A Lenten Reflection: A Chapel and a Cross
This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, so I wanted to do something with a Lenten theme. That’s when I decided to reach out to my friend, Sister Kathleen Glavich, SND, a well-known writer and fellow blogger. A while ago she posted a reflection on her blog (“Catholic Faith Corner”) about the chapel here at our SND Center in Chardon. I had been thinking about writing a blog about our chapel, but when I saw hers, I thought, “I’ll just steal it!” The video she chose for the end of her reflection is on Westminster Cathedral’s Great Cross. I was really moved by the description and history of this magnificent cross! I thought both our SND chapel and the Great Cross would be a beautiful meditation for Lent! But I didn’t have to steal Kathleen’s reflection. She gave me permission to use it on my blog. I hope you enjoy the tour of our chapel with its beauty and rich symbolism. And I hope you enjoy the artistic genius of the artist who fashioned Westminster’s Great Cross.
(NOTE: Kathleen has many pictures of our chapel. One is of our choir singing at Easter. If you look very carefully, you’ll see both Kathleen and me. We are the two-dark haired Sisters in the front row. She’s the the second one on the left, I’m the third one on the right.)
NOTE: after you finish watching the video, come back to MY blog by clicking the arrow on the top left. If you wish to comment, write your comment below on MY blog. Here are my reflection questions for her blog and the video on the Great Cross:
1. Did anything stand out for you in Kathleen’s description/pictures of our chapel?
2) Do you have any thoughts or feelings about Westminster Cathedral’s Great Cross or the artist who fashioned it?
3) Are there any aspects of your own church or chapel that you especially appreciate? Why?
Here is Kathleen’s blog. Just click on the picture.
Churches and an SND Chapel to Explore
The 14th Anniversary of My Blog
This week is the 14th anniversary of “Sunflower Seeds.” It was on February 13, 2012 when I posted my first reflection, and waited nervously to see if anyone would read it–besides a few of my friends. To mark this anniversary, I am giving away five free copies of my latest booklet, Walking with Mary through Light and Darkness. Thank you to all who entered the contest last week. Here are the lucky winners. Drum roll, please!
- Liz from Waynesboro, VA – she’s been reading this blog for about 2 years. She said she was “thrilled and grateful” to be a winner and added, “I need help from our Mother Mary to walk through light and darkness.”
- Mary P. from Whitestone, NY – years ago she used to read my column in Praying magazine (no longer in existence.) She wrote me a “fan letter” back then and I responded to her. She added, “In my entire life I wrote only two fan letters: one to you and one to a Mets player I had a crush on when I was 12!” Mary has been reading this blog “from the very beginning.”
- Sr. Josita DiVita, FDC from Staten Island, NY – when she saw how many readers had entered the contest, she thought, “No way will I win!” Several years ago she attended a presentation I gave at Georgian Court in Neptune, NJ. She’s been a reader of “Sunflower Seeds” from the beginning and “always looks forward to Mondays.”
- Celeste Hebert from Lafayette, LA – has been reading this blog for several years. Lately she’s been facing several “life challenges” and she hopes the Mary booklet will help her “find the peace I need.”
- Alice Fornuto from Greece, N.Y. – learning she was a winner was “a delightful surprise on a terribly winter day,” Alice said. She has not only been a reader of this blog for several years, she also forwards “Sunflower Seeds” to about 20 of her friends every week.
About 180 readers entered the contest–about 169 from the U.S. and 11 from other countries: Australia 3, Canada 6, Indonesia 1, Taiwan, 1. Entries came from 33 different states: Alabama 1, California 3, Florida 9, Georgia 2, Idaho 1, Illinois 11, Indiana 3, Kansas 2, Kentucky 6, Louisianna 2, Maine 1, Maryland 3, Massachusetts 4, Michigan 4, Minnesota 6, Missouri 7, Nebraska 2, New Hampshire 2, New Jersey 6, New York 8, North Carolina 5, North Dakota 1, Ohio 15, Pennsylvania 13, Rhode Island 1, Texas 10, Utah 1, Virginia 4, Wisconsin 7. (Some readers didn’t identify their state or country. Or they entered the contest by clicking “contact” at the top of the page. That’s why I don’t have an exact number.)
Today I’d also like to answer some questions I am sometimes asked about my blog. I’ll conclude this reflection with a short prayer.
