(photo: Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota, 2025) From lauds (morning prayer) in the Liturgy of the Hours for today (Ephesians 4:29-32): Never let evil talk pass your lips; say only the good things people need to hear, things that will really help them. Do nothing that will sadden the Holy Spirit with whom you were … Continue reading Forgiving Just As Forgiven
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Forgiveness: Receiving and Giving God’s Grace
(photo: Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota, 2025) "Frost and cold, bless the Lord!" (Daniel 3:69) Yesterday morning we woke up to our first frost of this autumn here in on the oak savanna in Central Minnesota. The pastures were white and silver that tuned to a brilliant gold as the rising sun cast it's first … Continue reading Forgiveness: Receiving and Giving God’s Grace
Morning Prayers for Forgiveness
(photo: Monarch Butterfly, Tom Delaney, St. John's Abbey, Minnesota, 2025) Inspiration from morning prayers (lauds) in the Liturgy of the Hours for today: Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. … Continue reading Morning Prayers for Forgiveness
Mercy Makes Forgiveness
(photo: Pope Leo XIV and author Diane Foley, Vatican Media, 2025) I have a theory: Learning from experience is fundamentally human. We learn from our experiences, and what we learn changes the way we think, feel, and act -- sometimes a little, but sometimes in ways that transform us. When we are in community with … Continue reading Mercy Makes Forgiveness
Forgiving Makes More Forgiveness
(photo: Prairie Deer Mouse by Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota, 2025) An important part of my day is the time I spend in our stable, hay shed, and on our pastures. Regularly doing some outdoor work caring for animals and little ecosystems like pastures, keeps gives me a daily connection to nature and the proverbial … Continue reading Forgiving Makes More Forgiveness
New Heart, Natural Heart
(photo by Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota, 2025) One thing that you start seeing in the woods around the oak savanna this time of year is a noticeable addition of mushrooms. This trend starts in late summer and will have a crescendo in the fall. These mushrooms caught my eye as I was walking through … Continue reading New Heart, Natural Heart
Acceptance is the Way Forward
(photo by Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota, 2025) The Blue Jackets (Tradescantia ohiensis) are beginning to bloom along the forest edges here in Central Minnesota. The Morning Prayer ("lauds") in today's Liturgy of the Hours includes a reading from the book of Job: "We accept good things from God; and should we accept evil?" (2:10b). … Continue reading Acceptance is the Way Forward
“…made the two of us one…”
"Now in Christ you who once were far off have been brought near through the Blood of Christ. It is he who is our peace, and who made the two of us one by breaking down the barrier of hostility that kept us apart. In his own flesh, he abolished the law with its commands … Continue reading “…made the two of us one…”
Forgiveness Makes It Real
(photo by Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota, 2025) Summer blooms on our oak savanna here in central Minnesota are a sight to see every day now. This is a favorite -- Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea). The Liturgy of the Hours can be a daily routine of prayer that gives you something to think about … Continue reading Forgiveness Makes It Real
Live and Forgive 