Suffering meets consolation in the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy. For the sake of his sorrowful passion . . . It was 3 p.m. and it was time...
Practicing Catholic
Practicing Catholic essays explore Catholic spiritual practices, from lectio divina to washing dishes, through personal reflections on prayer and ritual.
Catholics are less than two percent of the population of Norway, and there are only nine priests in our diocese. That means one does not have much choice of...
Where is the hope in Lent? Isn’t Lent about dying?” I could feel the tension as our RCIA conversation shifted from Christmas to Easter. We were talking about...
My introduction to being a lector came through the invitation of another parish minister—not the pastor or another lector but the choir director. She...
Six years ago, I was at a Fourth of July party when a woman I know handed me a photocopied sheet. “I’m asking everyone to pray this novena for my fiancé’s...
Kite-flying is a venerable spring tradition, but in our family it also has religious significance. Every Easter, after the last egg is found and church clothes...
I love my Christmas dinnerware. For the past 20 years I’ve served many wonderful feasts on it. Family and friends have gathered around my festive green and red...
At about mile 22 I practically forgot the reason I was running—or at this point barely jogging—my second marathon in as many years. My feet were screaming at...
Genesis’ second chapter tells a story of how God planted a garden, then created human beings to till it. The reason is obvious: Gardens are a lot of work, so...
I love to make stuff, which doesn’t make me much different from many women I know. Lots of us like to knit, quilt, crochet, or do needlepoint for a whole...
