Lord, some folks need your help    to make it through to this year's end... Others seek your guidance    to survive the next few weeks... Some folks need some backup    just to get to Monday morning...  Still others pray for grace    to persevere for one more hour... Help us all to journey through    the days and weeks and months ahead... Help us learn to live our lives    just one day at a time,    one hour at a time,    one minute at a time,    with you, our strength and power ..read more

Last week, Lord,  I had dinner with a friend  I haven't seen in quite a long time. We had a very good evening. Some things between us have changed (even changed a lot) but other things have stayed the same and so we slipped into a comfortable oh-so-welcome familiarity, like putting on my old, worn, bedroom slippers just at the end of day...      There was catching up to do but in the more important ways my friend and I just picked up where we'd left off, filling in the gaps and blanks as we connected once again...   You're my old friend, too, Lord, from wh ..read more

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Today is the feast of Saint Hildegard of Bingen.  Born in 1098, Hildegard was a German Benedictine abbess and was active as a theologian, composer (77 musical works), philosopher, poet, mystic and visionary.  Her works include three great volumes of visionary theology; a variety of musical compositions for use in the liturgy, as well as a musical morality play Ordo Virtutum; one of the largest bodies of letters (nearly 400) to survive from the Middle Ages, addressed to correspondents including popes and emperors; records of many of the sermons she preached in the 1160s and 1170s ..read more

Lord, you have the words of everlasting life!     Psalm 19   That's what we sing and pray, Lord     and that's what we believe: but oh, how I just wish I could hear you speak     those words of everlasting life... Even when I find myself a quiet place     to sit with you in silence, even when your Spirit comes     to still the noise within me, even when I concentrate      and wait and strain to hear you speak, even then, Lord,      a hush is often all I hear... So remind ..read more

Here's the video of my homily for September 15, based on the day's gospel which can be found here.   Tweet    SUBSCRIBE HERE!    ..read more

Morning Coffee by George Mendoza Good morning, good God!   Seems that in my part of the world, Lord,      you’re easing us into autumn  with warm, sunny days wrapped      between cool mornings and brisk evenings...    The balance, just now, is near perfect  but soon enough the chill will spill     into afternoon hours and slowly pick the leaves from trees      until they’re bared of beauty:         summer’s glory fading fast...   Something in me longs ..read more

Image source   Heal my rough edges, Lord:     my self-centered snarl,     my hair-trigger growl,     my defenses aprowl gaurding my way of seeing     my way of doing           whatever's to be done... With your Spirit's power,     tame my temper     and temper my rash response... Let your Spirit stand:     a guard at my lips,     a gatekeeper stationed          at my heart's door  &n ..read more

Today is the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.  Tonight's prayer is a "prayer in action."  It's an elaboration of a beautiful moment in the rites of initiation when those preparing for baptism are signed with the mark of the Cross on different parts of their bodies.  As you pray these words tonight use your thumb to trace the sign of the cross (+) on the different parts of your own body. Actually doing this will make a significant difference in your prayer!  If you are praying with another person or persons, you might sign each other. Receive the sign of the Cross ..read more

  Our friends and fine musicians from the Sunday 7PM Choir at Saint Francis de Sales Parish in Ajax, Ontario have put together this collection of their recordings of hymns to the Cross of Jesus.   If a widget doesn't appear below, click here!     Tweet    SUBSCRIBE HERE!    ..read more