When I was 27, I was cast as Louisa, the 13-year-old daughter, in a semi-professional production of The Sound of Music. Physically, it made sense especially since I looked at least 10 years younger than my actual age. My friend...
When most people think of the Camino de Santiago, they likely think of the journey through Spain. Rarely do folks think of Portugal, but that country is home to some of the oldest of the Camino’s routes, a northerly journey...
I am a lifelong Catholic. Born and baptized Catholic. Went to Catholic schools for 27½ years (I took the long route to get my first graduate degree!). My parents were very active Catholics which meant that we as children were...
I have a confession to make. I am, by training, a liturgist. As such, I cringe at the well-known joke—“What’s the difference between a liturgist and a terrorist? You can negotiate with terrorists.”—both because there is a grain of truth...
A friend of mine and I have an ongoing debate about whether or not we should sing the song A Place at the Table. If you are unfamiliar with the song, the lyrics start like this. For ev’ryone born, a...
Rules, rules, rules. I’m a rule follower in general. During my school days, I wasn’t on a first name basis with the principal. I never got infractions or served detention. Rules just made sense to me. They set expectations and...
When I was about ten years old, I started writing a series of short plays about “Big G” and His Son. They were cute and funny, but more importantly, they were my young self’s attempts to express my faith in...
At 3 a.m. yesterday morning, the predicted snow arrived, dropping a beautifully unbroken blanket of fresh white over my yard. This was the first “real” snow in almost two years, last year’s winter feeling almost like what my parents in...
Because my parents live in lovely southern California, I have regular access to that land of ultimate commercial happiness: Disneyland. Unlike other theme parks, Disneyland is all about the story, the stepping into a world of what could be—which also...
Christmas carols abound at this time of year. Joy to the World; Silent Night; O Come, All Ye Faithful; Hark the Herald Angels Sing; The First Noel; We Three Kings. Add to these popular Christmas songs like The Christmas Song,...
Everything this time of year seems big—and full of wonder, awe, and beauty, too. The lighting of the Christmas trees in our town squares, or at the White House or Rockefeller Center. Parking lots full of cars and stores full...
Two weeks into Advent and the oft-repeated words of George Santayana are—again—coming true. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it!”. While the Scriptures continuously reinforce the theme the preparation—“The days are coming” (Jeremiah 33), “Be vigilant”...
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