I understand that my death could come any day. My own life experiences have etched this understanding into the channels of my heart. I carry a consciousness of my mortality into all my ordinary actions. Knowing that the potential of death looms nearby influences what I think about, dream about and do with my days.Continue reading “Hope and heartache on this side of the grave”
Tag Archives: fasting
Lent in a pandemic
I’ve been inside since Wednesday afternoon. It all started when a friend, who ministers in New York, texted me to say that someone in his parish was being tested for the coronavirus (or Covid-19) and everyone who attended liturgy with them could be quarantined. I was alarmed. I realized that the epidemic was no longerContinue reading “Lent in a pandemic”
I fasted on only bread and juice for Lent. This is what I learned.
My stomach felt like an empty pit. There could not possibly have been anything left in the tank. I had already been on the toilet for 10 minutes, but I had not built up enough confidence to walk away. Diarrhea for reasons beyond our control is bad enough. This time it was, I admit, completelyContinue reading “I fasted on only bread and juice for Lent. This is what I learned.”
Love and ashes
our bodies make lines and our hearts beat repent, repent make us more honest in forty days conversion time prepare us, Mystery, for an eternity with you, true Love create in us clean hearts draw us closer– Love, we are yours You are our heartbeat You are our way help us fast, pray lines ofContinue reading “Love and ashes”
One life together
As of the writing of this reflection, Witness Against Torture, The New York Catholic Worker, and Voices for Creative Nonviolence, among others, are in the midst of a week-long fast for the victims of the recent airstrikes and ongoing besiegement of Yemen. There we see, once again, one of the poorest countries of the worldContinue reading “One life together”
The beauty of brokenness
An old building in disrepair, collapsing toward the ground. A rusting, defective car, stuck in layers of mud. Shattered glass. Melting candle. Cracked eggshells. Chipped ceramics. The sight of the simplest crack in a sidewalk can still my body, stun my soul. The colors and textures of a simple, broken branch can inspire poetry. It mayContinue reading “The beauty of brokenness”
Signs of spring in Lent
During this Lenten season, more than any other Lent, I am getting how significant it is that Lent means spring. Lent is also a time for us to connect to the meaning of desert; to magnify the event of Jesus fasting in the desert for 40 days to prepare for his public ministry in ourContinue reading “Signs of spring in Lent”
Recycled Lenten lessons
So far this Lent, I have already encountered the parts of me I don’t like. As I try to stay dedicated to my Lenten practices of fasting, prayer and almsgiving, I seem to keep catching a glance of myself in the mirror: I see that I am a sinner, I am weak, I am broken. OverContinue reading “Recycled Lenten lessons”
French braiding my way to a holier Lent
I am trying to teach myself how to French braid hair. As the mother of two daughters, one of whom was able to donate 10+ inches of hair at age three (with pigtails to spare), I feel that mastering this skill now is a savvy investment in my future time management. My first attempt atContinue reading “French braiding my way to a holier Lent”
Lent: Time to make some changes
Last week, I bemoaned Lent’s fast approach on Twitter: #Lent is only a week away, and I just noticed that I still have some Christmas decorations out… #TooSoon #GodHelpMeGetReady #GodHaveMercy — Sister Julia Walsh (@juliafspa) February 4, 2016 Ready or not, Lent is here and it is time to get into it—time to get intoContinue reading “Lent: Time to make some changes”