My great-grandma Jennie’s life is packed inside a single word: “Hallelujah!” She typed that on a thousand tiny strips of paper and tucked them into cracks and books and under dishes as she prayed. She died many years years ago—but even now, finding one of those Hallelujahs brings her back in an instant. Who was Jennie, […]
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THE DISCIPLES AT THE WELL: A Fresh Reading of John 4
Nobody ever talks about the disciples at the well in Samaria. Everyone zeroes in on the woman, and understandably so: with her many past husbands and her daily slog for water, she represents that “God-shaped vacuum” in all of us that can’t be filled by anything (or anyone!) but God. We all want what she […]
MARY & MARTHA: FINDING THAT “BETTER PART”
I always want to jump to Martha’s defense, when I read Jesus’ response to her complaint. Her sister has left her to do all the work, and the Lord seems to dismiss her worry. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried,” he says. “There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part […]
GROWING UP: BECOMING “FRUITFUL SOIL FOR THE WORD”
Our 18-month-old granddaughter stands ready to run, grinning over her shoulder as if to say, “you can’t get me, Grandma … but please try!” When I start toward her she squeals and runs laughing into my arms. Bliss! Children are such a gift. When our kids were her age, though, I never imagined the deep joy […]
WE NEED THE WORD LIKE A FISH NEEDS WATER
We all watched, excited, as the sunfish splashed up from the lake and landed with a thud on the dock. My husband reached out to remove the hook but the fish slipped from his grasp. “Look Mommy, he’s dancing!” And sure enough, the fish did look to be dancing as it dangled and flopped at […]
READ THE BIBLE LIKE A DISCIPLE
This weekend at the National Catholic Bible Conference in Houston, I spoke on “The Word of God in the Life of the Disciple.” Scripture plays an important role in helping us ENCOUNTER Jesus and grow in RELATIONSHIP with him, and it fosters the TRANSFORMATION that is the hallmark of true disciples. As Catholics, we have […]
GOD ANSWERS PRAYER & TEACHES US TO ASK
“Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish, had recourse to the Lord.” (Esther C:12*) Have you ever felt like that? “Seized with mortal anguish”? I’ve never faced genocide the way Queen Esther did, but I have felt the “mortal anguish” of despair when we faced deep financial trouble … when our baby’s life hung by a […]
5 STEPS TO FINDING GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE
When I was a kid, we had no problem making choices. We went with our gut, and if someone disagreed, we “shot it out” with Rock, Paper, Scissors or we tossed a coin, then threw ourselves into whatever it was. Somewhere along the line, things got complicated. We read “Two Roads Diverged in a Yellow […]
TATTOO WITNESS
The man behind the counter wore long sleeves, but they weren’t long enough to hide his tattoos. Enough of the elaborate script showed at one wrist to make me curious. “What does it say?” I asked. He pushed his right sleeve up to his elbow, and read out loud from the gothic script on his […]
WHEN YOU’RE ANXIOUS AND TROUBLED: WHERE ARE YOUR EYES?
It was a crazy morning. I was racing around the house throwing clothes in the hamper, dishes in the dishwasher, trying to get it all done before going to work. My husband passed me on his way to daily mass and I exploded. How could he be going to mass?! Doesn’t he think I want […]
