From February 27, 2019 I went to the doctor yesterday. Every month he checks my lungs. I must take a breathing test each visit. Before the test, I told the doctor I had no real breathing issues in Haiti, despite all the smoke and pollutants in the air. However, since returning to Florida, my breathing has become more labored. I…
From February 25, 2019 Decluttering is the work of continual contemplative practice. As our mental clutter dissolves, we experience a greater inner silence. We begin to forget the self and are more and more grounded in God. This takes discipline on our part and an outpouring of grace on God’s part. Our inner stillness allows grace to operate and opens…
From February 24, 2019 Yesterday, I sent a thank you note via email to a faithful supporter who made a very generous donation. After finishing the “thanks,” I spontaneously shared with him something that happened that morning.
From February 23, 2019 Billy sent me an e-mail saying that Sr. Immacula came to Santa Chiara yesterday to ask him if we could help her. She knows a woman who is HIV+ and is very sick. Sr. Immacula wants to help the woman, but the woman has four kids, a girl and three boys who need a place to…
From February 17, 2019 A good friend of my sent me a personal e-mail yesterday morning after reading the Journal. The e-mail had only two lines. As former Jesuit seminarian, in the first line he tossed my way a quotation from St. Ignatius of Loyola. The second line was: “Your eucharist is all around you. Do not travel to the…
From February 18, 2019 I left for the Missionaries of Charity just a few minutes before six yesterday morning. As always, I took a deep breath and hoped for the best. When I reached a long stretch of dirt road that is very narrow, I was dismayed to see a large water truck blocking the way. I decided to back…
From February 22, 2019 On the road to God, words eventually dissolve into silence. To become more and more silent, to enter deeply into creative silence, takes courage. The wordless is foreign to us. Yet God transcends language and intellect. In silence, we are able to meet our deepest self. When we have found our authentic self, we are free…
From February 21, 2019 We left Santa Chiara at 6:05 yesterday morning. Daybreak has barely broken. Billy drove us to the airport in the Honda. I felt that was going to be the worst part of the trip. We had to drive through the slum below us. Around 5:30am, I heard gunfire from the slum.
From February 20, 2019 Ecarlatte and I are both headed for Florida this morning…on a 9:00am Jet Blue flight to Ft. Lauderdale. Ecarlatte has a doctor’s appointment on Friday. She will return to Haiti on Sunday. I will stay in Florida for an additional week to handle administrative chores.
From February 19, 2019 Yesterday morning I spotted Christella in backyard. I was happy to see her. I gave her a hug. She clung to me. I went out front to see why she was here. I saw Madame Polycarne. She smiled at me. I then saw Lovna, who still looked sad, even though she was talking with Bency. I…