Kimberly Novak shares heartfelt lessons she learned through the blooming of a Christmas Cactus. “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched; they must be felt within the heart.” Helen Keller Many instances in our lives make a good argument for Helen Keller’s […]
Happy, Holy, and Hopeful Mother’s Day
The beautiful graphic about praying the rosary, attributed to Christ Our Life Catholic Conference, was reposted on their Facebook page by St. Mary’s Church in Humboldt, Iowa, on April 22, 2020. It appeared there at a time when all of us were still reeling from the shocking onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. […]
The Last Christmas Tree
A short story inspired by true events It was 6:00 A.M., and she was exhausted. She stood there unblinking, looking into the mirror at the person staring back at her. Running her hands through her tousled, just-got-out-of-bed hair, she sighed deeply. She leaned forward, stared some more, and said to […]
So Loved the World
Christmas—the birth of God as human being. What a concept! For my kids’ generation, I have to translate it in terms of an alien coming to Earth, revealing Himself as the seed of human origin. We are more likely to believe in aliens than angels these days. But, be that […]
For Me?
God’s birth comes in many forms… An old woman and her sandwich saved my life. Not that I was starving. I wasn’t. In fact, I hadn’t had an appetite in three days. Moreover, I had no wish to live. She didn’t know that. But, still, she wouldn’t let me die. […]
Loneliness and Thanksgiving: Thoughts from a Catholic man
God is the answer, because without Him there is no hope By Larry Peterson Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty. (St. Teresa of Calcutta) This will be the third Thanksgiving since my wife passed away, and when you become widowed, there is an inescapable loneliness […]
Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family
Around the Year with the von Trapp Family by Maria Augusta von Trapp is surprisingly upbeat and joyful, especially when we recall that The Sound of Music ends with the von Trapp troupe fleeing their beloved Austria. The 1965 American musical drama ends by highlighting the danger the family averted by escaping with only what […]
The Mercy We Are Called to Live
When introducing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy in her book, Blessed Are You, author Melanie Rigney writes, “Both types can come free and easy … or hard and challenging” (Franciscan Media, 2016, p. 66). This immediately made me think of the healthy benefits of exercise. I can stroll […]
How (and why) to give your testimony during the holidays
David Palmer, manager of Guadalupe Radio Network’s KATH 910 AM, interviewed me for a holiday show last year. The program aired the day after Thanksgiving throughout North Texas. The interview session was lots of fun! The listeners got good advice on why and how to share their faith stories during the […]
When You Think You Think You Have Nothing to Give, Bring Your Drum…
At least that is what a young boy did thousands of years ago when he wanted to honor a new king. You probably can hear the drum beating as he asks “Shall I play for you? On my drum?” You know the rest. Most of my life, I’ve felt I […]