(Context is important. The writer was born Catholic and attended Catholic school in the pre-Vatican II, Baltimore Catechism world, where right from wrong was made very clear, as were the consequences and remedies to sin.) “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, […]
I have not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance. Luke 5:32 We know we have done wrong. The pangs of a guilty conscience are there as a constant reminder. Joel Osteen tells us to say a prayer, asking for divine forgiveness, and then we are born again, ready to bask in […]
“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.” Psalm 92: 12-14 I remember when growing up, hearing about Grandma Moses, […]
Whether we are talking about the church or the secular world, at the core of any successful enterprise is effective leadership. In my earlier years working in hospitals, the idea of supervising others was more of an exercise in holding all accountable, which I understood then as mostly catching employees when they we not doing […]
“I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13 All of us have a conscience, formed out of our sense of right from wrong, guiding our actions and decisions. When we violate our conscience, it can put us ill at ease, even resulting in guilty feelings, which can make us feel inadequate, […]
As a professed Lay Carmelite, I have come to better appreciate the impact of prayer, as this is near and dear to our Carmelite charism, along with contemplation, service and community. In times of trial, we are often quick to invoke the name of Jesus and for us Catholics, even plead to a saint in heaven to intercede for […]
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Confessions by St. Augustine of Hippo While University Hospital was my professional home for over 25 years, I believed God’s plan for my life required continued growth, and greater earning capacity to take care of my family. […]
Jumping ahead a few years, to 1990, I recall Stephanie calling me to come to Radiology at University. She was there for a sonogram, with some unusual results. Expecting to see a new baby on the way, there were two little ones showing on the sonogram images. I came to Radiology to see our twins […]
When I began working as a Pharmacy Tech at University Hospital, I was told I needed to buy a lab coat. At that time, even minor expenses could be challenging. My manager, Isaac “Ike” Henderson, sensed the need, and gave me one of his worn coats, which was too big for me, but covered the […]
“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”. Matthew 18:3 After leaving the minor seminary when I was 17, I always had this sense that there was an unfilled spiritual vocation. A few years after my mother passed away, when I was I in […]