Posts by Radhika Sharda, MD
Finding Refuge in the Yoke
“Come to me, all you who are weary,” Jesus urges us in today’s Gospel reading. Few calls resonate so deeply as this open-armed invitation to every tired soul. Who among us has not known the trials and weariness of everyday life? “Come to me” offers the balm of restoration. Yet a few verses later, we…
Read MoreSmall Enough to Kneel
Have you ever wondered what allows some people to believe, while others do not? What special trait or disposition of mind equips one person to participate in faith, while another continues in his own ways? Why do some souls readily see the deeper layers of reality, while others see only the surface? What sets them…
Read MoreWho is the Master of Your House?
If we could strip away the veil of our material world, we would discover that reality is thick with spiritual warfare. The Enemy and the evil spirits are real, constantly seeking to pervert the goodness of our world and our souls. Though today we may not encounter demonic possession as described in the Gospels, the…
Read MoreAll in All: What More Do We Desire?
Years ago, I first mustered the courage to walk into a Catholic church, and I imagined I would stand out like a sore thumb. I assumed the people there would turn me out as soon as they saw me. As far as I knew, churches were for Caucasians who had grown up Christian and not…
Read MoreSight Beyond Seeing
When I contemplate faith, I often remember something my younger son used to say during bedtime when he was four. He begged me to stay with him after turning off the light, so I would snuggle next to him in bed and allow the quiet to settle. He would anxiously cry out, “I can’t see…
Read MoreCome Near to Me
Revelation scenes are the jewels of great literature. Consider Odysseus’ encounter with his wife at the end of the Odyssey, or the moment in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment when the murderer Raskolnikov finally confesses his crime. Revelation of identity brings about tremendous catharsis. I would propose, though, that Joseph’s revelation to his brothers ranks among…
Read MoreYes, Yes, and Everlastingly Yes
I often listen to the musical score from The Passion, and the one piece I love most is the final song, “Resurrection.” It is unlike any other piece I have ever heard. With its dramatic swell of loud drumbeats, it brings an explosive quality to the end of the Passion. For me, it conjures to…
Read MoreTo Whom Else Shall We Go?
As a convert to the faith, I have a special love for the Book of Acts. It narrates the flowering of the early Church, from its very beginning with the apostles at Pentecost to the missionary journeys of St. Paul. The story crackles on the page with vigor and energy. Perhaps I love this book…
Read MoreCovenant and Promise
Every story begins with an unspoken promise. Whether we realize it or not, when we take up any book, we enter into it with a confidence that the beginning will be fulfilled in the end. In the same vein, every story invites the reader into a very special relationship with the author. Through the promise…
Read MoreThe Least of These
What does mercy look like in real life? If we are honest with ourselves, to be merciful does not often come naturally to the human heart. Indeed, a glance at ancient literature reveals no heroes of mercy, but rather men who dealt out justice and revenge. Mercy does not emerge on the stage of history…
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