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January is the month of birthday gifts for me even though my birthday is in June. Keene is my first gift and Cheri is my second. Before my middle child was born on January 22 three plus decades ago, I worried (of course I did; it’s a habit). Could I love her as much as … Read more
As December winds down, it’s time to reflect on where I’ve been and where I’m going. So what lessons learned in 2013 might guide me into 2014? The biggest one this year is that life itself is a miracle to be embraced every day with gratitude and love. It’s a lesson life has taught me before, … Read more
The Servant’s Way Isn’t Easy The servant’s way is a challenging paradox; if it were easy, everyone would be following it. St. Francis understood the paradox of the servant’s way. Jesus mastered it. And teachers and prophets from many traditions teach the same paradox contained in the final words of the Prayer of St. Francis: For … Read more
The Way of Peace Is the Servant’s Way The essence of St. Francis’ teaching in the prayer that bears his name is that we must walk the Servant’s Way to become instruments of peace. This Servant’s Way presumes that we already properly love ourselves because we have recognized that not only are we children of … Read more
Where there is sadness, let me sow joy We cannot, nor should we, deny that sadness exists in the world. In any life, sadness will come to visit. But life itself is such a miraculous gift that even in distressing or dire circumstance, joy is possible. Sometimes, though, we need someone to remind us. Other times we need … Read more
Where there is darkness, let me sow light Darkness is threatening. Darkness—whether physical, psychological, spiritual, emotional, or social—disturbs and perturbs us, sometimes to our very core. But just like a single candle pierces the darkness of the night, a single person can pierce the darkness in our world. Just look at Malala Yousafzai, the young … Read more
Where there is despair, hope Despair is such a dark and lonely place. It can be so emotionally powerful that it blocks out all light, all rational thought to find a way out. Despair may be the most challenging, most arduous element to tackle among all the opportunities to sow God’s peace. Because of its emotional power, … Read more
Where there is doubt, faith Existential doubts about whether there is God or whether we’re loveable or capable or worthy cause untold suffering. Since childhood, I’ve been graced with the gift of faith in God. It was faith in myself that was my struggle; not in everything but in enough to give me compassion for … Read more
Where there is injury, pardon. I heard one of the most radical ideas about pardoning from Abbot David Geraets, a Benedictine monk who was my teacher at a school for spiritual directors. During a lesson about Healing the Family Tree he said that we must ask forgiveness from family members who have injured us because … Read more
A novena is nine days of intentional thought (otherwise known as prayer) focused on a particular thing—in this case peace. Why should you participate? Because perception creates reality. When You Change the Way You Look at Things, the Things You Look At Change Religious traditions of all sorts have known for centuries that focused thought … Read more