Scripture: A Mother's Lens

Whenever I hear the readings for today’s Mass, I’m tempted by the grumbling to be discouraged all over again. In the First Reading, the whole Israelite community grumbled; in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he has to exhort the people not to live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; and in …READ MORE

The significance of the miracle of the multiplication of loaves runs deep and requires meditation. Today, though, I want to draw your attention to what happens on either side of this miracle. The Gospel of John tells us that first Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee. Then, as the crowd follows him, he goes up …READ MORE

Do you believe in God? Yes, I do. But do you believe him? Our Scripture from today’s Sunday Mass reading is the beloved, and well known, Psalm 23—The Lord is my Shepherd. The psalm describes our Lord as the compassionate and merciful God who he is. In verdant pastures he gives me repose. He refreshes …READ MORE

“Mom, what does ‘drudgery’ mean?” my nine-year-old asks flatly, looking up from his summer reading. I fold towels and answer off the cuff: “It is the very exhausting, or very dull work of the everyday life . . . the toil, or the daily grind of chores that are sometimes repetitive in nature because they …READ MORE

I blink back the disbelief as the sonographer hands me what looks to me like a fuzzy image—a picture of my first child gestating within. I am twenty-two and expecting. My husband and I have been married just over a year. The doctor steps in with enthusiasm and proclaims he has never seen a clearer …READ MORE

Today’s Gospel reveals the beauty of Jesus’ character in his willingness to engage a desperate father despite his own tiredness, his gentle mercy with a hemorrhaging woman, and the incredible resurrection of a dead little girl.  How I love the miraculous phrase that Jesus utters as he grabs the little girl’s hand, raising her back …READ MORE