What made you decide to write a blog? It was the strong urging of my friend, Sr. Susan Wolf, SND. She was already writing a blog “Catholic Web Solutions,” a blog to help parishes, religious congregations, and other groups to use the internet more effectively for mission. She said many people were searching the internet for encouragement for living their Christian faith. She thought I could provide a “service” for such people. I was hesitant. She was persistant. I finally said, “Okay, I’ll give it a try.”
Did you have any fears or misgivings? Yes, definitely! First, just learning the mechanics of posting a blog was a BIG learning curve for me. I am no computer whiz. I reached out for help. Second, I wondered if I would run out of things to write about after a few months. Third, I worried about finding time to write a blog every week amid my other writing and speaking commitments.
What were your first blogs about? I began by explaining why I chose the name “Sunflowers Seeds.” My second post was a Lenten reflection. My third, “The Love of Books.” The fourth was about all the warning labels on products that tell owners what to do or what not to do–like the warning label on the baby stroller that says, “Remove child before folding.” But my fifth post took a terrible turn… for on February 27, 2012 there was a shooting at Chardon High School. Three boys were killed and one boy is in a wheelchair for life. I was at Mass that morning as the shooting was actually happening across the street from our church. I had just smiled and waved a sign of peace to Phyllis across the aisle from me. Later I learned one of the boys killed was her son…. If you want to read that post, just enter “Shooting at Chardon High” in the search box at the top right of this page. That fifth post reminded me that some reflections would emerge from awful events and the agonizing pain of others–and my own pain.
Where do you get all your ideas for things to write about? Everywhere! My personal prayer, scripture, all my reading, conversations, the news, movies, TV shows (especially on PBS), asking people questions, the people I meet while giving talks or retreats, my friends who say, “Hey, Melannie I have an idea for your blog,” my own struggles and joys, and observing things like trees or traffic or snowplows or people going up to receive Communion or children at McDonald’s or using my library card or watering my African violets or getting suggestions from my readers. (hint! hint!)
How long does it take you to write one blog? It depends. Sometimes maybe only an hour or two. But other times, longer. Much longer. I don’t keep track of how long I work on a blog, because I think it would discourage me. Sometimes, the writing might go easily, but then it takes me a long time to find the “right” pictures or the “perfect” song. But all that seeking is not time wasted. The seeking itself can nourish my soul or even lead me to topics for future blogs!
If writing your blog is often a lot of hard work, then what motivates you to keep doing it? Three things. One: I love my life and my Christian faith. I write out of gratitude for these two precious gifts. Two: I basically like to write. In fact I feel close to God when I write. I enjoy hanging out with words and wrestling with them to find the “best” way to say what I am trying to say. And three: I love my readers! If I had NO readers, I would end this blog and use my time for some other worthwhile endeavor.
Of all the blogs you’ve written, do you have a favorite one? The short answer is “no.” The longer answer is I am particulaly fond of some blogs because of the topic itself (like St. Joseph, prayer, the octopus, Abe Lincoln, the Mayo Clinic, and cinnamon), because of all I learned while writing it (like the sun, A.A., and the recent one on praying with your DNA), because of the fun I had writing it (like all the humor ones), because of the incredible writing of other authors I refer to (like in the book reviews and the quotations from my vast collection of quotes.) These three posts tend to stand out for me too: “A Kitchen Is a Holy Place,” “War and Peace,” and “Acceptance Speech for the Gift of Life.” When I finished writing these (and some other ones too), I found myself saying, “Where in the world did that come from?” I felt I had been (in the words of Mother Teresa) “a little pencil in God’s hand.”
Is there anything else you wish to say? Yes, I would like to conclude with this little prayer of thanksgiving.
Thank you, God, for my blog. Thank you for Susan’s encouragement and for giving me the courage to say “yes” to this important and life-giving ministry. Thank you, too, for the gift of technology that makes this blog possible. I praise you for the marvels of your creation that I am privileged to write about, and for the precious gift of faith that challenges me to ever-greater loving. I praise you for your presence in our past history… I believe that you are alive and active in our present times… and I trust that you will be with us in our future.
But most of all, my Beloved One, I praise and thank you for the readers of this blog. They are all very dear to me–as I know they are very dear to you! I am grateful for their taking the time to read my blog, for their comments, insights, and encouragement. I ask you to bless them and their loved ones with your love and strength. My my readers and I continue to reflect in our lives the gratitude, peace, and joy that come from knowing and loving you. Amen.
For reflection:
Do you wish to comment on anything in today’s blog?
Do you have a particular reflection you’ve read on this blog that you especially liked?
Do you have any suggestions for future topics?
P.S.
