Humankind has an obsession with the heart. “But don’t tell my heart, my achy breaky heart…” “And my heart will go on and on…” “You’ll be in my heart…” “Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame…” “Don’t go breaking my heart…” “Listen to your heart…” Songs for ages have revolved around the heart – … Read More
Carrying Christ Within You
When we celebrated the feast of the Visitation on Monday, we heard in the Gospel about Mary’s journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth. After hearing news of her cousin’s pregnancy, Mary set off in haste to visit her relative. “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb,” and then she said, “Most … Read More
Living Like the First Pentecost
The city of Santiago de Compostela has been looking forward to 2021 since the end of 2010 for a very important reason – it is the next Holy Year (Jubilee) of Santiago! These Jubilee years occur whenever the Feast of St. James (July 25th) falls on a Sunday. The next time this will happen will be 2027.
The Dignity of Work
This past year has brought a lot of attention to a most beloved and humble saint. In the midst of a confusing pandemic, declining affiliation with the faith, and overall detriment of the family unit, what better saint could we have called upon than the Protector of the Holy Church, Pillar of Families, and Terror … Read More
A Week Full of Easters
He is Risen. He is Risen indeed! This week we celebrate the Octave of Easter – 8 days of feasting and rejoicing. Each of these days is treated as another Easter Sunday. At daily Mass, everyone proclaims the Gloria and Alleluia, as on other solemnities. No fasting is allowed, and the usual practice of abstaining … Read More
Burning with Love
This past Tuesday, we celebrated the feast of St. Polycarp, a second century bishop, martyr, and saint. A disciple of John the Evangelist, Polycarp was a man whose faith was rooted deep and whose heart was aflame with love for the Lord. Throughout his lifetime, he set out to preach the truths of the Faith … Read More
Not Your Average Tuesday
With Fat Tuesday just a few days away, and because there hasn’t been much International travel lately, we thought it would be fun to take a peek at the ways our Christian brothers and sisters around the world prepare themselves before the Lenten season. Let’s jet into a few cultures to discover new, fun, and … Read More
Finding Christ in Companionship
In 2013, I took a pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago in Spain and to the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal, with a local church group of close to 50. We celebrated Mass together each day and were accompanied in our worship by one pilgrim who had brought along his guitar. A song … Read More
Sharing the Jolly News from Bethlehem
While Christmas is often associated with a jolly old man bearing gifts for all, there is another less-jolly old man even more closely tied with the birthplace of our Savior. And who also happened to offer a gift to the world. Yes, even saints get grumpy sometimes, and St. Jerome was known for his grumpiness. … Read More
The Incomprehensible Beauty of Mary
I’ve only become interested in Our Lady of Guadalupe within the last 4 years or so. I’m a self-proclaimed artist who finds great joy in creating religious art. After completing pieces of many of my favorite saints to hang around my college home, and then my first apartment after graduating, I wanted to create a … Read More
The Great American Saints – Part 2
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Born: July 15, 1850 in Italy Died: December 22, 1917 (age 67) Beatified: November 13, 1938 by Pope Pius XI Canonized: July 7, 1946 by Pope Pius XII Feast day: November 13 Patron of: immigrants and hospital administrators Although born in Italy, St. Frances was naturalized a U.S. citizen in 1909, … Read More
Finding Mashed Potatoes & Turkey in Rome
When my husband and I got married we were blessed to meet the now-Saint John Paul II in person. I wore my wedding dress and Pope John Paul II made the Sign of the Cross over us, took our hands in his, and gave us a nod. It will forever be seared in our memory … Read More
The Great American Saints
The year 2020 has certainly brought many changes and challenges, causing stress and certain anxieties never before experienced. Timing couldn’t be better for us to connect with a few of our great American Saints and one of our Blessed. We can learn how they lived, prayed, and ultimately accepted God’s will in hopes that we … Read More
How I Met My Mother
Growing up Catholic, I remember disliking the great task that was praying the rosary. In my grade school days, every day of October was increasingly tiresome as each year my class would daily pray a rosary during this month dedicated to it. My mind would wander, my mouth would yawn, my attention span was totally … Read More
Medjugorje and Life Coaching
For the past three years as fall approached, I found myself eagerly awaiting a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. The visits to the small village in Bosnia-Herzegovina completely changed my life. Amid the chaos and confusion going on now in the world with the pandemic, social unrest and the upcoming election, I find myself yearning for Medjugorje. … Read More