Remembering Pope Francis
Today marks a year since the death of Pope Francis. Over the past year, my initial anxiety about “who comes next?” has transitioned into a growing appreciation for our new Pope. In fact, much of the admiration that I feel...
Tagged: mourning
Loss, grief, and faith for survivors of suicide
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). You can find more resources from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention here. He died of an incurable disease. That’s how I normally respond to...
Nurturing Seeds of Wisdom During Times of Trouble
Have you ever felt so let down by God that you considered abstaining from the Eucharist as a form of protest, as a way of telling Him, “Fix this!” “Change them!” “Do something!”? I never thought I would get to...
Good and Faithful Servant
The death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI this morning is very sad for all of us who admired him and the tremendous impact he has had upon the Church for the past 60 years. His legacy will continue to influence...
Alliance of the generations
Today’s General Audience address by Pope Francis brought tears to my eyes. It was the second installment of his Catechesis on Old Age. The title of this week’s teaching was “Longevity: symbol and opportunity,” and he spoke about why he...
Pope Francis reminds us that we are called to be saints
Today, November 1, is the Solemnity of All Saints, and, as in past years, Pope Francis gave a special noon Angelus address to mark the feast. Today, as he does most years, he spoke about the Beatitudes (Mt 5:1-12), the...
My Sister’s Heart
One of the most formative events of my life happened a year before I was born. When she was about six weeks old, my sister Katie—my parents’ firstborn, the answer to prayer after years of infertility—was found to have a...
“Blessed Are They Who Mourn” in the Time of COVID-19
Over 502,000 people have now lost their lives to Covid-19 since the first case was reported in the United States. The numbers of those sickened and who have died are staggering. It’s easy to become numb to the reality they...
Returning to the Lord with our whole heart
Dad had always wished to be buried in his ancestral grave. His great-grandparents and his parents are buried there. When he passed away in January 2019, he was buried in the parish cemetery for many reasons. The graves at the...
On Today’s Blessed Marian Feast
Earlier today, my mother, Patricia Lewis, passed away at home after a long illness. She was surrounded by family and friends when she drew her last breath. Just before her final moments, my brother and I sang the first two...
Popular Posts