Our song today is “Center of My Life” written by Paul Inwood, produced here by Klengs channel. This prayer is based on Ps. 16. It captures the essence of our Christian spirituality: to make God, Jesus, and the Gospel the center of our lives.
As usual, I welcome your comments below!
What Has Pope Leo XIV Been up to Lately?
(Remember: Enter the contest to win a copy of my booklet, “Walking with Mary Through Light and Darkness.” See the directions at the end of this blog. I hope you will take a chance!)
Pope Leo XIV was elected Pope on May 8, 2025. I know exactly where I was when I heard that white smoke was coming out of the chiminey over the Vatican. We had to wait about an hour before the new pope appeared on the balcony over St. Peter’s square where he was officially introduced to the thousands of people in the square below and to millions all over the world. Like so many others, I gasped when I heard he was an American, Bob Prevost, from the South Side of Chicago!
That was 9 months ago. So, I’ve been wondering, what has the new Pope been up to since that day? Here are just a few of his activities–with three short videos thrown in at the end!
The first thing the new Pope did was to move into the Vatican. Pope Francis had lived in the guesthouse inside the Vatican, but Pope Leo chose to live in the Papal Apartments where many of his predecessors had lived. Papal observers said this move made security easier and saved the Vatican some money. Pope Leo came with a reputation for being reserved, but his first months in office showed he was very personable. He connects well with people–individuals, small groups, large crowds. His fluency in several languages helps: English, Spanish, Latin, Italian, French, Portuguese, and some German. He’s in good physical condition too–even plays a little tennis. (Pope Leo met world tennis star, Jannick Sinner. The news media had fun with his last name! Just google “Pope Leo meets tennis star Sinner” and the short video will come up. It’s fun!)
Pope Leo’s inaurguration Mass was held on May 18. That’s when he officially began his job as the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church. (Strictly speaking, he’s the 268th man elected to be Pope. On March 23, 752 a man named Stephen was elected pope. But, unfortunately, he died four days later and was never consecrated Pope. (Church history is fascinating, inspiring, and scandalous–all rolled into one! Like much of human history.)
From his first days as Pope, Leo began naming bishops all over the world. This was probably an easy task for him, because before becoming pope, he served as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. He worked for Pope Francis by vetting potential epsicopal candidates from all over the world. In his first few months as Pope, he has also spent time trying to get the Vatican’s finances in order.
The Church was in the middle of the Jubilee of Hope year when Pope Leo donned his white attire. He fulfilled the tasks already assigned to him. For example, during the following months, he met with huge groups of pilgrims pouring into Rome. I watched some of his audiences and interactions with specific international groups invited to participate: he encouraged journalists in their vital work (fascinating!); he praised and thanked the gathering of comedians (a hoot!); and he was at ease with youth (so lively and uplifting!)
The Pope has said many significant things. Here are some samples: He wishes his papacy to emphasize two dimensions: faith and unity… Recently he told his cardinals, “The church must be commited to the path traced by the Second Vatican Council”… He told Bishops they must “prioritize the faith over administration”… He called the cardinals and bishops (and all of us!) “to communicate the beauty of the faith, and the beauty and joy of knowing Jesus.”
The Pope also found time to release his first Apostolic Exhortation entitled “Dilexi Te” (“I Have loved You.”) Pope Francis had begun this letter, but Leo finished it. Here are a few quotes from that letter: “No one is exempt from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike.” …”A Church that sets no limits to love, that knows no enemies to hate but only men and women to love, is the Church the world needs today.”… “Love is above all a way of looking at life and a way of living it.” Appropriately, he signed his letter on October 4th the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, renowned for his love for the poor. That date was also a nod to his predecessor, Pope Francis.
The Pope also traveled to Turkey and Lebanon–as Francis had planned to do. He met (mostly privately) with many world leaders such as Israel’s President Isaac Herzog and later with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He met with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine three times and with King Charles III of England. With King Charles, he attended a prayer service where both men prayed together side by side. This was the first time since the Church of England split from Rome in the 16th Century that the titular head of the Church of England (Charles) prayed beside the Pope of the Catholic Church. Remarkable!
These are just a few of the things Pope Leo has done in his first 9 months. In addition, when he’s in Rome, he holds a general audience every Wednesday at 9:00. This free event is open to the public. Nearly every day at noon, he appears on his balcony and recites the angelus and blesses the many people gathered in the Square below. One fact that has endeared Pope Leo to me personally is this: He works the New York Times “Wordle” every morning. So do I–as I eat my bowl of cereal–only the Pope does it in Italian and I do it in English!
