Journey of the Heart

On that very first Christmas so many years ago, there were no noisy parties, no festivities, and no crowded celebrations. There was a very tired husband taking care of his patient and very pregnant wife who had, in spite of her advanced pregnancy, travelled the long distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem with him. After the […]

God speaks to me in such funny yet astounding ways. Only he can weave seemingly random elements of my life from the past and the present to gently prod me into the future.  University of Toronto, PHL307H1, Spring 2002 I remember the course on the philosophy of Augustine of Hippo well. It was taught by […]

But look, I am going to seduce her and lead her into the desert and speak to her heart. – Hos 2:16 There has been a small, still voice in my heart that has been calling out to me for some time. It has taken me some time to hear it over the din of my […]

Last night, our RCIA group celebrated Henry’s birthday with a delicious apple strudel.  There was one serving left-over, which we kept in the fridge. This morning, I was in a rush to have breakfast, and the strudel was temptingly delicious and available.  I quickly texted Henry, “Can I eat the strudel for breakfast?” and without […]

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. – Rom 8:28 It used to be that when I was tempted to stray from God, I would not put up much of a fight. It was much […]

Every time I feel the battle within me rage, this is the song that I pray to. From the first time I ever heard it, I felt as if it was written just for me. Petra – FIRST LOVE  Words by Bob Hartman Based on Revelation 2:9, 1 John 4:19, Song of Solomon 2:4 Sometimes […]

I am John. Watching Jesus. Lately I’ve been watching him more closely. He has been quieter than usual. He has been going off alone to pray more frequently, and each time he comes back, he looks as if he had been crying. Over the last few weeks, he has been eating less, fasting at times. He […]

Shortly after St. Ignatius’ conversion, his sinful past (as a womanizer, gambler, drinker, and brawler) left him in such despair that he considered killing himself. He had a profound sense of his own unworthiness and wondered “how it is that the earth did not open to swallow me up?” Yet the more he prayed about […]