With Thanksgiving just two days away, there is a lot to do. My plans include cooking, baking, and cleaning. I have always liked the Thanksgiving holiday. To be with family and friends, to pause in gratitude for God’s abundant blessings. It’s a good day. Often, the Advent season begins the Sunday right after Thanksgiving. We have just a couple of days to transition from pumpkins and fall hues to our Advent wreath of purple and pink. This year, however, Advent…
The invitation is real. His eyes dance with delight as He beckons me to join Him. “On a playground, Lord?” I ask. And all He does is laugh and extend His hand. The magnetic pull is strong. It’s as if one part of the magnet is Jesus’ heart, and the other is my heart. They are not meant to be separate but together. He is asking for my yes, my fiat. And He really hopes I don’t keep Him waiting…
I love being Catholic, and the Holy Mass is one of the main reasons why. It is the most miraculous events of the week. To meditate on what is actually happening at every Mass could leave my head spinning for days. Think about it: God Himself enters our space and time. He comes to dwell among us—and within us. He becomes just as present to us on the altar in the form of bread and wine as He was in…
Have you heard the Christmas song “Grown-Up Christmas List”? Many singers have recorded it, but the version I am most familiar with is on Amy Grant’s Home for Christmas album. The lyrics reflect back on childhood when Christmas included writing out a wish list and sending it to Santa Claus. As children, we hope for the magical appearance of presents underneath the tree on Christmas morning. However, as we grow up, our Christmas wishes change. We realize that we care…
Less than one month after I was born, my parents brought me to our local parish and asked the Catholic Church for a gift on my behalf. They asked that I receive the sacramental grace of Baptism, to become a daughter of God and a member of the Catholic family. Growing up, I loved Jesus. I was one of those kids who enjoyed Mass and Sunday school. Church was a familiar, comfortable place. Looking back, I didn’t attend a particularly…
It is 8 AM. I walk into my quiet house, and I stand in the kitchen. Breakfast dishes are piled next to the sink, waiting to be loaded into the dishwasher. The stools around the kitchen island are pushed out, a reminder of the people sitting on them an hour ago. I can hear the hum of the refrigerator; I can hear my own footsteps. When is my house ever this still? With no one around, I wonder what I…
As a mom, I look forward to a little pampering on Mother’s Day. Of course, I don’t expect lavish gifts or for my kids to wait on me while I lounge around eating truffles. Rather, I look forward to seeing the excitement they have to give generously. Their handmade cards are filled with love, and I can see the effort they put into them. They are excited to shop for brunch ingredients and flowers with Dad. It’s sweet and enduring, and no matter…
This space has been quiet lately. I’ve been quiet lately. We recently journeyed through the Passion of our Lord and celebrated His Resurrection. My focus has been on my own journey and where God is leading me. It is not away from writing, but my journey has taken me on a bit of a detour. I can relate very closely with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, from yesterday’s Gospel reading. After Jesus’ death, they returned to their hometown…
Wrestling with an uneasy feeling in the depths of my soul, I cried out to God again. “What do You want me to do?” I knew that my priorities were off balance, but it was overwhelming to consider the work of fixing the brokenness. “What do I need to do to be free, Lord?” On a summer eve, He finally answered me. “Come to Me, Sarah. Spend time with Me. Leave the distractions behind. What is keeping you for Me?”…
Last Sunday’s Gospel about the Woman at the Well (John 4:5-42) is very common during the season of Lent, and over the years, it has become one of my favorites. Several years ago, I attended a women’s retreat, and an image of the Woman at the Well was the focal point. A small holy card was taped onto our retreat journals. Large posters with the image on it surrounded our meeting room. And every time I gazed upon it, I saw myself….