Category Archives: spirituality

Lenten Reflections: Viriditas

Posted on 4 March 2015 by

Hildegard of Bingen is associated with the spiritual principle of viriditas. It came to mind as I was introduced to this quote by the English mystic Caryll Houselander: Love is most likely to spring from another’s need for us, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Lent, Saints, spirituality | 1 Comment

Lenten Reflections: Praying One Word At A Time

Posted on 3 March 2015 by

A retired priest in my city has been in failing health for several months. I knew Father Patrick Geary almost twenty years ago when he was one of the archdiocese’s senior pastors in another city where we served in adjacent … Continue reading →

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Lenten Reflections: The Bookends of Sleep

Posted on 28 February 2015 by

Often I reference John Veltri’s work Orientations. My very first spiritual director shared the book with me over thirty years ago. I long ago misplaced my copy, and so was glad to find it online. One piece I have struggled … Continue reading →

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Lenten Reflections: Wild Beasts and Angels

Posted on 22 February 2015 by

Your parish cleric will proclaim one of the shorter Gospel readings in the Sunday Lectionary this weekend, just four verses of Mark 1, 12-15. At Mass last night I was struck by the companions of Jesus in the desert, according … Continue reading →

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Lenten Reflections: Worthiness

Posted on 19 February 2015 by

In a letter to Dorothy Day, (cited on the HuffPo last year) Thomas Merton wrote: Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. I love this quote. It occurred to me it … Continue reading →

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Joel Anticipates Max

Posted on 18 February 2015 by

When I heard this line from the first reading this morning, I immediately thought of our friend Atheist Max: Spare your people, LORD! do not let your heritage become a disgrace, a byword among the nations! Why should they say among … Continue reading →

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Lenten Reflections: An Examen For Ash Wednesday

Posted on 18 February 2015 by

Few saints I think of are better companions into Lent than Ignatius of Loyola. His spirituality is tailor-made for a serious lay person. I find he balances a certain rigor with a realization that we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously, … Continue reading →

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