Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds (Jer. 23:2). I was six years old the first time I experienced the death of someone I knew and loved. The details are somewhat fuzzy in my memory, but I still see myself sitting on the floor near the screen... Read more
For context, dear reader, a little “Inside Baseball” on how Sick Pilgrim chooses writers for our Dark Devotionals: There’s a list of contributors, a Signup Genius, and semi-monthly nagging reminders from the site administrators—pick a date, any date, please PLEASE guys just pick one. Your friendly (well, some of us are friendly) neighborhood Sick Pilgrims are, by and large, freelancers with day jobs and families and diagnosed mood disorders, but we love our readers and each other and this quirky-ass... Read more
“It is precisely because you left communion with the Church that I think you have no right to throw stones at it.” This was aimed at me by a former friend who was upset at a criticism I made of the Catholic Church. The friend is former only because he chose to unfriend over it; I am open to disagreements. He also happens to be a priest. The disagreement in question? The stone I threw? I don’t think patriotic songs... Read more
It’s been RAINING here in the Blackstone Valley since Thursday. My long holiday weekend plans of lounging on my parents’ boat at the lake house were scuttled in favor of more indoor pursuits: My daughter and I took grandson #1—Thor, on account of his being completely off of the growth charts in all categories—on his first ever trip to a store. (It’s weird being born in a pandemic, huh?) It was a truly delightful experience. He was just awestruck... Read more
Elation. The word St. Paul uses in the epistle today is one we use rarely and, when we do, it usually has a positive sense. But there’s also another meaning, which the Merriam Webster online dictionary defines as “pathological euphoria.” This definition refers to an experience that is more like a buzz than real happiness or joy. It will be familiar to the sufferer of cyclothymia or bipolar disorder as part of the so-called manic phases. The root of the... Read more
A woman [was] afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse (Mark 5:25–26). I learned about the birds and the bees from the movie The Blue Lagoon and the classic sex manual Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex. Those were my father’s ideas for a supplemental sex education curriculum after giving me The Talk... Read more
Many times through the night, I nurse my 9 month old back to sleep. I didn’t know this with my first or my second, but by now, I can speak the language of the emotions he hasn’t yet learned to distill into even the word “Mama.” At first he’s just startled. Then, as he sits up and looks around his dark room, his voice changes: loneliness, followed by panic. So I stumble down the hallway and put him against... Read more
My school year as a preschool teacher ended last Thursday with a breakfast celebration in our school garden that every single family attended. The weather was perfect. The baked goods (prepared by my kiddos) were delicious. The families were so happy to enjoy the time together with each other and the children that we never even got to our traditional speaking program. It was supposed to last an hour. We stayed in the garden until lunchtime! Today, we begin our... Read more
This is a continuation of our series recognizing the Year of St. Joseph. St. Joseph as a father It is Father’s Day here in the United States, so it seems fitting to reflect on St. Joseph in his role as the earthly father to Jesus. Since the Church has elevated him to sainthood, it is easy to think of him as the perfect father, and setting a standard for holiness that all men should strive to achieve. That does... Read more
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:37–38). When I hired at Catholic Answers in 2000, the staff met for prayer in a large multi-purpose room. The room was also used for meetings and for welcoming guest speakers. Seating was provided... Read more
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