Lost Sheep Found

February 14, 2021March 25, 2021

A Love Story Like No Other

My biggest confession yet? Someone has come between me and my husband and completely stole my heart. In fact, I love this “someone” even more than my husband. But this is no ordinary “someone.” He is not even someone I can see, feel, or touch either.

Wait, what?

What is it about this “someone” that I cannot see, feel, or touch who could set my heart ablaze in a way I never could have imagined? What is it about this “someone” whom I would first run to the minute I felt the sting of sorrow? What is it about this “someone” whom I would embrace tightly like a bear hug because there is no one in the world who can compare?

July 20, 2020September 16, 2020

What It Means to Live a Worthy Life

On Father’s Day this year, I failed to send a card to my dad and it was my mom who made it abundantly clear she wasn’t happy. A few years ago, the unhappiness was about a missed card on her birthday.

Some would say, “What’s the fuss? It’s just a card! It usually ends up in the clutter pile anyways.” True. But apparently for a lot of people, it’s more than just a piece of card stock with sentimental writings inside; it’s a tangible symbol of love, friendship and care for another person.

July 4, 2020

The Great Escapade: A Taste of Freedom and A Bit of God’s Grace

As America celebrates her birthday and hard-won independence today, I wanted to reflect a little on the word ‘freedom.’ The Fourth of July this year is an odd one for the history books, one without live fireworks, large picnic gatherings, or even concerts. Most of us for months now have lost the freedom to come and go as we please, to face the world without a mask covering, to grieve a dying loved one in person, or even to attend class at school, all in the name of protecting the well-being and health of others around us.

June 14, 2020July 2, 2020

Feast of Corpus Christi: A Reflection on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist

Food.

Practically every event or celebration I can think of revolves around it. Even when there is no celebrating, we still need it. Our earthly life depends on it. We can’t get very far in this life without it.

Our spiritual life needs food too. The spiritual food that nourishes our soul is found in the consecrated bread and wine of the Holy Eucharist, “the source and summit of the Christian life” as the Church teaches (CCC 1324). Like our earthly food, we can’t get very far in our spiritual journey without God’s life within us.

June 4, 2020June 30, 2020

To Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself

You have likely heard that statement before.

‘To love thy neighbor as thyself’ was the other half of Jesus’ stunning response to the religious leaders of the day who were trying to test Him: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments” (Mt 22:37-40).

May 23, 2020June 8, 2020

Sister Clare Crockett: Surrendering Fame for the Abundant Life

A story about an ordinary Irish Catholic young woman named Clare Crockett really caught my attention the other day. Clare was an aspiring actress who grew up at a time of division and violence in Ireland. Worldly and attention-seeking, she wanted to achieve success making movies one day. By her own account, she didn’t want to be just any average film actress but a “famous” one.

What made her story jump out at me? Because of how God chose ordinary people to carry out His most important work on earth. He drew people in wherever they were in their lives.

I could have looked for any story to read, but the Holy Spirit somehow led my eyes to hers.

May 3, 2020June 8, 2020

Seeking God’s Refuge in a Pandemic Pandemonium

Lent had always been the one season of the Church year I looked forward to with such anticipation. This year, as before, I was intent on accompanying Jesus into His Passion, Death, and rising with Him in His glorious Resurrection on Easter morning. Not to mention welcoming a new goddaughter at the Easter vigil.

Then the pandemic stepped in and uprooted everything.

April 23, 2020May 29, 2020

God’s Song for the World: ‘Jesus Loves You’

Jesus loves you! Yes, YOU!

After enduring weeks of pandemic-induced emotional upheaval, fear and uncertainty, imagine being greeted with that simple message of His love.

That’s exactly what I got today. From a chance encounter with a random stranger.

Let’s be honest here. These many weeks of isolation and stay-home orders have not been a walk in the park. In this time of Darkness, where is the Light? But just as the apostle John witnessed the empty tomb and believed with his own eyes Jesus’ Resurrection, he witnessed life after death. He witnessed hope. My friends, that is the Light in this time of Darkness! The light and hope of His Risen Presence overshadow all darkness, even a pandemic of this magnitude. He asks us only to believe and trust in Him.

April 2, 2020June 8, 2020

Faith and Fear in the Age of Coronavirus

Today while I was in the grocery store standing in line at the checkout lane six feet apart from everyone else, the customer ahead scolded at me because my shopping cart was slightly beyond the yellow tape on the floor as I was getting “too close to her space.” My shopping cart was no more than 1 mm beyond the yellow tape! Face mask and gloves in place, the customer ahead of me was clearly ready for battle against any germs and viruses that would dare invade her space … LOL!

As Saint John Paul II once said, “A person’s rightful due is to be treated as an object of love, not as an object for use.”