The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

When taking a moment to muse on how slowed down the world has become in response to COVID-19, with traffic eerily scarce and a new silence permeating a once-perpetual noise, the title of this book popped into my head as an alternate nickname for the coronavirus: "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry." It's title penned by…

How Self-Betrayal Opens the Door to Disorder of the Soul

Photos by Francesca Woodman One of the most difficult things I’ve been confronted by is how to respond when the will of another person is contrary to my own. In the quick moment of discernment during this stalemate, where negotiation is not always possible, when do you stick to your guns and when do you…

The Blessing of Knowing What You Want and the Courage to Ask for It

Vierling - Sacred Heart Find your delight in the Lord    who will give you your heart’s desire. Psalm 37:4 One of the blessings of living in this area is the low cost of living, and as a result I am able to afford a lovely and spacious historic apartment on a modest salary. However, after moving so…

What Are We Reading in the Office?

Like any Faith Formation Department worth its salt, we take study seriously. Not just intermittent study when it's convenient but perpetual learning, wherein as leaders we offer our intellects to God for continuous formation. The Book of James has some stern words for those who teach about God: Not many of you should become teachers,…

What Mary Has Taught Me about Being a Woman and Bride of the Holy Spirit

Responsibility is a crown of thorns, is it not? This is the primary intuition that comes through when I am praying the Third Sorrowful Mystery of the Crown of Thorns, a particularly spiky paradox that warns of the price of power and responsibility. Such comes at a high cost and there's no escaping that paradox…

The Sacrament of Confession: Daring to Heal

In recent time I incurred an injury that was akin to slowly and willingly walking into the sharpest of blades. Receiving that wound left my body and soul severed to the border of no return, and activated all the old wounds laid dormant under my scars. The worst pain though, was how I felt exiled…

Mini Reflection for May Crowning

It is one beautiful thing to perform the ritual of the crowning of Mary as we have just done, but now it’s time for this question: what does it it look like to crown Mary in your own life?   How do the jewels and wonders of her celestial royalty reflect in your own experience?…

Divine Mercy Sunday Mini Reflection

This was written at my colleague's insistence for Divine Mercy Sunday. He said something about my needing to speak up and that he likes the way I teach, so then it was off to the races. A clear audio version is posted below with the written version to follow. Enjoy! https://player.vimeo.com/video/409587469 Reflection for Divine Mercy…

Don’t Just Read It, See It: Using Art to Explain Theology to Children

When I was teaching catechism to third graders years ago, it just so happened that I ended up doing and using a ton of art to teach within the classroom. There was something about the deep yearning of these kids' brains about the faith yet their language capacity wasn't quite there yet to explore these…

The Joy of Enclosure: Taking a Cue from the Cloister

As I was packing a mini-library of books to take home from my office in the wake of the mandate to stay put, this book flew off the shelf and demanded to be remembered and I was immediately awash with a bounty of profound memories of my time spent living and working alongside various orders…

Music For Contemplation: Eight Minutes of Transcendent Listening with Arvo Pärt

When was the last time you did nothing but listen to a piece of music? Can you remember a time when maybe you were sitting down or lying down, either blessed with a quality hi-fi stereo system or satisfied by the intimacy of headphones, maybe eyes opened or closed, and simply listened? Well, although I…