This is something I wrote back in 2015 on Facebook. I was focusing on the unborn.With respect to the unborn and specifically, those unborn and diagnosed with disabilities: There is no one more fragile than one no one has to see, no one has to hear, no one has to know about. There is no one more poor than one who has no say, no choice, and no chance except by the grace and mercy, charity and courage of others.... Read more
The major consequence of chemo so far has been flatness. I wish it meant fitness or skinniness or smoothness, but what I’ve felt ever since Thursday (day 1) is like some of the energy and air of my normal spirit has been let out. I mean flat like a boring road that leads somewhere but we’re not really interested in getting there fast or otherwise. I mean flat like stale, flat like fries without salt, flatness. I am used... Read more
Most of us feel something of an indictment whenever Saint James is read during the mass. “Faith without works is dead” reminds us that we could always pour ourselves out more than we do, even if over the course of our lives, we’ve done a lot. The pandemic pared down parish life to the bones and is only beginning to return to something closer to before, and we face a people shortage as a result of eighteen months without a... Read more
There’s a lot of stress in the world over the mandate to vaccinate. There’s legitimate concern about government overreach, but there’s also a global pandemic. Any sense of middle ground gets lost when politics control the narrative, and it needs to be rediscovered by the ordinary flyover parts of this country. Who knows? Maybe those in the policy and fashion and power nubs of the nation will catch wind and imitate us for a change. It could happen. It’s simple.... Read more
Today, my youngest came to me feeling only stress. After she told me all her troubles, we spent some time imagining how to help her see beyond them. That remained the trouble. She could only see her troubles. In school, we’ve had countless workshops on mindfulness, on helping students deal with their emotions and all the stresses these past eighteen months put onto their hearts. I thought, it would be worth a shot. “Imagine a beach that stretches out further... Read more
So I wrote this beautiful post, about the trials of writers block and spiritual dryness, about how sometimes, writing comes word by word and seems to go no where. Likewise, prayer comes in seasons, including times of stillness when it seems route or difficult, but offered yields the best spiritual fruit. I worked and slaved for every word and only just finished at five-hundred-thirty-three words. Normally, I can type a thousand without breaking a sweat, but for the past few... Read more
The major consequence of chemo so far, has been flatness. I wish it meant fitness or skinniness or smoothness, but what I’ve felt ever since Thursday (day 1) is like some of the energy and air of my normal spirit, has been let out. I mean flat like a boring road that leads somewhere but we’re not really interested in getting there fast or otherwise. I mean flat like stale, flat like fries without salt, flatness. There’s only one thing... Read more
It’s a running gag that most Catholics don’t sing at mass. That’s a job for the cantor or the choir or the brave souls that group together. The rest of us, we’ll sing along with our favorites but we tend to leave the actual articulation of these prayers set to music to the professionals. Songs are when you drift through the homily, find yourself harassed by a thousand thoughts, and then get caught by a lyric that reminds you where... Read more
We all like to think we love our neighbors, but we all struggle with someone, whether online or in person. We all also like to think of ourselves as the heroes or the sacrificial in every relationship, but we are in the grand story, always both the ones who crucify/betray/deny/run away from our Lord, and the ones being saved by His crucifixion. It is the nature of our existence. We are sinners. We need salvation via Christ’s passion and death,... Read more
Being stuck at home and in bed, I spend time I should be resting, scrolling, and time I should be editing, writing, and well, I think I’ve established, I fritter time well, professionally in fact. Having friends on line means I sometimes run into places I did not intend, because I find posts from friends of friends that reveal thoughts I did not know my friends shared. A woman who comforted me at a time when I felt most down,... Read more
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