- By Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider
Mercy is God’s nature. God’s merciful love holds nothing back: “His mercy endures forever.” A wave of mercy is poured out over all humanity. As Saint Faustina quotes God in her diary, “I am love and Mercy itself. There is no misery that could be a match for My Mercy.
- By Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider
Intrepidly Mary Magdalene stands at the empty tomb and asks the question which all of us have probably asked many times in our lives: “Where is the Lord?” But the Risen Lord is in no geographical space like a garden. The Bible account denotes an indwelling, that is, the communion
- By Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider
Of all the liturgies of the Church Year, the ones that speak to us most dramatically are those of Holy Week. Have you missed waving your palm? How will it feel not to gather on Holy Thursday to witness the procession of oils and spend time at the altar of
- By Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider
God doesn’t call us “Hey, you!” God calls each of us by name. To know the name God calls us is the greatest thing you can discover. Assured that there’s a glimpse of God in each of us, let’s start figuring out that name. One way to talk about
- By Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider
Harold Ivan Smith wrote: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words . . . may get stuck in the corridors of my memory.” I bet every reader can recall words that challenged them to greatness. Maybe a coach or teacher said, “You’ll be great!”—just four words inspiring extra
- By Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider
As we watch television, read news or hear from our friends and relatives, we know of persons who have recently died. The number of sick who have died from the virus without the comfort of family is staggering. Multiplied exponentially is the number of persons grieving the death of their
- By Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider
Joan Rivers said, “No matter how trapped in the Krazy Glue of life you may be feeling, you can get unstuck. My favorite way is to make a list of all that I have to be thankful for.” Every night when I turn off the light I lay my head
- By Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider
If you have read today’s Gospel for Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent, you saw Jesus’ life-saving forgiveness and kindness toward the woman caught in adultery. Her horror of facing death by stoning was transformed into grateful relief, as the accusers slunk away and Jesus said, “Neither do
- By Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider
I live in a house with three other Sisters of Notre Dame. One is a teacher who right now is meeting a math group on line. Two other Sisters are making protective masks. I am sitting here hoping to send a blog that will keep up spirits in a time
- By Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider
We’ve all heard “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” Dick Ryan uses a different image: “Suffering can be like a grain of sand in an oyster; it can create a magnificent pearl.” I can’t hear the word “pearl” without thinking of John Steinbeck’s The Pearl. Even teaching the novel

