Why is it that if I cut back a wayward branch on a tree, the most growth in the coming season is where I have pruned?
Faith in Focus
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Under the Gun: New life after a home invasion
New life after a home invasion
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Hallway to Heaven: life’s final steps at an in-home hospice
As the body gets weaker, the spirit gets stronger.
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Seasons of Prayer: Spirituality for every stage of life
The seasons of the year provide for many people an intuitive metaphor for understanding seasons of our lives. The lyrics to Frank Sinatra’s poignant “September Song” need no explanation: “Oh, it’s a long, long while from May to December/ But the days grow short when you
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When Did I See Him?: Bringing the Beatitudes behind bars
Bringing the Beatitudes behind bars
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A book for José: Hiding from the gangs of El Salvador
“Never can a free person conceive of what a book means to a person in hiding.” -Anne Frank
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Grassroots Gospel: A seminarian reflects on Pope Francis’ bold vision
A seminarian reflects on Pope Francis’ bold vision
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Finding the music in praying the rosary
My grandmother’s rosary was of amethyst-colored beads and a small silver crucifix, gray-black with tarnish. She kept it on the bureau in her bedroom near a holy card of St. Jude and a talcum powder box made of imitation satin. She’d put it in a special pouch—an old change purse, ac
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A Writer’s Dream: The story of a novel
For decades, I have admired Ron Hansen, the gifted author of many novels, including one of my favorites, Mariette in Ecstasy, about the religious experiences of a young nun in upstate New York. “Luminous” is how one reviewer described the book, and I think of that adjective every time I
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Finding God in Cancer
“Just live today. Don’t bother thinking about tomorrow, or yesterday. Focus on just one day.”