Forward Day By Day – August 14, 2020

Friday, August 14, 2020

I wish this shocked me more. Infanticide, genocide, children used to build economies and satisfy urges. This behavior isn’t limited to the past: We still commit atrocities against children of all ages.How did humankind arrive at such a point? I suppose it started with...

Forward Day By Day – August 13, 2020

Thursday, August 13, 2020

From the Archives: January 27, 1951What a magnificent declaration of faith this is! Saint Paul had ample opportunity for knowing the danger of things coming in between the soul and God, and it is doubtless out of his own experience that he writes…..(View this...

Forward Day By Day – August 12, 2020

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

I’ve come to understand the only surefire plan I have in my life is seeking alignment with God’s will. Sometimes it doesn’t look like I thought it would—but when I am open to guidance, I see it. When I am in alignment, I feel it. God’s will is a self-correcting...

Forward Day By Day – August 11, 2020

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Slippery slopes are dangerous and they can’t always be avoided. Literal or figurative, into each life a little rain must fall.Relationships develop dynamics, mindful or not. Practice develops skills and habits. Conversations without dissent develop confidence. These...

Forward Day By Day – August 10, 2020

Monday, August 10, 2020

I don’t recite every word in the liturgy. I struggle with some aspects of the creeds and prayers. My verbal omissions went largely unnoticed for years. It wasn’t until I developed a habit of attending Morning Prayer at a new church that I was called out. I was the...

Forward Day By Day – August 9, 2020

Sunday, August 9, 2020

We don’t get to choose our family of origin. We don’t get to choose emotionally mature parents or a healthy household or siblings. We grow into our circumstances and we grow out of them. They are part of our story.Joseph’s family relationships are comp….(View...

Forward Day By Day – August 8, 2020

Saturday, August 8, 2020

Repetition can have a powerful effect. As hearts beat and lungs breathe, so can words repeated animate our lives.Sanskrit mantras are used in meditation. This is why sacred words are often used in centering prayer. This is why self-help books prescribe daily...

Forward Day By Day – August 7, 2020

Friday, August 7, 2020

I can easily behave like Mary, concerning myself with others’ affairs. I nearly lost myself in caregiving. My concern for others gave me tunnel vision, and I stopped tending to my own needs. I became irritable and unreasonable without knowing it. My relationships...

Forward Day By Day – August 6, 2020

Thursday, August 6, 2020

From the Archives: April 27, 1950Life will come and with it will come our Lord. We shall likely not recognize him. But he finds us at our work and, not obstinate but ready to take a hint, he will give us success.We Christians a….(View this reading and more...

Forward Day By Day – August 5, 2020

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

We’re in the midst of difficult political times. Issues, personalities, and positions create fissures in relationships and communities. This environment can feel unmanageable.Twelve Step recovery programs offer insights in navigating these perils. Participants admit...

Forward Day By Day – August 4, 2020

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

A child went to school.In science, she studied the scientific method. She was intrigued. In math, formulas developed her desire for balance. History classes taught her to think critically about information sources and consider motivations. Ideas about...

Forward Day By Day – August 3, 2020

Monday, August 3, 2020

The first time I asked God for a sign I was a child. I received an answer and found comfort.I don’t remember asking for more signs until years later, and then I asked for enough signs to make up for lost time. I asked for so many signs I perfected the art...

Forward Day By Day – August 2, 2020

Sunday, August 2, 2020

Oh Jesus, John the Baptist was beheaded. John—kin by blood and soul. Learning how his death came to be is enough to make you sick. You need to be alone. You know it immediately. You withdraw.The people keep coming. You’ve lived and breathed this ministry….(View...

Forward Day By Day – August 1, 2020

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Today’s reading from Judges is difficult for me to stomach. Jael assassinates Sisera in what may be the most gruesome act depicted in the Bible, and Deborah and Barak are singing her praises. The scene makes me uncomfortable. I want peace, love, and joy—not combative...

Forward Day By Day – July 31, 2020

Friday, July 31, 2020

Ignatius of Loyola's conversion was a traumatic experience. Because of recklessness born of a desire to be famous, he sustained a life-threatening injury in the 1521 Battle of Pamplona. During his recovery, he discovered a spiritual connection to Christ and a new...