By Patti ArmstrongSitting lotus style, inhaling the cool lake air and listening to the serene sounds of a flowing waterfall, Jess Echeverry sought to calm her spirit. She was on a journey to healing at the Self-Realization Fellowship Temple in Pacific Palisades, California. By 2006, Jess had experienced a certain amount of healing, but there was still a hole that hungered to be filled.
A prayer by Ellen Mongan
Jesus, I offer You myself today, in my nothingness. As I begin a new day, let me live in You, for You and through You. I come as a beggar asking You Jesus, to use me as a vessel of Your love. I seek You alone…Please fill me with Your unending love, so I can pour it out on everyone I meet. If You do not fill me, I will have nothing to give them.
by Ellen MonganAs Father’s Day approaches, my mind races to memories of what I learned from my three best dads. Life is full of learning experiences. I try to learn something from everyone I encounter. I have learned the most from the three most important fathers in my life, my dad, my father-in-law and of course my husband. I hope this article spurs you on to remember what your dad has taught you.
Our heavenly Father knows well how to delight His creatures’ human senses. This is never more evident than in spring, when nature, God’s own handiwork, surrounds us not only with the beauty of plants in full flower, but also with their aroma. Hyacinth, lavender, lilac, and sweetpea are just a few of the many varieties that fall into this fragrant category, blossoming at various times during the months of spring.
The month of May is traditionally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary within the Catholic Church. As a lay Dominican, I always look forward to the opportunity to promote the Rosary, a prayer that Saint Dominic received based on the inspiration of Christ's Mother. New from Franciscan Media / Servant Books is Johnnette Benkovic and Thomas Sullivan's The Rosary: Your Weapon for Spiritual Warfare.
The beauty of the month of May is reflected not only in nature but also in its dedication to Our Lady and in recognition of our earthly mothers. Additionally, it is the traditional time of great rejoicing as colleges and universities across the country celebrate commencement ceremonies.
I love the Saints. I love that the Church gives them to us, raises them up so that we can see what holiness looks like lived out in this life. I love that they point to something better, brighter. What we see in shadows, little hints in the sacrament of the everyday, the heavenly saints behold in full glory. Here in the shadowlands we strain for a pale shimmer of heavenly sunrise, while they stand in full sun.
As a Lieutenant in the U. S. Navy Chaplain Corps, Father Vincent Capodanno finally reached a much-anticipated goal, arriving in Vietnam during Holy Week, 1966. While he couldn’t know it at the time, stepping onto Vietnamese soil initiated his journey to his own personal passion, his own way of the cross, at the same time that the Passion of Jesus was being commemorated.
As a devout Jew and a man of deep faith, Joseph of Nazareth would have been highly familiar with the Scriptural promises of a Messiah. While he surely prayed for His coming, the humble carpenter never could have foreseen the crucial role he himself would play in the daily life of this Messiah for whom he longed.
“Then I said, ‘Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips’…Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it. ‘See,’ he said, ‘now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.’” (Isaiah 6:5 – 7)
Living His Life Abundantly International, Inc.® / Women of Grace® has provided inspiring and informational content for FREE through our blog for more than twenty years. To continue our mission, we need your help. We are seeking a one-time contribution or a monthly donation to support the continued growth and expansion of this free resource. We are abundantly grateful for your support.
