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“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

“Keep death daily before your eyes.” This is one of the “Tools for Good Works” from the Rule of St. Benedict (Chapter 4). It is a simple line, no context, no explanation. Just one in a list of things to do to do good. Gazing at death is something we are particularly bad at in our society. We pay good money for anti-aging creams, sports cars, and supplements (well, some of us do) to feel like we can look away from death. Yet, St. Benedict calls it a “Tool for Good Works.” Al

As the liturgical year draws to a close and we enter these twin feasts of All Saints and All Souls, I tend to think on my loved ones who...

When my Dad died almost three years ago in January 2021, there were many moments of comfort: the meals people made for my mom as she...

Today's Readings “For everything, there is a season and a time for every activity under heaven.” Today we celebrate All Souls day. We...

Today's Readings This week, Jessica reflects on today's Wisdom reading in light of All Souls Day.

To be honest, I much prefer the Solemnity of All Saints. In the symphony of the liturgical year, All Saints is a joyful march, a...