On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and…
Author: maureenmccarthyosu
Esther
The Book of Queen Esther is the stuff of modern day novels. It contains elements of court intrigue, sex, romance, treachery, loyalty, manipulation, courage, and ultimate victory. Esther is the heroine of this story, and she is so central to the story, that her name is mentioned fifty-five times in ten chapters of the Hebrew…
Gift Giving
On December 6th we celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas. During, and even before the Christmas season, you may hear the name St. Nicholas. It is on his feast day when children in many parts of the world will wake up to find small treats in their shoes or stockings left to them, they’ll be told, by St. Nicholas. Christmas is a time of giving and…
December 2nd
December 2nd lives on in my memory because it was the day in 1980 when Dorothy Kazel, Jean Donovan and two Maryknoll sisters were murdered. In the spring of 1974, Dorothy’s dream of becoming a missionary came true when she was chosen to serve on the Diocesan Mission Team for a five-year term. In El Salvador, Dorothy worked in the Church of the Immaculate…
Thanksgiving
We are reminded in 1 Thessalonians: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays that people of all faiths, or no faith at all, find reason to celebrate. For many it means holiday sales, big meals and social gatherings. But I truly believe…
World Kindness Day
Have you ever noticed all the special national days that we now have? We have National Veterans Day, National Nachos Day, National Candy Day and so on. Most of the “National Days” have little meaning for me, but one that I find valuable is World Kindness Day celebrated November 13th. Kindness means that we are gracious to everyone…
Poetry: Seeking God In My Deepest Being
In my deepest being I desire you, Creator God;I long for your presence in my life.How real the grandeur of Creationthe beauty of musicthe creativity of artAre you the mystery that brings it into being?How real the intimacy between two friendsthe soul to soul sharingthe hearts burning withinAre you the spirit that initiates such feelings?How…
All Saints’ Day
All Saints’ Day, also called All Hallows’ Dayis a day commemorating all the saints of the church, both known and unknown, who have attained heaven. It is celebrated on November 1 in the Western churches and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Eastern churches. (Wikipedia) A saint is someone who has been recognized as holy or virtuous to such…
Cheap Grace
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was known to use the term “cheap grace.” He understood the term to mean “…an attempt to reap the benefits of Christianity without paying the price: to seek redemption without authentic conversion, or forgiveness without repentance.” (Graced Crossroads by Ted Dunn, p. 185) In other words, reaping the benefits without the cost to…
Values
St. Angela Merici, founder of the Ursuline Sisters, was a leader and model for the people of her time and, hopefully, the values she lived are helpful for us today. I will share some thoughts on four of the most prominent. First, we see a strong thread of respect for individuals. Angela tells us to…
Violence
We live in a society that is growing more violent every day. Each time we turn on our TVs or read a newspaper we find stories of murders, domestic violence, violence in protests that should be peaceful and violence in words and the language we use. We see violent actions or hear violent words so…
St. Francis of Assisi
October 4th is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, one of the world’s most beloved saints. Francis was known as a wealthy young man who gave up all his material goods to follow the way of Christ. Francis was the founder of the men’s Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of St….
A Servant Leader
Every person is called to be a leader in some way. We see parents as leaders teaching children to grow into whole persons. We see teachers leading children to be all they can be. We see civic leaders working for their communities. The list of ways we are called to be leaders is practically endless….
Why Do We Honor the Saints?
Honoring the saints is a practice that is uniquely Catholic. From earliest times in the Christian community we have recognized that some women and men lived lives that served as models of faithfulness and commitment to their God. Contrary to the beliefs of some, Catholics do not worship Mary or the saints. We worship only…
Retreat Time
One of my favorite times each year is when I am on retreat. Every vowed religious is required to take time each year for prayer and reflection during a set time called retreat. My favorite type of retreat is to spend 7-8 days in a hermitage in a woods or some other kind of nature…
Angela For Today 