Contemplation means, among other things, seeing the real. Our founding sister, Sister Maria Aloysia Wolbring, saw the real in the elderly at a time when there were no nursing homes. Some elderly persons who had no family came to live in the convent in Delphos, Ohio, where our foundress lived

“If it’s not one thing, it’s another.” “It’s always something.” When we hear these expressions, we think of the bad things in life that can pile up: a flat tire, spilled coffee, phone calls and text messages with bad news, loss, a forgotten appointment, a broken foot, disaster. Charles Dickens

We Sisters usually pray “travel prayers” when we drive. Decades ago in some affiliation I recall that at the end of our little litany of prayers, a Sister would add the final touch with “Mother Cabrini, bless our machini!!” To which we all dutifully added our resounding “Amen!” I have

Last week Monday I went to my mailbox after arriving home from work. Lo and behold, what do you think awaited me? My first Christmas card of the season … on November 4! Then, on Thursday I received TWO more cards! Amazingly early! I wonder: how can people be so

I’m putting on a green shirt to attend a parish gathering. The front says “St. Richard Parish Family.” The reverse has a black tree with “Family Reunion” in white. The roots sport the word “Jesus.” Our parish in Swanton, Ohio hopes that everyone realizes that all of us are rooted

Sunday’s Gospel was the familiar and beloved story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). We read in Scripture: “Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was, but he could not see him because of the crowd,

OK, I admit it: I’m no great shakes at cooking. Oh, I try. Knives are my nemesis. The other day I attempted to cut a butternut squash. You should have seen me before I got a decent knife! WITH the decent knife the poor squash went bouncing off the counter

Happy Feastday! Has anyone extended this greeting to you today? I hope you will hear it at least once! After all, it is your feast, our feast, the feast of all the “little saints” here and gone before us. Oh, we are used to the “biggies” … the Peters and

Light transforms an ordinary pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern. Similarly, the light of Christ transforms us ordinary people into saints. Who, after all, are the saints? They’re the people who let God’s light shine through in everything they do. We are privileged to carry the light of Christ within us. Do

A heart-stopping moment: I was driving home from the Jesuit Center the other day when a large deer darted right in front of the car. Awesome! A heart-expanding moment: I was praying Monday morning when I looked out across the newly harvested cornfield and witnessed a very BIG buck leap