An Open Letter to the Woman at the Well
(I wrote today’s reflection for Give Us This Day, March 2023 issue, published by Liturgical Press. The reflection is based on this past Sunday’s gospel of Jesus encountering the woman at the well [John 4:5-42]). Dear Sister, Thank you! Thank you for coming to the well that day to perform a routine boring chore: drawing […]
Quotations about Jesus
One of the goals of Lent is to deepen our personal relationship with Jesus. To help all of us to do this, I have once again visited my vast collection of quotations and pulled out some quotes filed under “Jesus.” They are from a wide variety of authors. I hope as you prayerfully read these […]
A Few Words about Complaining
Are you a complainer? Or do you follow of the rule: “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all”? Do you find yourself avoiding complainers? Or do you think complaining can be a good thing sometimes? To get help answering these questions, I’m turning to an article in Notre Dame […]
Lenten Reflection: From “The Chosen”
Have you watched any of the episodes of “The Chosen”? It is a multi-season TV show about the life of Jesus. The show has received high praise in some circles (I like it!) and has garnered a vast audience all over the world. The series was created by Dallas Jenkins who wanted to do a […]
Bishop Peter Storey: A Candle at Midnight
Recently I watched an interview with Bishop Peter Storey, the former president of the Methodist Church of South Africa. Bishop Storey, who is white, lived under South Africa’s brutal system of apartheid. He worked closely with Bishop Desmond Tutu and others to dismantle apartheid. He was also involved in the hard work of reconciliation that […]
A Prayer for February
Good and gracious God, It’s February. I don’t mean to be disrespectful (after all, you are the Author of All time), But February is definitely not my favorite month of the year. On my worst days, I might even ask you, “What good is February?”— except that it’s the shortest month of the year, the […]
What Good Are Fruit Flies?
I was praying in my living room a few mornings ago, sitting comfortably in my chair with my journal on my lap, when all of a sudden out of nowhere a lone fruit fly showed up. “Where in the heck did you come from?” I asked incredulously. He (or she) hovered over my hand for […]
God Gives Matching Grants
Most of us are probably familiar with the concept of “matching grants.” They can work in a variety of ways. If we contribute $100 to a non-profit like PBS, for example, they will sometimes have a company or donor who will match that donation. In other words, that company or donor will also contribute $100 […]
The Penance of Inconvenience
When we hear the word “penance,” we usually think of sacrifices we freely make for love of God: fasting during Lent, helping out at the parish fish fry, making a donation to the local food bank. But some penances seem thrust upon us by circumstances: working through difficulties in a relationship, caring for an elderly […]
“Two Strangers Who Meet Five Times”: A Short Film
Today I’m offering you a short film (12 mins.) entitled “Two Strangers Who Meet Five Times.” It’s a British film by Marcus Markou. It tells the story of two men, seemingly very different from each other, who happen to meet five times over the course of several decades. I really, really love this film! I […]
