St. Veronica’s Church is shaped like Noah’s ark. Its facade is covered with religious images.

At the Karen House, the house for students where I gave the retreat, the Sisters often sang in three-part harmony with echoes, accompanied by different drums, a tambourine, and a shaker (a flat, rectangular instrument filled with seeds). I told them that if the Sister responsible for our liturgy in Chardon heard them, she would think she died and went to heaven!

The hymnal contained songs in English and in Swahili. To my pleasant surprise, the song I wrote for St. Julie’s canonization, “Mother Julie lived for the Lord” was among them.

During the hymns, we and the priests clapped (in different rhythms), sometimes dropping our arms at the side. Or we waved our hands from side to side.

The Sister who read usually sang the entire Responsorial Psalm.

The white altar cloth in the chapel in the Delegation House has designs made by pinning. The designs are changed occasionally.

Communion

We sometimes received Communion by intinction. Either the priest placed the sacred hosts and wine at the top of the altar and we dipped the host in the cup ourselves, or the priest dipped the host and we received on the tongue. Otherwise we received the host in our hand or on the tongue.

At St. Veronica Church, our Sister Christine was a Eucharistic minister. Laypeople were not needed to fulfill this role. Those who served in special ways wore a large sash with the title of their role on it.

On the last day of retreat, after Communion a Sister went to the ambo and gave a speech thanking me for leading the retreat.

Adoration

Each day the Sisters had Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for an hour. They sang, prayed out loud and silently, and concluded with the Divine Office. They have the new version of this Church prayerbook.

In front of the sacred host, many Sisters knelt on the floor, bent over, and touched their forehead to the floor. If I had done this, it would have taken two Sisters to help me up!

At the Delegation House, the Sisters did not wear shoes in the chapel. Imagine if at our Province Center we removed our shoes before entering!

Celebrants

At the beginning of the Mass, the priest explained its intentions. After Communion he gave a little talk about who he was and his ministry. One day Bishop Obed was the presider. He had only been consecrated three months earlier. The Sisters called him a baby bishop.

Next week I’ll report on the food I ate in Africa.

The post African Masses appeared first on Catholic Faith Corner.

Since I arrived home from three weeks in Eastern Africa, many have asked me about my visit to our Notre Dame Sisters there.  In the next several blog posts, I will present highlights and details of my time. For now, here is some basic information:

How long did it take to get there?  2 ½ hours to New York, then 15 hours to Kenya.

What did you do there?  I spoke to our ND Associates and then our novices, gave an eight-day retreat to junior and senior professed, and then gave two talks to the junior professed (who make temporary vows). On the last day, I went on a morning safari with two of our Sisters.

How many Sisters are in Africa?  101.  There are 31 candidates, some in Tanzania and some in Uganda; 31 postulants in Uganda; 30 novices in Kenya; and 52 junior professed plus 8 tertians.

How did Notre Dames come to be in Africa?  The congregation originated in Coesfeld, Germany. German SNDs came to the United States; Sisters from the USA went as missionaries to India; and then Indian Sisters went to Africa as missionaries. So you can say that we US Sisters are the grandmothers of the African Sisters.

In what countries in Africa will you find SNDs?  Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique.

Were you very hot?  Taking a sunhat and suntan lotion was in vain.  August is winter in Africa, so most days had a thick cloud cover, making it look as if it would rain any minute, but it never does. It was usually 74°, but it got chilly in the evenings.

Did you get Ebola, malaria, traveler’s diarrhea, or mosquito bites?  No!  Many people, especially the Sisters I live with, were storming heaven for me. There were no mosquitoes, but the beds had mosquito netting just in case.

How did you prepare for the trip?  I had to get nine vaccinations and apply for visas. Sisters who had been to Africa gave me valuable advice.

What did the Sisters speak?  Everyone spoke English, but with an accent.  In Kenya, which had been a British colony, English is used in schools. The Sisters also knew Swahili, and many hymns were in that language. Some also knew their tribal language. The only words I learned were “asante,” which means “thank you,” and “habari yako” (“hello, how are you?”).

How did you know what to do? I had a “guardian angel” at each of the three convents where I stayed. She helped me with meals, made sure I was on time for events, and even did my laundry.

What surprised you?  The Sisters provide all their own food by farming. They raise animals and grow crops. The novices operate one farm and even slaughter the animals! Therefore the food is fresh, and chemicals are not used.

Stay tuned to learn about the food, animals, schools, ministries, the liturgies, other celebrations, etc.

At the end of my talk on the joy of being a consecrated woman, I taught the junior professed the song, “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy.” Later, they sang it at my farewell celebration. Unfortunately, I can’t post the video of them singing, but here is the YouTube version. (You can skip the ad.)

https://youtu.be/xoOyjO1sbXo?si=QGonEbS4HXmJkyo4https://youtu.be/xoOyjO1sbXo?si=QGonEbS4HXmJkyo4

The post Introduction to Visit to Africa appeared first on Catholic Faith Corner.

Providentially, Scott Sanders offered to provide a guest blog post to cover one of the weeks I will be in Africa. I hope you find it helpful.

Busy parents, parish volunteers, and professionals carrying family responsibilities often work hard to live their faith while running low on emotional bandwidth. The tension is real. Prayer and Sunday Mass can feel steady; yet anxiety, irritability, and fatigue still spill into decisions and relationships. Mental wellness and everyday emotional wellness deserve the same ordinary attention given to meals, sleep, and work. This is because mental strain can distort how grace is received and shared. With thoughtful, faith-based self-care and Catholic lifestyle integration, it becomes easier to seek mental health support without guilt or confusion.

Understanding Faith-Compatible Wellness

Spirituality and mental health work best as partners, not competitors. A simple rule helps. Choose practices that support your dignity, freedom, and love of God and neighbor, and skip anything that replaces prayer, the sacraments, or conscience. Christian prayer stays central because pray to know Jesus frames wellness as relationship, not self-fixation.

This matters because many popular trends promise calm but leave you more scrambled or spiritually uneasy. The wellness market is valued at $1.5 trillion. It is normal to feel pressured to keep up and wonder if you missed the “right” method.

