Recent Blog Posts
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Living in the Now
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One day, the honeybees appeared in great numbers on plumes rising above the pompous grass by my mailbox. They found a treasure trove of pollen from the late summer blooms and celebrated maybe their last hurrah before settling in for the winter. I was fortunate enough to capture a photo…
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Don’t succumb to the eyes of envy
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Homily for the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time Envy is not a pretty word. It is a deadly word. Out of the seven deadly sins, envy is number two. Number one is our other ‘frenemy’, pride. Saint James says it is the source of all wars and conflicts. “Where do…
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A lesson from the resurrection lily on the spiritual life
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Dotting gardens and landscapes around Western North Carolina are resurrection lilies. They are so named because the leaves appear lush and green in February, resembling daffodils. Unlike daffodils and many other bulbs, the leaves of the resurrection lily die without blooming. It is not until September that a solitary shoot…
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What is the two-point plan of Jesus?
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Can you imagine someone running for political office saying the same things Jesus said in the gospel (Mk 8:27-35)? “Fellow Citizens. Let me introduce my two-point plan to benefit all: (1) Deny yourself. (2) Take up your cross. Follow me!” He or she is not going to get many votes. …
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An ordinary dream demands a new interpretation
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“What’s it like?” That’s a question Michele McCreary, a long-time acquaintance, asked me in a dream. She was talking to someone I used to work with before I retired. When our eyes met, she asked, “What’s it like?” I thought she was asking about my retirement, as many people had…
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“What happened to the sun?” asked the two year old
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Last week, I was at Emerald Isle with my family. In addition to my delight in being with my children and grandchildren and their spouses and partners, I received a neat lesson on the spiritual life. I was holding one of my grandsons, J.B., who is two and a half. …
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Three reasons God places a stranger in your path
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Occasionally, I experience what I call a ‘random ministerial encounter’. I think we’ve all had them. It’s when God places someone in your path, and you realize it’s not a coincidence (as nothing with God ever is). After these encounters, I wonder, “Why did God place this person in my…
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A new delight in icon gazing
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I’ve been practicing something called ‘icon gazing’. In ancient times, it was called visio divina. Similar to lectio divina, which could mean ‘spiritual reading’, visio divina is ‘spiritual gazing’. The practice is basic. Select an icon that might be speaking to the circumstances of your life. Gaze at the image…
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When we cry out, “This is enough, Lord.”
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When you find yourself in spiritual desolation and feel like saying, “This is enough, Lord,” there is one question to ask: Who’s voice am I listening to – is it the voice of the Good Angel, or someone else?
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A powerful lesson from a shy little girl
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“Out of the mouths of babes…” goes the saying (PS 8:2). I might add out of their coloring markers too. My daughter Molly and I were both shy and introverted when she was four and I was forty. I would hold her close. Together, we would gaze upon the landscape…