Setting Up My Year in Christ – Christ’s Call to Greater Trust
“Mary Ann, you speak of yourself as a tired sheepdog constantly watching the edges of the field. What would it look like if you were a sheep?” I could feel myself stiffen, my hands clenched. “What would you be losing if you changed roles? What would the gains...
Setting Up My Year in Christ – Discerning Christ’s Call to Put My Gifts in Action
How I long for people to understand how their gifts are woven through everything. My gifts work within my personality, my history, my experiences. Your gifts work within your desires and loves. This is the way God created us. On the one hand, gifts are natural and...
Setting Up My Year in Christ – Christ’s Invitation To See My Gifts
The idea of God giving gifts to anyone seemed so foreign to me. I believed God’s gifts were reserved for priests, nuns, saints, and laypeople who devoted their lives to God’s mission. A few weeks ago, I was at Sunday mass at my parish, and Fr. Andrew gave his...
Setting Up My Year in Christ – Christ’s Hopes for my Prayer Life This Year
Like many of you, I find that January is a good time to review the past year, notice hopes and desires that might be stirring, and make some choices about where I want to refocus my energy. Over time I’ve become more intentional about including Jesus in this...
Setting Up My Year in Christ – Christ’s Call to be the Center of my Life
Keep Christ at the Center: Why? We can cite numerous theological reasons to put Christ at the center of life. But I find it quite effective to look at the alternatives. Why center my life on Christ? Well, if not on Christ, then what becomes my center? Do I...
A Christmas Prayer
A Christmas Blessing Let us pray together this Christmas: May our minds be opened to further understand where we need Christ’s light in our lives. May our ears be opened to hear the words of Christ calling us to make room for Him in our lives. May our eyes be...
Advent – Seeing Through the Eyes of Joseph
There have been many times I have imagined myself as Mary in a scene from the Gospels. I have imagined almost every feeling she must have had navigating being the Mother of God. I have viscerally felt her fear, anxiety, joy, and, most of all, deep, lasting love for...
Advent – A Pregnant Pause
You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. - James 5:8 During pregnancy everyone (and their mother) feels the need to offer all kinds of advice, from what to eat to what to name the baby. I politely ignored all the...
Advent – Justice Shall Flourish
I volunteered at the county jail for 5 years. The first time that I was buzzed through those heavy steel doors, I prayed for God to show me how to help the women who lived beyond them. The women sat in a small room, each sporting the same uniform, emblazoned with...
Advent – Heading for the House of the Lord
I love celebrating four weeks of Advent plus a full 40 days of Christmas until Candlemas on February 2 – each as their own lovely season. And while I can be a bit of a purist, I’m not grinchy. I appreciate that the preparations, festive parties, songs and carols of...
