Sometimes I experience a Gospel and realize that there is yet another way to encounter it. Typically, today’s words invoke an authoritarian church, but we are always invited to plumb greater depths and today I did so.

I used to be a corporate executive. The way I treated my team evolved from my rejection of how I had often been treated. Instead of sharp-eyed scrutiny of the groups’ every moment, I was inspired to experiment with something new. No more heavy burdens, or if there were burdens, I tried to carry them with or for people.

My peers and superiors warned me that I would regret this, because “you know, people will take advantage of this situation.” As it turned out, those who would game the system still attempted to so, but the majority did not. It turns out that if you treat others with mutuality and respect, they do better. Jesus was onto something and wanted to make sure we understood!

Perhaps I had recently heard this Gospel and internalized it? I take no credit for my organizational experiment; it had to have been inspired by God and for once I paid attention.

Power belongs to God alone. Misuse of that power is a sin, and instead of cultivating faith, the scribes and Pharisees cultivated fear. Jesus invites all false power to get down from the throne and to walk with others – just as he did.

Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.

How many times? That seems like a lot at times. Of course, on hard hearted days, one can seem like a lot!

This Gospel pops up for me, generally (which is more often than I like to admit) when I am struggling with forgiving someone. For what it is worth, I am not one to hold on to things, but sometimes something gets good and stuck.

This is not a Gospel about some anodyne, get out of jail free card forgiveness. Quite the opposite, if you ask me. It is about the deep work of forgiving that is much more than saying I’m sorry and moving on.

Jesus is asking us to find ways to reconcile, to make the pieces fit back together if they can. I think he is also reminding us that we do not hold the power over another that hanging on to something results in.

So many times it seems like forgiveness is letting someone off the hook. What if they are not sorry? That's out of our control. What if they did something truly egregious? That will require work. Jesus is here to walk with us to do the heavy lifting required.

Forgiveness is not always one and done. It is not meant to bury feelings that must be processed or to ignore actions that have consequences. However God forgives us, and Jesus is modeling how to do the same.

It is not easy, but it needs to be done. He will help us. Can we do this? I think it means trying, and that is way more than 70 x 7 times for that!

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

This Gospel from John (John 12:24-26) is short, and this is an excerpt. One of the ways I pray is to walk through the woods and I find it a cathedral of sorts. It is soaring, transcendent, silent - yet full of song, and redolent with both life and death.

How we hate death as a culture. Of course, no one wants to say goodbye, to our beloved ones, be they human or animal. I just had a dream about my cat who died in 2019 - that little guy is forever in my heart. Yet, when it was time for him to go, he returned to God, as we do. My mom died nearly 35 years ago, and I think of her every day, I still miss her so much. That is how it is… grief is the price we pay for love. (Apparently first written by Dr. Colin Murray Parkes in 1972, but later attributed to Queen Elizabeth II.)

Yet, with death comes new life, even if it is not immediately apparent. Honestly, it is rarely so! But gifts do follow and new life erupts around us, invited or not.

In the woods I am constantly reminded of this as I scan the scenes around me.

Trees are dead, yet full of life. They fall, begin to rot and disintegrate, things grow.

…unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

So says Jesus, and there it is, right before our eyes.

Today we remember deacon and martyr, St. Lawrence. We do not know much about him, other than he served as a deacon in Rome, under Pope Sixtus II. Legend holds that not long after Pope Sixtus was martyred, Lawrence followed. He was put on a metal grate over burning coals. Allegedly he said after a time on the grate, “It is well done. Turn me over!” True or not, awful or not, it is hard not to smile at his humor in giving up his life - humor? Maybe better said as his joy in Christ.

This does not mean we all have to get grilled in order to go home to God. Hardly! But we are reminded that we are called to live generously, for example, as the woods do, or as St. Lawrence did. And when it is time to go, we go with grace. Or hopefully we do! New life is a continuous cycle, loved into being by God, and we are but a part of it.