Let us continue to pray for Pope Leo that his ministry of leadership may be filled with faith, hope, love, wisdom, courage, and joy!
For reflection:
Is there anything in this refection that caught your attention?
Would you like to add anything else about our Holy Father?
ANNOUNCING: Our Raffle!
To mark the 14th anniversary of this blog, I’m raffling off FIVE copies of my booklet “Walking with Mary through Light and Darkness.”
To enter, simply write the following in the comments below: 1) your first name 2) where you’re from (if in the US, your city and state; if not in the US, your city and country) and 3) about how long you have been reading this bog. You can add a comment about this reflection if you wish, but a comment is not needed to enter the contest.
DEADLINE: This Saturday, February 7 at midnight (Eastern time USA).
I will put all the entries in a little basket and draw the five names! I’ll try to notify the winners on Sunday, February 8th, via email. And I’ll announce the five winners on Monday, February 9th. Good luck to all! And thank you for reading my blog!
Here are the three videos for today. The first is a 30 second video from 2014. It shows the Pope, still a bishop in Peru, singing with great enthusiasm “Feliz Navidad” at a Christmas party. You might have to turn your volume up to hear him better. The second is the Pope singing the prayer “Regina Caeli” from the main balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square. As my friend and fellow blogger, Sr. Mary Ann Flannery, SC, has said, “The Pope likes to sing!” The third is the news story of Pope Leo’s ancestry: his maternal grandparents from New Orleans were listed as “mulatto.” They migrated to Chicago were they were listed as “white.” (I mentioned this in last week’s post on “Praying with Your DNA.”)
“Feliz Navidad”
“Regina Caeli”
Pope Leo’s ancestry:
I welcome your comments below!
Praying with Our DNA
The subtitle of my blog “Sunflower Seeds” is this: “Celebrating Everyday Spirituality.” Today I’d like to suggest how even a rudimentary understanding of DNA can affect our everyday spirituality. More than that, it can influence the way we pray and our appreciation of our Creator God. (NOTE: I am no scientist. I welcome comments or clarifications from those of you who have a scientific background.)
First, a few basic facts about DNA. DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. (That’s the last time I’m typing that big word in this reflection!) Simply put, DNA is the fundamental molecule that carries the genetic instructions or blueprint for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all known organisms. DNA is found in nearly every cell of a living organism. It resides in the nucleus of each cell. DNA looks like a twisted ladder (double helix) and is incredibly dense and compact. Roughly 6 billion pairs of DNA fit inside a nucleus only about 6 micrometers wide. (A micrometer is one-millionth of a meter. To visualize this, a human hair is 50-100 micrometers wide.) If the DNA in a single cell were “unfolded,” it would be about six feet long. Maybe you should be sitting down for this next fact. The average human has 37 trillions cells in his/her body. If all the DNA in all of the cells in your body were “unfolded,” it would stretch 10 billion miles–or to the sun and back hundreds of times!!!! (You may want to take a breath here!)
Footnote: When we watch astronomy movies, we marvel at the big, vast, humongous, enormous, gigantic, super collosal aspects of creation–like the stars and galaxies. “Wow,” we say. “What must God be like?!” So too, when we study things like DNA, we marvel at the tiny, miniscule, teensy-weensy, infinitesimal aspects of creation. And we say, “Wow! What must God be like?!”
More facts about DNA:
1. All human beings are nearly genetically identical. We share with each other 99.9% of our DNA. It’s the 0.1% that makes us unique.
2. Humans share much of their DNA with other living beings. With whom and how much? With Chimps we share about 98%, with mice roughly 97%, (that makes mice excellent models for studying human biology and disease… I’m sorry, mice…), with fruit flies we share 60%, with bananas 50%, with cabbage 45%, and (are you ready for a surprise?) humans share 70% of their DNA with slugs! Yes, slugs! (Maybe we should show them greater respect!)
3. Roughly 8% of our DNA is not human. It comes from viruses that have infected our ancestry.
4. We share much of our DNA with relatives: with our parents 50%; with full sibling 38-61%; with grandparent/ grandchild, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew, half sibling 17%-34%; first cousin, great grandchild, great aunt/uncle 14.4%. The DNA of identical twins is not completely identical due to a phenomenon called epigenetics (which is beyond the scope of this reflection).
5. We usually think of physical traits being passed on through our DNA–like eye color, hair color, height, propensity for heart disease–and that’s true. But other things–such as trauma–can also be passed on through our DNA. What kind of trauma? Slavery, genocide, domestic violence, wars, oppression, extreme poverty. Descendents of such trauma can be more vulnerable to stress, anxiety, and depression.
