Maureen Pratt, Author and Speaker

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to give up pain for Lent? To begin on Ash Wednesday with not a twinge, not a cramp, not a creaky, cranky feeling of hurt? Then Easter would be a true celebration of joy, wouldn't it? Yes, it would be awesome...but, alas, it's just not possible, especially for those of us with ongoing, serious pain and illness. Oh, there are moments when we feel "better." There might even be entire days when movement is easy, well, easier. But chronic is just that - ongoing and seemingly never-ending.

So, does the wishful thinking do us any good?

No, but yes!

Clinging to a wish that we know is unreasonable can sap our energy, strength and spirit. It's a bit like setting ourselves up for diappointment - and it perpetuates a terrible cycle of that same disappointment when we experience the "better" times and think "this is it! No more pain!"

But the wishful thinking can also be good for us, if we take it to another level. What if, instead of focusing on our own pain this Lent, we prayed for others who are suffering? What if we made an effort to learn about another ailment, not our own, and did something to advocate for someone who suffers and does not have nearly the energy we do? What if Lent was not about "giving up" the pain, but rather about "making something positive happen" in the life of another person?

One of the most challenging things about living with pain is the feeling of helplessness that can creep up upon us. What if, this Lent, we consciously decided to do something positive and, in so doing, turned that helplessness into something wonderful-ly effective?

Oh, what an Easter that will be!

Seems every day we hear about another food that's good for us - or bad for us. I digest these stories with more than a grain of salt (pardon the pun). But a new study that indicates how good chocolate is for us has really caught and held my attention. In part, the news story about this very delightful study says, "In a presentation at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2011 Congress, British investigators are reporting that individuals who ate the most chocolate had a 37% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 29% lower risk of stroke compared with individuals who ate the least amount of chocolate." Of course, there are the usual caveats that the fat content of chocolate products is not exactly beneficial for the waistline, and that moderation is important. But it does my heart good (besides the benefits of chocolate) to see that hardcore scientists are softening up to the idea that one of the most delicious things on the planet CAN be good for us, too. Mmmmm!

I've found myself saying, more often these days, "What were they thinking?!" Take the tragedy at the Indiana State Fair, for instance. Midwesterners are no naifs when it comes to violent weather - winds, rain, snow, tornadoes. What were the fair and concert organizers thinking to carry on with the concert during a horrible wind/storm event? And what were the concertgoers thinking to remain on the grounds as blustering gusts wreaked havoc upon and around them? As a native Midwesterner, I find great direction and comfort in relying upon common sense. . (more…)

Saw Dolly Parton's new concert last night at the Hollywood Bowl. It was one of the best concerts I've seen (and I've seen a lot of them - from Muddy Waters to The Boss). She took the stage at 8:30 (no opening act) and sang and played (guitar, banjo, saxophone, harmonica, autoharp, piano, dulcimer...really (more…)

The WallStreet Journal reported late today that Borders Bookstores will be sold to liquidators. All of the Borders and Waldenbooks stores will be closed, and the act of liquidation may begin as early as Friday of this week. Borders was the second largest bookstore chain. But more than that, it was often the only bookstore left in communities, such as the stores in Decatur and Matoon, Illinois, where readers truly live and truly read books. The physical kind. The kind you can curl up with, turn down the pages of, scrunch up, display on bookshelves, reach for again and again. The kind you can talk about with others. The kind that, sometimes, build communities, (more…)

Wednesday, July 13,the ABC Primetime/Nightline program "Beyond Belief" featured an hour of reportage about Marian apparitions throughout the world. Although it was interesting to see a "mainstream media" treatment of the subject, there were many aspects about it that, to me, fell far short of doing justice to what many Catholics find a (more…)