Next time you are out and about, notice things growing, whether in the woods, your garden, or in the cracks of an urban sidewalk. They are there, little universes of life in seemingly unlikely places. Remember that we too are a part of this.

Live well and when the time comes, go freely home to the one who created you. This is what it means to live.

"O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?" 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12

It really struck me that of all the things Solomon could have asked for, he asked for wisdom, and by extension, humility.

How many of us have prayed for a raise, a promotion, a windfall of cash to change our lives? How many of us have pleaded with God to get back at someone, or fantasized about having the power to make another person miserable. If you say you have not done any of these things, I laud you, but let’s all be honest with ourselves.

Many years ago I was in a work situation where I believed I had no power and I was deeply frustrated and unhappy. Although I am not exactly what words I used, and I am not sure I would call it a prayer, I did scream into the void of the universe that I wish I could show my boss a thing or two. Not physical harm, but just something that would communicate what I perceived as my humanity being squashed down. Sometimes I call these moments a “shakes-fist-at-God.”

Now that I am older, I still get frustrated with what I perceive as abuses of power at every level of life. In some situations I can deal with this because I in in relationship with various people I struggle with, and because I would hope that I am more centered on God, wisdom, and humility. Some of the situations are way beyond my sphere and I simply have to hand them over to God.

Did I pray for wisdom or humility? No. I did no such thing. How many squandered prayers have I expressed? But some way, some how, age and experience and a deepening of my faith brought forth at least a little of both. Some days go better than others.

Solomon reminds me today that God is not transactional. God is patient, generous, and perpetually hopeful that we will open ourselves in one way or another to that which God wants us to share in. Add to that, it is not one and done, this is part of the ongoing relationship with God.

In the end, we must be open to accepting what God gives us and put it to good use. My prayer as I enter this week to do seek wisdom, accept it, and see where it leads me. If it is of God, it will never go wrong.

Yes, I am still planning to cultivate this little garden of my words, but it is a work in progress. My desire to write more often is often stopped short by work and daily life. This time another factor was travel - probably the best reason to not be on here!

We took a family trip to Barcelona, Marrakech, and Lisbon, albeit for a hot second in Lisbon. It was a great trip. And as with all travel, like Anthony Bourdain of blessed memory reminds us, journeys can be wonderful or terrible, but journeys do - if you allow them to - change you.

Here are some pictures from our journey. We are indeed changed. What are some journeys, be they near or far, that have changed you?

It was planted a few years ago and honestly, it never did much, just a few flowers. In fact, I almost pulled it out, but I did not. This year it has suddenly blossomed in the most spectacular way.

A reminder that some things just take time. Like this Substack? Maybe!

Wishing everyone peace and beauty in a chaotic world. Be the thing you want most.

Last post went up on… April 2? I turn to a song called Hazy Shade of Winter as we sputter through Spring and head towards summer.

No excuses, I just have had a lot of time get away from me and a lack of practical discipline to write more often.

After a vacation from mid-June until the end of July, my work schedule will be modified a bit, and God willling I will get this thing going on a regular basis.

Do you pray? If you do, please do so with an intention towards me getting my you know what together. Thank you dear subscribers, paid and unpaid. Please know, I am trying to be better. Honestly, the one thing I really want to do is write!

May the monks of Tibhirine feast in eternity at the Sacred Banquet, and may we face all things in Christ, knowing the promise that awaits us, as they once did.

Text/image of reflection reprinted with the permission of Give Us This Day.

God is always so unexpected, and I have come to love and appreciate the God of surprises, counterintuitiveness, and mystery in ways I can never say.

No, he was not a king held aloft on a royal litter. No, he did not arrive in a show of strength with chariots and horses, standard bearers and spears. No, he was not clothed in regal fabric.

As we see the prophecy found in the Book of Zechariah unfold before us, Jesus rides in - surely our king, but meek and not haughty, riding on an ass, not carried by human servants.

The people wave at him and hail his entry into Jerusalem - where he surely knows he is headed toward the fate that awaits him. He enters, meekly and with humilty, and full of love.

