Memento mori (literally, “remember that you have to die”) is an ancient practice of reflection on mortality, the reminder that this life is not forever. French painter Philippe de Champaigne illustrated it in his painting Still Life with a Skull, showing the three essentials of existence: a tulip (life), a skull (death), and an hourglass (time). The practice isn’t meant to be depressing, but rather to remind us of where our real life lies. Remember that every day on e...

As we celebrate the Feast of the Divine Master this weekend, and as Advent approaches, it’s a good time to ask ourselves what we’re doing to live Christ every day in our lives. Here are three suggestions: Worshipping: Take an hour out of your schedule to spend with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration. You can pray, read, listen to uplifting music, or just stay quietly with him. Reading: The Gospels are the story of Jesus’ life, and the Epistles are how St. Paul teaches us to live th...

Let’s face it: sometimes you just don’t feel like praying. Maybe you don’t believe that your prayers are being answered. Maybe you sometimes don’t know what to say. Maybe you’re just too tired to go through the motions.Here are three ways to get your prayer life back on track: Use short prayers. God really just wants you to talk to him. Maybe you’re putting it off because you don’t have a long time, or maybe you feel you’re not eloquent enough...

Dear Friend,Do you like to use your imagination? So do I.When I spoke to my followers, I would tell them stories to get my message across. I used really vivid images that would be hard to forget. I wanted to let them know that my teachings were not just make-believe. They were the truths my Father wanted me to tell everyone.My words are reliable and forever true. If people practice my teachings and my way of life, they will be happy, honest, and good. Heaven will open to them. It is up to us to ...

Dear Friends,“Saying yes” and “doing no” is a challenge for everyone! Sometimes you may feel stuck between the two. At times, doing the right thing will go against what you feel like doing. At other times, it will be tough and unpopular to do right. But when you live as my follower, my help will always be there for you.I tried to make this point by telling the following parable. Remember, when you do the right thing it is always seen by my heavenly Father!Signed,Your frie...

Washington Irving writes of the “sacredness” in tears, messengers, he says, of grief. There’s been a lot of grief in all of our lives recently, as natural disasters and human folly seem to be multiplying around us; and we each have our own private pain and losses. How do we deal with all those tears? Know you’re not alone. One of the names of Jesus is “Emmanual,” or “God with us.” God is with you in your grief: God is also present through his peopl...

September came around quickly this year, didn’t it? It feels like the summer was stretching out in front of us, long and lazy and beautiful and then—we’re already buying lunch boxes and notebooks and squeezing in that last run to the pool. And somehow it’s really easy to lose our connection to God when we are, like Martha, busy with so many things. How about finding some ways to keep that connection alive? Start your day right. However, you start your day influences ...

Last week I was on vacation in Montréal, one of my favorite cities, where I walked a lot, slept a lot, and generally rested up. But what I really appreciated were my visits to Montréal’s many churches, and just staying as long as I wanted to in their silence and stillness. Maybe you’ve been on vacation this summer as well. As we all come back to regular life, here are three ways I thought about while I was away to discover everyday grace refreshing our lives in a new wa...

Back to school. Some of you are probably already sick of that expression. Since midsummer you’ve been bombarded with advertising assuring you that every back-to-school worry can be handled with a credit card. Buy the right notebooks, the right clothes, and the right electronics, and your kid is good to go.For some people it comes as a kind of relief. Summers are difficult to organize, as your child suddenly has a lot of free time that needs to be filled…and you have none. For other ...

In the days following the celebration of the Fourth of July, the summer settles in. After a school year that has been hectic, and a schedule that probably dictated every minute of your family's day, the summer offers the opportunity to find a different rhythm of life and to enjoy other experiences that will strengthen important values in your life and that of your family.Here are some tips to set a few healthy goals for the next several weeks.1) Nature is a great teacher for the summer. Take...