“It is just as much a sin to deprive the body without discernment of what it really needs as it is to over-indulge.” So said Saint Francis of Assisi to his band of brothers in the 1220’s, as recorded by his biographer, Thomas of Celano. This is the same Francis […]
Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
I cannot watch the 1986 film The Mission without weeping at certain scenes – particularly the moment when Rodrigo (Robert De Niro) is unburdened of his shame. Since you’ve all had 37 years to watch the movie, I will go ahead and spoil some of the plot. It is the […]
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
We who are shepherds are often asked at a critical moment to hold with reverence the story of a suffering sheep. Whether or not we do so with kindness and care depends in large part on whether we, like Jesus, are brave shepherds who have gone before.
Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
What’s it like for you to receive in your prayer? It is possible to pray dutifully and pray often, and yet not really open up and receive!
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Those of you who know me better know that the last 7 years have been an odyssey of personal healing. It all started with an unexpected phone call on my 41st birthday. With my susceptibility to workaholism, my birthdays never tended to be different than other days. But this birthday […]
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
What does it mean to say that Jesus is the brave Shepherd who goes before? What does it mean for me to become a brave shepherd who goes before?
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes