Reflections

My mom had a devotion to Saint Anthony of Padua that went beyond asking him to find lost things. I have no idea where it came from or why he was special to her; but he was. She named my…

I know my grade school sisters referred to February 14 as Saint Valentine’s Day! Perhaps just to make certain that we knew there was a “holy” reason for the annual party in each classroom of Saint Mary of the Woods…

What’s the New Year’s equivalent of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas?  I’d qualify. By way of disclaimer, I do enjoy much of this holiday … a paid holiday for many workers … time with family and friends that’s not as…

Believe! How many times have you seen this encouragement during this “holly jolly season?” For me, it usually connotes the magic of Christmas, the fun for many children of knowing that Santa will come. It also evokes a response of…

Recently, I was visiting my sister who lives on the ground floor of an apartment building. The weather being mild, I had the bedroom window open quite a few inches. Every morning, my wakeup call was the cheerful sound of…

This thankful and thoughtful blog is being highlighted for Thanksgiving 2019 because it is as appropriate today as it was when it was first written. I just sat down to write this Thanksgiving reflection and every word that immediately popped…

In thinking about All Souls Day, I came upon this. In 988 CE, the abbot Odilo of the Cluny monastery in France wrote of November 2’s feast: “[keep] with joyous affection the memory of all the faithful departed who have…

When the General Councilors and I planned this liturgy, we quickly chose as its theme the Mother Theodore quotation that appears on the cover of your worship aid: “Perfect abandonment of ourselves in all things for the future requires great…

Some days ago I received a request from a local newspaper reporter who was preparing an article about the 10th anniversary of the catastrophic events here in the U.S. on 9 She asked me if I thought people tended to…

Our General Chapter ended just about four weeks ago. The past weeks have given me the opportunity to reflect on the experience and outcomes of our time together and what I’d like to share with all of you, our partners…