By Pat Haggerty

I often watch the Today Show to get my day started.  The other morning, a minister was on talking about how to get the joy from the holidays.  He noted that this can be a stressful time and that we are often looking for the elusive, perfect Christmas.  His message was simple:  make memories and don’t worry about perfection!

By Pat Haggerty

Often, some of our most significant messages come in the form of one word:  Greetings!  Congratulations!  Bravo!  Magnifique!  Welcome!  We received one such important message in last Sunday’s gospel.  The message was “Watch!”

By Pat Haggerty

Every Tuesday and Thursday my three year old grandson comes to my house and has breakfast with me.  There is a sort of ritual to those early mornings.  I prepare him an egg with the yellow soft so that he can “open the door” and dunk in his toast.  The toast has to be cut in triangles, and he usually washes everything down with a glass of apple juice.

While he is eating his breakfast, and before heading off to nursery school, we often watch a movie or play a game.  My husband and I have accrued quite a collection of children’s DVDs, so there are plenty of titles from which to select.  For the past few weeks, my grandson has been obsessed with the movie Hook.

By Pat Haggerty

Years ago I started writing in a prayer journal.  It all started when I was reading The Cup of Our Life by Joyce Rupp.  The reader was encouraged to keep a journal and write reflections on questions from the text.  So, I did!  That was the beginning of what has turned into my own little book of reflections and prayers.