His Passion is not without challenge, he cries out to God saying “Why have you abandoned me?” As we do ourselves. Yet, he also knows that this is his mission and that he must carry on despite the pain and horror.

This is what we are to do as well. How often and how craftily we evade pain and suffering. We put it off. We deposit it onto the backs of others, creating their crosses as we might skip away. Often we do this unknowingly. But we must make ourselves more aware, so that we might take up our own cross - and then take up the crosses around us to help others.

Giving aid and succor is not about writing a check, although checks help, or about dropping off non-perishables, which also help, but about uniting ourselves in Christ with the suffering of others.

Easier said than done.

This Palm Sunday, may we all enter Holy Week on our own journeys to Jerusalem. May we all pray that our hearts are open to whatever God brings us, because we know that what follows will eventually be glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Wed, Mar 11, 11:57 AM (18 hours ago)

Macrina Widerkhehr, OSB - Read this beautiful essay about her, by Judith Valente, originally published in the Global Sisters Report.

“We are naturally reverent beings, but much of our natural reverence has been torn away from us because we have been born into a world that hurries. There is no time to be reverent with the earth or with each other. We are all hurrying into progress. And for all our hurrying we lose sight of our true nature a little more each day." Macrina Wiederkehr, OSB, of blessed memory

Why have I not written on this page for so long?

Hurrying, I suppose.

Right now my prayer is to be reverent, as Macrina put it, “with the earth or each other.” To not hurry is one of my Lenten, and life intentions. While less hurrying today than I was in years past.

Way back when the internet seemed to be a place to remain more anonymous, I chose the email handle festinalente**@***.com. Oddly enough, even 20 years ago, I was not the first person to claim it, but rather the seventh! Who on earth would have thought that?!

Festina Lente is a phrase that roughly translates to “make haste slowly.” The photo of this turret in Lucerne, Switzerland has a medallion with the maxim on it. In 2005 while visiting Lucerne, already entranced with the notion of “making haste slowly,” snapped this photo. At the time the seed of this desire was beginning to germinate in me, but I was incapable of beginning to do such a thing. I’m glad I took the photo for posterity!

In any case, my desire to slow down, think more, rest more, dream more, write more is ever present, but the daily pressures of life can attempt to steal that from us. Today - at least for today, I shall try to resist that urge to keep moving without actually living.

Below is a poem by Michael Leunig that I found years ago and posted to my blog. Like Macrina, Michael has also gone home to God. May her words and his words help us all to see God more clearly this Lent and always.

Please pray I can manage my time better, and one day, not work so many hours. Thank you. May your days be slow in the best possible way.

Live Slowly

God help us to live slowly:
To move simply:
To look softly:
To allow emptiness:
To let the heart create for us.
Amen

by Michael Leunig

The Temptation in the Wilderness, 1898 by Briton Rivière

How will we resist our temptations this Lent? It might not seem like Satan is standing there making offers, but the reality is, our weakness for certain things is a potential barrier to our relationship with Christ. Food, money, sex, wasting time, lying, evading, procrastinating, these are all things that can send us astray. It is everywhere, no one is immune to the invitation, but we must do what we can to resist.

Many years ago I was taking an exercise class and it had me standing on one foot. I kept tipping over. The instructor finally told me and several others that we needed a visual anchor. A what?! She suggested we stare at an object on the wall that was dead ahead. Keeping our gaze fixed on that would help to keep us balanced.

Years later I have come to realize that is how I will try to keep my balance in Lent, with my gaze focused on Jesus. Going slow, breathing deeping, and locking my eyes onto his image in my heart will keep me upright.

The Good Shepherd by Bro. Mickey McGrath OSFS - a good place to focus

Whatever you choose to be free from this Lent, perhaps focusing on God will help us to keep going. Sometimes we will still tip over, but then we get up, refocus and begin again. It is in that repetitive process that we will find our way.

Let us all pray for one another to do this. Will you join me?

The one thing God seeks from each and every one of us is our heart. And when Jesus comes knocking at the door of your heart, remember - he is knocking from the inside. Let us all sit with that for a moment.

