This past week, I came face to face with the reality that most people do not love God as He deserves. I realize that seems a harsh thing to say, but stay with me as I explain. And let me state upfront that I have, at times in my life, fallen into the category of “most people,” which is why I feel this is important to say. Let me give you the context for my saying this. My family recently received an invitation to a social event at 3pm on Good Friday. 3pm on Good Friday is the hour of Christ’s death, a death that He endured in order to…
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Is God’s Fire a Punishment or a Representation of Love?
“I have come to set the world on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing.” Luke 12:49 Did you know that the word fire is mentioned approximately 475 times in the Bible? Certainly, the two most known references are that of Moses and the burning bush and the tongues of fire at Pentecost. One of the most impressive stories of fire in the Old Testament is found in the book of Daniel. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzer puts three Israelites into a fiery furnace as punishment for not worshiping idols. The three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, are preserved from harm by the presence of an angel of God,…
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When We Weep, It Is Our Lord Who Weeps With Us
A Reflection on John 11:1-44 Over the weekend the weight of our current situation began to take a toll on me. I felt myself on the verge of tears, and I needed some time alone. So, I went for a long walk around our neighborhood. When I walk I often use that time to pray – I pour out my thoughts to God, tell Him how I am feeling, what’s going on, asking for His help with things. This time I prayed for grace and strength, and I wept. The tears just kept coming. My mother’s heart felt burdened by the need to protect our children, overwhelmed by this sudden…
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This is Our Three Days. This is Our Holy Week.
Everything is so strange. Who can wrap their heads around what is happening right now in the world?! And now Masses have been cancelled in many dioceses around the United States, including here in the Archdiocese of NY. You must understand that I love the Eucharist, and Sunday Mass is my favorite part of the week. Without Mass, and receiving Jesus in Holy Communion, I don’t know what I would do. Yet, I can understand this directive. I am one of those in the at risk population due to immunosupressing medication. I am grateful that this action is being taken. You can disagree with me. Many people do. But my…
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Experiencing the Divine Transfigures Us
My Meditation for our Lenten Lectio Divina series, Week 2, on The Transfiguration (Matthew 17) Every time I enter into the Presence of Jesus in the tabernacle, I say the same prayer, “Lord, it is good that we are here,” which is Peter’s response when he sees Jesus transfigured. I began saying this prayer several years ago, when I first used lectio divina with the passage, and that was the phrase that struck my heart. I totally understood what Peter meant when he said it. To be in the presence of the Divine is a complete gift. There is literally no place I’d rather be and I thank Him for…
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God’s Hand Rests Upon Me: A Meditation on Psalm 139
We just finished up the first week of our Lectio Divina Lenten prayer group. This week we meditated on Psalm 139. This psalm includes the very familiar verse, “You knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made.” Sometimes when a verse or story is so familiar, I worry that I won’t be able to gather anything new from praying with it. But that always proves to be an unfounded worry. The first thing I noted as I read through this psalm was that I felt comforted by the words of the psalmist. The words are showing us that God truly knows us. God is…
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A Lenten Lectio Divina Prayer Group
This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you shop through the links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Lectio Divina? What is that, you may be thinking. Well, it’s just a fancy Latin phrase that means “holy reading.” It is a traditional form of prayer during which we meditate on scripture passages. It’s really not intimidating, although it sounds like it is. I’m not going to explain Lectio Divina in depth, as you can find more than enough info in a web search. But I’d like to introduce the idea of “holy reading” as a Lenten practice. Several years ago, I began simply reading the…
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You Have Received a Spirit of Adoption
I recently saw an acquaintance at Mass whom I’ve never seen at our church before. She was waiting near the sacristy and was holding her infant, so I was pretty sure she was meeting with our pastor to discuss baptism. When I next saw this woman, she began to tell me that our pastor is strongly suggesting that they return to Mass before baptizing the baby. Her negative tone of voice and body language makes me certain that she was expecting me to commiserate with her situation. A few months ago, when my husband John and I were assisting at a parish baptism prep classes, we were talking about how…
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A Lesson from St. Martha – Following God’s Will for Our Lives Will Bring us Peace
During the summer we are making our way through the largest chunk of Ordinary Time in the Liturgical year. But one of the coolest things about this time of year is the sheer number of saints’ feast days that we celebrate. July is full of them – Bonaventure, Benedict, Maria Goretti, Kateri, Thomas the Apostle, Mary Magdalene, Bridget of Sweden, James, Joachim & Anne, Martha & Lazarus, Ignatius of Loyola. It’s like a who’s who of sainthood! And it’s as if all my friends in heaven have feasts this month! Let me explain. Maybe you are not familiar with all those names. Until a couple years ago, I wasn’t either.…
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What if Motherhood Itself is an Act of Mercy From God?
I recently gave a short talk at a young adults conference on the topic of “Mercy and Motherhood.” I’m sharing that talk here in honor of Mother’s Day. My prayer for all of you is that you know that you are lovable and loved by a very good Father… Sr. Marie Veritas is a Sister of Life. I recently read a piece she wrote about the women they counsel, but her words went straight to my heart. “In the heart of every woman is the longing to be heard, to be understood, to be believed in, and to be seen for her unique beauty and goodness, a beauty and goodness…
