In this Vincentian Mindwalk, explore with me a street-level parable about the latest buzzword in many religious circles – “encounter.”
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Changing Our Clocks, Fast-forwards and Do-overs
Fall behind – spring ahead!
What if we could “replay” what we lost in our lives. Of course, we don’t get to replay the hours we lost.
Nor do we get to skip ahead and see our futures as we change clocks.
Can changing of clocks as a metaphor for our lives?
What was your mother’s special recipe?
Mothers often seem to have what seems like a secret recipe or ingredient for preparing a meal.
I wonder whether Vincent had some secret recipe that would account for the momentous changes he brought to the Church and society in 17th-century France.
I suggest it was his ability to imagine and support lay ministry, especially for women.
Remember Any Sermons 30 Years Later?
I can remember two talks that stopped me in my tracks … and still nourish me today. Each, in its own way, broadened my vision of what it means to be a follower of Christ, the Evangelizer of the Poor.
From “Sage on the Stage” To “Mentor in the Center”
I had never heard the phrases “Sage on the Stage” or “Mentor in the Center.” A mentor is one who helps people connect the dots in their lives.
Yes! I Actually Attended a Session of Vatican II
Freshly ordained in May, 1965, I was privileged to attend one of the final sessions of the Second Vatican Council. In this Mindwalk I share my journey into the church of Vatican II and Pope Francis.
Be Honest! Do We Prefer To Serve the “Good Poor”
Who do I prefer? When
I am honest with myself, I realize I prefer to serve. those whose poverty I understand.
Are there conditions on who we serve? – Do we feel good serving the “good: the “good poor”?
Lyrics That Lead to Prayer
“Life is not tried, it is merely survived if you’re standing outside the fire.”
When country singer Garth Brooks wrote those lyrics in 1993 I doubt he thought it might lead to prayer.
Imagine God Requiring a Security Deposit On “Our” Home
Every renter knows that a security deposit holds them responsible for for excessive wear and tear or damages.
What if God withheld a security deposit on our common home… earth?
Are All Your Vacation Pictures Perfect?
Are all your digital photos perfect. Do you want to edit out some things you did not see when you clicked.
Today, most iPhone users know how to edit out offending content.
Today, do we unconsciously edit out news that does not fit our world-view?
Ever Know Something Was Coming But Were Unprepared?
We may know that a parent is dying. But are we ever really prepared?
The situation is more complicated if we did not see it coming – an accident, pandemic, violence.
Let’s explore how prepared the followers of Christ were to face his leaving them and ascending to heaven.
Was Jesus an “Either/Or” …or… a “Both/And” Thinker?
Jesus said “Let not your hearts be troubled!” My heart is troubled by the polarization of “either/or” thinking. So I ask was Jesus and “either/or” thinker? Or was he a “both/and thinker?
Getting Personal About Life Choices
I have no recollection of the initial life choice my parents made in my name. But they set me on a path I still walk 85 years later. It led me to unexpected of a life choice to be a Vincentian.