On a warm summer evening many years ago, I attended a farewell party for a friend who had discerned a volunteer mission overseas. The evening was marked by endless conversation, a toast at midnight, and blessings for the journey ahead. It was a bittersweet...
There is a tiny chapel tucked away off the stairwell landing at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Cleveland. The cozy space with its comfortable accent chairs and natural light is the perfect hiding place for prayer. Above the small altar, a large olive wood crucifix is...
I need to apologize to you ... I felt like the prodigal daughter who stomped away from a difficult conversation only to be filled with remorse. In a moment of frustration, I lost my patience and let loose on a colleague. I was looking for someone to blame and...
My best friend and I recently spent a long weekend getaway in Michigan. We stopped by a local vineyard to sample the wine and ran into a married couple on a Sunday outing of their own. The husband immediately cracked a joke with the hostess, before pulling up a...
Brothers and sisters:Rejoice in the Lord always.I shall say it again: Rejoice!Your kindness should be known to all.The Lord is near.Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.Then the peace...
My best friend and I went out for a long walk, early on Saturday morning. I talked until I was nearly out of breath, pouring out the details of a painful interaction I’d had with a colleague at work. It was not the first time I had witnessed this bad behavior, and...
“Ms. Knobbe, you look the same, but your heart is different.” These were the words from one of my students when I returned from my first encounter with the Spiritual Exercises. A profound transformation had taken place in me during those 30 days of silence. As I...
“When it is time to leave, you will know, and it will be OK.” The Holy Spirit has a way of placing words on my heart during prayer. I had been struggling with my position in campus ministry for longer than I care to admit. During my annual summer retreat, the...
“When it is time to leave, you will know, and it will be OK.” The Holy Spirit has a way of placing words on my heart during prayer. I had been struggling with my position in campus ministry for longer than I care to admit. During my annual summer...
“God has not called me to be successful; He has called me to be faithful.” – Saint Teresa of Calcutta One of the first people I called when I learned I was losing my job was my friend Sally. “You have been so faithful!” she repeated over and over again. “You have...
