s love for us and our love for God and sent it off to a publisher. In the process I learned a few things. Because we are in the month of June, which is dedicated to the Sacred Heart, let’s focus on the love of Jesus for us. […]
Humility: Realizing the Truth about Oneself
No doubt you remember Uriah Heep, the character in Dickens’s novel David Copperfield who kept referring to his “umbleness.” All the while, Mr. Heep was nothing but a scheming hypocrite. His humility was fake, used as a tool to manipulate others into thinking well of him. People who are truly humble are admired. Those who […]
Meaning of Names and Patron Saints
The other day I told two of our cooks that the saint whose feast day landed on their birthday could be considered their patron saint. One man’s birthday was the feast of St. Basil, which was appropriate for a cook. When I told the other man that his saint was St. Josaphat, he commented, “It […]
Thoughts on the Palm Sunday Donkey
A donkey is a member of the horse family. On the first day of my retreat, we were invited to think about why Jesus chose to ride a donkey into Jerusalem as a prelude to his execution. He could have come like the king he was—riding on a white stallion. The chief reason he came […]
The Cross: A Sign of Love
When my niece Lisa was baptized, I gave her a cross necklace. It was a lovely cloisonné cross with a pink rose in the center, but it was still a cross. How curious that an instrument of execution is now a worn as jewelry! (Can you imagine wearing a guillotine or an electric chair?) Moreover, […]
