Journal

Tag: Reflections

A Car Dealership Doing the Work of God

“All work is God’s work.”  “Your work matters to God.”  “You are priests in the public square.”  “All church member’s are ministers.”  “Vocation is integral, not incidental, to the mission of God.”   These are assertive phrases one hears a lot around a church that...

“Love Notes in Falling Leaves”

It is the season of autumn, my favorite by far and we’ve had some stunning, breathtaking days of beauty, haven’t we?   I cannot help but be reminded of the poem  God’s World by Edna St. Vincent Millay:  O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!  Thy winds, thy...

A Most Powerful Prayer

Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916) from France was a small and simple man whose unusual life of great faith and sacrifice would come to inspire many Christians and non-Christians alike. Serving in the French army in north Africa, the religious devotion of the Muslims he...

“How did you meet God at Corhaven?”

After most group retreats at Corhaven and often personal retreats, we ask a few questions about people’s experiences and ideas.   And we always ask “How did you meet God?”.  The following replies are just a few taken from recent retreatants.  Praise God that he meets...

Silent Suppers…

“In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know that you are nothing. It is only when you realize your nothingness, your emptiness, that God can fill you with Himself. Souls of prayer are souls...

Deep Inspiration from a Life Cut Short

Recently while in China, I had the opportunity to reconnect with Chris Hickey, a good man who I’d gotten to know while at St. Brendan’s.  He shared with me a hard story of the death of one of his good friends, Brad Ipema, who died too young. Chris forwarded on to me...

Befriending Benedict

Laura Merzig Fabrycky wrote this blog originally for The Washington Institute, and asked if we can post it on our website.  These are her reflections after co-leading the retreat on “Rhythms and Vocation: An Experiential Introduction to the Rule of St....

The Smallest Things Matter the Most

Yesterday, I bumped across a couple of brief writings from some great souls that were essentially saying the same thing.   Basically, don’t worry too much about the big picture, but rather love the people who are actually around you with great love, and do the things...

Perspective of God’s Works of Wonder

With the hustle and bustle of work, school, and church, I find it hard sometimes to take a deep breath.  Sometimes we carve room for that special time of rest, and other times, it falls upon us like Gods saving mercy.  The image of our planet from Mars struck Bill and...

The Lord Does Not Waste A Background

“God doesn’t waste a background.” This thought, planted by the Rev. Sam Ferguson during a study of the life of St. Paul began coming to fruition for me during my preparations for giving the general Father’s Blessing at the January 2014 Mother/Father’s Blessing held by...
God, Isaiah and Oswald Chambers

God, Isaiah and Oswald Chambers

Like many parents, I am fretting over the summer calendar already.  (Maybe these extra snow days after an already-long weekend  are wearing me out!)  The awesome church camp schedule is posted, but I’m still waiting on the county’s schedule.  Further, we have several...

Something Tangible for the New Year

A book review of Tangible: Making God Known Through Deeds of Mercy and Words of Truth by Chris Sicks (Colorado Springs, CO; NavPress, 2013) by Mary C. Amendolia How did an atheist turn into a man of mercy? Tangible: Making God Known Through Deeds of Mercy and Words of...
A Good Man, a Good Life, a Good Death

A Good Man, a Good Life, a Good Death

On December 31, 2013, Bill Scherer, father to Tara and father-in-law to me, entered the larger Life.  He was a founding board member of Coracle, and instrumental in enabling Corhaven to come into reality, among so many other things.  Below is the homily that I...