Israel was between a rock and a hard place. Literally. There they were, camped on the plains of Moab. With solid cliffs behind them and the River Jordan and Jericho ahead, barring their way into Canaan. They were also caught between the “rock” of their sin and the hard job of conquering the land God […]
FINDING JOY AT CHRISTMAS
“Awake, mankind! For your sake God has become man…I tell you again: for your sake, God became man.” —Saint Augustine As we move into Christmas, I wish for you the peace and joy that only Jesus brings. Whether you are prepared or not; whether you are well or not; whether you can afford gifts or not; […]
FOCUSING ON THE CHRIST CHILD with the O Antiphons
Having recently lost someone dear to me has shifted my focus to beyond the grave, where I imagine him filled with the peace and joy he longed for. It increases my own longing for heaven, too, although I hope to stick around for a good long time! Thankfully we don’t have to wait for eternity, […]
THANKSGIVING PSALMS: Drowning grief in gratitude
Thanksgiving Day rolls around regardless of events, and some years it’s easier to get in the spirit than others. This is one of the hard ones. Mark died just four weeks ago, and there’s been barely time to grieve. I am prepared to give thanks for his life; for 35 years of marriage and all […]
YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU: How to fill your heavenly “handbag”
Our house was broken into by thieves. Their target was our copper pipes, but they also nabbed a brass mallard, some sweet little Nikon binoculars, and a blanket of which I was inordinately fond. It could have been worse. They could have taken much more, and trashed the place, but they did not. This comes […]
RETURNING TO GOD…AND PRAYERS FOR UKRAINE
My heart is breaking over events in Ukraine. As I continue to meditate on the readings from Ash Wednesday, I’m drawn over and over to Joel 2:12–13— “Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning…” Joel is crying to a people crushed by an […]
RETURN: GOD IS CALLING YOU!
“Even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart…” (Joel 2:12) “Return.” The whole idea behind “returning” somewhere is that you go back to where you were before. And in the case of returning to God, even if you have never loved or followed him, he has always loved you. Before you […]
WHEN THERE ISN’T ENOUGH
He did it twice. Fed thousands of hungry people with a few loaves, that is. Twice and still the disciples didn’t get it. Comparing the two incidents when Jesus feeds the multitudes in the Gospel of Mark, here’s what I see: Mark 6 (the first time): Jesus calls the disciples away to rest. […]
INTRODUCING MY NEW COLUMN FOR LIGUORIAN MAGAZINE
I’m pleased to announce my new column in Liguorian magazine, the flagship publication of the Redemptorist Liguori Publications. Every month, I’ll be taking a look at a place where “Faith Hits Home”—specifically, how we can bring Jesus into that space through the word of God. In January, for example, in “Stay Connected to […]
“COME TO JESUS!”—WHATEVER YOUR NEED
Ever since Advent began, I’ve been praying: Come, Lord Jesus! And come he did, in a whirl of stars and shepherds and “Joy to the World” sung into the night. But Christmas came and went, and although the baby Jesus took his place in the manger in our nativity set, I didn’t feel like Jesus […]
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