Melanie Rigney's Blog, page 15
February 4, 2020
“My Son Absalom!”
Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me atYour Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
Consider the life and death of Absalom.
He was David’s third son and possibly his favorite of his older group of sons. He inherited David’s good looks—and other less admirable attributions. Angered by the rape of his sister by one of their half-brothers, Absalom waited two years, then killed the half-brother. Three years in self-imposed exile followed before...
February 2, 2020
Martyrdom, and What You Won’t Find in Brotherhood of Saints
I’m closing in on 25 percent complete onBrotherhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration(thinkSisterhood of Saints,only guys). That’s a good thing, since it’s due to the publisher on May 10 (to be published in October!).
Each day, I listen to whoever wants to talk. I’m waiting for the Doctors of the Church to be ready; they aren’t yet, but I know they will be. After all, they’re wise teachers, correct? And their feast days are saved for slots in the page-a-day format.
But lately, a lot...
February 1, 2020
Friends in Faith: Jean Sweeney

On the Nightstand: “Living Memento Mori”

January 28, 2020
Those Delightful, Annoying People
Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me atYour Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
That woman at work who’s always right, right, right, and takes pleasure in telling you you’re wrong, wrong, wrong.
That twentysomething guy who’s watching his phone instead of his dog or the traffic light as he walks into the intersection on a red light.
The person in the car ahead of you who is driving the speed limit and there’s no way for you get into the...
January 21, 2020
“This Is the One”
Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me atYour Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “TheLordhas not chosen any of these.”Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”He sent and brought him in. Now he...
January 14, 2020
Leaving the Land of “Less Than”
Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me atYour Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
We all have moments where we feel “less than”: less than a family member, a friend, a colleague, maybe even an enemy. Often, we’re wrong, and recover our equilibrium after we stop think about our emotion… or maybe we pray, or maybe we come up with a juicy rationalization to power us past our feelings of inadequacy.
But in Hannah’s case, she didn’t just feel less...
January 12, 2020
2020: Your Words
Congrats to Sister Jane of New Jersey, who won a random drawing for a $20.20 Amazon gift card. Here’s what Sister Jane said about why CONFIDENCE is her word for 2020:
“I opened my reflection book, HE AND I, to the word that Jesus gave Gabrielle for one year, and took that. It’s CONFIDENCE, which is similar to your Trust. I feel that it encourages me to continue placing my confidence that Jesus is working everything for good because I love Him (Rom. 8) even if I cannot see it at the time. For...
January 7, 2020
In This Is Love
Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me atYour Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
How much does God love us? We get the lyrical answer in today’s first lectionary reading:
In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.(1 John 4:10, NRSVCE)
That’s right. So much that He sent His son to pay for our sins, not because we’d been so faithful or well behaved, or even because we...
January 1, 2020
The Word for 2020: Trust
