The God of Power and Glory
A dear friend and I were talking recently, and she said, “All of my life I’ve prayed to the God of Power.” We sat in silence for a moment, and then she continued, “The God who had the power to answer all of my prayers.” Again, silence. We looked at each other, and then...Read full story »
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Mother Mary
I thought my day was going to be filled with worry about the sudden decline of my 14-year-old dog. And then I heard the siren. I live in the city, so the sounds of sirens usually don’t disrupt my day. This one was different. It stopped at the house next door, and we soon realized that death h...Read full story »
Thursday, August 17, 2017
The elderly women of the Church
It had been a year, and so we gathered to pray and remember a life well lived. The four of us sat at the kitchen table, which was filled with pastries and fruit and white votive candles. The widow was quiet as we began our prayer service. We started by remembering her husband, his life and his goo...Read full story »
Thursday, July 20, 2017
I'll never get over it
I think I’ve been doing it all wrong. Have you ever had someone tell you a horrible story about betrayal or abandonment? Have you had someone share a memory about duplicity or treachery or disloyalty? Have they talked about severe abuse or neglect? And at the end did they say “I’l...Read full story »
Thursday, June 29, 2017
The name Mary
When I was a small girl, it was a burden to have the name Mary Ann. I was named after my paternal grandmother and my maternal great-grandmother, and I struggled under the weight of such an adult name. I preferred the nickname “Mamie” which my dad used or “Mamie Ann” which my...Read full story »
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Painting and Patience
About six months ago, when I was attending a birthday party for my grandson, I started talking to a young woman who is quite an accomplished artist. I was asking her questions about her work when my son Michael walked up, put his arm around my shoulder, and said, “My mom does watercolors.R...Read full story »
Thursday, April 20, 2017
The family language
She’s a lovely young woman teaching kindergartners now, but 25 years ago she was a delightful toddler sitting in the back seat of the family sedan. When she was asked where she would like to go for dinner, she answered in her precious little voice, “Let’s just see where the car ta...Read full story »
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
His favorite
Years ago, Erma Bombeck wrote a column explaining to her three children why each one of them was her favorite. She told her oldest child that “I’ve always love you best” because “you were the first miracle . . . the fulfillment of young love, the promise of our infinit...Read full story »
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Let's purge!
One day early every December, I have headed to the closet under my basement stairs. There, packed in as tightly as possible, were boxes filled with Christmas decorations. My visit was always the same. I pulled out the boxes, looked inside, and then decided “yes” or “no.” Yes...Read full story »
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Courage
What is courage? Who is courageous? We honor the brave men who traveled across the English Channel one stormy June day and then ran onto sandy beaches trying to elude enemy fire. Tears still flow at the memory of the firefighters who ran into buildings while people were fleeing from t...Read full story »
Thursday, December 15, 2016
