Consolation, Desolation, and Hope: Learning From Christ’s Passion
My good friend and Jesuit priest Fr. Kevin Spinale emailed me on Mardi Gras to check in on how I was doing: “Pax. I hope…
suffering
Love Amidst Pain: A Reflection on the Journey to Calvary Through Mary’s Eyes
As my infant son struggled with a difficult medical condition over the last few years, I found myself in the midst of caregiving like I…
Not Meant to Carry it Alone: Lent and the Gift of Shared Suffering
The problem with personal grief is that you can’t prepare for it. About 10 years ago, both of my parents passed away — my dad…
Finding Peace in Rough Seas: Turning to Faith in Times of Personal Crisis
When I was 15 years old, my father took my cousin and me on a deep-sea fishing trip. The captain of the 60-foot-long charter boat…
The Paradox of the Cross: How I Found Hope in My Suffering
I grew up outside of church and only mildly conscious of God. When I graduated from high school, I moved from the west, where I…
Patiently Waiting: Experiencing Pregnancy Through Advent
I had never so much understood the waiting of Advent until the due date for my baby boy started rapidly approaching. My belly was huge;…
On Suffering: How I Stopped Asking ‘Why’ and Started Asking ‘How’
Actor Ed Asner said, “Raising kids is part joy and part guerrilla warfare.” He couldn’t have been more correct! The absolute best, most joy-filled thing…
Turning to Mary in Difficult Times
I never fully understood Mary when I was growing up. As a cradle Catholic, I memorized the “Hail Mary” by the age of 6, and…
How Do I Come to Terms With Violence in the Bible?
Question: I’m an adult reading the Bible for the first time. The Old Testament contains a lot of violence, including the deaths of women and…
I CAN’T FIND THE ‘SAVE’ PLACE!
My young daughter is riding out the wet and rather depressing days partly by playing some entrancing video games. Despite my occasional hand-wringing and guilty…
