As I look over the course of my life, it’s unmistakable how I’ve been blessed by the example and presence of people I can only describe as holy. These every day saints have graced my spirit and shaped my life.    There’s my grandmother Josefita, offering prayers for the needy nightly as she prayed the rosary. Kneeling in front of her life-size statue of St. Ann and Mary, I could hear her soft voice down the hall, “Dios te salve María, llena eres de gracia, el Señor es contigo…”   My heart carries tenderly my friend Pat who walked the Camino de Santiago ..read more

IMPORTANT NOTE: The platform that I’ve been using for the past nine years – Blogger – is doing away with the “follow by email” widget that allows you (if you’re interested!) to receive my Day by Day with Maria Blog as an email. The bottom line is that, come July, you will NOT be receiving my blog as an email whenever I have a new post.     I am pondering what options I have available, but so far nothing stands out. The most likely scenario is that I have to change sites… so, stay tuned, and I will keep you posted!    Repeat after me… Change is good cha ..read more

  Years ago, I traveled to Turkey on assignment with an interfaith group of Catholic and Muslim faith leaders. Not only did we visit historical and Biblical sites throughout the country, we were also invited into family homes where we broke bread and shared faith with one another.    For me, their open, loving, generous hospitality was truly humbling. And disarming!    The questions we normally have about those we label as “Other” were being asked. But this time, they were being asked of me.    I was the “Other.”   Why are there different Ch ..read more

     Michael and I were college sweethearts, and married right after graduation. We also began expanding our family straightway.    As the youngest in my family of origin and with little experience around babies, I tackled parenting as I would another college class. I researched every subject, from nutrition, sleep habits, growth charts, spirituality, to education and social development.    It seemed reasonable that someday I would stop feeling deficient and inexperienced as a parent and, at the very least, grow in confidence.   Looking back ..read more

    When our middle daughter was in college, she spent Spring semester of her junior year studying at Queen Mary University in London, and we visited her. It was a charmed trip with many unforgettable moments.    A highlight for me was traveling to the coastal region of Norfolk and visiting the Church of St. Julian in Norwich, made famous by its history with Catholic mystic Julian of Norwich.    Although we don’t know exact dates, Julian was born in December of 1342, and likely lived until 1430. At the age of 30, as Julian describe ..read more

  I have long admired Woodeene Koenig-Bricker, her talent, quest for innovation, and expert knowledge -- as a writer, author, history buff, editor, archeology lover. But she has outdone herself in this latest book, “Dinner Party with the Saints.”    Wow, what a creative endeavor!    In this imaginative book, Woodeene gathers 16 holy women and men around a dinner table, as they wait in heaven together for the arrival of the One special guest.  The group of saints — from St. Josephine Margaret Bakhita and St. John the Baptist, to St. Kateri Tekakwitha and St. An ..read more

Epiphany, when we remember the wise men who knelt before the Son of God to pay Him homage, will always be a personal favorite. On January 5, Epiphany’s eve -- exactly 59 years ago, my parents, my brother and I left our home town of Pinar del Río for the capital city of Habana. There, our family of four boarded a plane toward an unknown, mysterious and invisible future, becoming refugees in a new land.  On that day, like the wise men who followed only the star, my parents chose to do the inconceivable, to leave the only place we had ever known, with nothing but our faith and ho ..read more

[Note: these holy women are all part of my saint posse,  the ones I call on and depend on to walk with me.  They are all found at Clear Creek Abbey in Eastern Oklahoma] It’s been a long time… I’ve missed chatting with you all. I’ll write more about the past few months soon, but today, let me put in a plug for ADVENT… There is so much about the season of Advent that I have always loved. Waiting. Anticipation. Grace. Beautiful feast days. Incarnation. We are the only religion who make this bold radical claim. The son of God became flesh, like us, within a human mother. An ..read more

  This is my birthday week.    And it’s not just any birthday, it’s one of those birthdays that is attached to a superlative -- a banner, landmark, milestone birthday.     On August 13, a birth day I share with Fidel Castro (although THAT deserves its own separate headline!), I will turn 60.    I was sharing my thoughts on this with my remarkable 89-year-old mom, who as usual, had an insightful suggestion. Instead of rolling my  eyes  and moaning about the idea of being 60, she said, take the time to write down a li ..read more

Three years ago, my family surprised me with fruit trees for my birthday – a pear, a plum, and a peach tree. As is always true in life, I had no clue then how much my life was getting ready to change or how different my daily landscape would become.   Fast forward to last Spring, the months when all my energy became focused on going to heart rehab -- and on the reality of moving and finding a new house in Oklahoma City.   As I look back on it now, it’s downright humorous to see how the two became one!   For the past year and a bit, I have felt an undeniable ..read more