Sea Glass Prayer

My all-time favorite form of prayer is searching for sea glass on the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan...

Sea Glass Prayer









Lord,
I am like a piece of sea glass.
Although I am nestled amid
the gritty sand and hard rocks
of life,
Your gentle waves of love
continuously wash over me
so that I become
smooth and soft.
Look closely!
I am glistening, sparkling and colorful.
I stand out
from my surroundings.
I am a reflection of
Your Holy Love
in me.
Amen.

Take off your shoes...

Holy Ground

I try to make a monthly trip to the Salzmann Library at St. Francis de Sales Seminary to nourish my soul with knowledge and serenity. It is a trip that I look forward to with much anticipation and consider it to be one of my favorite forms of prayer.

As I ramble down the city streets through the busy evening traffic, music blaring on the radio, my heart is filled with joy at having some time away by myself. When I arrive at the Seminary grounds, I turn off the radio and slowly enter the long, tree-lined drive. My soul is immediately silenced in the hush of this quiet beauty, while my heart leaps toward heaven. I believe that this is one of the most peaceful places on earth. While I quietly and slowly drive under the shade of the canopy of trees, I also feel shaded in the canopy of God’s love and I can’t help but let a sigh of sweet relief escape from my mouth as I recall Psalm 121-“The Lord is your shade”.

I approach the statue of St. Francis de Sales and whisper a quick prayer of thanksgiving and love to my favorite saint. I thank him for being such a great source of inspiration to me, for encouraging me to write and to share my faith with others.

Once I step out of the van, I am overcome by the lovely quiet. I am completely alone with only the sound of the birds to break the silence.

Something about this place really makes me slow down and try to soak in every little piece of it. I embrace the lovely old brick buildings with my eyes and admire the natural beauty of the trees, grass and flowers. Here, past, present and future are all connected. These grounds are timeless, a reflection of the timelessness of God. I feel relaxed as I surrender all of my worries and cares, and for once, I really am living in the moment. A true joy enters my very essence; I can’t help but smile from gratitude for this special place that feels like home to me.

As I slowly walk up the library steps, and pull the heavy door open, I feel a bit of excitement over the treasures that await me in the stacks of books. There is nothing I love better than reading, especially books of prayer that draw me close to God. I get lost amid the books, and feel a little bit guilty about the large stack of them that I balance in my arms on the way to check out.

Here, at the check out desk, I find another treasure. The Salzmann Library employs the dearest librarian in the world. Kathy Frymark is a real gem who makes everyone feel most welcome. I have never been to a library before where the librarian has ordered new books with me in mind, knowing that I will enjoy them. I apologize for my spiritual avarice in taking so many books with me, and she reassures me that she understands with her gentle comments such as, “There’s just something comforting about having a big pile of books nearby.” She is truly a kindred spirit!

All too soon, it seems my time here has come to an end. I walk slowly from the library to the van, savoring every moment of my precious time on this Holy Ground. I thank God for the Seminary of St. Francis de Sales and the Salzmann Library. They are sure signs to me that God loves his church in Milwaukee and he loves me as well. I ask for his continued blessings on St. Francis de Sales Seminary and all of the people who are inspired to grow in his love here.

Good Shepherd and World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday as well as World Day of Prayer for Vocations. I think it is very fitting that we celebrate these two events on the same day. It's most appropriate that we pray for more holy people to follow Jesus' example to shepherd the people of the world to greater holiness and love of God. I write this prayer in honor of my Godson, Matthew, who is laying down his life for his country as a United States Marine and for my nephew Aaron in the United States Navy. Thanks Matthew and Aaron! Keep up the great job! I love you!

"A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." John 10:11-18

Sweet Jesus, when you remind us that a good shepherd will lay down his life for his sheep, you are giving us a foreshadowing of the death you will taste on the cross for this world filled with sinners. We, too, are called to lay down our lives, to die many deaths for the good of others. Whether we are priests sacrificing our lives for our parishioners, spouses and parents sacrificing our lives for our families, employees sacrificing our lives for the good of our employers and society, or members of the military sacrificing our lives for our country, we are all doing it for your glory. Every little sacrifice that we make in doing our best, giving our all for you and for your presence in others is our act of laying our lives down for our sheep, your sheep. Guide us all, Jesus, in your quiet path of holiness that will lead to eternal joy. Be with us as we lay down our lives. Amen.

Feeding my Family

Yesterday, for what must have been the thousandth time, I was told again "I'd hate to pay your grocery bill!" I know its an interesting topic of conversation and I need to lighten up about it. For the record, I spend about $150 a week for groceries for my family (I love Aldi!) We go through 10 boxes of cereal, 5 gallons of milk, 6 loaves of bread, 3 jars of peanut butter-you get the picture. The kids have been using about 2 large jars of jelly a week, thank God for the grape vine arbor in our backyard! I wrote this story in response to an April Fool's article by Archbishop Dolan and then sent him a copy. He must have been praying for me, because I have not heard one rude comment since I shared this story with him. It may be that others have stopped commenting to me about my groceries, or possibly, that I have stopped being so sensitive to the remarks and have come to realize that some people are terribly lonely and I am an easy target for conversation. I am learning to make friends in the grocery store instead of enemies. Praise God!

