Encountering God begins with our willingness to make space in our lives. Encountering God leads us to prepare with concrete actions. As we prepare for Christmas and the celebration of God-in-our midst, join me in reflecting on what it means to encounter God. Thanks. The following is a text version… Read More »Encountering God: Get Ready!
Advent: the season of waiting has begun. Over the four weeks leading to Christmas, the tradition for Christians is to wait, to prepare, and to anticipate the coming of Christ. Even amid the commercialization of Christmas, our spiritual practice is to pause, be still, and experience quiet as we wait.… Read More »Advent: The Waiting Begins
It’s an experience many of us have had this past year. For me, the process took about a week. I found the website for my state listing all of the testing centers. Each center had a separate link with different hours of operations and appointments available. It took me about… Read More »Waiting
I’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled to different parts of the world. Since much of the travel was work-related, I’d often be on my own. I explored new places by myself and tried to learn about the local cultures by simply being there. During one trip to Mexico City,… Read More »Hidden Lives and Christmas
Memory is a funny thing. Some events in my life stand out very clearly. Others…. well, let’s just say they’ve faded into the recesses of my mind. There is one memory that stands out after more than forty years: the day I met Fred Rogers. I was 19 or 20… Read More »Meeting Fred in the Neighborhood
It was early morning. I lit the first candle and began to sing an ancient hymn: O Come, Emmanuel. The ritual is familiar to me. It’s something I do each year as the Christian period known as Advent begins. Advent: it’s a word derived from Latin. It means the arrival… Read More »We Are Meant to be Mothers of God
A friend stopped by the house yesterday. On the table, he saw rolls of Christmas wrapping paper. “Did you finish your Christmas shopping?” he asked. The truth is that I haven’t even started. I just bought the paper. Then he paused before saying, “I’m surprised you don’t have a tree… Read More »Preparing for Christmas
Earlier and earlier each year, Christmas decorations appear in stores. Halloween is not even past before the first Christmas items go on sale. Surprisingly, even with the commercialization of the Christmas holiday, the first sign of the coming Christmas season appears in early spring. Nine months before Christmas, the Christian… Read More »Mary’s Going to have a Baby!