March 25, 2020, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, was the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of Evangelium Vitae, or “The Gospel of Life.” This beautiful encyclical written by Pope Saint John Paul II speaks clearly about the intrinsic value of human life. In an effort to celebrate the 25th anniversary, the United States Conference of…
Last year was tough for me. Health wise, I struggled quite a bit. The physical pain, unfortunately, impacted my emotional health and stamina. I could barely motivate myself to get things done. And so, in this New Year, I am trying to find that motivation, that zeal for creativity again. Many people pray for a…
It’s late on Ash Wednesday. My mind is racing far too much for this time of night, but that’s not unusual. I have always been a night owl. Before I sit down for Night Prayer (Compline) I decided I needed to write just a bit. I have quite the Lenten to-do list this year, so…
How many people take five days to write a New Year’s post? At least one, apparently. It has been bitterly cold here in central Illinois all week, along with most of the country. I have been hibernating in my home office, completing 2017 Christmas cards (it IS still Christmas!) and prepping for a 12th Day…
It’s a chilly, damp Wednesday and my to-do list is far longer than I would like it to be. Mostly because I all but ignored it yesterday. Fatigue and arthritic pain have a way of putting a halt to my days. I tried upbeat music, some Netflix…sigh. It’s just one of those days. But even…
A few days ago, my heart was heavy. I was a bit anxious with a dash of melancholy. I wanted to reach out to my friends, but due to the sensitive nature of my issue, combined with living in a small community, I knew I had to be vague. And so I asked for prayers…
Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the beautiful liturgical season of Lent. Like many Catholics, my forehead is covered with ashes and my stomach is pretty much empty. I struggle with fasting every year. It’s not that I eat big meals (except when Bruce cooks!) but I do snack a lot during the…
Today I am sharing a post from September of 2014. I am doing this as part of the link-up “Worth Revisiting Wednesday” at the blog Reconciled to You with Allison Gingras. I have never participated in this link-up before, but today is the perfect day to do so. You see, this post is about praying…
In just under a week, the Catholic Church (and others who use a liturgical calendar) will begin the beautiful season of Lent. 40 days of fasting, prayer, and alms giving, all with the purpose of growing close to Christ. I realized, I better start getting my Lenten plan together. Of course, there will be the…
Happy New Year! It has been quite a while since I have written anything. I could blame it on the “holiday rush,” but that would be disingenuous. I was just too scattered in my various projects…everything from making birthday and Christmas cards to writing new talks for some 2016 events to trying to stay healthy!…