- 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.
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
When we pray, should we use our own words or someone else’s words? I believe the short answer is both. There are times we use own words and times when we use the words of others. In addition, there are times when we pray with no words–as when we sit
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
As many of you know, I write occasionally for Give Us This Day, a wonderful and inspiring monthly booklet published by Liturgical Press. Each issue contains the daily Mass readings complete with reflections by authors both ancient and contemporary. Each reflection is limited to 250 words. Today I’m sharing my
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
Last month I flew to Florida for a few days of R&R with two good SND friends living in Safety Harbor. I admit, I had been feeling a little depressed by our news headlines lately–not to mention our extremely cold and dreary weather. So before I left, I asked God,
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
I’m reading a new book called Little Detours and Spiritual Adventures: Inspiration for Times When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned. The author is Regina Brett, a local Cleveland area gal (Yeah, Northeast Ohio!), a wife, mother, grandmother, Catholic, and a journalist whose book God Never Blinks made it to the
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I like to collect quotations. I’ve been doing this since I was in high school. In fact, every time I read a book, I put a few 3 X 5 file cards in it–in case I run
- By Melannie Svoboda SND
Today we’re going to celebrate Black History Month by using a special love of mine: an organization called Story Corps. Let’s begin with a few words about Black History month. The celebration of Black History month can be traced back to a historian named Carter G. Woodson. The son of
