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Sunflower Seeds

 

Celebrating Everyday Spirituality

Sunflower Seeds

Celebrating Everyday Spirituality

10 Quotations on the Incarnation: A Christmas Reflection

I invite you today to take a few moments to reflect on the meaning and significance of Christmas. In order to facilitate your reflection, I am offering 10 quotations on the Incarnation and Christmas from a variety of people. Let’s begin with a scripture quote from St. Paul’s letter to

I want to share with you a few thoughts from my recent retreat, Nov. 27-Dec. 4. First, the setting. I made my retreat in one of the small houses on our campus. I asked a Jesuit friend, Father Gary in Detroit, if he could meet with me (via zoom) for

I know some people who are always asking God (or some saint) for a sign. They ask God to send a bluebird, for example, to show that their deceased loved one is in peace. One woman told me she asked St. Therese of Lisieux (the “Little Flower”) to send a

Advent is a “peculiar” season. Its petition, “Come, Lord Jesus,” is the constant refrain throughout its four weeks. Those words pulse with a holy urgency. But an important question to ask ourselves is this: to whom are those words addressed? This is the question Genevieve Glen, OSB, raises in her

It is fitting to celebrate Thanksgiving Day not only with family, friends, and food, but also with taking a few minutes this week to name some of the things in our life that we are grateful for. This video might help. It is composed of stunning visuals, haunting music, and

The other day I had an echocardiogram. (Don’t worry. My heart is fine.) This test is essentially an ultrasound of the heart. The whole procedure took only about 30 minutes. But the experience was something of a religious experience for me. As some of you probably know, an echocardiogram is

November is the month the Church suggests we take time to reflect on death. For those of us living in the northern hemisphere and experiencing fall, this seems a fitting time to remember death. The leaves have fallen, the birds have flown south, the temperatures are dropping, and the days

The Our Father might be the most prayed prayer in the world. We teach it to our little children, pray it at every Mass, and often recite it at the bedside of our beloved sick or dying. The German theologian, Gerhard Lohfink, has written a new book on the Our

In 1991 a writer named H. Jackson Brown, compiled a little book entitled Live and Learn and Pass It On. It became an instant bestseller. The premise of the book is simple. All of us, regardless of our age, have learned a lot about life that might be worthwhile to

Last week, as you know, I facilitated a retreat for 21 Sisters of Notre Dame at Bethany, our retreat center on this campus. Thank you for your prayers for this endeavor. We had a whole week to enjoy all the colors of fall too! At the closing of our retreat

Meet Sr. Melannie

Hi and welcome to my blog! I’m Sister Melannie, a Sister of Notre Dame residing in Chardon, Ohio, USA. I’ve been very lucky! I was raised in a loving family on a small farm in northeast Ohio. I also entered the SNDs right after high school. Over the years, my ministries have included high school and college teaching, novice director, congregational leadership, spiritual direction, retreat facilitating, and writing. I hope you enjoy “Sunflower Seeds” and will consider subscribing below. I’d love to have you in our “sunflower community.” Thank you!

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Upcoming Events

Weekend retreat at Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center, Pulaski, PA
October 11-13, 2024
Retreat with the Sisters of Loretto, Nerinx, KY
September 8-13, 2024
Retreat at Lial Renewal Center, Whitehouse, OH
August 11-18, 2024
Retreat at Heartland Center for Spirituality, Great Bend, KS
April 14-19, 2024
First Friday Club in Youngstown, Ohio
April 4, 2024