Written On Our Hearts

Working as a Youth Minister and in Catholic Media, the Stations of the Cross has shaped my ministry. What began ten years ago as a youth ministry activity in need of a revitalization, has become a pillar and guidepost of my personal spirituality and public ministry. Thus the Stations of the Cross has been one of the favorite ways Patchwork Heart Ministry reaches out and touches hearts; presenting them in a dramatic stage production of Living Stations of the Cross, authoring two print editions of the Contemplative Stations of the Cross (2016 & 2018) and also an audio version featuring an overview of the theology, history and spirituality of the devotion by Fr. Bill Zimmer. It almost goes without saying that the Stations of the Cross are a keystone of our ministry. Why? There are a few reasons. First, the passion, death and resurrection is what gives credibility to the claims of Christianity. If Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, didn’t sacrifice Himself for your sins, my sins an...

God’s Heart has many qualities, and it was fully revealed to us through the incarnation of Jesus. The Heart of Christ is the Heart of God. Let us take a moment to reflect upon the qualities of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Infant Heart of Jesus, Innocent and Pure, Sanctify Us. Childhood Heart of Jesus, Attentive and Obedient, Listen to Us. Baptized Heart of Jesus, Righteous and Beloved, Prepare Us. Tempted Heart of Jesus, Fortified and Steadfast, Strengthen Us. Professed Heart of Jesus, Wise and Compassionate, Guide Us. Miraculous Heart of Jesus, Powerful and Healing, Cure Us. Betrayed Heart of Jesus, Abandoned and Alone, Support Us. Scourged Heart of Jesus, Wounded and Scarred, Perfect Us. Crucified Heart of Jesus, Exhausted and Dying, Redeem Us. Risen Heart of Jesus, Restored and Living, Renew Us. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pray For Us. Amen Click the player below to hear a song composed by Jeff Jones of Sunknight Music  based upon this prayer.

“Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.” ~ 2 Timothy 1:14 As Bert, the beloved chimney sweep in Mary Poppins, feels the winds change in the opening scene of the movie he chants; “ Winds in the east, there's a mist comin' in, like somethin' is brewin' and 'bout to begin. Can't put me finger on what lies in store, but I feel what's to happen all happened before .” He alludes to the arrival of the world’s most famous nanny - who soon floats onto the doorstep of the Bank’s home to animate the lives of Jane and Michael and answer the plea of their father George for a qualified and diligent caretaker. Her unexpected arrival is a pleasant surprise to almost everyone involved. She solves problems with a touch of magic and routinely suspends the laws of reality, to provide those whom she comes in contact with a reality check. Her iconic bag is filled with a unique combination of advocacy, orderliness and spontaneity. With ...

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; in Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities - all things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the Church; He is the beginning, the first-born of the dead, that in everything He might be pre-eminent  ~ Colossians 1:15-18 It was an early spring Friday afternoon, my little brother and I got off the school bus and walked the familiar two blocks home. As we approached our house we could hear the sound of chainsaws and soon noticed a crew of so-called “landscaping professionals” just about finishing the removal of our neighbor's apple tree. While the roots of this particular tree were definitively on our neighbor's property, the branches hung over a fence by our vegetable garden providing some shade and blocked the view to an ugl...

Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize Jesus Christ is in you? - unless, of course, you fail the test. I hope you will discover we have not failed. ~ 2 Corinthians 13:5-6 “Okay, Houston ,  we’ve had a problem here ” were the words of command module pilot John Swigert aboard the space shuttle Apollo 13   when an oxygen tank exploded during their mission to the moon on April 13, 1970. The in-flight explosion resulted in abandoning the planned trip to the moon and instead getting home alive. In the minutes, hours and days that followed, the circumstance of relying on a spaceship for life-support that was on life-support itself tested, challenged and demonstrated the ingenuity and perseverance of a team determined not to be defeated by the disaster. If you’ve watched the popular 1995 film you’ve got an idea about how NASA engineers and scientists helped the trio of astronauts beat the odds and make it home safely, al...

It was always around this time of year that my mom would take us back to school shopping, dedicating one whole day each to myself, my brother and my sister. She would take us on a grand excursion to various malls, office supply shops and department stores so we could get everything we needed, from notebooks to new shoes, and start the year on a positive note. Finally, we always capped off our special day with a dinner for two at a restaurant of our choosing. I have many silly and fun memories from our back to school shopping adventures. My favorite story has to be the seventh grade “toe service” experience. Mom and I both walked away stunned and giggling at the Nordstrom’s sales associate, who not only measured my shoe size personally and found that I had two different sized feet, but then went in the back and actually brought me the same shoe in two different sizes! However, it was her dedication to make sure that my first steps in my mismatched hush puppies were second to none by s...

It was a hot Chicago summer day four years ago. I was at Navy Pier deciding what to do. My friends had just left on a four-hour Segway tour of the city that I was unable to accompany them on because of some physical limitations that I have. I had some time to kill, but even if you are alone it isn’t hard to entertain yourself in downtown Chicago. There was music blaring from the “Beer Garden” stage, an IMAX theater and the Billy Goat Tavern. My friends would be back before I knew it. As I made my way down the pier looking for something that was going to strike my fancy, I remembered that I had never seen Holy Name Cathedral. With four hours to kill I decided that I’d walk to it and check it out because when I visit a city I like to see two landmarks – the Baseball Stadium and the Cathedral; I’m not quite sure why, I just like to see both. I’d been to Wrigley Field the night before but Holy Name Cathedral remained on my list. I pulled my Chicago navigation guide up on my iPod touch as...