by Barbara | Jan 10, 2021
Many of us do not remember the Baptismal promises that were stated at our own Baptism. We relied solely on our parents and godparents to speak on our behalf. This weekend and several times throughout the Church year we are given the opportunity to speak for ourselves....
by Barbara | Jan 1, 2021
It is appropriate to take stock of 2020. Like every year before it, there were aspects out of our control. However, there were and continue to be much that is firmly within our power. Some questions we should ponder deeply are: Where did I grow and improve this past...
by Barbara | Dec 31, 2020
Naughty or nice is our choice after all Even when life throws us a curveball. No one can make us kind or sweet, not in life, nor in a Tweet. Our mothers tried to do their best may their efforts be forever blessed. For us to choose rightly is their bequest. We are big...
by Barbara | Dec 19, 2020
Working at a Catholic Church feels like I am right there in the vineyard of the Lord at times. It certainly does not imply that only those who work in churches are knee deep in grape juice. No, the world is the vineyard and opportunities abound in every corner of it....
by Barbara | Dec 13, 2020
Mothers are a sturdy bunch. In fact, motherhood is not for wimps. We all had one, and it is easy to overlook the role and influence our mother had in our lives. While there is a plethora of “how to books” and plenty of unsolicited advice, there is not much that can...
by Barbara | Dec 5, 2020
As I age and have more life behind me than in front of me, I find myself in my deepest emotional and physical pain, identifying most intensely with the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here is the woman who in her own Earthly life experienced so much suffering through her fiat....
by Barbara | Nov 28, 2020
I remember bringing a meal and spending time visiting a friend of mine who was having another bout with cancer a few years ago. In a strange turn of events, months later it was that same friend who brought dinner to me as I recovered from a hospitalization. Just two...
by Barbara | Nov 21, 2020
We are halfway through our collective efforts to grow in holiness through the Journey Toward Holiness campaign. “What’s that”, you query? It is a Divinely inspired initiative we have launched to help us form habits that lead to holiness. You can read more about it...
by Barbara | Nov 14, 2020
I sit staring at my one-eyed gingerbread man who I have managed to dismember piece by piece. He is delicious by the way. When I contemplate my own talents, I get a sense of what they are as I look back at my life. If the “inability to say no” is a talent, I have tons...
by Barbara | Nov 7, 2020
Pray for us oh holy Mother of God! He approached the table where I was seated and took the seat next to mine posing a question about how I knew that Mary really interceded in my life, and could the blessings I encountered really be possible? Perhaps, I could give him...
by Barbara | Oct 31, 2020
It is Halloween 2020. Frankly, I feel like we have been living this crazy holiday nightmare for months. We have been wearing masks, dining out of bags we pick up outside of doors from other masked humans, and hope that the contents are safe to eat. I have observed...
by Barbara | Oct 24, 2020
I had a lot of time as I recuperated to consider this question. I believe it is imperative for every Catholic to ponder personally as well. For me, foremost is the fact that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, was Incarnated, gathered to Himself and formed...
by Barbara | Oct 17, 2020
What if at your next doctor’s appointment the conversation went something like this. Doctor: “How’s your diet? Getting enough exercise? Is that mole new? Where are you on the road to heaven?” Patient: “Excuse me, what? Did you ask about my son Devon?” Doctor: “I...
by Barbara | Oct 8, 2020
As a woman, I wear many hats. Wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, friend, mentor, toilet cleaner, meal maker, dessert creator and consumer. But this is only a few of my hats, and like you, they are as diverse and adaptable as the situation requires. We women know how...
by Barbara | Oct 7, 2020
As a woman, I wear many hats. Wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, friend, mentor, toilet cleaner, meal maker, dessert creator and consumer. But this is only a few of my hats, and like you, they are as diverse and adaptable as the situation requires. We women know how...
by Barbara | Sep 30, 2020
“There never was a time, O God of Love, when your mind and your heart were not concerned about me.” (St. J. Eudes) That is one powerful sentence! It bears deeper reflection. I cannot fathom this kind of pure, selfless love. How could this God of ours truly be...
by Barbara | Sep 26, 2020
Every year we try and gather as a family to laugh, reconnect, and relax. Family members converged on our location in Utah. This was not our first choice of vacation destinations. Rather a drivable secondary option due to the original destination having quarantine...
by Barbara | Sep 3, 2020
“Lord, Lord open the door for us!” But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matt 25:13) I have had my share of bad news as many of you have. Getting a diagnosis which leaves us...
by Barbara | Aug 13, 2020
For a few months now in the daily readings, I have noticed an overarching theme proclaimed through the prophets. Here are a few examples. “Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt.” (Hosea 14:2) “Unless your faith is firm you...
by Barbara | Aug 6, 2020
Like the disciples in the Gospel of Matthew, it can feel like we too are in a boat being tossed by wind and waves like a mere toy. We know not how long this tempest will blow or where it will leave us physically, emotionally, economically, or spiritually. We all keep...
by Barbara | Jul 23, 2020
On Sunday we will hear about God appearing to young Solomon in a dream and say, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Who needs the lottery! Solomon was granted what most of us can only wish for with the words “Ask anything…” The God who created the...