You, Jesus, love us by dying, by suffering abandonment, by bestowing Your spirit unto us, by doing the Father’s will, by offering everything up for our sins, and trusting in the greater plan of GOD.
Continue reading “Shining a Light on Goodness: He is Risen”
Continue reading “New Life and Consolation Our Easter Celebration Continues”Amid the many hardships we are enduring, let us never forget that we have been healed by the wounds of Christ. In the light of the Risen Lord, our sufferings are now transfigured. Where there was death, now there is life. Where there was mourning, now there is consolation.
Pope Francis
As we have journeyed through Lent and an intensified Holy Week, I hope your heart is rejoicing and full of light in the fact that God’s mercy endures forever. He is risen. Alleluia! I hope your faith has been strengthened and your heart has been lovingly pruned and purified so it is bursting with love. Christ suffered greatly to grant us access to eternal life. The time is now for us to mature spiritually and Be His Light in the world.
Continue reading “God’s Mercy Endures Forever, Let Us Be His Light”
After recollecting our Lord’s Passion and Death on Good Friday, Holy Saturday begins as a day of quiet prayer and reflection. It is a day when no Mass is celebrated in the Catholic Church (until the solemn Easter Vigil that begins after sundown). Instead, the faithful pray and meditate on the great sacrifice our Lord has made for all of us, and anticipate His Resurrection from the dead on Easter Sunday.
Continue reading “The Greatest Solemnity of the Year”
So much of my life I was caught up in what people would say instead of basing reality on their behaviors. This likely stems from having significant relationships in my life who were emotionally unavailable to me in my formative years. This destructive coping mechanism led me into a lot of wishful thinking and living in the hopeful future. After suffering the consequences of a failed marriage and another long-term dating relationship, I was able to see how this habit was not serving me well and was able to change my mindset to ensure that actions must match words.
Continue reading “Good Friday Lord’s Passion: Action Speaks Louder than Words”
We have spent the past 40 days of Lent renewing and reinvigorating our faith in preparation for Easter. The sacrifices and penances we have made have softened our hearts to be ready to enter the Easter Triduum — Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil — in which we commemorate the passion, crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Easter Triduum allows us to walk in Jesus’s footsteps during His final hours on earth.
Continue reading “Holy Thursday — Entering the Easter Triduum”
Have you ever had an encounter with God that left you in tears because you understood the power of His goodness? I will never forget the first time I watched Passion of the Christ a few years ago and how it brought me into the life of Christ in such a powerful way. I watched Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem to accomplish the Paschal Mystery, His passion and resurrection with fresh eyes. Seeing Jesus portrayed in His humanity and divinity brought home for me the magnitude of suffering, rejection, and betrayal He faced. I may start my Spiritual Director’s practice of watching this movie on Good Friday. Will you join us?
Continue reading “Palm Sunday – Encountering God’s Goodness”
We celebrate the beautiful Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord on March 25. This day, which is nine months prior to Christmas Day, honors the Blessed Virgin Mary saying “Yes” to God’s will for her as part of His divine plan for salvation of the world. Mary’s “Yes” is included every year in the Gospel reading for this Solemnity:
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.
Luke 1:38
The Solemnity of the Annunciation is a bittersweet day for me as it is also the anniversary of my father’s death. He died on March 25, 1998, and I have had a Mass said in his memory each year on this day. Over the years, I have found comfort in the Mass readings for the Solemnity, which provide me with encouragement and strength to accept God’s will for my life. Mary’s brave and trusting acceptance of God’s will helps me to accept God’s will in my life, even to accept God’s will for the death of a beloved parent. The Gospel reading also reminds me that God is always with us, and that I should not be afraid (Luke 1:26-38).
Continue reading “Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord — Saying Yes to God’s Will”
Joy isn’t what happens when life goes perfectly. It’s what happens when you know you’re loved perfectly, even when life’s a mess.
Chris Stefanick, Living Joy
The journey of Smitten With Goodness began with a simple question. What does it mean to love?
Continue reading “Finding Perfect Precious Love”
Each day that begins, if welcomed in prayer, is accompanied by courage, so that the problems we have to face no longer seem to be obstacles to our happiness, but rather appeals from God, opportunities for our encounter with him.
Continue reading “Celebrating Happiness”
Smitten With Goodness 