Melanie Rigney's Blog, page 79

Being Christ in Our Lives: Dorothy Smith

Last month I had the joy of spending time with one of my very favorite relatives, my aunt Dorothy Smith. Her wedding to my beloved uncle when I was five was one of the highlights of my childhood: Dorothy was just so beautiful that day, she looked like a princess! As you can see in this photo, she is if anything more beautiful today.

In the intervening years, Dorothy has had significant accomplishments–serving in a high-ranking staff position with the South Dakota Supreme Court–and some big ch...

Wednesday’s Woman: St. Winifred

The Basics:Born about 600 in Wales; died about 650 in Wales; canonized pre-congregation; feast day, November 3. Woman religious.

The Story: That Winifred (also known as Winefride) lived in seventh-century Wales, there is no doubt. But what happened to her when

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she was fifteen is the stuff of legends… and, perhaps, a symbol of faith writ public. The noblewoman had de...

Hoping for What We Do Not See

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

Maybe it starts in childhood.

We hope for a pony. We get a tricycle.

We hope for a particular doll or bat or tablet or game subscription. The one we get is fine… but it’s not exactly the one we had our heart set on. And so we become more specific, more defined in what we want in gifts or people. We set up our wish list on Amazon and our non-negot...

Returning Catholics FAQs: Sign of Peace?

O n Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

People get really serious about that handshaking after the Lord’s Prayer. I guess that’s fine, but some of them have just been coughing or blowing their noses or worse. As someon...

Wednesday’s Woman: St. Salome

The Basics:Born late 1st century BC, possibly in what is now Israel; died circa 47, possibly in France or Italy; canonized pre-congregation; feast day, October 22. Mother; evangelist.

The Story: We know her as the wife of Zebedee, mother of the apostles James and John, the woman who was so bold as to ask Jesus to put her sons at his left and right hands. Jesus answered that that was up to the Father… and asked if the brothers were ready to “drink from the cup that I am about to drink.” But wh...

When He Comes and Knocks

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

A dear friend likes to tell a story about a chart, designed to open up dialogue with others or private recollections about pivotal points in your life. It breaks the journey into seven-year segments and aligns them with months of the year. A member of her family was shocked to find while he was in April, she was in November. It didn’t bother her;...

Returning Catholics FAQs: Prayer Practices

O n Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

I’ve been to Mass a few times, and the Lord’s Prayer doesn’t sound the same as when I’ve been to church with my

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“Sharing YOUR Faith Story” Launch Blog Tour!

Catholics are good at a great many things: Prayer. Social justice. Community.

Evangelization, however, comes more difficult for many of us. For whatever reason, many Catholics find it challenging to talk about the way the Lord is working in their lives, whether they’re speaking with family members, friends, colleagues, neighbors, or complete strangers.

It just got easier. My friend and sister in Christ Nancy Ward at JoyAlive.net is stepping out in faith with a new DVD, “Sharing YOUR Faith Sto...

Wednesday’s Woman: Blessed Marie Poussepin

The Basics:Born October 14, 1653, in France; died January 24, 1744, in France; beatified November 20, 1994, by John Paul II; feast day, October 14. Educator, social worker.

The Story: By the time Marie was thirty, both of her parents had died, leaving behind a once-prosperous manufacturing business that was deeply in debt. As the person in charge, Marie took a risk and brought in machinery to make stockings, replacing the handwork and learning how to operate all the equipment herself. Employe...

The Inside of the Cup

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

My sister and I have a cleaning crew come in once a quarter. It’s not that our condo is often particularly messy; we’re both fairly tidy people. Rather, it’s because she’s often traveling and most nights and weekends I can be found at the computer, writing or editing something. We don’t get to the serious, tile-scrubbing, corner-vacuuming cleanin...