Author: Smitten With Goodness

Being Loved

Remembering with Gratitude the Lord’s Goodness

Smitten With Goodness

As we enter this week of Thanksgiving in the US, our hearts are drawn to the Eucharist—the great thanksgiving of the Church. In the Eucharistic offering, we blaze with gratitude for the present realization of salvation, a gift decreed by the Trinity from all eternity. Here we remember that God became matter to purify it and save it; He became man so that man might become God. This is the marvelous exchange of lives: the face of God in man, the face of man in God.

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Being Loved

Eating the Mystery: An Invitation to See Differently

Smitten With Goodness

When Jesus said, “This is my Body,” he was not only pointing to bread on a table. He was naming a truth that stretches across the whole universe: everything physical, everything material, is also spirit‑filled.

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Being Loved

Becoming Truly Human

Smitten With Goodness

“Being human is difficult. Becoming human is a lifelong process. To be truly human is a gift.”
~ Abraham Heschel

The words of Heschel remind us that humanity is not a finished product but a pilgrimage. In Catholic tradition, we understand this journey as sanctification—a slow, grace-filled process of becoming who God created us to be.

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Being Loved

Pope’s Prayer Intention for November 2025: The Prevention of Suicide

Smitten With Goodness

This month, Pope Francis calls us to pray for the prevention of suicide, a plea that touches the heart of the Church and the world. He asks that those struggling with suicidal thoughts may find support, care, and love in their communities, and be open once more to the beauty of life. His intention reminds us that professional help is vital, but so too are the daily gestures of compassion that remind each person they are not alone.

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Being Loved

The Divine Worth of Every Person

Smitten With Goodness

Saint Leo the Great once wrote, “Let no human being be thought worthless to a human being, nor should that nature which the Creator of things made his own be despised in anyone.” These words echo with timeless clarity, calling us to reverence the sacred dignity of every person.

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Being Loved

Everything Is Grace: A New Lens for Daily Life

Smitten With Goodness

St. Thérèse of Lisieux once said, “Everything is grace.” At first glance, it’s a simple phrase. But when we pause and unpack it, we discover a profound truth that can transform how we see every moment of our lives.

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Being Loved

Grace in Suffering

Smitten With Goodness

“Whenever anyone bears the pain of unjust suffering because of consciousness of God, that is a grace.” (1 Pt 2:19)

This week, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a rare special message on immigration, condemning the “indiscriminate mass deportation” of migrants and urging Catholics to defend the God-given dignity of every human person. It was the first time in twelve years that the bishops spoke with such urgency, reminding us that the plight of immigrants is not only a political issue but a profoundly spiritual one.

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Being Loved

Marvels Written Into the World

Smitten With Goodness
The northern lights captured in Livingston, Texas, on Nov. 11, 2025, Drone Bros

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.” (Psalm 19:1)

Creation is not mere backdrop to our lives—it is revelation. Every sunrise, every star, every hidden rhythm in nature is a wordless sermon, speaking of God’s glory without uttering a sound.

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