A Saint I Can Relate To! St. Teresa of Avila was born 500 years ago today, on March 28, 1515. She was a mystic, writer, reformer, and the founder of the Discalced Carmelites. Her feast day is celebrated on October 15, the anniversary of her death. In 1970, she was one of the first women to be named a Doctor of the Church. In 1577 St. Teresa’s guide for spiritual development, The Interior Castle (in Spanish, El Castillo Interior) was published. In the... Read more
We’ve learned this week that no murder charges will be filed against a former nurse’s aide who cut the unborn child from the womb of expectant mother Michelle Wilkins. There’s no question that Dynel Lane will be charged with a crime. She stabbed Wilkins, then sliced open her abdomen, slicing through the wall of the uterus to remove her seven-month-old fetus. Lane then abandoned the bleeding mother and carried the now-dead fetus to a local hospital, where she first tried to persuade medical staff... Read more
The beloved American poet philosopher Robert Frost, four-time Pulitzer Prize winner, had a birthday this week! Frost was born on March 26, 1874. Frost is best known for his sentimental depictions of American rural life. You may remember one of his best known verses: “Two roads diverged a wood–and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Today, though–as light flakes of snow fall here in Michigan (again!)–I’d like to share his Prayer... Read more
Wherever you live, chances are you hear the church bells from time to time. Perhaps you’ve grown so accustomed to their gentle pealing that you don’t even notice—but Catholic churches ring their bells three times each day: at 6:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 6:00 p.m. It’s called The Angelus—a call to prayer. The Angelus is a traditional prayer to Mary, the Mother of God, which consists of three short “versicles” and responses, with three Hail Mary’s and a special concluding... Read more
On December 23, 2008, Bernie Klein suffered a massive heart attack at his Louisiana home. In a riveting roller coaster convalescence, Bernie slipped into a six-week coma and experienced multiple organ failure–then woke to share the story with his loving wife. Bernie died three months after the coronary, but his outlook, his marriage, his life were all changed by his experience. His wife Judy called him “Miracle Man.” * * * * * When... Read more
Two Catholic cardinals, three archbishops and a bishop, representing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, have released an open letter to Congress, urging them to rescind two laws recently enacted in the District of Columbia, the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act (RHNDA) and the Human Rights Amendment Act (HRAA). The open letter, dated March 20, 2015, was signed by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington; Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities; Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, chairman... Read more
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste, to a town of Judah…. You know the rest of the story: Mary went to the home of Zechariah, where she greeted her cousin Elizabeth, who was with child. Sometimes, though, it’s really good to see the familiar tale from a different perspective. That’s what I enjoyed about Denise Bossert’s new book, Gifts of the Visitation: Nine Spiritual Encounters with Mary and Elizabeth. On the one hand, I knew... Read more
A few weeks ago, in an interview with the Mexican broadcaster Televisa, Pope Francis expressed his wish that he could wander incognito onto the streets of Rome and get a pizza. “The only thing I’d like to do,” he said, “…is to be able to go out one day without anyone recognizing me and go get a pizza.” Well, he finally got his wish! On his visit this week to the Italian city of Naples, a custom-made pizza was delivered to him... Read more
Is there anyone else out there who is troubled by all the finger-wagging over the San Francisco Cathedral’s sprinkler system? I mean, we LOVE the poor. We should reach out and help them. The social doctrine of the Catholic Church, as I mentioned in my post earlier this week, speaks often about the Preferential Option for the Poor. Jesus loved the poor, fed them (like the crowds gathered on the hillside near Bethsaida in Galilee), healed them (like the... Read more
You can always recognize the Catholic women on Ash Wednesday, sure enough. They’re the ones going around with Big Black Smudges on their foreheads. But here’s a little tip to help you spot a Catholic in the crowd the rest of the year: Look at her shoes. I’m not much of a fashion plate. Oh, my closet is full, sure enough—but that’s because I HATE to shop and so I save EVERYTHING. That sweater from 10 years ago? Who knows... Read more
Seasons of Grace
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