Inspired by Scholastica

One would think that Jesus would chose a more educated, more religious group of men for his first followers. Most of the apostles were uneducated fishermen, one was a tax collector, two wanted high places, one was a thief. Not a band of likely holy men. Yet perhaps Jesus wanted to show that he could turn even the most ordinary men into saints. And he succeeded except for one. They rest died a martyrs' death in the end. But it took a while to achieve that kind of holiness. Peter would deny Jesus three times before he realized his terrible lack of fidelity and was able to seek forgiveness. James and John were proud men who wanted to be treated special, but they later realized this was not humble. Matthew was used to mixing with those who often cheated people when collecting taxes, but he changed his ways. The gospels givee us glimpses of their slow conversion. These experienced fishermen could not catch anything one night, yet dragged in a buldging net of fish when Jesus told them wh...

I recently watched a video about Helen Reddy's climb to stardom called "I Am Woman." She had a hard time getting started, singing in nightclubs to small audiences. She was a single mother trying to balance child care with a career which didn't seem to be going anywhere. Then a man offered to be her manager and get her voice on recordings. They developed a relationship and Reddy achieved moderate success. But she wanted to write her own music and when she created "I Am Woman" her career really took off. Unfortunately, her manager wanted to take credit for her success and tried to put her down. Reddy was a strong believer in the equality of women and knew that she was equally responsible for her success. Without her voice, her partner was nothing. She taught her young daughter to be strong and confident. She told her that she could be anything she wanted to be. Most parents nowadays try to teach their daughters this same lesson. "Be all you can be." ...

IF ONLY I COULD FLY I’d soar up to the Matterhorn to pick velvety white edelweiss;   I’d visit Bolivian highlands where air is thin and shivery.   I’d cross the treacherous seas to drink Bordeaux and Chardonnay in charming cafes along the Rhone.   I’d sail through billowy clouds to feel the condensation fresh as dewdrops on a summer morn.   I’d swoop through hoards of seagulls hovering above the ocean waves.   I’d zoom outside the Milky Way to discover unknown galaxies beyond, maybe catch a shooting star or two.   If I could fly I’d carry moonbeams, aromas of gardenias and bluebells and lovely symphonies across the sky.  

I used to think forgiveness was easy. If someone called me a name, or hurt my feelings, or shamed me in some way, I could just avoid them and say I forgave them but really still resented them in my heart. That’s not the kind of forgiveness Jesus requires.   In the Our Father, Jesus says, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We ask God to forgive as we forgive,” and that means we have go through the hard work of real mercy and reconciliation. It might mean ironing out differences and coming to some form of acceptance. In the early church things did not always go smoothly. For example, Paul believed that non-Jews could become Christians without being circumcised. Peter disagreed. They argued over this for some time. But finally Peter was able to admit he was wrong and the church held together. So even though Peter had been appointed head of the church, he submitted to Paul, the former Jew who persecuted Christians. Scripture does not indicate tha...

. When too many things start spiraling out of control around us, it's hard to know how to respond to so many crises. Foremost is everyone's mind right now is the coronavirus  lives around the world and will continue to wreak havoc until a safe vaccine is found. There's also the climate crisis which continues to melt ice in the polar regions causing the deaths of many species as well as changes in weather patterns responsible for hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, and forest fires. Then there's the political disaster whirling around us that is creating antagonism, disunity, and  terror.  Where do we find hope and peace in this chaotic atmosphere? We certainly can't close our eyes and wish it all to go away. Nor can we wait for other people to do something to solve the problems. Each one of us has to roll up our sleeves and become part of the solution.Whether it's volunteering at a food kitchens, making masks, teaching literacy, urging people to vote, reaching out t...

 As we mourn the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we also rejoice in her inspiring life. She overcame many obstacles to reach her final achievement as a Supreme Court judge. Nothing seemed to daunt her; she was brilliant, determined, and fearless. She is best known for her fight for gender equality.  When she married Marty Ginsburg she was still attending law school at Harvard, and soon was juggling studies with a child and a sick husband. She graduated at the top of her class, but when she applied for jobs at law firms in New York, they were not ready to hire a woman. So she began to teach law at Rutgers University School of Law and at Columbia Law School. She was also director of   the influential Wom en’s Rig hts Project of the American Civil Liberties Union during the 1970s.  President Jimmy Carter appointed her as a district judge and then President Bill Clinton  named her as a Supreme Court judge in 1993. Although shy and diminutive, she h...

It was just a little thing. Tiny vases of flowers on the  tables in our dining room. They brought smiles to our faces during the stress of this pandemic. The bright colored zinnias and daisies came from our garden and many of us can't go outside to see them due to the heat or disability.  A friend who goes out walking early in the morning picks a rose  to put on someone's desk. It's a nice surprise to begin the day. Another woman puts a joke on her door every day to tickle visitors. It doesn't have to be anything big. It's the thought that counts.  We might think, "I don't have time to do things like that. Those who really care make time. It's amazing the rewards it brings.  I'm blessed to belong to a community that cares. That old saying, "Little things mean a lot" is true. We might send a note to someone who is ill. It's a picker-upper when one is weak or in pain. Or we stop to talk to someone who seems lonely or depressed. It's ...