Picture a parent who prays daily but also uses breathwork, a short walk, or cold water on the face. Those habits are like setting the table so grace can be received with less noise and reactivity. That same principle can guide low-effort support through reflective, story-based listening.

 Use Reflective Reading or Podcast Listening to Steady Your Day

When faith-compatible wellness meets real life, it helps to have support you can carry into the ordinary moments of your day. Listening to podcasts or reading reflections can be a gentle, low-effort way to support everyday mental and emotional wellness. Educational and inspirational episodes and written reflections often offer encouragement, fresh perspective, and a sense of connection. This is especially true when you hear real stories from people who have faced setbacks, pursued personal growth, or reached meaningful goals. That kind of story-based companionship can soften feelings of isolation, reminding you that struggle and progress are part of being human.

Over time, positive content can also provide motivation and practical insights that help you keep a healthier mindset. If you want a story-driven example centered on perseverance and growth, you can keep this one handy for days when you need a steadier inner voice.

Try 7 Offbeat, Faith-Friendly Ways to Feel More Grounded

When your mind feels noisy, it helps to have a “menu” of small practices you can reach for, especially ones that fit Catholic rhythms of prayer, service, and community. Mix one or two of these into your daily routine.

1.      Try “forest bathing” for 20 minutes: Walk slowly under trees and treat it like a Creation-focused examen: notice light, wind, scent, and color. Then name one gratitude and one worry to hand to God. Forest bathing benefits often come from lowering sensory overload and giving your attention one gentle place to rest. If you can’t get to a park, do a “micro-version” on a tree-lined block and stop for three deep breaths at every crosswalk.

2.      Practice birdwatching mindfulness with one simple prompt: Stand still for 5–10 minutes and listen for three distinct bird calls; then look for the bird that made each sound. Birding naturally increases mindfulness and presence because you have to pay attention to small movements and patterns. To make it faith-friendly, close with one line of praise, “Lord, how diverse Your works are!” and move on with your day.

3.      Use pet companionship as a “loneliness interrupt”: If you have a pet, schedule two short “connection breaks” daily: 5 minutes of play or brushing in the morning, and a 10-minute walk or cuddle in the evening. Pet companionship supports mental health by giving your body a calming touch, predictable routine, and a sense of being needed. If you don’t own a pet, ask a neighbor if you can occasionally walk their dog or visit a friend’s cat.

4.      Do faith-aligned art therapy with a low-pressure project: Set a timer for 15 minutes and sketch, collage, or color one spiritual theme: hands in prayer, a storm and a lighthouse, the Sacred Heart, or a saint’s symbol. The “therapy” part is the process. Label the emotion you’re carrying, then choose colors or shapes that match it, without judging the result. Finish with a simple offering: “Jesus, I give You what’s on this page.”

5.     Try tai chi for mental wellness after listening to or reading something reflective: Right after, do 6 minutes of gentle flow: slow weight shifts, shoulder circles, and “cloud hands” (hands floating side-to-side with soft knees). Tai chi for mental wellness can help by downshifting the stress response and reconnecting mind and body through steady, non-competitive movement. Keep it simple: if you can breathe and move slowly, you can start.

6.      Choose one “hidden” volunteering activity. Volunteering and emotional health often connect through purpose and belonging, but it needs to be sustainable. Pick one small role for 4–8 weeks. Write one encouraging note weekly to a homebound parishioner, help set up chairs once a month, or bring an extra bag of groceries to the parish pantry. If you tend toward burnout, choose “behind-the-scenes” service over high-emotion roles.

7.      Make a candle-and-breath ritual your transition between roles: When you move from work to family time, or from parenting to prayer, light a candle. For 2 minutes, inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 6, and name the role you’re entering. This is a concrete way to “close the mental tabs” the same way reflective listening helps you focus a wandering mind. Pair it with one sentence from Scripture or the day’s saint.

Common Questions about Wellness Habits

Q: What if these practices make me feel scrupulous or like I’m “doing it wrong”?
A: Keep the goal simple: peace, gratitude, and steadier love of God and neighbor. If a practice spikes anxiety or perfectionism, shrink it to one minute and use a gentle closing prayer like “Jesus, I trust You.” When scruples persist, bring it to confession or spiritual direction and ask for one clear boundary.

Q: How can I schedule mental wellness when my day is already packed?
A: Treat it like hygiene, not a project: attach one small habit to something you already do, such as after coffee or before bed. Many people are already doing pieces of this since self-care activities often include movement and connection, so you may only need a structure and a timer.

Q: Can I do these even if I’m not “into mindfulness”?
A: Yes. Choose a concrete focus like noticing one sound, one color, or one Scripture phrase, then stop. The point is attention with reverence, not an empty mind.

Q: Which options fit introverts, extroverts, or people who burn out easily?
A: Introverts often do best with quiet, sensory practices and low-pressure creativity. Extroverts usually benefit from brief social connection or small acts of service. If you burn out, pick predictable, low-emotion commitments and protect your rest.

Q: Should I replace therapy or medication with prayer and these habits?
A: No. Faith and treatment can work together, and many people find better mental health alongside consistent spiritual practice. If symptoms are intense or worsening, talk to a licensed clinician and keep your spiritual support in place.

Build Steady Wellness Through One Small Weekly Practice

When life feels full, it’s easy to want better mental and emotional health yet struggle to keep anything consistent without scruples or burnout. The way forward is integrating wellness into daily life through prayer-adjacent routines and a consistent mental health practice. Over time, motivating faith-based self-care like this makes room for calmer reactions, clearer thinking, and a steadier sense of God’s nearness in ordinary stress. Pick one simple practice and let it become a gentle habit.

What do you do to stay mentally healthy?

Which one or two suggestions here are you included to adopt?

For those who are unfamiliar with Tai Chi (like me), here is an instructional video. It’s excellent, but you need to endure ads by Huston and Vonn every couple minutes!

The post Everyday Ways to Boost Mental and Emotional Wellness appeared first on Catholic Faith Corner.

