On Patience

On Patience

When I hear the word saint, the first image that comes to my mind is not some Carmelite nun kneeling in a darkened chapel fingering her rosary beads. Now, I am sure many Carmelite nuns are saints, but they are not the first things I think of. The first image that...
The Cry For Love From Children

The Cry For Love From Children

Back in the 80s, I dated and then married a woman with a teenage daughter, putting me in the awkward position of “step dad”. At first, the daughter – we’ll call her Grace – really seemed to like me, and was on her best behavior when I was around. Once we settled, she...
Beholding the Moment

Beholding the Moment

I’m reading through essays that my students have submitted in response to the assignment to spend one hour in nature, undisturbed by phones or to-do lists. They write about the maelstroms of stimuli coursing through their over-busy minds. They write about memories...
A Quiet Miracle

A Quiet Miracle

“May you take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.” —John O’Donohue I recently began the Fourth Week of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. One of my first assignments was to spend some time contemplating Mary meeting Jesus after the...
Autumn Panic

Autumn Panic

I was a city kid until I moved to rural Vermont in 1979, where even now there are more trees than people. The northeast corner of Vermont is known for the exquisite fall foliage. People come from around the world to soak in the saturated reds and yellows and orange of...