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Today is my sweetie’s birthday. On this day over 40 years ago I made him a birthday cake and invited him over to my house to surprise him with it. It was a very bold move on my part but his birthday fell on a Friday that year so I was hoping he’d say yes. … Read more
As December winds down, it’s time to reflect on where I’ve been and where I’m going. So what lessons learned in 2013 might guide me into 2014? The biggest one this year is that life itself is a miracle to be embraced every day with gratitude and love. It’s a lesson life has taught me before, … Read more
The Servant’s Way Isn’t Easy The servant’s way is a challenging paradox; if it were easy, everyone would be following it. St. Francis understood the paradox of the servant’s way. Jesus mastered it. And teachers and prophets from many traditions teach the same paradox contained in the final words of the Prayer of St. Francis: For … Read more
The Way of Peace Is the Servant’s Way The essence of St. Francis’ teaching in the prayer that bears his name is that we must walk the Servant’s Way to become instruments of peace. This Servant’s Way presumes that we already properly love ourselves because we have recognized that not only are we children of … Read more
Where there is sadness, let me sow joy We cannot, nor should we, deny that sadness exists in the world. In any life, sadness will come to visit. But life itself is such a miraculous gift that even in distressing or dire circumstance, joy is possible. Sometimes, though, we need someone to remind us. Other times we need … Read more
Where there is darkness, let me sow light Darkness is threatening. Darkness—whether physical, psychological, spiritual, emotional, or social—disturbs and perturbs us, sometimes to our very core. But just like a single candle pierces the darkness of the night, a single person can pierce the darkness in our world. Just look at Malala Yousafzai, the young … Read more
Where there is hatred, let me sow love Hatred is such a strong word. We can easily identify hatred out there but rarely do we sense it in here, in our own hearts. Yet hatred doesn’t spring forth whole in its easily identifiable ugly ways. It begins as small frustrations, angers, and resentments that are held, … Read more
Every Christmas season since the tragic events of 2001, I have been praying a Novena for Peace and most years I’ve invited others to join me in the belief that a personal and communal commitment to peace will bring it about. While I have not yet seen peace break out throughout the world, I have … Read more
A novena is nine days of intentional thought (otherwise known as prayer) focused on a particular thing—in this case peace. Why should you participate? Because perception creates reality. When You Change the Way You Look at Things, the Things You Look At Change Religious traditions of all sorts have known for centuries that focused thought … Read more
The yearly feeding frenzy of holiday shoppers has begun. While post-Thanksgiving shoppers ventured forth with tasers in hand and hearts full of greed and aggression, my mood turned pensive. Is this really what life is all about? What compels someone to leave their table of blessing to find (and sometimes fight with others to get) more … Read more