Short effective prayers of St Philip Neri: “Jesus, be a Jesus to me.” “I cannot love you unless you help me, my Jesus.” “My Jesus, if you want me, cut the fetters that keep me from you.” Good advice from him: “Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere in a good life. Therefore, the…
Read MoreTo the uninitiated, that pink candle at church makes no sense from a decorating point of view. It throws off the symmetry of the other three purple candles in the Advent wreath. Yet, it immediately draws attention. A common sight in Advent, the pink or rose candle lit on the Third Sunday is a harbinger,…
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I’m grateful for Elizabeth Scalia’s suggestion back in 2010 that I do a little writing on Patheos in a column called ” A Word in Season”. It’s not the only place I write, and despite my current hiatus as I deal with some family needs and my life/writing balance, I’m still very grateful for my…
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It’s been a difficult winter season here. No getting around that. And I’m not just talking about the cold and the snowfall. In some ways, that has added some beauty to the landscape, and frankly, the excuse to cocoon a bit. Just a bit, because I’ve been out straight as they say. To compensate I’ve…
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Our Lady of Guadalupe is among my favorite titles for Mary. And though my circumstances prevent me from sharing very much here, I do have a few things you may like… My favorite quote from this apparition: “Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am…
Read MoreAs we conclude the Year of Faith this month, I’m completing my 5-part series at Patheos summarizing Francis’ first encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei, looking at chapter four. (Check out the new study guide on the document at the bottom of this post.) Here’s the opening of my latest column at Patheos… God has our…
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This episode of Among Women features a return visit from The Anchoress — author-blogger Elizabeth Scalia, discussing themes from her new book, Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life. In this interview we talk about rooting out hidden forms of idolatry in our own lives in order to deepen our faith in Christ. I also…
Read MoreMy Patheos series on Pope Francis’ first encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei, continues… All church teaching is based on Scripture, and chapter one of Pope Francis’ Lumen Fidei (LF) is no exception; its over-arching theme is from St. John’s First Epistle, “We know and believe the love God has for us” (cf. 1 Jn 4:16). Memorize that verse…
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As the Year of Faith continues, I thought it wise to study and reflect on Francis’ first encyclical specially geared to teach on faith. This encyclical letter was much anticipated and begun by Benedict XVI, and was subsequently completed and released under Francis. It was released at the end of June, just in time for my summer…
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There’s a simple line from the Book of Wisdom, that comes from Solomon’s prayer for wisdom… “For both we and our words are in his Hand.” (Wisdom 7:16 rsv) One of the things I love about God is that He is a Creator, and very much, a writer. The Bible is his book. He wrote…
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Here it’s coffee and conversation, and where the faith-sharing is often a friendly mix of catechesis and cannoli. It’s a place where we can catch up…
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