Brother Mickey and the Saints
November 1 is the feast of All Saints. This feast focuses on those saints not formally canonized by the Church. (Writer Kathy Coffey calls them “God’s Glorious Nobodies.”) The feast also underscores one of the greatest treasures we have for our spiritual life: the array of holy people who have gone before us in the faith—canonized or not. The question I pose today is: How well do you know the canonized Saints?
Do you know, for example, which saint is the patron saint of fishermen (and fisherwomen)? If you said St. Peter, you’re right. But who is the patron saint of airline pilots? Believe it or not, it is St. Therese of Lisieux (often called “the Little Flower.”) How could this young cloistered nun, who never left her convent and never flew in an airplane, be the patron saint of airline pilots? Because, as Pope Pius XII said, “She traveled the world in her heart.” (more…)
In Praise of Perseverance
An 87-year-old nun lived in her community’s large health care center. To put it bluntly, she was not known for her cheerful disposition. Yet every day she would shuffle down the hall with her cane and pray before the statue of St. Therese the Little Flower—a saint who died at age 24. One day another sister overheard the elderly nun saying to the statue: “If you had lived as long as I have, you wouldn’t be a saint either!” (more…)
Amazing Apples
When I was 14-years-old, I got my first non-babysitting job. I worked at Sorter’s Fruit Stand at the corner of Chardon (Rt. 6) and Bishop Roads. (There’s a gas station there now). It was a great job that paid 50 cents an hour. But the job had other “benefits” besides money: I was the only girl who worked there with about seven young men. Granted two of them were my brothers, but the other five were neighborhood boys who sometimes set my little heart aflutter. But this blog isn’t going to be about old boyfriends. It’s going to be about amazing apples. (more…)
Why I Like Working Jigsaw Puzzles
I like working jigsaw puzzles. Some of my friends don’t understand why. They say, “You spend hours putting all those pieces together and then you take the puzzle apart again. What’s the point?” (more…)
Playing for Change: Using Music to Bring Peace in the World
“Playing for Change” is a multi-media music project created by sound engineer Mark Johnson and dancer/choreographer Whitney Kroenke. Its purpose is to inspire, connect, and bring peace in the world through music. Here’s how it works. (more…)
