I’ve heard it said that the shofar (ram’s horn trumpet), with its curving shape, represents the way a repentant heart “bends” before the Lord in supplication. When it’s blown, it has a unique sound that can trumpet victory or a mournful wail. In the liturgy of Rosh Hashanah, today’s Jewish “Feast of Trumpets,” three types […]
DIVINE MERCY: WHAT’S IT TO YOU?
It is part of our human condition that grief and fear blind us to heavenly realities. On Easter Sunday, St. Paul challenged us with Colossians 3:1-4: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above…. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life […]
GOD CALLS HIMSELF “MERCY”
With all the talk of mercy this year – and especially today, Divine Mercy Sunday – do you ever wonder what it means that God IS mercy, or that his name is mercy? You might recall that God told Moses at the burning bush that his name is I AM. But that only begins to […]
LIVE MERCY THIS LENT (4): Visit the suffering
In 2009, I met Fr. Rick Frechette, a priest and doctor with an extraordinary ministry in Haiti. In the midst of unimaginable darkness and chaos, he finds ways to bring love and hope to people who might otherwise never know them. Fr. Rick does many things, but what stood out to me is his ministry […]
LIVE MERCY THIS LENT (2): Nourish the Needy
I never knew what was wrong with Mr. Cox, only that he was old and couldn’t feed himself. Each time I walked into the dining room in my pink and white Candy Striper uniform, he’d be sitting in his wheelchair with a tray across his lap and a bib around his neck, staring at his […]
LIVE MERCY THIS LENT (Part 1 of 7)
What are you doing for Lent? Over the years, I’ve fallen into a rut. Here’s what my usual Lent looks like: Fast on Ash Wednesday and Fridays, give up alcohol and sweets and unnecessary shopping. Strive for more fervent daily prayer, especially with lectio divina. Add Adoration to my weekly schedule, and Stations of the […]
TWO WAYS TO LIVE LENT “INTENSELY” IN THIS JUBILEE YEAR OF MERCY
Pope Francis has asked us to live Lent more intensely this year, the Jubilee Year of Mercy. How can we do that? According to the Holy Father, two things in particular can help us experience and celebrate God’s Mercy first hand: (1) prayerful listening to God’s word, repeating his word until we make it our […]
MERCY!
Solomon’s wisdom is sometimes summed up in the story of two women who gave birth to babies a few days apart. One baby died, and its mother exchanged it in the night for the other. When the other woman awoke to find the dead baby next to her and realized it was not hers, she […]
