Inspiration

Thunderstorms had rolled through the region, knocking out power temporarily to some of the stores of this supermarket chain. So when a help desk technician got an emergency page from one store, he figured he knew how to handle it.

Turns out it was not that easy. "When I called the store, a somewhat dippy cashier answered the phone," he says. "The cash registers were all off-line, and when I gave her what I thought were simple instructions to restart the registers, she was having trouble understanding."

"He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

- John, the Disciple of Jesus

"St. Gregory wrote that every time the sacred text describes a fact, it reveals a mystery. Preachers, are you listening? We have for too long ruptured people's minds with facts rather than raptured their souls with mystery."

- Flannery O'Connor

One summer evening, a thirteen-year-old came in while his parents were setting the table for supper. Quite surprisingly, he asked if he could help.

His mother said, "No, but I appreciate your asking."

The child responded, "Well, I appreciate your saying 'no'."