6. The PBS series Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates is a fascinating show. Each week, they present the ancestry of well-known people using historical records and DNA. At the end, they surprise some of their guests by revealing an unknown genetic “cousin.” Some examples: Glenn Close learned she and Princess Diana were 8th cousins. (She also learned she had several other famous relatives. See the final video below.) Comedian Larry David and Senator Bernard Sanders are 6th cousins. Ironically, David impersonated Sanders on SNL! Tom Hanks and Fred Rogers are also 6th cousins. Hanks learned of this before playing Mr. Rogers in the film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, who have been married for over 30 years, recently learned they are 9th cousins, once removed. (Their common ancestor’s name is Kevin Bacon!) Also Colin Powell was related to Princess Diana; and Ben Afleck and Barack Obama are 11th cousins. An intriguing fact: Geneologists studied Pope Leo XIV’s ancestry and learned he has Black Creole ancestors through his maternal grandparents. They were identified as “mulatto” in New Orleans before migrating to Chicago where they were identified as “white.”)
What impact can this knowledge have on our spirituality?
First, as Valerie Schultz says, “your DNA points to the existence and intricacy of God.” For me DNA reveals the immense creativity of God. Billions of people–past, present, and future–and no two alike! Our God must LOVE diversity! Why do we humans struggle with diversity so much?
DNA underscores our ONENESS as a species. It shows we are FAR MORE alike than we are DIFFERENT. We share more with our fellow human beings than we ever imagined. But history shows we allowed differences in incidentals of DNA (like skin color, eye structure, hair texture) to give rise to hatred, wars, slavery, genocide, and oppression of all kinds.
None of us chooses our DNA. Our DNA is the hand of cards we were dealt at conception. Who knows what we have inherited from our ancesters–both liabilities and assets. Maybe your quick temper, your hesitancy to take a risk, your klutziness have their source in a distant ancestor. So, don’t be too harsh on yourself or judgmental of others. Similarly, your general good health, your leadership abilities, your self-discipline may be embedded in the DNA passed down to you from unknown ancestors. So be more humble and grateful.
Valerie Schultz says, “DNA is Holy Ground.” With that is mind, let us pray:
Thank you, my Creator God, for the mystery, power, and intricacy of DNA… for MY DNA, the basic blueprint of who am… My DNA, my “name” already known to you as I was being “knit in my mother’s womb.” Help me to appreciate my own uniqueness and the uniqueness of every other human being. Help me to remember that, genetically speaking, we humans are 99.9% alike. May we focus more on our essential oneness and less on our incidental differences. Help us to embrace our connectedness not only with all other human beings, but also with all other living beings–yes, chimps, polar bears, whales, eagles, chipmunks, trees, fruitflies, bananas. All of this knowledge is too marvelous for me, O Beloved One. So with the psalmist I say, Thank you, Loving Creator, for hand-crafting me and everyone else. Thank you for we all are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14). Amen.
For reflection:
What words or facts stood out for you in this reflection on DNA? Did you find yourself saying “Wow” to anything?
What impact can your knowledge of DNA have on:
Your concept of God?… Your understanding of other people?… Your prayer life?… Or anything else?
PS: Don’t forget to read next week’s February 2 post so you can enter to win one of the FIVE copies of my latest booklet, “Walking with Mary Through Light and Darkness.” It’s simple to enter! And everyone can enter!
I chose two videos. Since I quoted from Psalm 139 in the prayer at the end of this reflection, I looked for a song based on Ps. 139. I found this beautiful version by Aaron Shust entitled “Hold Me Fast.” The second video is a 4 min. video showing Glenn Close when she learned that, besides Princess Diana, she has several other famous “cousins.”
I hope many of you will write a simple comment below to share YOUR thoughts about this reflection on DNA:
Three More Favorite Writers: Ekeh, Hendricks, and Kandra
As you know, I have many favorite writers. I’ve quoted multitudes of them in this blog. Today I’d like to tell you about three more: Amy Ekeh, Kathy Hendricks, and Greg Kandra.
Amy Ekeh (pronounced Ay – kay, a Nigerian name of Igbo origin) is originally from Texas, currently living in Connecticut. She and her husband Ono married in 2000 and are the parents four children ranging in ages from 24 to13. Here are two quotes from her book, Stretching Your Hand Out.