I said to the almond tree, “Sister, speak to me of God.”

And the almond tree blossomed.

~ Nikos Kazantzakis

My home, an apartment on Pine Grove Trail, faces north, and the view is our lovely pine forest—a place I always considered sacred. Lately I’ve been hearing a great deal about trees: how they support one another through their root systems, how they even “speak. A Facebook post was “Advice from a Tree:  Stand tall and proud, go out on a limb, remember your roots, drink plenty of water, be content with your natural beauty, and don’t forget to enjoy the view!”

Here is my chapter on trees from my book Voices ~ God Speaking in Creation.

Zacchaeus’s Sycamore Tree

Most people have favorite trees: the oak from which Dad hung an old tire, the apple tree whose lowest branch is the perfect perch for reading, the graceful willow by the side of a stream. No doubt Zacchaeus’s favorite tree was the sycamore that boosted him toward Christ and salvation.

How convenient for Zacchaeus that a sycamore tree grew along Jesus’ route. This tree’s short trunk and wide lateral branches make it ideal for climbing. So Zacchaeus took advantage of what nature provided, a tree, to make up for what nature had denied him, height. The wealthy tax collector, probably pompous and rotund, clambered up the tree as fast as he could. He was not afraid to be up a tree in order to see Jesus.

Keeping our eyes on Jesus is not so easy. It requires initiative, courage, and discipline. Sometimes it means risking our job, our friends, our reputation, or even our life. Sometimes it means standing alone. Followers of Jesus must be willing to be labeled “fool,” “oddball,” and “goody-goody” as well as “troublemaker.” After all, Jesus, who was accused of being crazy or possessed, did warn, “A disciple is not above the teacher. . . . If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul [Satan], how much more will they malign those of his household!” (Matthew 10:24–25).

St. Oscar Romero

Archbishop Oscar Romero knew what it was like to be out on a limb for Jesus’s sake. For three years he preached Christ’s values of justice and peace, condemning the injustice and violence perpetrated by El Salvador’s government. He endured mockery and persecution. Four other bishops in his country opposed him. The transmitter in church that broadcast his sermons was destroyed by a bomb. He was the object of a million-dollar smear campaign. Aware that he was on “the list,” the Archbishop offered his blood for his people. He refused personal protection, saying, “The shepherd does not want security while security is not given to his flock.” On March 25, 1980, Oscar Romero was gunned down as he celebrated Mass in the cancer hospital where he lived. His foolhardiness gained him the beatific vision. He is now St. Oscar Romero.

Granted, we are not all called to be martyrs by blood. We all know, though, how daily decisions and circumstances can be calls to Christian heroism. We draw strength to answer these invitations by being united with Jesus through prayer and the sacraments, and from people who share our vision. When we encounter someone living simply or hear of someone forgiving an enemy, then we are more disposed to live that way ourselves. We are so interrelated in the body of Christ that we constantly affect one another. Our goodness and the good that we do somehow influence everyone else. Unfortunately, so do our badness and the bad we do.

Being a Sycamore Tree

One way we can exert a positive influence is to play the sycamore tree in the lives of people searching for God. If we are deeply rooted in love and faith, we are able to offer others the support they need to behold the divine. A woman invites her friend to return to the Church and accompanies her to the sacrament of reconciliation. A man lends a co-worker a good spiritual book. A busy pastor makes time to counsel a seventeen-year-old who is undergoing a crisis of faith. Evangelization is every Christian’s mission. We carry it out by raising our children to know and live the faith, by participating in the parish programs, and by contributing to the missions at home and abroad. To lift others to Jesus we needn’t proclaim him on street corners. Our lives shout him by our kindness, prayerfulness, and concern.

Trees as Symbols of Life and Death

Trees figure largely in salvation history. Many of them are symbols of life. Genesis tells how God planted the tree of life in the garden. This same tree grows in the city of God described in the Book of Revelation. Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God in terms of a flourishing mustard tree in whose branches many birds nest. On the other hand, some biblical trees represent death: Eden’s tree of the knowledge of good and evil; the tree that ensnared King David’s son Absalom’s hair, making him easy prey for the enemy; and the fig tree Jesus cursed for its lack of fruit. The tree of the cross paradoxically belongs to both categories. Although it is an instrument of death, it brings about eternal life.

Reconciliation

Zacchaeus’s tree is a symbol of life because it led to reconciliation, a characteristic of growth. Sin saps our energy and results in decay. Although it is really not a black mark on our souls, sin makes us feel dirty, marred. It is a disease that also harms those around us. When Zacchaeus is healed and purified by Jesus, not only he, but everyone in his house and in the neighborhood benefits.

Jesus still works dramatic miracles of grace in some sinners. Jim Townsend served a sentence for killing his pregnant wife. She had tried to prevent him from attacking a man during a card game. While in prison, Jim came to know Jesus better and was drawn to him. After he was released, he became a Franciscan brother, devoted to bringing other people to Jesus, the Life, by his preaching.

Some theologians identify mercy as the greatest of God’s attributes. God described himself to Moses as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, . . . forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Exodus 34:6–7). Repeatedly God forgave his straying chosen people, and repeatedly Jesus forgave sinners he met on Earth. Our God is the God of second chances and third and fourth . . .

Conversion

Undeniably, the healing of our body is remarkable. We scrape a knuckle. Soon a scab forms. Underneath it skin grows, just enough to fill the injured space. The scar shrinks and falls off, uncovering the new layer of skin. Gradually even the scar fades. Broken bones too knit to become whole again. Likewise, our supernatural life can be healed when it is damaged. Through encountering Christ in the sacraments, we are repeatedly restored to health. There the Divine Physician mends our fractured humanity. The working of grace makes us like new.

It is always possible for a Christian to make a 180-degree turnabout to God. But such dramatic conversions are rare. Today the concept of life-long conversion has taken hold. We realize that all of us are constantly challenged to turn more toward the Lord. In many ways the Holy Spirit is quietly renewing the Earth. How appropriate that the Renew program, a program for continual conversion, chose a tree for its logo, a symbol of life and growth.

