by Barbara | Jun 8, 2023
NovenaAnd when I must lead you on a path different from the one you see, I will prepare you; I will carry you in my arms; I will let you find yourself, like children who have fallen asleep in their mother’s arms, on the other bank of the river. What troubles you and...
by Barbara | Jun 5, 2023
Novena: Surrender to me does not mean to fret, to be upset, or to lose hope, nor does it mean offering to me a worried prayer asking me to follow you and change your worry into prayer. It is against this surrender, deeply against it, to worry, to be nervous and to...
by Barbara | Jun 4, 2023
Thank you for joining me in praying the Surrender Novena. Fr Dolindo Ruotolo, Spiritual Director to Padre Pio, received this novena from Christ Jesus. As we pray this novena each day, imagine Jesus saying these words to you personally. Prayerfully linger over each...
by Barbara | Jan 31, 2023
Crap happens in more ways than one, metaphorically speaking. Perchance, you remember the popular bumper sticker a few years back that explicitly proclaimed that very thing. So why are we so surprised when it does? We can tend to live life deluding ourselves that...
by Barbara | May 8, 2022
I have been enthralled of late with reworking desserts that do not turn out as I hoped. They may have been baked too long, failed to deliver the recipe's promised taste sensation, or were disappointing. I fear I have become my own worst enemy in this area. I am sadly...
by Barbara | May 6, 2022
I have been enthralled of late with reworking desserts that do not turn out as I hoped. They may have been baked too long, failed to deliver the recipe's promised taste sensation, or were disappointing. I fear I have become my own worst enemy in this area. I am sadly...
by Barbara | Feb 14, 2022
"Then God said: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth. God created mankind in his image; in the...
by Barbara | Feb 5, 2022
"Hold fast to the word I preached to you" 1 Cor 15. Have you ever asked yourself, how do I "hold fast" to the Gospel that I hear at Mass? It sounds easy enough on paper. However, as each of us knows, remaining faithful 24/7 is a full-time job. It takes deliberate,...
by Barbara | Jan 28, 2022
There is a vast misunderstanding of the four-letter word St Paul writes about in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 13:4-8). He chooses to give the reader concrete examples to understand better. What is authentic love, and what does it require? The brilliant...
by Barbara | Nov 10, 2021
A month ago, I was introduced to the Surrender Novena. In practice, I realize the importance of surrendering everything to God, and letting God be God. What prevents me from abandoning myself to the Omnipotent Father when I know He can do everything well? This...
by Barbara | Sep 27, 2021
Have you ever had one of those days (or years) when it feels like your worst nightmares are being played out? Or perhaps a supporting actor in some "B movie" that just can't catch a break and the brunt of everyone's pitiful whispers? Maybe your respites are...
by Barbara | Jul 24, 2021
I rather like that we mothers are surprisingly adept at reading our brood. Age does nothing to deter us. I’m sixty-two and my mom is still working her magic on me. We have a knack for being annoyingly effective in getting necessary information and reminders into their...
by Barbara | Jun 13, 2021
A couple of weeks ago I posted an article about faithful Catholics feeling rather abandoned by their shepherds during this past year. My article “Flocking Mad, An Open Letter to Catholic Priests and Bishops,” was read by thousands with much feedback echoing...
by Barbara | May 26, 2021
Greetings from the pasture! I thought I would reach out and apprise you about life from your sheeple’s perspective after being devastated from every angle. Perhaps you may think you know what it is like down here in the pasture--based on vetted emails, random blogs,...
by Barbara | May 8, 2021
It is hard to fathom, frankly. Could it possibly be true? Is it as He says? I suppose for me the starting point would be in my own heart. Who do I understand God to be? Everything and nothing hinge on that very point. Everything changes if I believe despite what I...
by Barbara | Apr 5, 2021
Your plan so grand to fill the earth, with sea, and sky, sand, and dirt. Reptile, mammal, and wild beast, predator, and prey, greatest and least. Then scooped into your mighty hand, the dirt that lay across the land To form a being unlike the rest, made in your Image,...
by Barbara | Mar 30, 2021
I have been both betrayer and betrayed. When you think about it, you probably have too. Starting with Santa Claus and the tooth fairy. These are harmless examples you might think. I remember when our oldest son was nine or ten, it occurred to me that I should...
by Barbara | Mar 19, 2021
This week was an anniversary of sorts for me. Tuesday would have been my father’s eighty-fifth birthday and the sixth anniversary of my near fatal bike/car accident. The date is bittersweet. I am sad my father is gone but happy that he is home with our Lord. I am...
by Barbara | Mar 11, 2021
I got it my head to create a replica of the Crown of Thorns this Lent. You know, like the one Christ wore in His Passion and Crucifixion. Living in the desert we have lots of prickly things and thorns in abundance. I started with the trimmings from the beautiful...
by Barbara | Feb 20, 2021
Listening to Relevant Radio today, Fr Richard Simon spoke about the need to be truly repentant for our sins. Sure, we say we are sorry and might even feel bad, but he suggests substituting the word “failed” instead of “sinned.” "Bless me Father for I have failed…”...
by Barbara | Jan 30, 2021
Sometimes we can get caught in the trap of thinking that God only loves us when we do the right thing. We can assume wrongly that our sinfulness turns Him away from us until we get ourselves back on the “right” track. That would be a lie evil wants you to believe and...