Charlotte Phillips Category

Jesus is Our Still Point on the Swing of Life

By Charlotte Phillips A few weeks ago, I went to City Park’s Carousel Gardens with my family and found myself on the swings with our 7-year-old. We both excitedly buckled ourselves into our swing – him in the swing in front of me.  As we began to swing in circles, I couldn’t help but think, […]

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Savoring the Easter Hope with a Prayer

By Charlotte Phillips Dear God, We thank you for the gift of hope given to us by your resurrected Son. As we continue to savor this precious gift during these 50 days of Easter, Lord, help us remember how it feels to bask in the joy of the Resurrection.

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The Samaritan Woman at the Well

By Charlotte Phillips On this third Sunday of Lent, we hear the story of the Samaritan woman at the well from John’s Gospel. During this time, the Jews and Samaritans did not get along with each other. Also, during this time, Samaritan women would have gone together to draw water from the well. The woman […]

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Look at the Purple Sky

By Charlotte Phillips Recently, I was able to go to Atlanta to Ignatius House, one of a handful of Jesuit Retreat Centers left in the Jesuit East Providence, for five wonderful nights on a silent retreat.

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Litany to our Mother

By Charlotte Phillips   Mary, Mother of God, pray for us. Mary, Mother of Jesus, pray for us. Mary, Mother of the Divine, pray for us. Mary, Mother of us all, pray for us.   Mother of Hope, pray for us. Mother of Joy, pray for us. Mother of Light, pray for us. Mother of […]

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An Annual Examen

By Charlotte Phillips In Ignatian Spirituality, one prayer St. Ignatius invites and encourages people to pray is the “Examen,” which is simply a prayer to reflect over the past 24 hours of our lives. We can also pray an annual Examen over the last year. As we prepare to begin a new liturgical season, or […]

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The Gift of Giving

By Charlotte Phillips We recently celebrated our 7-year-old son’s birthday. His older sister wanted to use her own money to buy him a gift, so per her request, we walked down to the gas station to pick out some of his favorite candy. She settled on a bag of M&Ms and a king-size Reese’s.

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Mary, Our Heavenly Mother

By Charlotte Phillips On Sept. 8, the church celebrated the birthday of Mary. Growing up Catholic, our household said many of Hail Mary’s. And, growing up in a Dominican church and school parish, the rosary was often said at school, too. As I have gotten older and become a mother myself, my devotion to Mary […]

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Sharing married life with the one she loves

By Charlotte Phillips Today, my husband and I celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary. Sometimes it’s hard to believe it’s been 14 years since we’ve said our “I dos” on that unseasonably cool (who are we kidding, less hot!) August night. But, most of the time, it’s hard to imagine life before we were together.

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Summer Camp Jitters

By Charlotte Phillips On the first day of summer camp drop-offs this summer, our children were holding two competing feelings – excitement to go to a new camp for the first time since the pandemic and nervousness about going to camp without friends.

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The End of Kindergarten

By Charlotte Phillips My middle son graduated from kindergarten today. When I picked him up from school a couple of days ago, I noticed I could see the tip of his white sock poking through a small hole in the toe of his shoe. Will these shoes make it through a day and a half […]

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