Fullness of Life

Man is called to a fullness of life which far exceeds the dimensions of his earthly existence, because it consists in sharing the very life of God. 1

As I begin this New Year 2010, I am filled with hope and a renewed sense of purpose;


For I feel the presence of the Almighty within me, filling me up, strengthening me.


Gratitude has become a close friend;
I find joy every time I see her face in the world around me.


Beauty has revealed herself to me on the snow covered peaks of the Eastern Sierra mountain range;
She has made herself known in the orange and purple sunsets above the Northern California coastline,
And she has broken bread with me as I shared the love and laughter of family and friends over holiday meals.


As I begin this New Year 2010, I am blessed to see all the ways the Almighty shows himself to those who seek his face.


May the Lord of all hold you close to himself this day,
And may you find comfort in the warmth of his most Sacred Heart.

(1 )Encyclical Letter of John Pau II, the Gospel of Life; Evangelium Vitae

A Blessed Christmas

Adoration of the Magi 1626

"The fiat of Mary, the word of her heart, has changed the history of the world, because it brought the Savior into the world- because, thanks to her YES, God could become man in our world and remains so for all time” Pope Benedict XVI


In these final days of preparation for the birth of our blessed Savior, I want to take a minute to wish you all a very Blessed Christmas. You have shared so much of yourselves and your faith with me during this Advent season, and I am truly thankful for each one of you.

You will be in my prayers every day, as well as your families and the requests for prayer that you have shared.

Until the New Year, may the Lord continue to bless you and hold you close to His Sacred Heart.
In Christ,

Daily Grace


A virgin unspotted, the prophet foretold,

Should bring forth a Savior, which now we behold,

To be our Redeemer from death, hell, and sin,

Which Adam’s transgression had wrappèd us in.

The King of all kings to this world being brought,

Small store of fine linen to wrap Him was sought,

But when she had swaddled her young Son so sweet,

Within an ox manger she laid Him to sleep.

Then God sent an angel from Heaven so high,

To certain poor shepherds in fields where they lie,

And bade them no longer in sorrow to stay,

Because that our Savior was born on this day.

Then presently after the shepherds did spy

Vast numbers of angels to stand in the sky;

They joyfully talkèd and sweetly did sing,

To God be all glory, our heavenly King.

To teach us humility all this was done,

And learn we from thence haughty pride for to shun:

A manger His cradle Who came from above,

The great God of mercy, of peace and of love.

Words & Music: Ap­par­ent­ly based on A Vir­gin Most Pure. This ver­sion ap­peared in Christ­mas Car­ols New and Old, by Henry R. Bram­ley and John Stain­er (Lond­on: No­vel­lo, Ew­er & Co., 1871), pp. 6-7 (MI­DI, score).

The Presentation

Wrapped in a blanket, coffee steaming from my cup;

Rosary beads in hand, I watch the gentle flames dance in the fireplace as they warm the room.
In the name of the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit, I begin this day.

It is now the fourth joyful mystery, Mary and Joseph present the child Jesus in the temple; with joyful obedience they present him.

Simeon, a righteous and devout man, is moved by the Holy Spirit and praises God, saying:

"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel." Luke 2: 29-32

And, a prophetess, Anna, was also there. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2: 36-38

As I think of what faithful prayer warriors Simeon and Anna were, I am reminded of a prayer request that I had received yesterday from a beautiful great grandmother on behalf of her great grandson, Liam.

Liam is only 3 months old. He was in the hospital for about 10 days; most of that time was in critical care. He has been home now for about 3 weeks on the highest dose of medication allowed. However, he is continuing to have 5-6 seizures a day. The doctors do not want to increase the medications that he is on. Liam’s family is asking for prayers.

Oh Blessed Mother, just as you and St. Joseph presented baby Jesus in the temple for consecration to the Lord, please present baby Liam to your Son today. Ask Him to touch this little child with His healing hand and to bring peace to his tiny body. With each bead on this rosary, I ask you to increase the number of prayer warriors, like Simeon and Anna, on Liam’s behalf and to give his parents the courage they will need to get through this. In Jesus name, Amen