HERETICS AND TATOOS
A short reflection on John of Damascus and Flannery O'Connor, old heresies and current ones... In my Church History class, we are now studying about St John of Damascus powerful writings against the folly of the iconoclasts. He wrote to defend the reasons why images of Christ (and Theotokos and the saints) are permitted. "You're tempting sin" she said "and at the judgement seat of God you'll have to answer for that too". See Here

A TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER
My mother: Marguerite, Maman, Mamy. Little stories and various souvenirs of my dear mother.

1) Introduction: How and Why HERE

2 A French lullaby Here

3) "Kindness", anyone? Here

4) Little snapshots of our journey in the valley

5) Musing on life and the weather HERE

BAGELS AND LOVE
"Children are a true gift!” and they both laughed and said I was right. It was a blessed moment of sharing. Of course, it is entirely possible...
Although you can hear about these huge development moments from other people, and you can read all the books you want, once you actually go through them, it makes a profound impact on us". Read more HERE

THE DESCENT: traditional or dissenting? A commentary on "Light in Darkness" from Alyssa Lyra Pitstick . I read it, I engulfed myself in her book after attending her lecture at St. Dominic. And I kept thinking about it. I found it fascinating to read and research this very subject. But He did tell us to keep our eyes on HIM and that it would suffice. Read HERE

A TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER (suite)

6) A mini-miracle and a long day HERE

7) Do's and Dont's for dementia care-givers HERE

"WHAT MEN LIVE BY"
My own story wrapped around Tolstoy's story: The context in which I heard about this specific short novel and my own notes at the end. Tolstoy is such a good writer. The story unfolds itself easily and harmoniously, filled with many practical details to make it very real but often hinting at more so we keep paying attention and wonder what is exactly going on. It is all about ethics and morals, about obedience and love, especially love. This story is surprisingly modern.
Read more HERE

"THUNDER AND ME " (La foudre et moi)
This is a short story on what happened to me a couple of days ago. I was stunned but not scared, surprisingly. All of it happened in a split second and it was exceptional and completely new to me and I certainly remember it, Oh! so very clearly.
Read more HERE

MY OWN ADVICE FOR THE JOURNEY
Very short, very sharp (by this, I mean very much to the point in question), very simple: a couple of steps only...But I think they go right to the heart of the matter.

Furthermore, I added my own "Litanies of Gratitude and Requests for Continuous Help" every step of this process, this adventure, with many links to my favorite saints, many prayers, some in French and some in English. Read it HERE

ALLEGORICAL vs LITERAL SENSES
"As I slowly grasped the fullness of what Jesus was saying, I heard the hush of bewilderment that must have gone over the assembly in the synagogue...."
Since my return to the Church, I have experienced the most amazing love of Scripture. Along the way, I heard and studied the 4 various senses of Scripture and pondered about them.
Read more HERE

Rene Girard
A French-American intellectual who devoted all his researching and reasoning abilities to develop his therory of mimetism. I discovered him late in life, via an article in France Amerique (around the year 2000). Afterwards, I tried to read whatever book of his I could find, in French and in English; by that time, I had returned to the faith myself and I loved how he was able to articulate his anthropological findings in a very christo-centric way. I think he was, and he is, absolutely a fascinating writer.
Read more: Here

PRAYERS & SAINTS & SPIRITUAL LEADERS

1) Kolbe and Truth:HERE

2) Bonhoeffer et l'Intercession:HERE

3) Saint Ephraim and the Transfiguration: here

Full Moon over a Fir Tree
When waiting for the exact right time brings much more than what one expected. Very early one cold Winter morning, a few years ago, I was able to take a good shot of a full moon and, in the process, learned quite a few things about my global family. Read it Here

Waters of the Earth and Streams of Faith
There is a beautiful parallel in between the waters of the earth (waves of the ocean, lakes and snow and rain drops on a flower) all of them essential for the physical survival of the planet and the human race, and the streams of faith (prayers, the sacrements, the liturgy, Scripture, the Communion of Saints) which are as essential for the health of our soul and for the world ! See my commentaries and my photo essay HERE