The other day, Pope Leo XIV asked something of us that is simple, yet difficult this Lent. He asks us to truly listen.

This year, I would first like to consider the importance of making room for the word through listening. The willingness to listen is the first way we demonstrate our desire to enter into relationship with someone.

Ahhh, to listen. Abstain from speaking, but also to be still and to be open. Can we do this?

Then he adds this about fasting - note, it ain’t just chocolate. THAT would be easy. No, in this world full of social media outrage and public anger, he asks us to not speak ill or judge, to avoid harsh words.

In this regard, I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.

If we are able to do these things, even a little, we just might be able to nudge open the door of our prickly hearts and let God in. Well, maybe it is more like recognizing the presence of God in us.

By doing so, may we become more like Christ, the one we follow. That is the heart of the Lenten journey. Let’s pray that together we can be present, be still, be open, and most importantly, be changed this Lent. Will you join me? Let us open our hearts to Christ, our whole hearts, as one.

Power is the ability to get others to do what you want. Leadership is the ability to influence others, and the willingness to influence others so that they respond voluntarily. Hence, leadership has power, but not all use of power, is leadership.- James Clawson

This quotation popped up for me recently; I have seen it before. It seems to be credited to James Clawson, but I could not find the reference to cite, so I’m just going with it.

As we approach Lent, I am reminded of all the spiritual gymnastics that many of us have participated in over the years. If this - then that, as if we were a computer program. If I do this thing, Jesus will do that thing, essentially, I’ll be in good with him.

Do we have the power to influence Jesus? Gosh, I do not think so! I mean, he is our God. Sure, we have free will and our conscience, and how we exercise those things matter. Basically, we draw closer to or further away from God by our actions. God is our rock, steady and in place at all times. Honestly, I just don’t see God inventorying each of us based on individual acts in that way.

Just look at the first reading for Ash Wednesday, from the Book of Joel:

Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.

Rend your hearts, not your garments is the message. Jesus seeks our hearts. Full stop.

Back to the power quote, I am reminded that Jesus’ style is to influence people to respond voluntarily. Somewhere along the way, many of us missed that notion. I know I did! Jesus call to us is to give him our hearts, voluntarily, freely, openly, joyfully. It is not that aforementioned if this/then that equation.

However, over time, churches, governments, families, and more have used power as a lever and as a rod, not as influencing. And it still happens all the time.

This Lent, I am going to be praying about power and influence, about the freedom of joyful surrender and my own weak attempts to offer it. My recent mini-sabbatical offered me a tremendous amount of freedom that has freed up some of the knots in my heart. My anger is diminished, my temper is not flaring as easily, may patience has increased, and my job is more present. (Let us not mistake happiness and joy, but that’s another post for another day.)

What will you seek this Lent? Giving up chocolate or wine are fine if those things bring you closer to Christ. But they too can be distractions. My prayer is that you will join me in seeking the Way to follow so that our hearts will be transformed. Not by force, but by love.

Whatever your Lent might hold, can we try to be prayerful together? Following Jesus as we might, with open hearts, unclenched jaws, and hands ready to both give and receive.

We drove to Tucson and drove back, almost the same route both times. It was not the shortest path, but it seemed the most reliable, weather wise - and it was.

There is something to be said about driving long distances in the US, seeing our country and its people from ground and eye level. One of the things I liked most was talking to people who worked in housekeeping and food service at the hotels we frequented. (Hampton Inn - free breakfast, but yes, you have to pay for the room.)

These jobs are typically inhabited by people who might be otherwise invisible. It is in my nature to seek them out and speak to them, although clearly not everyone wants to chat with me. I am no white savior, nor do I ever want to be, but I like to look people in the eye, learn their names, and see them. In one southern city an African American woman was working the busy breakfast alone, with people calling out to her that the coffee had run out, or that the waffle maker wasn’t working, please bring out more sugar. She looked totally exhausted. When the crowd died down I went back to speak with her and give her a tip. It was a small amount, but she looked like she was going to cry. I don’t think it was the money.

