Inspired by Scholastica

Whenever I see clothes hanging outdoors, I think of my mother. She loved laundry days and the smell of fresh sheets and towels. She also admired other people’s laundry on clotheslines. You don’t see wash on clotheslines much anymore now that most people have driers. My mom didn’t like to have clothes battered around in a machine because to her wash was a living thing that required gentle care. I know that sounds silly to today’s busy homemakers, who have no time to spend a whole day drying clothes outside. Yet it’s true our linens and clothes lasted a lot longer with her tender loving care. She also mended clothes at their first sign of wear.  She would never hold things together with safety pins or let her children wear anything with holes. Her example edified me, but did not carry over to her offspring.  I enjoy the convenience of driers  and would much prefer to use my time on other things like reading, games, exercise, or TV.  I am not as frugal ...

My mom My mother rarely sat at the dinner table. Instead she waited on us, dishing out  food onto our plates, relishing our compliments, encouraging us to have more, often eating what we left behind. She always had fresh-baked cake or cookies or pie for dessert,  never store-bought always made from scratch.    I never realized how lucky we were to have a mother that loved to cook and lavish us with delicious meals, serving us tirelessly as if she had not spent hours peeling potatoes, cooking vegetables, mixing ingredients. I think she learned to be a servant when she worked for a Jewish family in Germany. Always in an apron   working in the kitchen, never taking time for her own needs or resting, never even expecting a tip.

  In St. Benedict’s Holy Rule he says the younger monks should respect the elders and the elder monks should love the younger.  He also commands that guests were to be received as Christ and special consideration should be given to the less fortunate. I’m sure he would be horrified at the way this year’s presidential campaign has been conducted.  The candidates have referred to each other as unfit, lying, evil, and worse in some instances.  Common courtesy is mostly absent and hateful slurs and innuendos are rampant. So I really liked the last question from a man in the audience at the second debate: What is one good thing you could say about your opponent? Hilary Clinton said she thought Donald Trump’s children were exemplary young people so he must be a good father, and Donald Trump said Secretary Clinton had perseverance and determination and never gave up.  It was a relief that they found something to admire about the other in spite of all the n...

Father Jacques Hamel, French priest When ISIS terrorists killed a Catholic priest in France last July, many expected increased violence against Muslims. But President Francois Hollande brought together religious representatives from Christian churches as well as Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish leaders and interfaith services were held to express unity. Instead of the attack inciting a war on religion, it showed a common bond of friendship between the major faiths. In fact, the priest, Rev. Jacques Hamel, was a good friend of the local Muslim leader according to a report in the Christian Science Monitor..  Too much attention has been given to the violence of past religious history and not enough to their peaceful coexistence for centuries, says historian Zachary Karabeli in a book called Peace Be Upon You.  " Each of the faiths teaches its followers to greet friends and strangers with the warm open arms of acceptance," he says. "Peace comes first and last...

Some people find solace in poetry, in words wrenched from the depths  of despair or the heights of ecstasy  symbolic  imagery that takes one to other worlds where dolphins speak and roads lead to exotic places, where darkness holds secrets hidden under layers of commonplace things. Poets have a way of turning life upside down and inside out, nothing is as it seems. Their eyes behold sights that exceed the superficial, they penetrate deep-down to break open the ordinary and find a freshness, a beauty, a brilliance unseen by those who live on the surface of life. Their vision provides bread for those who hunger for nourishment beyond humdrum routine and dull conversations, who yearn for rhapsodies that nurture their soul.

My faith sharing group recently discussed authenticity and what a challenge it is to be who we really are without any pretense or facade. According to Brene Brown, a psychologist, authenticity means having the courage to be imperfect, exercising compassion for ourselves and nurturing the sense of belonging that only occurs when we believe we are good enough. Practicing authenticity during our daily struggles is the way to have joy and gratitude in our lives, she says. Since our culture tells us how to look, how to act, what to say, it's hard not to worry about what others think or whether we will be accepted. This is especially challenging for young adults who strive to be like everyone else. Whether it's pierced noses, spiked hair, or torn jeans, they want to fit in with the crowd. But it's not just teens. How many of us have the courage to voice our opinion when it's different from our peers? Or wear short hair when everyone else's is long? Or own our mist...

Our country always seemed safe and protected from international attack until September 11, 2001. Since then, terrorism has spread to our shores, and Homeland Security has greatly increased its safety inspections and investigations. We no longer take our safety for granted on planes, buildings, or any place where crowds are gathered. The new 9/11 memorial in New York is a reminder of the nearly 3,000 people who died when the World Trade Center was demolished by two suicide plane attacks. It was a crushing blow to our country, one we will never forget. It is good to remember especially those who gave their lives trying to save others, firefighters, police, medical personnel, and co-workers. Jesus tells us several times in the gospel, "Do not be afraid." He tells us to trust him and to pray for our enemies. That is a real challenge in these times of radical Islamic and other terrorist attacks.We must pray that their hearts may be changed and cherish our freedom. We must li...