Shining Light into the Darkness
Many people are enduring real pain as a result of COVID-19. For some the pain is so intense that important relationships are fracturing. Suffering abounds. Pain in life is often unavoidable but suffering comes from how we deal with pain— whether psychic, emotional, physical, or otherwise — and is optional. Pain can cause us to …
Singing is like praying twice, said the nuns who taught me in grade school. Andrea Bocelli got the same messages from the nuns who taught him and on Easter Sunday, he gave a free concert, Music for Hope, using his glorious gift to send healing vibrations to the world. The world responded. Millions live streamed …
Life always follows death. It is the way of everything. As in the macro, so in the micro. That which dies transforms into life again. At Easter, Christians worldwide commemorate and celebrate Jesus’ triumph over death. Jesus was right all along: the love of God is so strong and so true that not even death …
Holy Saturday exists in liminal space, the in-between space. Good Friday is past and Easter is not yet come. It is a time of waiting; a time of great uncertainty. Yet it is a sacred space because we, out of necessity, have to let go of what was and trust in the promise of goodness …
The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing. . . not healing, not curing. . . that is a friend who cares.” Henri Nouwen Good Friday must be a day that …
As I write this on Thursday April 9, both Christians and Jews have entered into our most holy days of the year. Passover began at sundown April 8 and Holy Thursday is today. These holy days challenge us to remember two things: we can trust God even when circumstances appear dire we are our best …
When we act in accordance with inner principles of right action and forgive the frailties of ourselves and others, we can begin to create the kind of world that is good for all. In this recreated world, we will act not out of fear but out of service to each other. For when we serve …
Over and over again in sacred scripture, we are admonished to release fear and to trust. But life itself is often scary and fear spreads faster and more effectively than the COVID-19 virus. Dictonary.com defines fear as “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined.” And …
Resurrection Follows Every Death Novena ritual, reflection questions, and prayers. Easter 2020 is still days away but I think it’s important to begin this novena offering messages of hope in the midst of the destruction and desolation that’s happening in so many lives because of COVID-19. During a dark time many years ago, I went …
Praying the Novena The ritual for any prayer discipline can be as elaborate or as simple as is comfortable for you. Below are suggestions for the Novena 2020. STEP 1: In preparation for your time of meditation and prayer, find a quiet place where you can sit or recline comfortably. Take a moment to center …