My goodness I’m a neglectful blogger, aren’t I! How was 2021 for you all? It’s been good and calm for me – cozy and hidden. By the end of the year though, my soul has been aching for something fresh. And now it’s almost 2022 and I’m looking back – feeling a bit like I…
Tag: Catholic
Seven Sleepers for Summertime Sleepiness
I’ve spent the past few days running around away from home – errands, baking day at the parish, van repairs, and waiting for rides from friends to get me where I need to go. This morning, I woke up knowing there was nowhere to be and nothing to do but the homey tasks that bring…
Ash Wednesday
Lent always looks a little bit different; every year there’s something new. Each Ash Wednesday though, starts with the same feeling. I wake up, and suddenly I’m standing at the edge of the desert, everything in front of me is bright with potential. There on the sand is a future full of hope and holiness….
The Virtue of Revolt
I have a tall church-candle burning on my alter and Epiphany water from 2020 warming on the stove, with which to wash the walls. There is a thrilling pile of books on my bedside stand.. Life goes on as usual, with cozy mornings, slow evenings, and the eternal joy of my towering trees; but in the webby nooks and crannies of my life, there’s a disquiet.
Candlemas and the Waning of Winter
We’ve had a strange winter this year. The warm days are unnaturally warm and the cold days are surprisingly bitter. The coyotes in the woods seem hungrier than usual this year. At night, they lurk just inside the tree line, yipping and calling to each other in the dark. I’m locking my animals up tightly…
Fasting with St. Francis of Assisi
I adore St. Francis. And I know I’m not alone, he’s one of the most popular saints in the Church. Everyone loves the man who preached to birds, converted the wicked wolf of Gubbio, and started the Christmas Creche tradition. He’s just so overwhelmingly loveable. This year, I’ve been turning to Francis a lot, and…
Books & Papers: Shadow Play
I’m reading Clare Asquith’s Shadow Play – a book about the beliefs and politics that may be expressed in Shakespeare’s plays. It’s fascinating, especially since a recent commission of my husband’s has brought our minds back to the Elizabethan persecution of Catholics. The icon commissioned was St. Nicholas Owen, a man I’d never heard of…
Hospitality: The Bohemian Catholic’s Benedict Option
Hospitality can be a huge struggle when you’re trying to shape an environment. We want to be welcoming, but we also want to keep our homes safe-havens for ourselves and our children. We want to be open to strangers in need, but without being ignorant of the risks involved. Hospitality is essential. As Christians, and…
End of Advent Devotions
We’re nearing the end of the O Antiphons, the nights are at their longest, and the days are all too brief. I’ve been praying the St. Andrew Novena this month, and it’s become a part of the season. I pray it when I’m driving, when I’m washing dishes, when I’m feeding the stove. I end…
Abandoning Words: Back to My Roots
I’ve picked up a lot of adjectives in the past few years; some fell into my life naturally, while other have always felt forced: labels I crammed into my life like a freshman comp. student piling up words to make up for lack of research. I’m editing out the forced adjectives now, the ones I…
Y is For Home! 