Forgiving Others

A major part of conversion involves being reconciled with one another. The all-too-human reaction to an offense or injury is to return evil for evil, reverting to the Old Testament morality of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The number of liability suits in recent years has skyrocketed so that liability insurance is practically unaffordable for most. The entertainment media advocate revenge along with their general sale of violence.

Contrary to today’s culture, Jesus taught forgiveness. He lived it when he forgave his executioners as he was dying on the cross. His followers try to live it. The world was stunned at the sight of St. Pope John Paul II embracing his would-be assassin. It was also amazed when Amish people comforted the family of the man who shot at ten of their schoolgirls, killing five.

Grudges

Actually, forgiving is healthy. Unforgiveness threatens our well-being. As someone noted, holding a grudge is drinking poison and expecting the other person to die from it. Harbored within a person, bitterness snowballs until it destroys individuals, families, and nations.

Anyone who has borne resentment toward another knows how miserable it makes one’s own life. To nurture a grudge, one must always be on guard, thoughts are absorbed, and sleep is lost. Like other evils, this hardheartedness is upsetting emotionally and perhaps even physically. If we would abolish all silent treatments, other petty meannesses, grudges, retaliations, and lawsuits, much of our suffering would disappear.

In order to be a peacemaker by extending forgiveness, we have to be strong. We have to own a good self-concept. Then we will be free enough to be humble and loving and Christian. We will be able to say “I forgive you.” We will also be able to say sincerely “I’m sorry.” With Jesus’ loving encouragement, Zacchaeus could do both.

The Strength of Trees

Trees are majestic creatures. Upheld by sturdy trunks, they reach into the sky and tower over us. Whether the wind rustles or howls through their branches, they only bend and sway. Most impressive are the redwood trees of California that can grow to be an amazing three hundred and fifty feet high. Surprisingly, the roots of these giant trees are very shallow, only five or six feet deep. How do the redwoods remain standing upright? Their secret is that they grow in a group and their roots intermingle. The trees hold up one another—a lesson for us all!

The giant sequoia trees that grow only on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada also teach a moral. Their seeds are trapped inside their pinecones. It requires a fire to dry out the cones so that they crack and release the seeds. When these seeds fall to the ground, new life begins.

The psalmist draws on trees to deliver an important  message. He makes an apt comparison. He says that people who follow God’s laws “are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither” (Psalm 1:3). An upright person has an air of dignity. Moreover, he or she bears much good fruit.

Benefits of Trees

Trees have multiple uses. They provide shade, fruit, nuts, lumber, tea, and maple syrup. Zacchaeus’s tree served both as a ladder to God and as a bridge to reconciliation with God and others. Shel Silverstein beautifully illustrates the concept of total sacrificial love by means of a tree. In his book The Giving Tree, a boy receives gifts from his tree all his life long. At the conclusion of the story, the boy is an old man, and nothing is left of the self-sacrificing tree but a stump. Generous to the end, the tree invites the old man to rest on the stump.

We can imitate this self-giving by sharing with others our time, talents, and treasure. We truly give ourselves to others in the simple gift of presence just like the sycamore tree was there when Zacchaeus needed it.

Michel Quoist recounts a time when his presence meant a lot to a little stranger. One evening during a stay in the hospital, he heard sobbing. He traced the sound to a child who was severely burned. He sat beside the child a while and talked soothingly. Whenever he got up to leave, the child’s crying increased. Quoist spent the rest of the night being there with the child, helpless to relieve the pain, but offering comfort nonetheless.

It is important to be with others: in hospital rooms, at wakes, at graduations, and at celebrations. It is important to be waiting up for others when they come home. Our presence speaks volumes. Conversely, how lucky we are if we have reliable friends who are there at the right time. “Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel,” Shakespeare has Polonius advise in Hamlet.

Trees’ Invitation to Pray

Trees, like the sycamore, raise our minds to God by their beauty. Palm trees, fir trees, giant redwoods, and a multiplicity of other trees enhance our planet. With the changing of the seasons, most trees advance from one kind of beauty to another. In the summer, luxuriant forms of all sizes and shapes clothe the land with shades of green. In the fall, flaming leaves set the world afire with brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds. Winter days alternately bring breathtaking scenes of bare, black branches against purple skies, snow-laden limbs, and ice-encased trees glistening with cool beauty. Then the coming of spring is heralded by a rush of green, buds, and lovely blossoms. No wonder Joyce Kilmer in his poem “Trees” concludes, “Only God can make a tree.”

Trees’ Invitation to Play

Trees evoke images of play. Who has not built a treehouse, swung from vines, picnicked under a tree, or hidden his or her face against the trunk of a tree, counting to a hundred for a game of hide-and-seek? To play is to be like the child Jesus exhorted us to resemble: carefree and ready to be thrilled by life. Anyone who is concerned about personal well-being attempts to balance work and play. Our bodies, minds, and souls need periods of relief from pressure and tension to be re-created. Rejuvenated through play, we can accomplish our work more efficiently and in a happier frame of mind.

Equally important, it is through play that we come to know ourselves and others better. It affords us time to reflect on who we are and what we are doing. Through playful interaction with others, we discover truths about ourselves, consoling as well as disturbing. We also forge the bonds of friendship and community more strongly through such experiences as the shared joy of viewing a funny movie together and the healthy competition of a good tennis match. On the whole, “One could do worse than be a swinger of birches,” as Robert Frost comments in his poem “Birches.”

Since Zacchaeus, tree climbing has become well established in Christian tradition. For taking on himself the sins of the world, Jesus climbed a tree to become the Great Reconciler.

What role has a tree or trees played in your life?

What is your favorite tree? Why?

When I was in the Novitiate, the Medical Mission Sisters’ songs were popular. The first video below is one of them. The second one is a modern version of Zacchaeus.

The post Lessons from Trees appeared first on Catholic Faith Corner.