PRAYERS & MEDITATIONS

4) Eucharistic Desire prayer:ici

5) Action de Grâce :HERE

6) Ocean Pacific Meditation :HERE

A Moment of Terror in my Room: Alone, in the dark, I went from normal to terror in a few seconds... Everything can change so very quickly! We think we know what is going on and how easily we can become confused and bewildered. Read more here

PRAYERS & SAINTS

7) Anima Christi :HERE

8) Veni Sancte Spiritu!:HERE

9) Guardini or "Brimming with life" :HERE

10) A prayer of silence HERE

The 3 stages of life
I thought about it and I had this idea to outline it all in 3 stages..... I even attempted to illustrate it! It is all very basic. But here is the link: here
Life Continuum
Then a few years later, I came back to this idea but more in depth, since by that time, I was taking a class on painting icones and I got mesmerized with one specific icone, which certainly illustated so much better my insight of the three stages.

Now the link: Read more here

SUFFERING... or Ma Vie Est Magnifique!Pondering about the paradoxical moments of "tension" vs "elation" which we sometimes encounter in life. Or another way to put it is How can there be happiness when suffering is so close to us, knocking at the door of our heart? But the truth is that we can and we should, nevertheless, still attempt to see it, to feel it, to find it and to spread it. Read more HERE

"Stunned by Divine Providence in the movie: "The Innocents"
This is a French/Polish movie, which I watched a few years ago, and which was so effective, so moving, especially because of one specific line said by someone in the midst of very dramatic circumstances. But I kept coming back to it, in my mind, in my heart, and I can now say that I "liked" that movie because of what that line allowed me to see better. Here is the link: HERE

ENCYCLICAL: LAUDATE SI, from Pope Francis: it is all bout the care for creation, the need to share our planet and its resources with all, and especially the ones coming after us. He makes it clear that this is not "his idea", that it is there from the beginning, in the Psalms, in the parables of Jesus, in the life of the saints, such as Saint Francis Link: Here

Saint Isaac and Saint Kateri
These two Saints of the XVII century intrigued me as soon as I discovered them. One was a young Jesuit, a daring missionary, well educated, from a well-to-do family of that time, but driven by the commission to spread the Good News, going over the Atlantic in very unchartered territories, paying a stiff price in his own body, and eventually with the ultimate price: martyrdom. The other one is a young and simple girl, orphaned early, plagued with many ailments, almost unschooled but extremely anchored in her faith too, touching everyone by her piety, charity and humility, a saint in the making from an early age. Read about them Here

The Domestic Church
"The very first school of Love is the family" said Pope John Paul II. .
And he was right! The family is where we first learn how to communicate, how relationships are first established and nurtured and/or repaired, again and again. No one said it is easy, everyone has a special set of circumstances to encounter, but if and when love is there, then this is a gift for all involved and a gift which will last more than a lifetime, it will be seen and reflected in the next generations. Here is my own pondering: Read more here

ENCYCLICAL: CARITAS IN VERITATE from Pope Benedict XVI, on man and on his proper development in the world; with excerpts, commentaries, mine, many others, pros or cons, and my photos with my favorite quotes! Link: Here

The Communion of Saints as a terrific formative school! I learned about it rather late in life (although it is definitely never too late) but it is such a fascinating school, extremely enduring (talk about the fact it has been going on for thousands of years!) and it is accessible to each one of us, the only thing needed for access is the humility to ask for help and the respect due when facing much more experienced people and learned people, much more than us, and much more than we first realised!
Read more Here

MY PILGRIMAGES TO THE SANCTUARY OF ARS where lived Saint Jean Vianney, le Curé d'Ars. A very small village, where everything is centered on this wonderful Saint, known all over the world. Located in the region of "Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes". I am posting numerous photos of the beautiful country side since we usually arrive by foot, from another village 3 miles away.
See the 2010 pilgrimage: 2010
        See the 2014 pilgrimage: 2014