Last week, I began a compilation of some of the local authors we feature here at DCB. This week, I’m moving beyond the Springfield area, and going broad. This entry will feature some of the authors available from around the state of Missouri, as well as the Ozark Hills. If I had to make a [...]
I awoke to my alarm Easter Sunday, tuned to NPR, as I’m wont to do. Within one minute of the radio kicking on, I heard the host of the Sunday morning program announce that she was interviewing Sr. Joan Chittister about her new book, cowritten with Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canturbury. In Uncommon Gratitude, [...]
I have done little to hide my affinity for St. Benedict of Nursia and his famous Rule. In my experience of reading The Rule in several translations and interpretations, I have come to see how readily it applies to the world as much now as it did in the 7th Century, when it was initially [...]
Nov
Referencing the Saints
Since yesterday was the Feast of All Saints and today is the Feast of All Souls, it seemed like a perfect day to pause, reflect on the lives around us, along with those who went before us. If you get a few minutes, I encourage you to take time to pray for those in your [...]
Oct
Cloister Talks
Some of my favorite places to visit in the United States are the monasteries and abbeys that often line the most remote areas of the countryside. There’s something warm and inviting about a place dedicated to the perpetual seeking of Jesus and God’s presence in every occurrence and aspect of life. In Cloister Talks: Learning [...]
Ultimately, I’m fascinated by monasticism. I realize very clearly that I’m not exactly cut out for it, which is why it intrigues me all the more. But something in me loves learning about it, and any of the ties to it, like oblation. One book in particular has been catching my attentions on the shelves [...]
Jun
A Love of Kids’ Books
My undergraduate degree was in education–English education, at that. Part of my degree program included coursework in children’s literature, and through the assistance of one of my better professors, I learned about several children’s authors who have become some of my personal favorites. (And I almost cheerfully admit that I browse children’s sections looking for [...]
Although I am an avid reader, it’s unusual for me to give books as gifts. If I do, usually, it is because someone has asked for a specific title or tells me of a favorite author. Even then, gift certificates are far more comfortable for me to give away. Despite that, I did give away [...]
Dec
Advent Season Begins
Happy New Year!!! Here’s hoping your new liturgical year is off to a great start. If, however, you’ve forgotten anything, you still have a chance to find a couple of things to enhance your spiritual life this season. Don’t forget our reflection books, including one of our favorite annual publications, Waiting in Joyful Hope. It [...]
In the three and a half years since I started working at De Sales, I have developed an affinity toward Thomas Merton. His prose is very often deeply moving because of its profound spirituality imbedded in the choice of words. His ability with words is deeply meaningful to anyone who aspires to be a writer. [...]