5th Sunday of Lent Have you ever walked with someone to their death? I feel blessed to have been present for the deaths of four people I loved deeply. The peace felt as they passed was almost palpable. My faith assured them they were released from all pain, burden, and suffering, turning tears of sadness […]

1st Sunday of Lent I vividly remember the first time I recognized that I had sinned. I was about nine years old, and the guilt was overwhelming. It took me a couple of weeks to go to confession. When I confessed to the priest, I heard him laugh softly as he announced my penance. I […]

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time We purchased our home fifty years ago. We never intended it to be our forever home, but we settled in for several reasons – the economy of the early ’80s, the proximity to our parents and jobs, and the call to deepen our relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist by […]

Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs We go to extreme lengths to protect those whom we love the most. Joseph is no different. He loves Mary and the newborn Jesus and is always obedient to the will of God in his life; he heeds the warning of the angel: Rise, take the child and his […]

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” I have been singing this song since I was a little girl. My daughters and grandchildren will confirm that I used it to ensure good behavior before Christmas. It is a song of reflecting, preparing, and proclaiming. Today we celebrate the third Wednesday of Advent. Today’s gospel is the […]

Believe that a friend and relative hate you, and a report from the British Reporter has found that acknowledging you are Christian in Iran will result in imprisonment. I am beginning to think that the word “hate” should be considered a dirty word. We use it frequently in our daily lives without thinking about its […]

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome The religion teacher at our parish school brings his students to adoration every Wednesday. I suspect these students do not fully appreciate what their teacher is doing for them now. Still, one day they will realize that he was modeling respect, silence, reverence, prayer, and […]

Strive to enter through the narrow gate. Today’s gospel passage challenges us to reflect on our entrance into heaven – it isn’t easy! When we are baptized, we are freed from our sins. Our parents, godparents, family, friends, and faith community are presented with a candle to light our way. At this moment, the gate […]

Anger – we all experience it. Anger is an emotion expressing feelings towards a person or situation. The anger may be directed towards us based on our words and actions. I learned early in life that by accepting responsibility for the offense, my parents were quicker to forgive and lighten the punishment. In today’s gospel, […]

We hear a great deal today about ADD/ADHD. Many of us have children or grandchildren who have been diagnosed and now take medication to offset symptoms, helping them to calm down and stay focused. At the heart of today’s gospel is our ability to stay focused on Jesus, the chosen one God. Reading this gospel, […]