Today, we honor St. John Paul II – poet, philosopher, pilgrim, prophet and Pope – whose voice once rang out across the iron grip of Communist Poland with a message that could not be silenced: God is real, and human dignity is sacred.
Continue reading “The Power of God’s Word”
Yesterday’s Gospel (Luke 18:1–8) is sticking with me. It’s tells the story of a persistent widow who refuses to give up. She pleads with a judge for justice, again and again, until he relents—not because he is just, but because she will not stop asking. Jesus shares this parable so that we “ought always to pray and not lose heart.”
Continue reading “The Grace to Keep Knocking”
Saint Teresa longed to climb a mountain and cry out to the world: “Pray, pray, pray.” Her urgency echoes Christ’s own command: “We ought always to pray and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). Prayer is not merely a spiritual discipline—it is the lifeline of grace, the breath of the soul, the key to the treasury of heaven.
Continue reading “Pray Always: Will He Find Us Faithful?”
“It is not that I want merely to be called a Christian, but to actually be one.”
—St. Ignatius of Antioch
We live in a world saturated with signs of God’s presence—sunrises that silence us, acts of mercy that defy logic, the ache of beauty that stirs something eternal in us. And yet, Saint Paul’s words in Romans 1:16–25 cut through our modern noise with unsettling clarity: “Although they knew God, they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks.”
Continue reading “From Faith to Faith: When Knowing Isn’t Enough”
“For freedom Christ set us free” (Galatians 5:1). But what does this freedom look like—not in theory, but in the marrow of our daily lives?
Continue reading “Remaining in Christ: The Freedom of Love”
What makes a 16th-century Carmelite nun one of the most compelling spiritual guides of all time? St. Teresa of Ávila, who we celebrate today, wasn’t just a mystic cloistered in prayer—she was a reformer, a writer, and a woman ablaze with love for God. Her legacy continues to shape how we understand prayer, grace, and the soul’s journey toward divine union.
Continue reading “Let Nothing Disturb You”
A new study reveals a quiet but troubling shift: daily reading for pleasure in the U.S. has dropped more than 40% over the past two decades. In 2003, 26% of Americans read on an average day. By 2023, that number had fallen to just 16%. Researchers warn that this decline isn’t merely cultural—it’s deeply personal and potentially harmful. Reading is linked to improved mental health, deeper empathy, and stronger cognitive function across all age groups. It’s not just entertainment; it’s nourishment.
Continue reading “Choosing Depth Over Distraction”
Sometimes I get overburdened by the amount of things I’ve accumulated in my life and the things I have hung onto. Things passed down to me as well as things hanging around my house that are my children’s that I just can’t seem to let go of. It’s tucked away in closets out of sight. Can any of you “boomers” relate?
Continue reading “What Do You Covet?”
Smitten With Goodness 