Mud Isn't "Just Mud"
When I was writing my book, When the Moon Speaks: Rejoicing in Everyday Miracles, I was searching for new topics to write about. I said to a few friends, “I’ve already written about the moon, dogs, whales, tulips, deserts, corn, and fire. What other topics do you suggest?” My friend Sister Lenette Marcello said, “What about mud?” I was taken aback by her suggestion and said, “Mud? Isn’t mud just mud?” (more…)
Mud Isn’t “Just Mud”
When I was writing my book, When the Moon Speaks: Rejoicing in Everyday Miracles, I was searching for new topics to write about. I said to a few friends, “I’ve already written about the moon, dogs, whales, tulips, deserts, corn, and fire. What other topics do you suggest?” My friend Sister Lenette Marcello said, “What about mud?” I was taken aback by her suggestion and said, “Mud? Isn’t mud just mud?” (more…)
The Suffering of the Saints
This week on November 1 we celebrate the feast of All Saints. This seems a fitting occasion to say a few words about the saints. In this posting, I’d like to reflect on one aspect of the saints: their suffering. No, I’m not going to describe the gruesome things some of them endured—like being eaten by lions or being burned at the stake. Rather, I’d like to list some of the saints who endured sufferings that are perhaps more akin to our own. (more…)
The Need for Spiritual Maintenance
Here’s an interesting fact: it takes hundreds of pumps in the New York City subway system to keep water out of the tunnels. If those pumps did not receive regular maintenance and if they suddenly stopped working, the subway tunnels would be flooded within thirty-six hours. Thirty-six hours! That’s a lesson on how important maintenance is for keeping things functioning well. (more…)
Leafing through the Yellow Pages
The “yellow pages” arrived the other day. You know—the telephone book with the listings and ads for the businesses in the area. It’s a relatively small book: 8 ½” by 7” but thick: 560 pages long. It covers only two counties: Lake and Geauga here in northeast Ohio. Before I put the book on the shelf, I sat down for a few minutes and leafed through it. I wanted to see what this book says about our contemporary society and what it reveals about our needs, values, fears, and priorities. (more…)