During August I will be with the Sisters of Notre Dame in Africa. So, instead of a post from me this week, here is a guest post written by Patricia Sarmiento. I hope if you are grieving your marriage partner you personally find these words helpful. Maybe you can refer it to someone else who may be experiencing this painful loss.

Finding Hope and Healing After Early Grief: For Catholic Widows and Widowers

Catholic widows and widowers who have moved past the first shock often enter a quieter, harder middle where grief becomes woven into ordinary hours. The core tension is real: daily life must keep going while love and longing remain, and that can stir spiritual doubt, loneliness, and fatigue. Alongside the emotional challenges of loss, practical adjustments post-bereavement, meals, sleep, finances, parenting, and decisions once shared, can feel relentless. With steady Catholic grief support and attention to mind and body, healing can take shape without leaving a spouse behind.

Understanding Growth Without Letting Go

Rediscovering your identity after loss does not mean erasing your marriage. It means learning who you are now, with love and grief both included. Many grief counselors describe this as an expansion of life around grief, where sorrow stays real but your life can still widen.

This matters because Catholic healing is both spiritual and human. Prayer, sacraments, and community can support you, while your emotions still need honest attention. Research describes holistic healing after loss as caring for emotional, practical, and social needs, not just beliefs.

Think of keeping a small candle near your spouse’s photo while also lighting a second candle for today’s tasks. One flame honors what was; the other helps you take your next faithful steps. This perspective helps common questions about prayer, sadness, dating, and “doing enough” feel less frightening.

Grief, Prayer, and Moving Forward: Common Questions

Q: What if I cannot pray because I feel numb or angry?
A: You are not failing God. Many people experience normal aspects of grief that include numbness, agitation, or even no emotion at all. Try a one-minute prayer like, “Jesus, stay with me,” or simply sit quietly with a crucifix and breathe.

Q: How do I know if my sadness is normal grief or something more serious?
A: Grief often comes in waves, but get extra support if you cannot function for weeks, feel hopeless most days, or have thoughts of self-harm. Clinicians note 7%–10% develop prolonged grief disorder, which is treatable with the right care. Consider talking with your doctor, a licensed therapist, or a Catholic counselor.

Q: Should I force myself to “be strong” and serve more at church?
A: Love can look like showing up, but it can also look like resting. Choose one small, sustainable commitment and pair it with one restorative practice, like a walk, a meal with a friend, or earlier sleep.

Q: When is it okay to date again as a Catholic widow or widower?
A: There is no universal timeline. Begin only when you can speak about your spouse with honesty, set clear boundaries, and bring your decisions to prayer and wise counsel.

Q: Can I still wear my ring or keep traditions and also heal?
A: Yes. Keeping meaningful symbols can honor your vows while you learn how to live today. If an object keeps you stuck, try placing it somewhere intentional and choosing one new routine that supports your daily life.

Use Gentle Creativity to Hear Your Heart Again

Creativity can be a powerful pathway to healing and self-rediscovery for widows and widowers, because it gives grief, and hope, somewhere gentle to land. Today, AI art generation tools make this kind of expression available to anyone, even if you’ve never considered yourself “artistic”: you type a short description, and it instantly becomes original, customizable artwork. With a tool like Adobe Firefly’s AI art generator, you can shape an image that feels like a quiet prayer in color, perhaps a tribute that honors your spouse’s memory, or a scene that reflects who you are becoming in this new season. The point isn’t to produce something impressive; it’s to give yourself a low-pressure way to listen inward, express what’s hard to say aloud, and take one small step toward growth while still holding love and remembrance.

Consider Returning to School to Rebuild Rhythm and Purpose

As prayer and your questions about moving forward begin to steady your footing, a gentle next step can be choosing something that gives your days structure again.

For some widows and widowers who feel ready to invest in themselves, returning to school can restore rhythm, rebuild confidence, and open real options for the future, without asking you to “be over it.” Flexible online programs can make learning possible on your own timeline, with less pressure than a traditional classroom setting, so you can move at a pace that respects your energy and your grief.

If you’ve felt drawn to meaningful service, earning a bachelor of arts in elementary education can help you gain the skills and qualifications needed to become a licensed teacher, offering a practical path toward supporting students and making a positive difference in their daily lives.

As you discern what kind of structure and purpose fits this season, the next step is building a steady week with routines, boundaries, and supportive parish life.

Understanding Stability, Support, and Boundaries

Community-centered stability means shaping ordinary days so your body and spirit feel held again. It includes simple routines, a few dependable relationships, and a gentle return to parish and social life at a pace you can sustain. It also includes limits that protect your heart, because boundaries are not selfish when you are healing.

This matters because isolation can quietly grow when you are exhausted, even if you still believe. Steady habits and safe people can reduce decision fatigue and make prayer, Mass, and conversations feel less overwhelming.

For example, you might commit to Sunday Mass and one weekday check-in with a trusted friend. You can decline busy gatherings for now, while accepting a short coffee after church or a bereavement group.

Understanding Discernment for Your Next Steps

Spiritual discernment after loss is a prayerful way of choosing what helps you live, not just endure. It means you name a few doable paths, then gently test which ones bring steadier peace and love. A helpful spiritual discernment definition describes it as seeing the difference between good and bad, wisdom and foolishness.

This matters because grief can make every choice feel final or disloyal. Clear options like service, learning or work shifts, and health supports lower pressure and reduces regret. They also protect you from getting stuck, since 10–13% of bereaved people may experience prolonged grief.

For example, you might try one parish ministry hour twice a month, update a resume, and schedule a counseling intake. After each step, you ask: Did this increase charity, stability, and rest? You keep what bears good fruit and release what drains you.

Choosing a Faithful Next Step While Honoring Your Spouse’s Memory

Early grief can feel like an unfair choice between remembrance and forward movement, as if healing means leaving love behind. A Catholic approach to discernment holds both together, inviting faith and resilience through prayerful, realistic attention to what is life-giving now. Over time, this creates a hopeful grief journey where sorrow is named, support is welcomed, and new life chapters can be embraced without erasing what came before. Grief can move forward without moving on from love. Choose one next step this week, one support, one act of service, or one health appointment, and bring it to prayer. This matters because steady, compassionate choices build stability, connection, and long-term healing.

