- By Melannie Svoboda SND
June 2, 1914 was my father’s birthday. As a result, he’s always on my mind in early June. I think of him a lot in early August too, because he passed away on August 10, 2003 at the age of 89. I’m wondering: do you think about your deceased loved
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
On his 51st birthday, writer H. Jackson Brown decided to jot down some of the lessons he had learned during his lifetime. As the top of a sheet of paper, he wrote, “I’ve learned that…” and came up with 25 lessons. So enjoyable was this excerise, he soon asked others
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
I can’t let May slip away without saying something about Mary, the Mother of Jesus. So, I thought we’d have a little fun today. Here’s a 12 point quiz on Mary for you to take. (I can hear some of your groaning… “A quiz? You think that’s fun?” But let
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
Notice: We thank God for our newly elected Pope Leo XIV, the former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, from Chicago, IL. I will say a few words about him before our song at the end of this reflection. *********************************** The other day I came across a quote by writer Frederick Buechner.
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
Years ago when I was novice director, I came across this sentence in some psychology book I was reading: “A definitive sign of human maturity is tenderness.” These words came back to me as I pondered the life and ministry of Pope Francis. In one of his first encyclicals, Evangelii
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
The Easter season is an appropriate time for a little laughter. As someone has said, “On Easter Sunday, Jesus had the last laugh over Death and the Evil Spirit.” And I always appreciated what comedian Victor Borge said: “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” With that in mind,
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
A Happy Easter to all of you! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! I just heard the news that Pope Francis went home to God today, the Monday after Easter. We remember him in special prayer and thank God for his goodness and leadership. I will certainly write more about this beloved Pope
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
What do we commemorate during Holy Week? Several significant events. On Holy Thursday we commemorate the washing of the feet and the giving of the Eucharist. On Good Friday we remember Jesus’ agony in the garden, his frightening arrest, his torture at the hands of Roman soldiers, the unjust trial,
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
April is national poetry month. In honor of this ancient and beautiful literary form, I am offering three short poems for your enjoyment and pondering. I suggest you read each poem slowly and aloud. The first poem is by someone most of you know: John Hopkins a regular reader and
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
As a little girl, I was curious about many things. As a result, I was always asking questions. Lucky for me, as the youngest in a family of six, I lived with five older people who were a “fount of knowledge” for me: my three older siblings and my parents.
