By Mary Beth Bonacci
Well, you all keep me on my toes.
7/28/21
Reading Time
4
min
By Elizabeth Foss
My friend Mrs. Berry used to say that a change is as good as a rest. In hindsight, I think this was her way of convincing herself that a vacation was restful despite the fact that every mother knows that family vacations (let’s just call them “family trips” instead) are usually a whole lot of the same work as at home, only in a different location with a bunch of people who are disoriented by changes in schedule and environment. A change is rarely anything like a rest.
7/28/21
Reading Time
3
min
By Zoey Maraist
Spend time gazing at the image, noticing what strikes you most. Reflect on the meaning of the image by reading 1 Chronicles 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2 and Revelation 11:9; 12:1-6. Mary is known as the new Ark of the Covenant. In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was God’s presence to his People. What […]
7/28/21
Reading Time
1
min
By Elizabeth Foss
Have you ever stopped to wonder in awe at the power of an apology? So many supernatural things have to happen for an apology to be everything it has the potential to be. Apologies are kind of here-now miracles that can happen to everyday people every day. If only we cooperate.
7/22/21
Reading Time
2
min
By Effie Caldarola
Someone once gave me a plaque that read, "If you want to be a pilgrim on the road of life, you have to travel light."
7/22/21
Reading Time
3
min
By Sr. Constance Veit, Lsp
I hope you’re ready for Christmas – Christmas in July that is! I always assumed that this rather cheeky celebration was created in our homes for the elderly as way of helping us temporarily escape the heat of summer. But it has a significant history and a worldwide following!
7/20/21
Reading Time
3
min
By Richard A. Miserendino
Have you ever made it to the end of a week feeling completely exhausted from doing good work, only to find that the emails and phone messages keep stacking up? As the saying goes: “The reward for good work is more work.” Such is the case for the apostles in our Gospel today (Mk 6:30-34). They’ve been out and about preaching, teaching, forgiving sins and healing in Christ’s name. Apparently, it was wildly successful.
7/18/21
Reading Time
3
min
By Luellen H. Maskeny
One summer, I boarded a flight to St. Louis to visit my son who had recently moved there for his job. As I sat in my seat, a white haired lady walked down the aisle of the plane, and she had a big smile on her face, like she was glad to see me. Her shirt was a light denim blue and it had little rhinestones in vertical lines, like sparkly tear drops, and her slacks were summer white. She reminded me of a family friend.
7/16/21
Reading Time
3
min
By Susan T. Muskett
The Catholic Herald’s discussion of Virginia’s new transgender student policies in its article on the Equality Act was timely. Short of success in court to stop this, school boards across the state will begin adopting policies consistent with that coming out of Richmond by the 2021-22 school year.
7/8/21
Reading Time
2
min
God works with all we offer
Why does God ask us to do anything? This might seem like an odd question, but the Gospel passage we contemplate here, the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, certainly raises the issue. When the apostles bring the problem of the hungry crowd to Jesus, the Gospel tells us that “he himself knew what he was going to do.” He already has everything under control and needs no help to feed the crowds. If he wanted to, Christ could have produced bread out of nothing rather than multiply the little that was at hand and offered. So why does he use the five loaves and two fish? If he doesn’t really need the help, what is the point?