Take a Little Break
This week I am making my annual retreat. It is just what the word says. I am retreating from the business of the “world” in order to ground myself again with my Creator and nurture my relationship with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Therefore this is not a full-blown post. I encourage you to […]
When Your Prayer Life Is Stuck
Last week I reread my book “Praying on Empty.” You might find some thoughts from it helpful—if not now, sometime later… My God, grant that I may love you, and grant that the only reward of my love will be to love you always more and more. A priest advised a man who couldn’t pray […]
A Fly’s Lesson on Prayer
This is an odd sort of blog post, but the Spirit moves me to write it. At liturgies in our Notre Dame chapel, I sit in the front row, where I can hear better. This past week before Mass a fly was on the white cloth on the altar. Then he lit on the lectionary. […]
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, […]
Devilish Distractions
Once at a Christmas party while we were dining, my three-year-old grandnephew stood at the table crying hard. My brother-in-law said to him, “Go get Grandpa a cookie.” Instantly the little boy stopped bawling and went off in search of a cookie. My brother-in-law commented to me, “Your sister taught me how to distract him […]
Creation, a Springboard to God
I just finished writing an endorsement for a book that is built on the premise that there is divine presence in all of creation. This concept is scripture based, for we read in Jeremiah 23:24, “Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.” When the Son of God became incarnate, he united himself […]
When in Need Our Mother Mary Can Help
Today I have a special need that is high on my worry list. To my surprise, this morning the page in my book Heart to Heart with Mary spoke to me. (Yes, I’m using my own devotional every day! And I don’t even remember writing the reflections.) In case you are faced with a problem […]
Praying with the Senses a la St. Ignatius
When I give talks on the Bible or on prayer, I usually encourage people to try praying with all five senses. St. Ignatius recommended this way of bringing the Gospel stories to life and using them as a springboard for prayer. As an example, I unpack the story of the healing of Bartimaeus from Mark […]
Down with Distractions During Prayer
Apparently our brains have more than one track. Maybe as you’re praying the rosary, you’re planning what you’ll have for dinner and before you know it, you’ve prayed the closing prayer. Maybe you’re reading a prayer, like the Divine Office, and your eyes are following the words, but when you’re finished, you don’t know what […]
Wonderful, Practical Prayer for Life
The following prayer is entitled “17th Century Nun’s Prayer” and its source is unknown. Although it seems intended for nuns, the sound advice it gives in the form of a prayer is applicable to anyone on the face of the earth. See what gems you can cull from it for your own life: Lord, Thou […]
