SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

“Can we get a cat after Truman?” my three-and-a-half-year-old asked me last week. Truman, our rambunctious hound dog, is only seven. Barely middle aged. I paused. “What do you mean?” “You know, after he’s…gone. Can we get a cat next?” she asked, with the sincerity of a preschooler. I’m amazed that my no-longer-toddler already has some concept of death. She has lost a grandparent. She has spent enough time visiting her grammy’s assisted living that she surely has some sense o

There is something comforting about having a friend who knows the way. Someone who has walked a difficult road before us, understands our struggles, and reminds us that we do not have to make the journey alone. On this Solemnity of All Saints, we celebrate a great communion of friends: women and men whose lives have drawn them close to God and who continue to accompany us through their witness, their prayers, and their example. In the first reading from Revelation, John sees

Can you name an experience, a conversation, a class, or a grace-filled moment that caused you to ruminate in the idea that we belong to one another? Father Greg Boyle, S.J., often writes about this as finding “kinship” and from this, returning to our deepest selves. I think we are perhaps born with an innate desire to love. As we age, we need more reminders to, as Jesus puts it in today’s gospel, “love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, with all your soul, and with al

(Content warning: sexual abuse) As I begin today’s reflection, I want to be clear about a few things. First, I had a totally different piece half-written before I deleted it entirely and started over. For over a week, I, like many of my friends, have been struck by the horror of the Cornell rape case on an almost-hourly basis. Outside my home and work responsibilities, any remaining passion and creativity keep leading me to that frat house in Ithaca. This is the first time I

Growing up, my mother’s catchphrase was “It’s all good”. There was a sign on our kitchen wall, it was embossed on her key chain, it branded her coffee mugs. As a child, it seemed so simple. It’s all good. But as I grew older and my perspective on the world opened and shifted, I began to doubt if all was really good. Surely everything cannot be good? Surely there had to be certain events and actions we could not deem as ‘good’. And if it was not all good, what does that say ab

Let us begin our reflection, by reflecting on the incredible tenderness of God, portrayed by the landowner in this parable. He prepares a vineyard and puts incredible work into it; including planting, building a fence, digging a winepress, and even building a watchtower to keep it safe. But then, our Gospel shifts from idyllic garden scene to the fruit to be collected being refused, by way of killing the servants and even the landowner’s son. It is this shift that encourages

About a year ago, I came across a Substack essay by Celeste Davis titled “Why Religious Tools Don’t Work for Women,” which has stuck with me. The basic argument is that both men and women have inherent tendencies they need to overcome: for men, it is the inclination toward hoarding power and taking whatever they desire; for women, it is the inclination toward over-giving of themselves until they are exhausted and resentful. To overcome this, men have to let go of the self, bu

These readings address so many themes like equity and conversion of heart, but they are fundamentally about the end of life. For the past few years, my husband and I have been caring for a family member with dementia. on the hardest days, we have turned to each other and asked, “what is dignified about this?” At other times, we have been able to share in tiny moments of recognition and gratitude. Last week, he asked me, “do you think we remember all this after we die?” It is

It is no secret that St. Hildegard of Bingen was every woman. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, her life served as a testament to God’s expansive creativity embodied in every single one of us. Whether you know St. Hildegard primarily as a mystic, poet, composer, philosopher, playwright, herbalist, Benedictine nun, visionary, preacher, traveler, or leader–she truly was, every woman. Attentive to God’s calling, she listened, with the ear of her heart, and became the person God need

Today’s readings ask us to confront what is probably the least popular emotion: anger. We spend enormous amounts of energy trying not to be angry or to suppress anger or feel shame about our anger. The readings today certainly condemn it. But is anger always bad? Like any emotion, anger gives us information. It also gives us energy and focus. The famous quote attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo reads “Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger

This past winter, I attended a Know Your Rights training led by a statewide immigration coalition. The presentation included information on types of immigration enforcement, people’s rights in different spaces and situations, and how to be prepared. I attended as a community member looking to support my immigrant neighbors, and I had anticipated others would be there in a similar boat. However, as it turned out, many, if not most, of the people in attendance at this particul

Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow me. In today’s Gospel from Matthew, after his epic admonition to Peter (“Get behind me, Satan!”), Jesus defines discipleship. A relatively straightforward reading of Matthew 16 has gifted me with experiences and relationships that have enlivened my world. My earnest desire to follow Jesus has influenced every step of my vocation in ministry, service, and justice work. It has shaped my relationships (in all their imperfections) to mone

The Psalm we pray today on St. Monica's feast whispers the thing she must have clung to for decades: where can I flee from your presence? If I sink to the nether world, you are present there. St. Monica knew the nether world. She watched her son Augustine sink into it, the Manichees, the concubines, the restless wandering, and she followed him, not to rescue him, because she couldn't, but because she refused to pray from a distance. She followed him from North Africa to Rome

In today’s second reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, he marvels at the depth of the wisdom and knowledge of God. His words invite us into wonder before a mystery that can never be exhausted. I find myself returning to this passage, especially on days when the weight of the world feels especially heavy and difficult to carry. It brings me consolation to remember Paul's words: "For from him and through him and for him are all things." There is always more unfolding t

During my undergraduate years, I had truly formative opportunities to get involved in social justice education and advocacy. Specifically, as a student at a Jesuit institution (Canisius College – now University), I attended several teach-ins coordinated by the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN). Between 2005 and 2009, I made my way, more than once, to Columbus, Georgia for the annual ISN teach-in. While the lessons were expansive, we learned, in particular, about U.S. militar

After watching two dear friends pass away this year from painful illnesses, I am eager for the extreme joy of the Assumption of Mary! It is only the perfect Mary, Mother of God, who is granted the Grace of being spared the [potential] agony of death, and she is just Assumed into Heaven. My friends and their loved ones, also very dear friends (and the doctors, nurses, therapists, extended family, and community of friends) did everything they could to take care of these specia

I read today’s readings at the end of a long summer week entertaining my two and five-year-old sons at home. I had just put the younger one down for a nap and my older one was doing his “quiet time” of self-play. I sat down at my favorite spot in our house – our screened in porch – which is surrounded by greenery and the sounds of birds. Peace, at last. As an introvert and internal processor, the constant noise of two small children can be overwhelming. So today’s first read

Praying for Those Who Thirst and HungerI became a runner quite by accident. After finishing my first half marathon in 2015, I decided to try my feet at running a full marathon. In 2019 and 2021, I ran the Detroit Marathon. In my training leading up to race days, I always had to consider the importance of hydration. When you start to feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. The effects of that can be felt more when doing such exertion like running a marathon. The importa

Jesus’ human nature is often overshadowed by his divine nature; Jesus is the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the Savior of the World. What makes him remarkable, however, is not his ability to turn water into wine, to calm a storm, to multiply fish and loaves, or even to raise someone from the dead. Jesus truly shines in the encounters he has with humanity which highlight his emotions, relationships, and connection. We are most human in community, when we support and care for

For the third week in a row, we are hearing a Gospel Reading from Matthew’s very long Chapter 13. Parable after parable. When I was younger, I must confess that I tuned out much of these “stories”. I didn’t get the point of them. I lacked imagination, but otherwise, I was not the root of the problem. Why didn’t our Lord just TELL us what he was trying to teach us rather than giving us these unwieldy puzzles?! The riddles? Drawn perhaps from the ancient Hebrew life as a teach