Can you add some tips for living successfully through the grief following the death of a spouse?

Do you know someone who could profit from reading this article?

Jesus rose from the dead. Remember his words promising eternal life when you will be reunited with all your loved ones. The two hymns here convey his consoling message in different ways:

The post Advice for Those Grieving Lost Spouses appeared first on Catholic Faith Corner.

During the rest of this year I’ll be speaking to groups about St. Julie Billiart, the courageous woman responsible for starting the Sisters of Notre Dame. My handout for the talks is a collection of wise things St. Julie said. It occurred to me that others may benefit from her wisdom, so my blog this week are quotations from her. Enjoy!

My Favorites

• Be like the sunflower that follows every movement of the sun, and keep your eyes always turned toward our good God.

•  Better mistakes than paralysis.

•  Plenty of energy but no fuss.

•  Without prayer we build our spiritual house with dust, and the dust is borne away with the wind.

•  Let us beware of being in a greater hurry than the good God.

God Is Good

Julie’s favorite expressed was, “How good is the good God.”  We Notre Dames have the charism of proclaiming God’s goodness and provident care.

•  The good God is everywhere, and His Providence guides us in all things.

•  How good is our good God, who watches over us continually and never permits anything to happen to us that is not for our greater good.

•  The more difficult the times are, the more we must expect and hope everything from the goodness of the good God.

•  The good God will give you the grace and light to know what is right at the time.

Let us always do what God shows us moment by moment.

Crosses

•  Courage! The more crosses you have, the more your soul will grow. Let the good God act.

•  Let us hold fast to the cross, especially in times of trial.

•  Whatever the sacrifices asked of us, we must consider ourselves happy to have the means of glorifying the good God.

•  No graces are greater than hardship.

•  There is much more merit in living with imperfect people than in living with saints.

Our Mission

•  Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, for all the people you can, while you can.

•  When the good God asks something of us, he gives us the means of doing it.

•  There must be nothing little about us; we must have the hearts of apostles.

•  We must have courage in the century we live in. Great souls are needed, souls having the interests of God at heart.

•  Do what you can and don’t waste time lamenting over what you can’t do.

•  Courageous souls are needed for the service of the good God.

•  God loves a simple heart which does its best.

•  Nothing happens by chance; it is always the disposition of our good, all-adorable God.

•  You are not asked to do all the good in the world, but just the bit that lies in your power.

Spirituality

• In whatever way God comes to us, he must always be welcome.

• Try always to act with all possible kindness and charity but stand firm when the glory of God demands it.

• Let us try to acquire a sense of the holy presence of the good God; then all will go well.

•  Would to heaven we had as much love for God as we have for ourselves.

•  Place all your confidence in God; he will always assist you.

•  We must always have recourse to the Blessed Virgin in all our wants both spiritual and temporal.

•  The more generous you are with God, the more liberal he will be with you.

•  A soul possessing God in the Blessed Sacrament is worthy of all the admiration of the angels.

•  When you have free moments, go faithfully to prayer. The good God is waiting for you there.

My Biographies of St. Julie

I’ve written two books about St. Julie, St. Julie Billiart, the Smiling Saint, mostly for children, and a novel, The Walking Love of God: St. Julie Billiart. They are available on Amazon.

St. Julie is a remarkable saint. At the age of twenty-two, she suffered a nervous condition that left her bedridden and at times mute. Regardless, she taught the faith and harbored priests to the extent that French Revolutionaries pursued her, aiming to burn her in a bonfire. When she was fifty-three years old, she was miraculously cured while making a novena to the Sacred Heart for “a friend,” who turned out to be herself. She was able to walk again after twenty-three years of paralysis. She walked or rode in carriages for miles to found convents and schools. She wrote letters to the Sisters that fill seven volumes.

St. Julie, pray for us!

How familiar are you with St. Julie?

Which of her quotations spoke to you? Why?

Here is a song she would like:

The post St. Julie Billiart, Walking Love of God appeared first on Catholic Faith Corner.

Some kind soul who heard I was going to Kenya anonymously sent me Dame Daphne Sheldrick‘s fascinating memoir, Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story. She learned to raise newborn elephants and saved the lives of numerous wild animals and released them.

In the book alongside her memories of being a conservationist, Daphne reveals her relationship with David Sheldrick. He taught her how to rescue animals and became her husband. Sheldrick was the warden of Tsavo National Park in Kenya and inspired the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and orphans’ nursery.

Woven through the book are captivating stories of certain animals Daphne cared for, especially the elephant Eleanor, a friend for about forty years.

Prelude to Daphne’s Book

The memoir opens with a shocking account of being attacked by a wild elephant Daphne assumed was Eleanor. The stranger lifted Daphne with its trunk and threw her onto boulders. Fortunately it didn’t kill her because the real Eleanor intervened. The accident resulted in months of operations, bone grafts, and learning to walk again. But as Daphne lay on the boulder with a shattered leg and bleeding gash, she decided that if she lived, she would write about her life with Africa’s animals. That was the origin of this book.

Background

Daphne tells the story of her grandparents’ move to Kenya, her parents’ love story, and her love of animals from an early age. At the age of four, she assumed responsibility for an orphaned baby antelope named Bush—a foreshadowing of the rest of her life. These early pages are full of vivid descriptions of the land, the customs, the people, the animals, and the tragedies poachers and gangs caused.

When Daphne was fifteen, she fell in love with Bill Woodley, who worked as a warden with her brother. They married soon after she turned nineteen. At age twenty, she gave birth to Jill. When she was twenty-one, Bill’s handsome boss, David Sheldrake, set up a home for her family in Tsavo, and she fell in love with the land. The wardens’ work was to catch and discourage poachers. In the mid-1950 it was estimated that 1200 elephants and hundreds of rhinos were poached each year for their tusks and horns. Poaching surged again in 1973.

