Inspired by Scholastica

We hear so many terrible things happening in the world today—mass shootings, wars, discrimination, hate crimes, racism, sexual exploitation. We sometimes feel very afraid and unsafe and hesitate to even venture out of our homes. Yet we cannot live our lives in fear. We must look for reasons to hope.     There is still much kindness in our world that sometimes we are not aware of. I was struck with a front-page story in the Kansas City Star recently that warmed my heart. It told about a man who was out jogging and collapsed on the street with a heart attack. One woman stopped to assist, then called two more women who performed CPR. A cardiologist driving by in his car also stopped   to help. They were able to save his life because they stopped to care. The jogger is very grateful and is trying to find the first woman who called for assistance to thank her. I also read about two teenagers in Australia who saved two younger girls caught in an ocean rip tide. When the li...

Sometimes, I find myself judging people who seem weak or inept or lazy. I think they ought to be able do better. I realize it's wrong to judge others - and I try not to - but those judgments inevitably seep in. I know that I'm not perfect, and I have a thousand faults or more myself, so I feel terrible when I fall into the trap of judging others.  I am learning to tell myself that others are doing the best they can, just like I am. In fact, I am probably weaker, more inept, and lazier than others, but I am often blind to my own shortcomings. So how do I overcome this detestable habit?  I try to find something good the other has done, so I can dwell on that. Or, I remind myself of my own faults, so I remember how inadequate or selfish I am. Actually, imperfections in a piece of pottery often make it more interesting and even add to the beauty of the pot. Isn't this often true in people, too? People who are too perfect seem unreal. In fact, the cracks and spots make them more...

Mary, Undoer of Knots is a title of Mary that comes from a 17 th century painting by Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner (1625-1707), which shows the Blessed Virgin Mary standing on the crescent moon surrounded by angels. According to an old legend, a man who was about to be divorced by his wife went to his pastor and asked for prayers. The priest prayed to Mary that the knot or sin that was keeping this man bound be loosed. Mary untied the “knot” and the man’s wife did not divorce him. The man attributed this to prayer to the Blessed Mother surrounded by a long ribbon containing knots that are being untied.   The devotion caught on and even Pope Francis prays to Mary, Untier of Knots. Since many of us have very tangled lives, the prayer is very appropriate: “Holy Mary, full of the presence of God during your life you accepted with great humility the Holy Will of the Father and the legacy of your Son Our Lord Jesus Christ. Evil never dared to entangle you with its confusion. Since ...

I had never heard of “joy snacking” before seeing the words on the Nice News page in my email. It made me stop to read it before deleting it. The author refers to bits of joy we can savor in our everyday lives, like a sunset or a smile or a piece of poetry.   Such pauses encourage us to take time to enjoy the simple things amidst our worries, griefs, and mundane tasks. Yet sometimes, we are so preoccupied that we miss taking note of them. I’m trying to do more joy snacking during Lent. Even though we’re supposed to give up things during this season, this one is allowed. It’s amazing how much we miss when busyness takes over our lives. This morning, I stopped to appreciate the five yellow crocuses barely visible amid the dry leaves on our patio. I felt thankful for the 87-year-old sister who carried supplies to our guest quarters. I feasted on the fresh zucchini-nut cookies that 90-year-old Sister Rosemary made in our new kitchenette. I also enjoyed the sun beaming through the win...