-
Our Need for Confession
In his book on the Sabbath, Wayne Muller brilliantly juxtaposes two descriptions: “Jules and Olivia are in their fifties, and even though their children are grown, they love to celebrate
-
Not Our Own Children
Towards the end of Margaret Laurence’s novel, A Jest of God, there is a particularly moving dialogue: Rachel, the story’s main character, an aging, spinster teacher, is more than a
-
Stopping the Haemorrhaging by Touching the Hem of the Garment
Several years ago in Germany, while giving the sacrament of confirmation, a bishop was questioning the children who were about to be confirmed: “Who can administer the sacrament of confirmation?”,
https://ronrolheiser.com/stopping-the-haemorrhaging-by-touching-the-hem-of-the-garment/
-
In Pursuit of Innocence
In the novel, The Stone Angel, Margaret Laurence describes a woman, Hagar Shipley, who, after overhearing a very unflattering comment about herself one day, goes into a public toilet and
-
Coping with the Divine Fire Within
“Our life is a short time in expectation, a time in which sadness and joy kiss each other at every moment. There is a quality of sadness that pervades all
https://ronrolheiser.com/coping-with-the-divine-fire-within/
-
Cultivating Loneliness
Few persons in recent centuries have touched the human heart as deeply as Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher. There are reasons for this, some more obvious than others. He was
-
The Sacredness of Work
When I was in high school we read an old German classic entitled, Immensee. It told the story of a love that never happened, but that should have, except that
-
The Mystery of Presence and Absence in Love
Someone needs to write a book with one of these titles: The Metaphysics of a Goodbye, The Anatomy of a Farewell, The Pain of Moving On, or, better still, A
https://ronrolheiser.com/the-mystery-of-presence-and-absense-in-love/
-
Needed: A New Maturity to Match Our Freedom
We are the freest people to ever walk this planet, at least in terms of opportunity. Our freedom is so great that, at times, it is almost a burden, an
https://ronrolheiser.com/needed-a-new-maturity-to-match-our-freedom/
-
Dealing with Hurt and Disappointment
All of us know the humiliation of being rejected, over-looked, ignored, left for another. As well, we know what it feels like to be unable to actualize our persons, our
https://ronrolheiser.com/dealing-with-hurt-and-disappointment/