Photo Credit: Pixabay.com I ask you to read this poem by Mary Oliver with quiet openness. Praying It doesn't have to be the blue Iris, it could be weeds in a vacant lot, or a few small stones; just pay attention, then patch a few words together and don't try to make them elaborate, this isn't a... Continue Reading →
A Poll Chaplain’s Diary
It's 4 in the morning on election day. My alarm goes off and I am getting ready to take on the responsibility of being a poll chaplain for a precinct to which I had been assigned a week earlier. I have been contacted and told to appear by 6 a.m. with a folding chair, snacks, water, and... Continue Reading →
Reflection and Resolution at This Time
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com Here we are post-election and some of us may be happy, and some may be dismayed and disappointed. Despite what some pundits declare, our narrative must be truthful: the election was not a mandate of a win since the Harris candidacy lost by only a few points in every state Trump won. If... Continue Reading →
This Sacred Time for Prayer and Hope
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com (This post was written before the elections.) I have just participated in my community’s prayer of blessing for poll chaplains of which I am one. The chapel welcomed the sisters who seemed serious and yet serene. We were blest by our leadership to help others in the quest for democracy to continue and to... Continue Reading →
Reflections and Hope for Election Day
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com Last week I suggested we make part of our effort to be people of faith by doing several activities as contributions to peace on Election Day. So, I thought that I would first share the actions I took in this effort. First, I attended the Nuns on the Bus initiative which included... Continue Reading →
State of the Soul During a Stressful Time
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that seven out of ten Americans are depressed, anxious and worried about our coming elections. I don't think you would disagree with that percent if you have joined a family party recently where someone announces, “We don’t talk politics now when we’re together.” Or, if you attend the... Continue Reading →
The Value and Call to Question Scripture
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com I must assert up front that it is not wrong to question Scripture. You do not denounce Scripture by questioning it provided that your questioning leads to research, discussion, and analysis with the assurance of persons steeped in scholarship of the Word. Scripture is meant to teach us and doing so, we... Continue Reading →
What The World Needs Now is …?
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com What does the world need now? Ask this of your friends and associates. I am guessing the top answer today might be ‘peace.’ Others will say, ‘unity.’ Each of these is true; we need each. But is there a durable, constant root answer that actually spawns peace and unity? In 1963, American composer... Continue Reading →
Why We Need Inspiration
Cleveland Guardians Logo As baseball season is ending, I'm happily aware that the Cleveland Guardians are in the Central Division Playoffs of the American League. Some pundits say they have a great chance to go all the way to the World Series. I'm very hopeful for that. If they do get that far, chances are they will face the... Continue Reading →
“Shared Host, Shared Life,” A Look at the Catholic Eucharist
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com I came across an essay in Gerhard Lohfink’s most recent, and sadly his last book, All My Springs Are in You, which I would like to use as a basis for this blog. If you are a consistent reader of the blog, you know that I often use Lohfink’s expressed spirituality and theological thinking... Continue Reading →