jencoito

Donuts for Dinner (and other ways the False Spirit Works)

The clock hands keep moving later and later. I step on a monster truck and trip into the couch. Six times before dinner, two times after dinner, and another three times before bedtime. That is how many times I asked for help cleaning up the toys. I want to throw up my hands and exclaimContinue reading “Donuts for Dinner (and other ways the False Spirit Works)”

Sustaining Hope in the Midst of Anxiety

Afflicted “There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly.” Mark 5:25-26 My anxiety is hemorrhaging out of me. Over time I have learned to deal with my triggers in more effective ways. But some days, like today, it hemorrhages. It bleeds into my prayer, it floods my mind, itContinue reading “Sustaining Hope in the Midst of Anxiety”

Scattered

Wednesday in the Easter Season I was involved with training other students to serve small, Ignatian faith communities on my Jesuit university campus. After graduation, that evolved into leading a summer program for campus ministers and peer leaders who would come together to pray, learn, and envision how they might serve the spiritual needs ofContinue reading “Scattered”

Broken Locks

Wednesday in the Easter Season But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,led them out, and said,“Go and take your place in the temple area,and tell the people everything about this life.” – Acts 5:19-20 Our daughter has no doorknob. We went through a phase where she lockedContinue reading “Broken Locks”

Real or Fake?

“And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them.” Lk 24:14-15 “Zombies aren’t real. Neither are aliens.”“Well if that’s true then neither are leprechauns, the Easter Bunny, or Santa!”“What about the tooth fairy?!”“What is real?!?!” This heated exchange over what’s real and what’s “fake” continued forContinue reading “Real or Fake?”

The Clothes Make the Man

“He went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,and the cloth that had covered his head,not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.Then the other disciple also went in,the one who had arrived at the tomb first,and he saw and believed.For they did not yet understand the Scripturethat heContinue reading “The Clothes Make the Man”

Looking for a Reason: Irritating Sin

Wednesday of Holy Week “…and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.” Matthew 26:16 My 8-year-old woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. I caught him “flicking” his little sister twice before even finishing his breakfast. I didn’t pack the right snack for school. His temperContinue reading “Looking for a Reason: Irritating Sin”

Palm Sunday: A Current Event

The Passion of Jesus is happening today. The Passion is not a historical account of something that happened 2,000 years ago.

Enslaved

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent, April 6 2022 “Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains. So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.” JnContinue reading “Enslaved”

An April Fool

“Yet I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter, had not realized that they were hatching plots against me.” – Jer. 11:19 I always pick the wrong line at Target. I looked at the data and assessed my options: Lane 7 has a person with two shopping carts full of items and a bulging envelopeContinue reading “An April Fool”