The Fool in the Grocery Store

Jesus, I am a fool for your love. There is no time when I feel more foolish than when I shop for groceries for my family. Thursday is grocery shopping day at our house, Lord. Our cupboards are bare and we scrounge for tasty foods to eat for breakfast on Thursdays. My children complain that we’re out of milk for cereal, or the waffles remain, but we have no syrup to douse them with. So, as soon as I’m through working on Thursday afternoon, it’s off to Aldi I go to replenish our food supplies before I pick the children up from school.

I carry my three recycled banana boxes, plunk my quarter into the cart and begin my weekly chore of loading up my cart with healthy foods for my family and emptying my wallet of my hard earned money. By the time I reach the checkout, my cart is overflowing and I can barely see past it. Now, the comments begin. From the checker who exclaims “I’ve never seen such a large order before” to the fellow shoppers with their incredulous questions such as, “How many children do you have?” or” You must have a large family!” or “Are you shopping for a group home?” or “Do you really use all that milk?” I continue to cringe, not just from the comments and questions, but also from the stares, pointing and outright laughter that is directed my way. Look at the fool in the grocery store!

Sometimes, I try to justify my foolish behavior by telling my inquisitors my well rehearsed and often repeated truthful answer, “I have five children, four of them are boys and three of them are teenagers. I shop like this every week and yes, I’m Catholic!”

Other times, I tire of explaining my foolish antics and snarl a snappy answer like “I don’t have any children, I’m just very hungry!” or “I’m shopping for the hungry, care to contribute?” or “I tell my children not to eat, but they won’t listen to me!” And in one moment when I really felt pushed to the edge by nosy strangers with rude comments I regretfully answered “Yes, I have five wonderful children and the only chore I dread doing for them is grocery shopping because I have to put up with rude comments!”

Forgive me, Lord, for not bearing with your request to be a fool for you with meek humility. These children I shop for are not mine, they are yours. You have a purpose for them and it is my responsibility to nourish them with healthy food so they can grow strong in body, mind and spirit so to serve you and love you with all of their being.

Who am I to complain about this task? It is a great honor that you have placed upon my shoulders, to serve you by serving them. Help me to accomplish this mission with love, joy and peace in my heart. Help me to see that you are also in the inquisitive fellow shoppers in the store, and to always respond to their questions with love and patience.

The next time I receive stares and questions about my shopping habits, give me the grace to foolishly respond “I am married to a wonderful man and God has blessed us with five beautiful children. And guess what? We eat! Please keep us in your prayers!” Amen.

The Cracked Pot

Do you ever feel that you are not quite broken, but that you are getting there?

The Cracked Pot

While sipping on my early morning coffee from my favorite pink coffee mug, I took the extra time to be mindful of the sensation of warmth spreading through my hands as I cupped the mug in both of them. I closed my eyes and breathed in the refreshing coffee aroma and noticed the steam that rose to my face. When I opened my eyes again, I saw that my favorite mug was covered with tiny hairline cracks. The cracks weren’t so bad as to render my mug useless, but just caused it to appear a little less attractive. As I debated whether or not to toss my mug to the trash heap and buy a new one, I realized that I too, am like that cracked pot. There are parts of me that don’t work as well as they once did. There are parts of me that don’t look as attractive as they used to. But, nevertheless, I serve a purpose and I remain useful. My heart still holds God, just as my cup still holds its coffee. God will not throw me away just because I am not perfect. He will accept me with all of my cracks and weaknesses. He will continue to use me to carry his love to the world around me. I am a cracked pot with a higher purpose, and I will continue to serve, and I will persist in drinking my coffee from my beloved, favorite, pink coffee mug.

Springtime Prayer

Springtime Gratitude


God,

I’m sure this has all been said before, but it needs to be said again.

Thank you!

Thank you for the first daffodils of a warm spring morning.
Thank you for the songs of birds.
Thank you for the quiet hush of an empty church
lit only by candles.
Thank you for this quiet moment alone with you.

I love you!

Great Cathedral

Friday is one of my favorite days to go to church and spend some quiet time alone with God...

Great Cathedral

You keep drawing me inside of you,
Great Cathedral,
Holy Space
full of incense, candles and quiet.
I rejoice in the sight of the sunbeams
pouring through the stained glass windows.
My spirit is lifted by the witness of the great saints
who are immortalized in the many statues decorating the walls.
My heart sings along with the magnificent
sounds of the organ and choir.
I listen intently
to the timeless words of scripture
that direct my life.
I offer my prayers in unison
with the many voices that surround mine.
I receive my Lord and hold him
close in my heart.
It is here that I am at home.
I am powerless to stay away.
Keep drawing me inside of you,
Great Cathedral,
Holy Space.