St. John of God picked me! Moneybags at A Catholic Life (via Julie D.) reminded us Catholics about “the practice of picking a saint at random to be your ‘holy protector’ for the year. Actually, the saint is the one who chooses us though.” He quotes an excerpt from St. Faustina: There is a custom […]
Eternal Lover of Your children, bring us into Your life, make us sharers in Your love and transmitters of it. Help us to become serene and patient in the midst of our frustrations, but at the same time make us heroic adventurers, brave, gentle, tender, but without fear and with radiant faces. — Rufus Jones
“The Three Magi” by József Koszta Definition: epiphany — 1. a revelatory manifestation of a divine being. 2. a sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something, a comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization The Magi had to cross the desert to reach Bethlehem, to reach Jesus. Joseph […]
Writing about empty mind is not easy. When I have got it, there are no words. When the words come, it goes away. Sitting in anger and fear, Mind is full of the past and future. Images of catastrophes big and small Jostle for a seat at the brain. Resentment, incredulity and disappointment Slide their […]
TSO links to an opinion piece by George Will on sport team nicknames. Will comments that it is a misguided sense of political correctness that is pushing this issue of sport teams like the Illini, Seminoles, Braves, etc. are insults to Native-American culture. I’m not so sure. I think maybe something much more insidious is […]
Last night, we received some badly needed precipitation in the form of snow. In my area, it was just a ground covering. The streets were just wet. Up north and west of the city, they received up to 6-8 inches. The boys were just amazed at the white fluffy stuff as we were getting in […]
Seen at la vie en rose…, here’s my version of an American Express ad: My name Mark childhood ambition architect fondest memory family holidays and gatherings soundtrack laughter, silence retreat reading, prayer wildest dream write and publish a book proudest moment my baptism at age 40 biggest challenge to live in the now alarm clock […]
When I am in a hurry, why do I always seem to get stuck behind the driver who is sticking to their New Year’s resolution of driving the speed limit? I guess if I prayed for patience, God is not going to give it to me. He is going give me situations so that if […]
There was a billboard at the interstate exit for my church. It was just recently replaced with an ad for a fastfood restaurant. For the last six months or so, everytime I exited, I would pull up to the stop sign at the access road, look right to check for sparse traffic, and then glace […]
Go ahead, you know you want to answer. Please do as a comment, even if others have left the same comment. (There is a reason for this… ) Marco?
Imagine prayer is like asking for “Marco?” God will forever call out “Polo!” until you find Him. (Some how this reminds me of the story about the little fish that went looking for the ocean.)
In light of my previous post and today’s scripture readings of the prophet Jonah calling out for the city of Nineveh to repent and Jesus calling to the two sets of brothers to follow him, God is calling all of us to him. Maybe God is calling out to you, “Marco?” Are you going to […]
In the quiet spaces of my mind a thought lies still, but ready to spring. It begs me to open the door so it can walk about. The poets speak in obscure terms pointing madly at the unsayable. The sages say nothing, but walk ahead patting their thigh calling for us to follow. The monk […]
I am not sure where I caught sight of this book, Letters from the Desert by Carlo Carretto, but it is a jewelle. Each facet of its short reflective chapters shines a different light into the mysteries of faith, prayer, love, and of course, God. The description on the back of the book cover explains […]
Looking through the Bible in my classroom, I found this scribbled on a notecard inside: When faced with anger and/or frustration, say “ARRR!” Acknowledge the emotion. Relate it to others. Relate it to God. Receive graces. Be open. Respond not from judgement, but out of love.