Kindness and recognition cost nothing but the effort to engage. Looking back, I see many times in my life when I neglected to do so. Whether out of busy-ness or youthful ignorance, plus less than youthful ignorance - I did not always see people.

Perhaps my favorite of these encounters was in another hotel in another city. A Hispanic woman was working this less-than-busy breakfast and she had her son with her. He was a sweet looking kid, think Liam Conejo Ramos. He was helping her wipe off tables and throwing away trash that people did not throw away themselves.

We ended up having a longish conversation in part English, part Spanish. She came from a Central American country in the not too distant past. Her son, handsome, smiling, and friendly, was 4, and not in school yet. It seemed her child care situation did not work out that day, so he was with her. I did ask her if she was afraid, and she said no, “I am legal! Resident, permanent resident!” My heart broke a little inside when she said that, because I know that does not always mean you will be ok. In the end I said I would pray for her and she said she would pray for me.

We met a family from Mexico, clearly a people of means, when we were at one hotel. They were there for 2 nights and we enjoyed speaking with them at breakfast. It was a mom and dad, an abuela (grandmother), and an adorable 3 1/2 year old little girl. I’m not sure if they were traveling north to somewhere else, or back to the Mexican state of Sonora (it was on their license plate), but they were a joy to interact with.

Everywhere we went, and not just the southwest and Texas, but everywhere we went we saw Hispanic people. Workers beyond the hotels, workers in gas stations, and also customers. Families, work crews, all kinds of people all over the place who were doing their jobs, traveling, and just trying to be alive and provide for their families.

Of course in Tucson you see so many cultures. Lots of Mexican culture, because the Sonoran Desert, where Tucson sits, stretches there from northern Mexico. And native culture, the Tohono O’Oodham people, and the Pascua Yaqui, for example. Also, Tucson is a university town and that brings lots of diversity. It is a really vibrant place and being there was good for the body, the mind, and the spirit. I am very grateful.

Well I have meandered all over the place today, writing wise. I will wrap up by saying that I hope we can all find some joy, some peace, some good, no matter how bad things seem to be. Grab a moment if you can and just stop… it might only be for a breath or two, but I hope it brings you peace. I will have to remember this when I return to work on Monday!

Thanks for being here!

Tucsonians stopped because of their “appearance.”

Alex Pretti shot dead for being a good samaritan.

Renee Good shot for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Honestly, I do not even know what to say any more.

God have mercy on us all. We must continue to put light and good into the world so that justice might reign.

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
- Colossians 3:14

Voice of the Day

The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love – whether we call it friendship or family or romance – is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other’s light.
- James Baldwin

These words landed in my inbox today and they seemed ripe for thought, prayer, and writing about. (Sojourners Verse and Voice)

While clothe yourselves with love was profound, it was the way that the James Baldwin quote drew it out during these dark days… “Mirroring and magnifying each other’s light.” Boom, that was powerful.

Today, on this day when we should be celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., someone who represented so much hope, I feel afraid. How do you all feel? Are any of us doing okay? I doubt it.

Here is how I tend to deal with fear from authoritarian or totalitarian regimes, facists, dictators, or whatever you want to call them. I want to stand up and be strong. Carry a passport? No way. Cower in the corner? Never. Run away? No. For me there is only one way to stand up to bullies and that is to stand up and stare them down. They smell fear and capitalize on it.

In standing up however, I do not mean returning hate for hate, darkness for darkness. Here I return to Dr. King for inspiration.

That is the only way.

It seems impossible sometimes, but that’s the catch - we cannot let it feel impossible, especially on the most challenging days. The most frequent phrase in the Bible is some form of do not be afraid, fear not, be not afraid. Countless times in the old testament and the new, there it is. The only way we can live it is to do so together, magnifying one another’s faith and not our fear.

The most essential thing is to remember, at least for me, is that each and every human is made in the image and likeness of God. Thanks to free will, we are all able to toss the human dignity that is inherent in that right out the window. Hello authoritarian despot types and their followers! We all have the free will to say, “Hey, human dignity? Nah, that’s lame.” Thus begins the road to choosing evil over good.

