Advent 1: On Waiting

Advent 1: On Waiting

I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope For hope would be hope for the wrong thing. Wait without love For love would be love of the wrong thing. There is yet faith: But the faith and the hope and the love are all in the waiting. Wait without thought, for...
What I Get When I Give Thanks

What I Get When I Give Thanks

A portion of the Catholic mass includes a back-and-forth between the priest and the people in which a call is issued to give thanks because “it is our duty and our salvation, always to give thanks.” That being thankful is a duty makes sense, as we are instructed early...
Success in Prayer

Success in Prayer

Much has been written about how and when we receive answers to our prayers, as though prayer is primarily about asking for something and then waiting to get it. With this understanding of prayer, our consumer habits inevitably take over as we expect to have our...
Distractions in Prayer

Distractions in Prayer

There is no one, at any time or in any place, who does not experience distractions when praying. All sorts of disconnected thoughts and emotions sweep through the one praying, kidnapping focus and intention, often for the entire prayer time. While batting away such...
All Saints All the Time

All Saints All the Time

This week marks the celebration in many traditional churches of All Saints Day. In addition to honoring those individuals who have been formally recognized and given the status of sainthood, the day invites considering the many unnamed saints who bless our lives again...