Major Change

For six years Daphne worked in David’s office and accompanied him on expeditions. David was separated from his wife. From him Daphne learned much about nature, like the nonverbal ways animals communicate. Gradually the two fell in love. Ironically Bill, her husband who was responsible for rounding up poachers, frequently was off killing elephants. Eventually he had a girlfriend, which made it easy for Daphne to tell him she and David were going to be married. She had another daughter, Angela, with David.

A Host of Animals

One after another animals of numerous species come into Daphne’s life. They are orphans like Rufus, the newborn rhino; wounded babies like Higglety, a mongoose; and animals brought to her, like the civet cat, a nocturnal animal who would hide during the day, but jump on their bed at night. Gregory Peck, a buffalo weaver who had fallen from a nest, became a constant companion. He was the first of bird orphans. a talented writer, Daphne tells each animal’s story vividly so the reader can identify with her sorrow when an animal dies or returns to the wilderness.

One of Daphne’s greatest achievements was creating a milk formula that would keep baby elephants alive. A sad occurrence was when young elephants fell into a mud hole and were stranded. When rescued they found a home with Daphne.

Progress

David became in charge of twenty National Reserves, but he wasn’t feeling well. While he and Daphne were visiting some of the outposts, he had a heart attack and died. The Wildlife authorities asked Daphne to still work for them and built her a house near the Nairobi National Park. So she wrote articles and continued to care for animal orphans. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was founded and grew. Daphne was made a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Daphne died in 2018, but her legacy and work live on. Occasionally a television program features how elephants are cared for and reintroduced into the wild.

Daphne’s memoir is available on Amazon.

What pets have you owned and loved?

When was the last time you visited a zoo?  What was your favorite animal there?

In case you haven’t heard Henry Mancini’s delightful “Baby Elephant Walk” for some time, here it is:

The post Daphne Saves Elephants, etc., in Kenya appeared first on Catholic Faith Corner.

My friend Roman Vaynshtok, a Reiki practitioner and teacher, wrote a thought-provoking article with advice for having true self-concepts and becoming the person God meant us to be. He allowed me to share it with you on my blog . . .

How Beliefs Form

Our beliefs and preconceptions often form quietly. They are shaped by our upbringing, culture, experiences, and our need to make sense of the world. Over time, they become so familiar that we stop noticing them. They move into the background of our awareness, influencing how we interpret situations, respond to others, and even see ourselves. In this way, they can become invisible chains that keep us in a predetermined box, limiting our world.

These mental patterns are not inherently negative. They help us navigate life, offering structure and sense in a complex and ever-changing reality. But when we begin to mistake them for absolute truth, they close us off. Curiosity fades. We stop exploring and start filtering everything through what we already established as “truth.” The world becomes smaller, more predictable, and less flexible. Our limiting beliefs are creations of our mind to protect us from “unnecessary risk”, from “possibility of failure,” from the “judgment of others.”

Dealing with Limiting Beliefs

Everything in our lives can be changed only after we try to look with compassion and try to understand the causes. The same applies to limiting beliefs. When we stop fighting or dismissing them as something negative and accept them as a protective mechanism, everything changes. This approach changes our mindset. We move from the place of fear to the world of unlimited possibilities. In the world, we can win and also lose, but losing is not failure – it’s a learning experience. A world where the desire for success is much stronger than the fear of failure.

Before we address our limiting beliefs, we need to recognize them. It is the quiet voice that whispers “this is who I am,” “I’m not good at…,” “it always happens to me,” etc. These beliefs are not necessary truths; they are the chain that holds you back. There are a few steps that can help you challenge them:

• ·       Be aware of the power of self-talk. Ideas you repeatedly bring about yourself could become a self-fulfilling prophecy or a self-sabotaging tactic, so question them.
• ·       If they say, “I’m not good at public speaking,” try reminding yourself that you speak in front of a group of people, even if they are friends or family gathering.
• ·       Create a new narrative. Gather evidence that contradicts your beliefs. Anything in your daily interactions or at work that disputes your limiting beliefs, if you notice them, will weaken your self-limitation.

False Concepts vs. Experience

Your previous experiences from childhood or early years created these beliefs. They cannot be dismissed or easily ignored. What we can do is question their truth by collecting evidence that challenges them. Our brain does not respond to wishful thinking; this is why positive affirmations very rarely work, but it will accept real experiences. This is why it is important to collect/recognize evidence of even the smallest successes that will question old beliefs. By doing that, we eventually can replace old beliefs with new ones. The number one obstacle to this is when our brain tells us that our success is pure luck. This is why consistency in collecting and presenting evidence is so important. Our job is to show ourselves the evidence that our brains have trained us to ignore. Our approach is not to confront but to give our brains alternatives with evidence attached.

The moment we recognize that our perspective is just one interpretation among many, something changes. A space opens between us and our beliefs. In that space lies the freedom to ask questions and to challenge our beliefs. So, after your presentation, you can tell yourself, “I did it. Maybe it wasn’t perfect, but it was better than the previous one. People were listening. I became better at this.”

It is very important to understand that our brain updates beliefs through experience far more readily than through logic, and that identifying and changing self-limiting beliefs takes work and time.

A Funny Example

In the fifth grade both of my best friends were redheads, while I thought I was a dull brown. One day I even washed my hair with vinegar because I read that it would bring out red highlights. It didn’t. Decades later, a friend who had black hair and I were cutting each other’s hair. When I mentioned my brown hair, she picked up two cuttings from the floor, mine and hers. “Look, your hair isn’t brown. It’s as black as mine,” she said. She was right.

A Commercial

Roman’s wrote the book Reiki: Energy of Love, which I edited for him. If you are curious about Reiki, purchase a copy.

Limiting beliefs have held many people back…. But Reiki practice and Reiki precepts provide additional tools to address them.

Have you ever had a false concept about yourself changed? How? Did an experience correct it? Or someone’s words?

The post False Self-Concepts, Be Gone! appeared first on Catholic Faith Corner.

