Contemplative Practices

The country still coping with the COVID-19 pandemic is now reeling from the shocking murder of George Floyd. Another African American killed by the police. This horrific abuse of power has spurred both peaceful and violent protests throughout our country. In the midst of a pandemic and all the suffering, grief and anxiety it brings,

If we ever needed the Incarnation, we need it today. As the year draws to a close, I can’t help but feel sad and a bit fearful for our future. Something seems to be infecting us as a people. There seems to be a blindness and a deafness to see and hear each other as

Perhaps, this year, Thanksgiving Day can be more than having a good meal, watching the football games or finding the best sales. Integrate into your plans a time to reflect on the key elements of the story of Thanksgiving. Let Thanksgiving Day really be a special day this year. One of the stories offered in

As the leaves begin to change color and fall to the ground — sometimes when they are ready and other times prematurely by a blustery wind — I’m given to reflect on the mystery of letting go, so that new life can emerge. This desire has deepened in me this year. It is harder and

As I write this it is one of those perfect Michigan summer mornings — temperature in high 70s, low humidity, sun shining and the flowers fully blooming in all their rich colors. One of the sisters with whom I live is our gardener, and she has created a most splendid banquet of myriad flowers whose

As I sat to write this reflection, I was struck with how many significant things were happening these past days. Already, a host of Democrats have declared they will run for president, including an unprecedented number of women and persons of color. Their positions on issues are far different from the direction of those of

As I sit down to write this it has been a couple of days since the shooting at the bar in Thousand Oaks, California, which occurred a little over a week after the shooting at the synagogue in Pittsburgh. Thousands of people, men, women and children continue to walk to our border to seek asylum.

The wind has a bite in it. The air is crisp. Sun pours down through the tree branches, which are still clothed but now with a vibrant array of colors — gold, red, purple, orange, pink, magenta, blue and brown. A little later, these leaves will flutter to the ground and attract in a different

It always amuses me that even though I haven’t been on a school schedule in years, I find that September signals a new start … the smell of new textbooks, pencils and crayons; donning a new school uniform; and a crisp breeze letting us know autumn is coming. With that new beginning often comes a

It is difficult to find the words to capture what I feel as the report of the 18-month investigation of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Pennsylvania is revealed. The number of priests — more than 300 — and the number of children abused — over 1,000 — is staggering. In the victims’ testimonies, one