Posts by Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider
How To Spell R-E-L-I-E-F
There used to be a commercial asking the question: “How do you spell relief?” My answer is “T-R-U-S-T.” Trust in “Ask, and you shall receive.” Trust in “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Trust in “I will never forget you.” Certainly there are times in life when trust seems almost impossible. Our…
Read MoreFeast of St. Joseph
Joseph, Man of prayer, Man of prayer-filled expectation, Man of prayer filled with expectant longing Man of prayer filled with expectant longing for birth Man of prayer filled with expectant longing for birthplace in Bethlehem Man of prayer filled with expectant longing for birthplace in Bethlehem of no room Of no room for a God…
Read MoreMoses
The story of Moses approaching the burning bush is a favorite story. Like Moses, we learn to be alert and curious to discover God’s presence in unlikely places. A thorn bush in a desert? And we learn to listen wherever God calls us, there where our hearts begin to burn in a place where we…
Read MoreDeepening Our Spirituality
Lent is a time to deepen our spirituality, but what really is spirituality? Patricia Livingston says “Spirituality is meeting God in all that life is.” Similarly Gerard Broccolo claims, “Spirituality is how I cope with life.” Richard Rohr writes, “Spirituality is always about letting go.” Perhaps you have your own definition of spirituality. I think…
Read MoreA Good Lenten Practice: Becoming “The Very Holiness of God”
“For our sakes God made him who did not know sin to be sin, so that in him we might become the very holiness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21) We call Jesus Christ by many names: Lord, Messiah, Prince of Peace, Good Shepherd, Bread of Life, King, Brother, and the list goes on. Today’s Second…
Read MoreJust Gotta See It!
As I write my blogs I am sitting in a carpeted basement and facing a long gray wall. But I never lose a chance to see the outdoors or take an extra moment to see something beautiful in book or on internet. When I clean at Lial Renewal Center I always take a look outside…
Read MoreIt’s Already Ours
What do you long for? More time? More money? A change in habits or attitudes? Whatever you long for, “If we go down into ourselves we find that we possess exactly what we desire” (Simone Weil). God puts into our hearts the desires that will help us become the person we are meant to be,…
Read MoreDigging for Good
Our unusually warm and wet winter may set our sights on spring much earlier this year. Gardeners are becoming impatient to clear the ground. George B. Shaw claimed “The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there.” So maybe those who are saying “Isn’t it Lent yet?” are…
Read MoreWho Shall I Be Today?
“Who shall I be today? The answer is more obvious than the question. Of course I’m going to be me. Me yesterday, me today, me forever. But if I were to start my day with the question “Who shall I be today?” I’d have to start with a decision bigger than Honey Nut Cheerios or…
Read MoreSubtle Disguise
Ronald Rolheiser’s book Sacred Fire is written for “mature disciples.” In one section he discusses “the religious faults of mature disciples.” Rolheiser claims that mature disciples find the seven capital sins disappearing from their lives; however, these “seven deadly sins” may just be in a subtler guise. He writes that pride in a mature disciple…
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