Remembering that we all have the ability to be light and to magnify light through our dignity and to encourage that dignity in others is important. My own need to rage against the evils of our time is exhausted by my desire to not be part of the evils of our time.

Today, in some small way, can we all promise to illuminate and not darken? Can we all commit to magnifying and not stifling? It is okay to think about how furious you are at ICE, certain bishops, the president and others in the government. Let that anger be a fuel for the fire of justice. Let’s not let those flames consume us, let them bring us to greater light.

We do have to fight for justice and that might grow messy, but we do not have to succumb to darkness. We have to do this together, arm in arm, heart to heart. Are you ready? I am. Please, will you join me? I need your light.

Laura has been on my screens for years. I have followed her journey and read her work. She has never struck me as overtly political in any way, in fact. And she is not given to any kind of bold outcry other than for the Gospel itself.

As for not looking away, she has well documented some of the worst moments of her life, clearly experiencing and sharing her moments of death and new life.

Right now she is writing about her home state of Minnesota, found at the link above, and she preaches boldly about living the Gospel in this moment.

Stand in the light, be present, do not look away.

She was named Anna, a prophetess and the daughter of Phanuel, who was of the tribe of Asher. We meet this wise woman with very little information. She had been widowed early, was now older, and she was always in the temple, worshipping day and night. She knew exactly who the child Jesus was. Her immediate response to his presence was to thank God, and then to speak about the child and the promise he held.

When I think about this brief passage from Luke, I’m struck by its brevity and power. First, we meet this woman who might not have stood out to anyone. She is older, probably unassuming, worshipping always. It would be easy for her to go unnoticed given the status of widows at that time- especially one of her age. Second, she immediately recognizes Jesus. Third, instead of holding onto the story and keeping this news to herself, she thanks God out loud. Then she begins telling people that the Holy Redeemer had been there, pointing out that he came to deliver God’s people. Can you imagine the stir this must have caused? It happened swiftly, then concluded, but left a tremendous impact on those who witnessed her outcry.

Suddenly the Gospel pivots, and we shift back to the Holy Family, fulfilling the law. Just like that! They return to Nazareth, Jesus grows strong and wise, rich with God’s favor. This break might seem confusing, but it is not. Anna’s mission has been completed, and the promise of Jesus awaits.

From the December 2025 issue of Give Us This Day, www.giveusthisday.org, (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2024). "Brevity and Power" by Fran Rossi Szpylczyn. Used with permission. IMAGE from Wikimedia Commons, Menologion of Basil II.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Menologion_of_Basil_II#/media/File:Menologion_of_Basil_037.jpg

Whatever you think, I hope you find this a time of year to dig a little deeper in every possible way. In how resources, personal and communal, are used. In how we might show greater respect for all people, regardless of origin. In how we look at life, more as a pathway lined with questions, and less as a battle to be won or lost.

My wish is for us to all find better ways being human. Can we do this? God became human at Christmas, may we follow suit and try to be more like God, although we will never be God. However, we have good instructions, and we also have better angels. May we follow them always.

There is a quotation, typically attributed to the Talmud, but it is not. I’ll get to that in a moment. For those who are Jewish, this time is also a reminded of darkness and light, it is Hannukah. The lights burned long, longer than they should have, a reminder of faith and hope, done in a very conscious and active way.

Back to the words in the image above. They are from Rabbi Tarfon’s work in the mishnah, Pirkei Avot. They riff off of Michah’s wisdom and are a reminder that we must choose to keep going.

There is tragedy all around us, but there are also so many points of light. May we never lose our focus on the light and never lose the will to tend the flickering flames in our lives. Whether they seem to wither, or they are fanned into brightness, the flames do vary over time. As each of us looks at our inner light and the world around us, may we focus on how each point of light comes together to illuminate the world.

We have choices, and we have work to do. Let us go forth in hope, the light is coming.