Posts by Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider

June had two “good fridays” for me. My youngest sister Sue who suffered from ALS entered eternal life on a Friday morning, and on the following Friday she was buried. Sue had written her obituary and planned her funeral. Having been a catering manager and a person who loved experimenting with recipes and hosting, the…

Today was Independence Day! We sisters met at the Sisters of Notre Dame Center in Whitehouse for lunch and an afternoon of fun. The sisters living there spread a delicious picnic—each of the four “houses” providing part of the menu: burgers and hot dogs, potato salad and chips, fruits and veggies, desserts. The occasion was…

What do you radiate? The electromagnetic field of the heart is about 5000 times more powerful than that of the brain. When our hearts are holding joy and love, the brain is less likely to focus on worry and stress. Instead, the brain focuses on love, empathy, creativity, and joy. Because the heart’s electromagnetic signal…

I just finished reading Camron Wright’s novel based on a true story, The Orphan Keeper. A child stolen from India and living over 20 years in the United States senses his need to return to a place that’s a half-globe away. Wright’s page-turner tells of loneliness, abandonment, and loss of identity. The reader senses that…

At the Last Supper one of the disciples was privileged to recline on the breast of Jesus, as the group enjoyed the Passover meal. This person was “the one whom Jesus loves.” Because Jesus loves everyone, every person is privileged to recline on Jesus, to experience such intimacy. This Last Supper is not the passage…

Each day is a new frontier to traverse. Each morning presents a choice to become more fully Christ in our world. What the day holds for us we do not know. Feats of courage will require feet of courage. A humdrum day also demands the courage to slog through. Morning prayer and morning walks set…

Three of us sisters took a ride on a canal boat in Providence Park, Grand Rapids, Ohio. Like the old song, the mule’s name was Sal, and Sally had a helper in Molly. The period costumes, the authentic 14-foot wide boat in a 15-foot wide canal, and the 1870’s jargon made an enjoyable ride at…

Today’s newspaper ran an article about a new study that says Earth has pushed past seven of eight safety limits and is “really quite sick right now.” All this has happened in my lifetime of seven decades. But Earth and the rest of the universe took 13.8 billion years to create. I hope God doesn’t…

I just finished reading Camron Wright’s novel based on a true story, The Orphan Keeper. A child stolen from India and living over 20 years in the United States senses his need to return to a place that’s a half-globe away. Wright’s page-turner tells of loneliness, abandonment, and loss of identity. The reader senses that…

Recently a minister ended his talk at a funeral with this message delivered vehemently: “Don’t stop using the name of the deceased. The family needs to hear it.” While we may think not mentioning the deceased will prevent grief, it has the opposite effect. The loved ones think the deceased is forgotten. Speak the name.…