Author Archives: kmwanek

The season of Lent calls us to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  It is a time for growth and discipline.  It is a time of repentance and renewal.  Recently, I read something that really struck me.  It said Lent is a time to become recognizable.  We should be recognizable as people who have spent time withContinue reading “Becoming Recognizable”

Over the weekend, this is a phrase I spent time praying with: “through the deserts where our souls starve for your presence- lead us in your ways, O Lord.”  Now that we are in the season of Lent, it is even more fitting.  This prayer and desire is that Jesus would show us the placesContinue reading “Starving Souls”

This past weekend, there was a men’s retreat going on at my parish.  Saturday afternoon, I was dropping something off.  I walked back outside and it was so nice outside that I decided to leave my vehicle at the parish and walk home.  I knew I’d be back shortly to go the chapel, so IContinue reading “The Son is Shining”

Recently I was talking to my brother, who is in his last semester of college, about transition and change that comes after college graduation.  He’s actively involved in Catholic campus ministry and is not looking forward to that ending.  I remember being in that same boat.  You can’t really prepare for the transition from campusContinue reading “Welcoming Others”

About two weeks ago, when I was at work and it was approaching 5:00 PM, looking out the window, I noticed that it was not pitch black at that time, like it had been for weeks before.  It was a little bit lighter outside.  I don’t know if it was the first day that 5:00Continue reading “The Smallest Bit of Light”

Last week at work, someone I work with used a swear word when talking about something to our team, then quickly apologized to just me for her language.  Co-workers have often shared with me their amazement at how I never swear and almost every time one of them uses that kind of language around me,Continue reading “Words Matter”

About once a month at work, I spend the day working at one of our interim housing sites (shelters).  Most of the office staff are assigned one day each month in order to help cover the hours of the normal work day, before the housing staff members come in to cover their evening and overnightContinue reading “In the Midst of the Ordinary”

In today’s Gospel (1/12), we read about the call of the first disciples.  The one part that caught my attention when reading the passage is, “Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:17).  These words from Jesus have two parts.  Jesus asks His disciples to followContinue reading “Come After Me”

In today’s (1/6) Gospel passage from Mark, we read about the miracle of Jesus feeding 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish. There are a lot of messages we can get from this passage. Just as Jesus takes the small amount of food and multiplies it, He can do the same in ourContinue reading “Multiplying our Offerings”

Recently, an extended family member greeted me by confidently saying, “Hi, Abbey!  Merry Christmas!”  This wasn’t the first time this family member called me by my sister’s name.  As this family member has been part of the family for more than 28 years, since before I was born, it seems kind of strange to getContinue reading “The Power of a Name”