Lent: A Time for Change and Renewal
When we receive ashes on Ash Wednesday, we may hear these words: “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel.” The phrase “turn away” implies a change—a change in direction. Yes, Lent is a time for change, but it also is a time for renewal. And change and renewal are not necessarily synonymous. (more…)
Whose Clothes Are in Your Closet?
There’s a TV commercial for a credit card company that ends with the question, “What’s in your wallet?” Today I pose a similar question, “Whose clothes are in your closet?” (more…)
A Few Spoonfuls of Soil from South Korea
In 2004 I attended an international meeting of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Inchon, South Korea. I spent a month there with about 40 Notre Dame Sisters from all over the world. It was a wonderul experience. (more…)
Deer Tracks in the Snow
The other morning as I was walking over to Church, I spotted some deer tracks in the newly fallen snow in our back yard. They made me stop in my tracks. And they elicited an audible “aah!” from me as I bent over to study them more closely. (more…)
"Tattoos on the Heart"
Recently I read an incredible book called Tattoos on the Heart by Father Gregory Boyle, a Jesuit priest. For twenty years Fr. Boyle has worked with gangs in Los Angeles where there are an estimated 1,100 gangs and 86,000 gang members. Fr. Boyle founded and runs Homeboy Industries, a gang intervention program that offers jobs, education, mental health services, and tattoo removal for former gang members. (more…)
