Covered the Cardinal's mass at Saint Martin's Yesterday

 As a parishioner, I've had the blessing of being at the beginning of the Centenial Year Mass at the November 19, 2019 mass, and at the close, Returning Home from Rome, Cardinal Celebrates Centenial Mass for Gaithersburg Parish.   

At the Catholic Standard Today

The Eucharist Never Leaves Us.

Over at the Catholic Standard Today

...and if you have a chance, go by Jasmine's Bakery and order some Tiramisu or a cake, they're tasty and you'll brighten both Azizi's day and your own: The Sweet Taste of Doing For Someone Else.

I have a piece over at the Catholic Standard Today

I belong to a Facebook group called Game of the Day and this column came from the prompt given; what have you learned from this time of Covid-19? 

My latest at the Catholic Standard

The world feels overwhelming...but as Mrs. Beaver says in the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe movie, "It's the world dear. Did you expect it to be small?"   Our job is to reveal God's love through all the little moments.  Cummulatively, all the little moments make up history. 

Over at the Standard Today

Have a couple of things for you today...my weekly piece at the Catholic Standard Saving the World by How We Offer Each Day, and the work the Saint Martin's Team did for the Gaithersburg Book Festival. 

Here's the video that Regina did the illustrations for...I just did the narration.  Saint Martin's School's Workshop: The Plotting of the Plot

Just so you don't think I've stopped writing

I'm preparing two presentations for the Gaithersburg Book Festival.  One is on the Purpose of Plotting the Plot, and it's geared towards K-3rd graders about writing out what will happen before plunging into creating a comic book.    Regina did the art, and today, I'm inking it so it will show up when we scan the pages into the computer.  It is a slow process. 

The second piece is called (ironically enough), "I don't have time to write, yes you do!"  and it's geared towards those who aspire to be writers, who want to finish that book or write for a newspaper or magazine and don't know the hows of it, or feel too paralyzed to start. 

It will be 30% merely encouragement to dare, and 70% showing the how of making those darts out into the bigger world more successful. 

How to find time to write.
How to write when you don't have any ideas.
How to submit your stuff somewhere. 
How to succeed in having your stuff somewhere get published. 
Lather. Rinse. Repeat. 

I am tired of COVID-19.  I miss the ordinary encounter of community.  I miss mass.  I miss going on date night to the movies.  I miss restaurants and their ambiance of busyness.   I miss teaching and all the random wonderful energy of teens going about the business of being teens.  I miss all my friends from the various places that became part of the ordinary routine of a week, the drycleaner who always says, "She's so blessed," and she is, the guy at the jiffy lube who told me the last book he read and liked was The Outsiders when he was in high school, the familiar faces of people I know but cannot name, and those of people I consider extended family because they've been part of my life for so long.  I miss everyone. 

Writing helps me remember all I'm missing in a format that doesn't stiffle my spirit such that I feel worse for remembering.   Praying for a speedy end to all of this, for a return to something like normal.   

Here's this week's article: A Time to See Faith is an Always Time Thing.

At the Catholic Standard Today

Whenever I feel a bout of non-inspiration coming on, I go looking.  Facebook is often a source for what I write, especially when I see things that indicate confusion.   Today's offering over at the Catholic Standard (the Washington DC Archdiocesan paper) is one such piece. 
Enjoy:  Awaiting the Eucharist.

Over at the Standard Today

Being a People and a Church of Mercy.

At the Catholic Standard Today

Talking about Missing Jesus in the Eucharist. 

"Feel the presence of God in the midst of our fears and anxieties" --Fr. Tony in today's mass. 

It occurrs to me, the reason the disciples and the women did not know Jesus on first sight, was like we are now, when we are steeped in worry, and thus do not always see what is persent before us.

Over at the Standard Today

I got swamped and didn't cross reference this piece, but it's not too late. 

Celebrating Holy Week at Home.

At the Catholic Standard Today

My son and I took a walk and exercised our imaginations.  Staying at home and keeping the faith.

At the Catholic Standard Today

Feeling overwelmed by the world? Remember, Jesus is in the boat, and you were created exactly for this time to be a saint in this time. You were created to be heroic in virtue to help others. Let's get to it.

At the Standard Today Proving Yet again,

I am not good at clearing my own spiritual debris. 

God Alone Suffices.

Over at the Standard Today

I had my son read over my suggestions and he said, "Those are pretty good Mom." High praise indeed.

This was a Nice Surprise

Last week, I thought, that's it, I'm done. No one is taking my articles.  I should just write for my own whatever, and stop thinking that someone is going to read this. I even prepared to shut down my blog.   Since then, I've had three pieces run, one request for a contribution, and this: 

Ways to Make This Lent A Feast of Virtue. over at the Catholic Standard. 

Needless to say, I'm going to go do an inventory, and get ready for Lent, and maybe drop by the chapel and say, "Thank you." 

At the Catholic Standard Today!

After a long dry spell to be sure, I have a new piece published over at my local Catholic paper, the Catholic Standard. It's where I began writing, so it's good to come back again. 

Saint Martin's of Gaithersburg kicks off it's 100 year anniversary with a mass honoring its patron saint, and celebrating a former pastor turned Bishop.

At the Catholic Standard today reflecting on Lent

We interrupt your shoveling and shivering to bring you some happy warm news!





I have a piece over at the Catholic Standard today, the latest edition of In the Back Pew.

At the Catholic Standard today

I have a piece covering the Vigil mass at St. Cyprian's in Washington, DC.  If you have the opportunity to see the Archdiocesan of Washington DC Catholic Gospel Choir, stop what you are doing and go hear them sing.  

Write up of the mass is here. Thanks for going to read it!

Announcing, In the Back Pew!

Over at the Catholic Standard, I'll be posting for the family blog, entitled, "In the Back Pew."  (It's where we tend to sit).  

Here's my first piece....Celebrating the 12 days of Christmas!