Tag: Peace

February 19, 2025

I’m sitting by our fireplace in early morning with my Bible and a coffee. As the fire crackles I’m listening to a playlist of sacred music on Spotify. A group of nuns are singing the beautiful Prayer of St.Patrick by Margaret Rizza: “Calm Me Lord as You Calmed the Storm”. The lyrics are powerful: “Calm me Lord, as you calmed the storm Still me, Lord, keep me from harm Let all the tumult within me cease… Lord enfold me in your peace.” What a great prayer for us today. If ever the world and our hearts were in tumult it is now. So much seems to be out of control and many of us find ourselves praying...

January 22, 2025

As Los Angeles fires raze entire neighborhoods, the Middle East balances on a razor’s edge, Sudan’s millions face impending starvation, and America swears in a new/old president, we wonder what 2025 will bring. In the vortex of constant change we long for some sort of relief, a return to a semblance of equilibrium, a glimmer of hope for our troubled world. As I often do I turn to the scriptures. There I find hope- “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of...

December 25, 2024

I’m writing today (Christmas Eve) in the beautiful Laurentian Mountains of Quebec. We’re at the home of one of our sons. It’s snowing with about a metre already guaranteeing a white Christmas. It’s an idyllic setting. Our 12 grandchildren range in age from 24 to 8 and when we’re all together it’s raucous and fun with everyone speaking (loudly!) at once. And last night as we gathered the laughter and noise was at its peak. What was different about this gathering, however, was a moment or two when the kids grew quiet and thoughtful as they discussed the state of our/THEIR world. Theirs is a generation...