A Poetry Break…
Recently, Krista Tippett, on her podcast On Being, interviewed Tracy K. Smith, U.S. Poet Laureate from 2017-2019. They both agreed that poetry is more important than ever today when our public conversations are often so “fractious and strident.” Why is poetry so vital? Because poetry gets at “undergirding truth,” not just facts. Poetry can lead […]
Cousins and Other Layers of Love
I was thinking about my cousins lately. Maybe that’s because I recently had lunch with one of my cousins, Peggy. We hadn’t seen each other since her Dad’s funeral not too long ago. It was so enjoyable being with her. She is someone who shares much of my early history and went on to have […]
Sensitivity: The Art of the Small
Is sensitivity a cross or a gift? Sometimes we think of sensitivity as a cross we bear. We reason, “If I weren’t so sensitive, I wouldn’t feel all this pain—not only my own pain, but the pain of others.” Yet, we also know that sensitivity can be a great gift. The sensitive person is often […]
Are We Humans Programed for “Home”?
Years ago, when I was a young nun, I came into the side entrance of our provincial house one day and saw an elderly Sister sitting on the bench by the door. Sister Ferdinand (not her real name) had dementia at a time when we knew very little about the illness. I greeted her cheerfully […]
Christian Joy
I’ve been doing some reading and reflecting on joy lately. After all, as Christians we believe in the Good News. Doesn’t that imply joy? For today’s post, I have strung together some of my favorite quotations about joy from a wide variety of writers. I would be interested in knowing if any of these resonate […]
Mary: Woman of Hope and One of Us
Last February, I gave a talk on Mary at St. Ladislas Parish in Westlake, Ohio. The talk was part of their Lenten Mission. The title of the talk was “Mary: Woman of Hope and One of Us.” The parish taped the presentation and sent it to me. Since the month of May is traditionally devoted […]
Morning Rituals
Do you have any morning rituals? Are there little things you do each morning to start your day? For example, do you hop into the shower right away? Or do you grab your cup of coffee or tea first? Do you check your email or do you sit quietly for a few moments? Do you […]
Tippett and Taylor: Two Remarkable Women
One of my favorite podcasts is Krista Tippett’s On Being. She has interviewed a wide range of people including theologians, scientists, social activists, artists, poets, political leaders, and others from all over the world. Recently, she had one of my favorite writers on her show, Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest whose best selling books […]
Folklore and Wisdom from Nature
A good friend recently gave me a book entitled Lore of the Wild: Folklore and Wisdom from Nature. The author is Claire Cock-Starkey and the illustrator goes by the name of Aitch. My friend said, “I thought you’d enjoy this, Melannie. You might even use it on your blog.” She was right on both counts! […]
A Few Poems for April
As most of you know, April is National Poetry Month. Before this special month comes to an end, I’d like to share a few poems with you. I suggest you read these poems aloud… and slowly… and maybe even more than once… The first two short poems are attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. They […]