Does looking at a crucifix make you uncomfortable? It does me. Most of us would say we prefer to look at an empty cross. One person I spoke to at a church I was visiting pointed to the empty cross behind the pulpit. She enthusiastically exclaimed, “No crucifixes at this church, just empty crosses. We…
What is your greatest fear? Psychologists have asked this question over and over again. The consistent, number one answer given is “speaking before an audience.” The number two answer is “death.” When you think about what this implies, when given the choice of being the one in the coffin or eulogizing the one in the…
Do you know someone who, when he or she is sick, isn’t the best patient? They become a bit of a whiner? We’ve all got plans, projects, and deadlines. Most of us live “behind schedule.” Now that we’ve got the flu, we won’t be making the kind of progress we expected to make on our…
As St. Teresa of Ávila was traveling to one of her convents, she fell off a horse while crossing a cold stream. The current, being strong, caused Teresa to lose her footing and she was almost swept away. She complained to God about the constant trials in her life. The Lord replied, “Do not complain,…
I don’t know about you but most of the books I buy are often associated with other writers or content creators- a reference in the text itself, a foot note, etc. I was introduced to Phil Volker by Terry Hershey, who in turn had written an endorsement to a Robert Capon book I had just…
I think most of us have heard one or more versions of what’s been called, The Parable of the Drowning Man. If you’re unfamiliar with it, the story starts with a flood in which a Christian, now on a roof top, refuses several offers of rescue. The Christian tells the would-be rescuers that God has…
Emily DeArdo in her book Living, Memento Mori, has a chapter titled, “In It Together.” This chapter is associated with the fourth station of the cross in which Jesus meets his mother on his way to his crucifixion. Mother and Son are in this together. Emily refers the reader to the time soon after Jesus’s…
In my last post, I said that living memento mori means facing and accepting the reality of our situation, the burden we carry. After a period of time, we may get used to it, build a coping system that works, and move forward with our life. Our new normal begins to feel normal. And then……
I think we all know the feeling or experience of something not being fair that we are being asked to shoulder. On a light note, getting a speeding ticket when you were just moving with the flow of traffic. The question is, “Why was I singled out?” On a serious note, knowing someone who is…
This is the time of year when many of us resolve to change something about the way we do or think about life. We make the change with the hope that things will improve. Even with the best of intentions and preparation, we’re likely to fail to some degree or at some point. Is that…