FEELING IT It was hard to find joy in the day. Rain pelted the morning windows incessantly. I burrowed under the covers and, grasping for gratitude, told myself it was good we were getting needed moisture. After the rain came unremitting gloom, strong winds and falling temperatures. When baking cinnamon rolls brought no respite […]
Effie Caldarola: The integrity of our modern Catholic heroes
FEELING IT Somewhere in Nicaragua, a Catholic bishop languishes in prison because of his outspoken opposition to the policies of an unjust government. Bishop Rolando Álvarez, a handsome and youthful 56-year-old, has been accused of “treason” and “undermining national integrity” by the Ortega regime. Earlier, 222 political prisoners, including priests, were released to the […]
Effie Caldarola: You are enough for God
FEELING IT Some people don’t believe in miracles. Other people see little miracles every day. I try to be that second kind of person, but sometimes God has to bang a drum to get my attention. During the holidays, I broke my wrist and had to wait 10 days for surgery. So, in addition to […]
Effie Caldarola: Recovering ‘recovering’ Catholics
FOR THE JOURNEY “I’m a recovering Catholic,” our contractor announces jauntily, apropos of what I can’t remember. I think we were trying to decide on flooring for the front deck. It’s a phrase with which we’ve become familiar, so common that this guy we know only because he’s overseeing some basic repairs to our old […]
Effie Caldarola: Appreciate the larger picture
FOR THE JOURNEY Mom was recuperating, years ago, in front of the television set in her hospital room following surgery. As she grew older, surgery was hard on Mom, physically and mentally. It took her down and she was never quite able to climb back to pre-operation levels. On this particular day, when the nurse […]
Effie Caldarola: ‘This man welcomes sinners’
FOR THE JOURNEY So, after two years, I finally succumbed to COVID-19. When I woke up feeling like a cold was coming, I wasn’t surprised. I’d been exposed by a grandchild. Nevertheless, since I was going out to lunch with friends, I took a quick test. Negative. On the drive home, I started to feel […]
Effie Caldarola: ‘Take care to guard against all greed’
FOR THE JOURNEY My great-grandfather, a refugee from the devastating famine in Ireland, came to Nebraska to farm. Generations later, I grew up on that farm. I have roots — literal and figurative — in the land he purchased, a very small acreage of which I still own. These roots help me to identify with […]
Effie Caldarola: ‘Letter’ inspires action
FOR THE JOURNEY When you think about the Vatican, great filmmaking isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But a documentary released by the Vatican on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Oct. 4, is a must-see for all of us. It should be advertised in every parish bulletin, mentioned from every altar, […]
Effie Caldarola: ‘Do not worry about tomorrow’
FOR THE JOURNEY One of my daughters recently reunited with college roommates on the opposite coast. It was her first airplane flight since COVID-19, and the first time she would be away, overnight, from her almost 2-year-old daughter. She was nervous. The 2-year-old? Not so much. “How’s the baby doing?” I asked my son-in-law. “Is […]
Effie Caldarola: Choosing a side
FOR THE JOURNEY In the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the saint asks us to make a choice between “the two standards.” Using our imaginations, we envision the banner, or standard, of Christ arrayed on one side, and the legions of the evil one gathering in opposition on the other. Which side do […]
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