“Death ends a life, not a relationship. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on — in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here.” From the book, Tuesdays with Morrie (1997) by Mitch Albom During the past several weeks, a …
“𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆, 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕. 𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒌𝒆 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖… 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕.” (𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒘 11:28) In many ways, the grief journey is like carrying a backpack and a metaphor for the emotional weight we carry after the …
Last night we concluded another 6-session cycle of our Bereavement Program at St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish in Spring Lake, NJ to help those who are navigating that difficult journey of grieving the loss of a loved one. I am continually blessed by the inner strength, resilience, and courage that people in grief bring to this …
“And I’m looking for space and to find out who I am, and I’m looking to know and understand. It’s a sweet, sweet dream. Sometimes I’m almost there. Sometimes I fly like an eagle and sometimes I’m deep in despair.” Lyrics from the song, Looking for Space, John Denver (1976) That Uncomfortable Space Between No …
“I thought he’d live forever. He seemed so big and strong. But the minutes fly and the years roll by for a father and his son. I never will forget him, for he made me what I am. Though he may be gone, memory lingers on. And I miss him, my Old Man.” From the …
“Blessed are those that mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 Last Thursday, I did what I have always done on every April 20th, attending Mass at the church of my youth, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Ridgewood, NJ in commemoration of my late brother Dennis who died unexpectedly 51 years ago. At …
“𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙃𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨, 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙃𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙩𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣. 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨. 𝙎𝙚𝙚, 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙩.” 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 3: 7-8 As we begin the new year, I’ve been thinking a lot about the imagery that we often associate with …
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”. From the Serenity Prayer, Reinhold Niebuhr (1932) My Journey with Sobriety Now 32 Years in the Making The above quotation taken from the Serenity Prayer has been a …
“Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about un-becoming everything that isn’t really you, so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.” Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist and The Pilgrimage The Call of the Camino Today I leave for what I hope will be …
Even now”, declares the Lord “Return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.” Joel 2: 12-13 The Three Pillars of Lent — Prayer, Fasting, …
