Paraclete Press Blog

I have distinct memories of the morning, some forty-six years ago, when my father died. Every facet of that life-changing day is carved in heart and memory, and I expect always will be. Our family gathered in the waiting area … Continue reading →

By Sr. Spero Those of us who have passed through several decades seem to have one unanswered question that circles through the years.  Mine is “what is art”?  I tried to answer the question in school with a confusing course … Continue reading →

By Sr. Fidelis Today is the Feast day sometimes called “Holy Cross.” The origin of this feast is found in Jerusalem at the commemoration of the finding of the True Cross of Christ, and Constantine’s building of churches on the … Continue reading →

By Hummingbird Genesis and several of the Psalms remind us that God created our animal friends and gave us dominion (responsibility) over (for) them. This carries a serious understanding to care for them as God cares for us. In Matthew, … Continue reading →

By Sr. Nun Other Come, labor on. Claim the high calling angels cannot share. These beautiful words, written by English lyricist Jane Bothwick, perfectly describe the pilgrimage of a soul. I can say, in the best sense of the idiom, … Continue reading →

By Sister Spero God created flowers. Each species, fully developed, is beautiful. A flower cannot choose its own beauty. It begins with the seed, containing the nature of the parent plant. If the seed drops, or is placed, in soil … Continue reading →

By Hummingbird As I sit at my desk to write to you, a small dog is peacefully resting in my lap hemmed in by the arms of the desk chair and the top of the desk. I am heart warmed … Continue reading →

By Sr. Nun Other If God said, “You may choose one gift of the Spirit and become that gift,” which would you choose—love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control?  Me? I’d choose kindness because our world … Continue reading →

By Melodious Monk I’m still very much a novice gardener and one plant I’m still scared of is the vaunted, precious, glorious gem of the summer crops, the vine ripened tomato! Perhaps I’m still haunted by the tomato plants that … Continue reading →