Praying on Empty
In lieu of a Book Review this week and a regular post, here is the Introduction to my latest book . . . A fat mother groundhog lives in the backyard of my convent. The other day I glanced out my window and thought I saw her standing like a statue. But no. It was […]
Pray Always and Pray All Ways
At first glance St. Paul’s exhortation to pray always (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18) seems to be a mistranslation. Maybe what he really said was, “Pray a lot.” Praying ALWAYS is a mental impossibility. When I’m writing a book, for instance, my mind is 100% focused on the ideas I’m typing, not on God. The only way […]
Praying with Scripture: The Bible—You’ve Got Mail!
It occurred to me that I am free to post excerpts from my books on this website. (This will give me additional time each week to write more books!) So here is the Introduction from my latest book: “Praying with Scripture: The Bible—You’ve Got Mail!” . . . I would like so much for all […]
How Well Do You Know the Eucharist?
In honor of the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (or Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ) celebrated this Sunday, here is a Eucharist IQ Quiz that I use in my workshops on the liturgy. You simply have to tell whether each statement is true or false. The answers are at […]
Why Silence Is Golden
As I was working on a book about teaching prayer, it occurred to me that the chapter on silence would make a good blog. So here it is with a few adaptations . . . All of us have memories stashed away that bear out the truth of the saying “silence is golden.” Maybe you […]
Praying about Memories
Last week my nephew Andy videotaped my sister and me recalling our experiences growing up in our house on Donald Avenue and the people who made up our family, immediate and extended. This trip down memory lane was a lovely experience. It unearthed events that I had long forgotten about. My sister and I […]
Questions Jesus Asks YOU
I saw that Time Magazine is publishing a book in which famous people answer questions that Jesus posed. They beat me to it! At one time I considered writing a book about Our Lord’s questions. We believe that the Bible is living and active and that God speaks directly to us through his Word. Therefore […]
Saints Alive! Pick a Patron
Artists and musicians formerly had patrons who supported their work both financially and psychologically by encouraging them. As we strive to make our lives “something beautiful for God,” as Mother Teresa said, we have the option of choosing a patron: a heavenly one. If you have been christened with a saint’s name, then your patron […]
Honest to God: Prayer
My publisher-friend from Chicago likes the Cubs as much as my mom liked the Cleveland Indians. Twice last week he asked me to pray for a Cubs game. The team won the first game by hitting six home runs. They also won the second game, making them the champs of the National League Division Series. […]
The Rosary, a Lifeline
October is known as the month of the rosary, no doubt because October 7 is the feast of the Holy Rosary. The feast originated with the Battle of Lepanto when, against all odds, Christians overcame the Muslim forces attacking Europe—accredited to Christians praying the rosary. (Hmm. What would happen if all Catholics prayed the rosary […]
