Discipline and habit equal happiness During an interview about the essentials of health and happiness, the reporter was surprised when I added work to my list. We were nearing the end of the time allotted for the interview, therefore I did not have time to elaborate about the many reasons I chose to add work to […]
Discipline and Habit Equal Happiness Read More »
Of course we don’t need church to pray. ‘I pray while I am hiking’, ‘while walking in the forest’, ‘while fishing’; I have heard many statements like these, in the past I would nod somewhat uncomfortably; not infrequently, I felt the comments were said as if to ward off contagion from those of us who
Don’t Need Church To Pray? Read More »
Christmas-What do we celebrate? An excerpt from a treatise against the heresy of Noetus by Saint Hippolytus was a reading in the Divine Office for December 23rd; a reminder of exactly what and why we celebrate during this Christmas season. The reading counters a prevailing belief of our modern culture: The early Christian Church suffered
Christmas- What Do We Celebrate? Read More »
The Cosmic Christ “Doesn’t this make you feel like you’re about to explode?” My new Benedictine Oblate sculptor friend Jan Aiijan and I grinned at one another in recognition. On the heels of my enthusiastic yes to Jan’s first question, she asked “Have you heard the phrase ‘lucid intoxication’?” Once again, we smiled at one another
Communion in diversity Communion in diversity, legitimate diversity, is the phrase Pope Francis used in the Joint Declaration created by Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras at their joint meeting in Jerusalem last week, to describe the “unity to which only the Holy Spirit can lead us, that of communion in legitimate diversity,” reminiscent of John’s
Communion in Diversity Read More »
The affluent and homeless This is the land of beautiful people, perfect weather and stunning coastlines but in the marginal areas along the back, rarely traveled dirt paths to the stunning dunes of Oceano beach are the homeless: Skinny, filthy and hollering loudly at the rising sun, the guy was either stoned or psychotic, or
The Affluent and Homeless On Thanksgiving Day Read More »
I remember when camping meant a tent, sleeping bags, listening to the raccoons nimbly flip off the top of the metal garbage container and nights where the stars were so dense and the milky way created such a wide swath through the sky that most of the black night is obscured. That was camping. For
Happiness: is there a key? Strange question, maybe, maybe not. “So, how exactly, do you decide to be happy?” My friend looked bemusedly at me as she replied to my statement that I thought happiness was a decision we made. “LOOK at that tree!” I exclaimed loudly and with vehemence, knowing that my reply to her question
Happiness: Is There A Key? Read More »
Until about five, maybe six years ago, I had never heard of the Camino de Santiago, the Way of St. James. For over 1200 years, pilgrims have been walking the Camino Frances or one of its many less populated variations: A 500 mile path from St. Pied du Port in France to Santiago, Spain
Thinking About Camino Read More »
Ebola and exercise Ok, I’ll admit that the title is a ploy to get your attention but it’s no lie. Exercise is the best antidote to stress of all types. Whether the stress arises from fear of Ebola or from anxiety induced by a more imminent danger, exercise is the best antidote. My publicist’s creative
Ebola and Exercise Read More »