The first concerns the story of the royal official who asks Jesus to cure his son. She says that this official “if often recognized for his faith… But I notice him for his begging… Those who beg in the gospels are direct and authentic… they are gut-wrenchingly honest and astonishing vulnerable. It is the outright vulnerability that I find most beautiful, most redeeming… We won’t change if we aren’t vulnerable. As it turns out, begging isn’t weak–it’s bold. Boldness and vulnerability go hand in hand. May we be so bold as to beg. May we be so vulnerable as to be changed.”
Ekeh writes of the woman suffering from hemorrhages who is cured by touching the fringe of Jesus’ clothing: “reaching for the fringe of Jesus’ clothing is an image worth contemplating… Sometimes stretching for the fringe of the healer’s garment is all we can manage. It isn’t a lack of faith or hope that places us there… at arm’s length from Jesus. Sometimes it’s just where life takes us… We may long for a prolonged, intimate encounter with Jesus of Nazareth. But sometimes–no, always–just a brush with the sacred is enough to change us.”
Kathy Hendricks is a popular speaker, catechetical leader, and author of many books. (She also edited a couple of my books for Twenty-Third publications–for which I am most grateful!) Her latest book is Opening the Heart. The subtitle describes the book more fully: Reflections, Practices, and Prayers to Guide Us Toward Beauty and Gratitude. As Kathy explains, the basic premise of the book is this: “As with the physical heart, the spiritual heart needs safeguarding from toxic elements that keep it in a perpetual state of dis-ease. By opening our hearts to God’s grace and love, we expand our capacity for beauty, mercy, compassion, empathy, joy, gratitude, hope, and other life-giving virtues.”
I wrote a recommendation for her book, praising the book for its engaging style, her reflective questions, her positive and practical suggestions, her inspiring personal stories, and the prayer at the end of each of the 5 chapters. The book’s colored drawings, photographs, and paintings, really enhance the book–for example, her 7-year-old granddaughter’s Valentine’s Day drawing of multi-colored hearts, as well as her husband’s photograph of a heart-shaped rock encased in ice. Father James Martin, SJ, writes, this book is “an absolutely beautiful book.” I agree! Another popular book by Hendricks is Grace in the Wound: Finding Hope in Long Term Grief. You might want to check out all her books at Twenty-Third Publications or on Amazon.
Deacon Greg Kandra started his blog, “The Deacon’s Bench” in 2007. Since then it has garnered millions of readers around the world. Who is this man? Kandra’s background includes nearly thirty years in broadcast journalism, mostly with CBS. He’s the winner of numerous awards in broadcast journalism as well as for the many articles he’s written for a wide variety of publications. In 2007, he was ordained a deacon for the diocese of Brooklyn, NY and he currently lives with his wife in Florida.
But let me give you two samples of his writing. This is from his homily for the Feast of the Holy Family. It’s entitled “Grace Is Everywhere.” “Like every family, the Holy Family had difficulties. There’s a great temptation to idealize them–to turn them into plastic figurines, placed on a shelf. But as much as this family was holy, this family was also human.
“They had to live in the same world we do–with deadlines to meet, bills to pay, problems to confront. More than a few times, their patience and love were tested. This was a family, after all, in which the father had planned to divorce the mother; a family in which the young son, during a trip to the big city, disappeared without telling anyone.”
Deacon Kandra also writes for the publication Give Us This Day published by Liturgical Press. Here’s another brief quote of his: “Think of all the times Jesus used small, overlooked things to explain himself. The widow’s mite… the lost sheep… a pearl. He consistently called on his followers to treasure the tiny, the neglected, the commonlace. Even at his last meal, he gave himself to the world in something as ordinary as bread; now he continues to give himself in a wafer no bigger than a coin. As he does so often, Jesus turns our expectations upside down. (GUTD, Jan. 26, 2024).
For reflection:
Did anything stand out for you in any of these writers or their writings?
Do you have any favorite writers? If so, feel free to share their names and maybe something they’ve written that you would recommend.
Special Announcement:
I posted by first “Sunflower Seeds” on February 13, 2012. In honor of the 14th anniversary of this blog,
I will be raffling off FIVE copies of my latest booklet,”Walking with Mary through Light and Darkness.”
On Monday, February 2, I will tell you how you can enter to win one of those copies. Stay tuned…
Our song is “The Word” sung here by Amy Grant. The words of writers can be powerful and inspiring. But the most important word for our spiritual growth is the Word of God. As the Bible puts it, God’s Word is “a lamp unto my feet… a light unto my heart.”
I invite you to add a comment below to enrich my blog!
