Photo Credit: Pixabay.com During a recent meeting, a client shared with me about how she sometimes ends her contemplative prayer with Jesus. Timidly, she said: “I give Jesus a first bump!” I must have looked startled or at least a bit surprised. “Is that ok?” she added. “Am I being disrespectful? I really don't mean to... Continue Reading →

It is the most glorious of September Saturdays and I am in fortunate possession of a donated ticket to a Notre Dame University football game. Eight of us lucky Northeast Ohio residents make the 4-hour trip to South Bend to enjoy what we anticipate as the classic Notre Dame experience in what was once—over one... Continue Reading →

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com Read this story carefully: “To stop this from further spreading among the people we must give them a stern warning never to mention that man’s name to anyone again. So, they called them back and made it clear that under no circumstances were they to speak the name of Jesus or teach... Continue Reading →

I decided to sort my mail into topics that needed answering. Top of the list was tariffs and toys. Second is: does God hear the prayers of animals? So, I will treat these topics in this post. Each of the two letters represent others I received on the same topic. Lily Dear Lily: My favorite toys are... Continue Reading →

Photo Credit: L’Arche Cleveland In light of the Minnesota school shooting, several of you commented personally on the last post which centered on where is God in tragedy and are prayers heard during such tragedies? A few struggled with something I would like to handle this week and that is what about children born with... Continue Reading →

Photo Credit: Annunciation Catholic Church (I originally planned a different topic to write about this week but before I settled with my laptop I caught the news about another school shooting. I had to change the topic. I simply had to.) I was assigned to teach in an elementary school for only three of my forty... Continue Reading →

Photo Credit: Getty Images “The laborer is worthy of his hire.” Luke 10:7 I have become aware of the achievement of hard labor more the last few years than ever before. This is probably due to maturity and the sensitivity it brings to mind. I've been thinking of my uncles who labored in Pittsburgh steel mills and became... Continue Reading →

Photo Credit: NASA (Kuiper Belt) Ok, I admit. I’m a card-carrying, bona fide believer in extraterritorial intelligent life. I have visited Roswell, New Mexico on the anniversary of its museum and spoken to people who knew directly of the events surrounding the interplanetary evidence that landed there in 1947. We studied government documents and correspondence... Continue Reading →

This coming Sunday, Christians will hear a part of Luke’s gospel which will disturb us, make us squirm a bit in the pew, distract us to think about the upcoming picnic or our favorite team’s exhibition game slated for the afternoon. Jesus’s words are instructional: “I have come to light a fire on the earth…Do... Continue Reading →

The Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism sponsors a Triennial Conference on the History of Women Religious at its home, Notre Dame University.  The conference highlights women religious and their contributions to the American Catholic church history.  The theme for this 13th Triennial Conference was Lives and Archives. Some friends of mine who have attended the... Continue Reading →