I chose an apartment on the third floor so I would be on a level with birds. One day while I was standing on my balcony, a hummingbird flew right by my nose. That was probably because of the hummingbird feeders on my neighbors’ balconies. My feeder was not a success. Ants loved it. However, a friend who does stained-glass windows, gave me this glass hummingbird to hang in my window:

We are lucky to have these fascinating birds in North America. I did some research and discovered that they are amazing in many ways. Like a helicopter, they can fly in any direction and hover.  Unlike other birds, they have blade-like wings connected only from the shoulder. This enables them to fly straight up and down, sideways, and backwards. Their top speed is 34 miles per hour.

Another thing that sets hummingbirds apart is that they do not walk or hop like other birds. They shuffle sidesways.

Some Facts

The wings of small hummingbirds can flap 99 times a second! They create a humming sound. Hence, their name. They do make various chirping and tweeting sounds, as you can hear in the video below, which also shows a variety of these birds.

There are 375 species of hummingbirds, but like some other creatures, they are declining. One species migrates between Alaska and Mexico, a journey of about 3,900 miles!

Two 30-million-year-old hummingbird fossils have been discovered. They are the smallest, living relative of dinosaurs. The little ones are three to five inches. The bee hummingbird weighs less than .07 ounces. The largest hummingbird is 1.09 ounces.

Hummingbirds can detect ultraviolet light. Their favorite color is red.

The lifespan of ruby-throated hummingbirds is three to five years.

Their Menu

Hummingbirds feed while hovering, not perching as other birds do. They have long beaks, either straight or curved, to feed on nectar. Their long tongues are forked along the sides to take in the nectar. Hummingbirds spend most of their days sitting and digesting.

Besides nectar, hummingbirds eat small insects like fruit flies and small spiders. Their favorite insects are midges, which should please those people near Lake Erie who are plagued annually by those bugs. Hummingbirds can use up 150,000 calories a day. To preserve energy, they enter a torpor, a deep sleep state.

Courtship and Children

Male hummingbirds have the most diverse colors of all birds. In fact, many have are iridescent throat feathers. Their plumage makes them attractive to the females.

During courtship the males show off. They fluff out their throat feathers and do aerial feats. They fly in loops, dive bomb, and ascend rapidly.  Anna’s hummingbird rises about 115 ft. above a female and dives at 89 feet per second, twice the speed of peregrine falcons pursuing prey. In addition the males sing complex songs to court their chosen one. They might also chase the females or fly back and forth in a wide arc in front of her.

Females build the family nest, a small cup about an inch and a half in diameter. She builds up the walls to fit her body, using silk from spiderwebs, lichen, bark, and moss. Wisely, the nest is under branches to shield from rain. The woman is also solely responsible for the young ones.

About two weeks after mating, she lays two eggs the size of a pea. She incubates them for two or three weeks until they hatch. For three of four weeks she feeds them and then the young birds can fly.

Both male and female birds are promiscuous.

By the Way

Interestingly, Aztecs believed that fallen warriors are reincarnated as hummingbirds.

Hummingbird cake is made with crushed pineapple and bananas with cream cheese frosting. Supposedly it originated in Jamaica, whose national bird is a hummingbird. The name fits the cake, which is a sweet dessert. It is rather simple to make. Here is a recipe.

Creation, the work of God’s hands, reveals him to us. The hummingbird shows God’s ingenuity, tenderness, and love of beauty.

Have you ever eaten or made hummingbird cake?

Do you see hummingbirds where you live?

The post Hummingbirds: God’s Intricate Creation appeared first on Catholic Faith Corner.

Our freedoms have always lured others to become American citizens, including my grandparents. Sadly, today, people who are fleeing oppression and seeking freedom in America are finding the opposite. They are being turned away and even imprisoned. We forget or ignore the invitation offered on the Statue of Liberty:

 “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

On July 4 we also remember those who suffered or even gave their lives to protect our free country. The Korean War Memorial reminds us that freedom isn’t free. Still today it requires sacrifice, not only by men and women in our armed forces, but by us. It takes courage, time, and passion to speak up and act to safeguard and defend our precious freedoms.

God and Freedom

God is in favor of freedom.  After all, far from a tyrant, he created us with a free will. We are free to oppose him. Then when Satan had held our human race captive, God freed us by the sacrifice of Jesus. God wishes that we live freely and happily. Someone defined freedom as “the ability to swing your arm up to the point where the other person’s nose starts.”

As we enjoy fireworks, picnics, and patriotic music this July 4, let’s hope and pray that freedom will ring out throughout our land and for everyone. This is what we sing in the song America:  “From every mountainside, let freedom ring.”  Freedom here is compared to a bell—like the Liberty Bell.

The American Flag

On June 14, 1777 the Continental Congress passed the Flag resolution. The flag was to be thirteen red and white stripes with thirteen stars in a blue field, representing a new constellation. (The colonies’ flag had similar stripes, but in the corner was the British Union flag.)

According to legend, Betsy Ross, an upholsterer in Philadelphia who made uniforms, tents, and flags for the Continental army, made the first American flag. She created five-pointed stars instead of the six-pointed ones Washington envisioned. This legend was fueled by the Charles Weisgerber’s 1893 painting “Birth of Our Nation’s Flag.”

A 17-year-old designed the flag we fly today. In 1958, Ohio high schooler Robert G. Heft created the 50-star design for a class project, anticipating that Alaska and Hawaii would soon join the Union. His teacher gave him a B minus. When Congress chose Heft’s design two years later, the grade was changed to an A!

This latter fact and 10 interesting facts about are flag are on the National Flag Foundation‘s website. It offers even more information about the flag such as how to fly it.

“My Country ‘Tis of Thee”

Samuel F. Smith, a Baptist minister who composed more than 150 hymns, wrote “America” while he was a seminarian. In just a half hour on a rainy day, he produced this famous national hymn. The first three verses inspire pride in our nation, and the last verse asks God to favor and protect it.

Here is one version with lyrics:

What is your favorite patriotic song?

Which freedom of ours do you particularly cherish?

How will you celebrate the Fourth of July?

The post Freedom Isn’t Free appeared first on Catholic Faith Corner.