The Healing Power of Creativity
When I was young, if you asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would tell you “an artist” which was a bit ironic because I had trouble coloring within the lines and I couldn’t draw…
EPHPHATHA – “Be Opened”
"Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory" (Ps 24) "Let the Lord enter..."--such a plea from the psalmist's heart to our hearts in this weekday Mass Responsorial, read as Advent unfolds into Christmas. Our parish has been engaged…
Igniting the Fire of Divine Love
Inspired by the words of Revelation 3:15-16, St. Catherine of Siena wrote to one of her disciples, “See that you are not lukewarm but on fire … If you are what you ought to be, you will light a fire…
Pilgrimaging With The Bridegroom
There are journeys we take for rest, journeys we take for discovery, and then there are pilgrimages—the sacred journeys we undertake to be found. In the heart of Italy, nestled in the rich soil of Church history and sanctity, I…
Blemished and Beautiful
You are wholly beautiful, My love, and without blemish. (Song of Songs 4:7) How can my Divine Bridegroom say such a seemingly absurd thing? When I look in the mirror, I see plenty of blemishes; not just physical defects, but…
Permission to be a Poem!
Last week I attended a Theology of the Body course called “Poets for the Kingdom: the Sacramental Stories of Lewis and Tolkien”. Our teacher, Bill Donaghy, shared with us his passion and extensive knowledge of the lives and writings of…
Into the Depths of His Love
How vast is the Bridegroom’s love for me? How deep is His mercy? How endless is His Presence? These are questions which I have been blessed to ponder over these last few weeks as I sat gazing upon the ocean. …
Praying With The Holy Name
I will be forever grateful for my Jesuit graduate school professor, Father William Walsh, and the many "take-homes" of his Spiritual Theology course five-plus decades ago. "Why tune the violin after the concert?" he'd say. "I promise you that if…
St. Catherine of Siena’s Song
My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh that lies between my breasts.” (Song of Songs 1:13) In a letter written during the Easter season of 1376, St. Caterina (Catherine) of Siena chided a parish priest in the town…
The Gift of Attunement
It is the unexpected "kisses from heaven," simple, sweet, and spontaneous, that can open doors to Jesus' heart, to His and Mother's, and to the hungers of our own. I had such a gift very recently. During the "check-in" at…