Melanie Rigney's Blog, page 18

Of Tantrums and Conversions

Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

My favorite St. Therese story comes before she went to Carmel, before she named her philosophy The Little Way, and long before anyone beyond her family gave much thought to the girl with the sad eyes.

Therese was spoiled, which is understandable. She was the youngest of the five Martin sisters, and her mother had died of cancer before Therese was five.

At Christ...

Friends in Faith: Megan Hamberger

“They have no wine,” Mary told Jesus at the wedding at Cana, and we all know what happened after that.

Mary and Jesus are models for us of so many things, but right now, I’m contemplating on their hospitality… and calm. My friend Megan Hamberger and I recently were at the same table for a dinner… and there was no wine. While I sat there just saying over and over again, “No wine? No wine?” Megan without fanfare or fuss went out to common area and bought two bottles for the table.

That’s the wa...

Construction, Destruction, and Rebuilding

Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

Solomon’s temple was destroyed. It was about 588 BC, and it is difficult to even imagine the sorrow and anger of the people of the kingdom of Judah. Life as they had known it came crashing down. All they had was their faith.

It took decades, almost fifty years in fact, for deliverance to come in the form of the Persian conquest of Babylon, which resulted in the...

“Do Not Weep”

Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to...

Of Charisma, Christ… and Cec Murphey

Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

We call it charisma, the gift of drawing people to us. Sometimes the gift evidences itself in quiet, calmly confident ways; other times, it’s more exuberant. Everyone knew Jesus had that gift; the power that came from within Him healed more than physical disabilities. That’s what disturbed the authorities.

Those in the public limelight—political leaders, profess...

Building Each Other Up

Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

This time around, it started off nicely enough, a conversation about our summers and mutual travel experiences. Lots of smiles, a few nods and laughs. I congratulated myself; maybe this time with this acquaintance would be different. Maybe the judge-y remarks, not just about me but about those we were with, wouldn’t come. Maybe it was the start of friendship.

Th...

Monday’s Man: Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez

The Basics: Born July 25, 1532, in Spain; died October 31, 1617, in Spain; canonized January 15, 1888, by Leo XII; feast day, October 31. husband, father.

The Story: Alphonsus felt the call to a priestly vocation, but family duties came first.  His father died when the boy was fourteen, and so he ended his education and went to work in the family business helping his mother. As time went on, he fell and love and was married. But by the time Alphonsus was thirty-eight, his world had been rocke...

Friends in Faith: Sharon O’Brien

Sharon O’Brien is a tireless advocate for those affected by domestic abuse. Even though we both live in the DC area, our contact tends to be via email, which is why it was a true gift to spend some time together last month at the National Council of Catholic Women’s national convention and chat about our ministries. Sharon serves as director of the National Catholic School of Social Services’ Catholics for Family Peace Education and Research Initiative at the Catholic University of America. I...

On the Nightstand: Our Lady of Charity

You may know Maria Morera Johnson as the author of My Badass Book of Saints. I love her writing style, which somehow manages to be devout, earnest, and fun, all at the same time. We got to spend a few minutes together last month, and I’m looking forward to reading her new book this month. Our Lady of Charity is a devotion that began among three Cuban men who received Mary’s protection during a storm 400 years ago.

The book includes the story of Maria’s first trip back to her birth nation of C...

Cleaning Our Cups

Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,[f]so that the outside also may become clean.” (Matthew 23:25-26)

Parents know their children—not only how cute they are and how smart they are, but...