When we go home to God, nothing will be missing
I compiled these before surgery. NO ONE NEEDS TO YELL AT ME ;)
Three favorite days of the church year are upon us: All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints, and All Souls. Thin places between here and heaven, because when we go home to God, nothing will be missing. I love this mystical time in the Christian tradition, so send me all the Hallowtide things you’re reading/praying/learning:
Catholic writer Gregory Hillis died from cancer this month, but his essay at America still echoes a powerful part of our faith misunderstood from the outside: “I’ve always loved relics. After my cancer diagnosis, they mean even more to me.”
“Young adults, single people, engaged or married couples, empty nesters, widows and widowers—the liturgical year is a gift that belongs to all of us, not just kids making Sunday school crafts.” From my latest column for OSV News: Liturgical living is for adults, too.
Loved this reflection on making sacred spaces at home by Dani M. Jiménez at U.S. Catholic: “For me, home altars remind me that God is among the little things and in the devotion between kindred souls.”
Recently picked up this gorgeous woodcut calendar from Minnesota artist Betsy Bowen. Realized she was the same illustrator of The Lost Forest, a charming children’s book about a grove of old-growth pine that was mistakenly marked as a lake and thus saved from logging. Don’t you love connecting dots between artists who catch your eye?
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This may not be the sort of comment you're expecting today, Laura...I've had some significant knee pain the last couple of days and it's been hard for me to walk around the house, or do an errand, but I've been thinking of you. I'm thinking of everything you went through during your cancer diagnosis and surgery, and I thought about how you have 5 children to care for (and grieving the loss of your twin daughters), and it put my own pain into perspective. I don't know how you manage it. You have my deepest respect.
As for All Hallow's Eve...I walked (albeit, very slowly) into the local Walk-In Clinic this morning for some help. When you are in pain, you react to things differently. It bothered me that the first receptionist was in a cowgirl costume, and the second receptionist had bunny ears and whiskers on her face...but when I saw the doctor dressed in full costume, I decided to leave and visit the clinic at another time. I couldn't possibly tell the doctor what was bothering me while she stood there in a fairy princess costume with a mask on her face. I could've skipped all of that today...
Thank you for your beautiful words. 💜