Blog
In the Fire
The question is not whether the flames will come—
but who will be standing with us in them.
Recent Reflections
O, Christmas Tree!
O Christmas Tree! I was singing along to an English translation of "O Tannenbaum" the other day when the second line stopped me: O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,how faithful are your branches… What does that even mean, really? Branches can’t really escape from the...
Waiting Hearts: Advent Music to Slow Down and Prepare
In the TRUE Spirit of the Season This December, I’m doing something different. Instead of blasting Christmas carols from Thanksgiving onward—or, let’s be honest, from Halloween when Costco and half the stores decided Christmas had “arrived”—I’m choosing to actually...
What’s in Your Head? A Reflection On the 2025 “Words of the Year”
Last night before bed I caught a BBC News announcement: Oxford University Press had picked their 2025 “Words of the Year.” Rage Bait. Aura Farming. Biohack. Here’s what they mean: Rage Bait — stuff online meant to make you mad or outraged so you click, comment, and...
The Hope Candle: A God Story
(A Reflection for the First Sunday of Advent) Advent begins in the dark. The first candle we light — the Prophet’s Candle, the Candle of Hope — doesn’t flood the room with brightness. It’s just a small flame, a single point of light pushing back the shadows. Jeremiah...
15 Minutes a Day for the Holy Souls
Here's a tool to help you pray 15 minutes a day for the Holy Souls of Purgatory: a few minutes during morning prayer, one dedicated Rosary decade, a 3pm remembrance, and a small prayer at bedtime. Add this page to your phone's home screen for quick access, even...
The Writing on the Wall
Do You See the Writing on the Wall? Two things are equally infuriating: 1. When something bad happens and people tell you, “You should have seen the writing on the wall!” 2. When you actually did see it—and did nothing to act on the warning. Today’s reading from...
Sneers and Jeers for the King of the Universe
In Sunday’s readings we celebrate the feast day of Christ: King of the Universe. In the first reading, the liturgy takes us back to the anointing of David as King of Israel, and I immediately think of Goliath. You really can’t separate David from that fateful moment —...
Why Does the Catholic Bible Have More Books?
While I was writing my last few Daily Reflections on readings from 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, it occurred to me that some of you might not even be able to find those readings in your Bibles. Some of you may have been thinking, “Uh… where is she getting this? My...
The Root of All Hope
(reflection on 2 Maccabees 7) Upon Further Reflection... Well, after drafting this morning’s Daily Bread reflection about the woman with the seven sons from 2 Maccabees, I had to run out the door to my annual OB-GYN appointment. Her office was already fully decorated...