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”
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?”
Today, as the Church celebrates the Blessed Virgin Mary, we remember her not only as the Mother of God, but as our gentle companion on the journey of faith. Pope Saint John XXIII once called her “the dawn of eternal day,” a radiant presence who scatters the shadows and restores the splendor of heaven. In her, we glimpse the promise of grace fulfilled—and the path by which we too may walk toward it.
Continue reading “Our Help to Hear and Observe God’s Word”
“Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.”
— St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Continue reading “A Transformed Life”Brothers, I beg you through the mercy of God to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God’s will, what is good, pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2
What if love wasn’t just a feeling, but a way of being? What if it had a shape, a rhythm, a pulse that echoed through every moment of your life?
Continue reading “Recognizing Real Love”
“If you do not have someone to guide you, to hold onto you during the times of not knowing, you will normally stay at your present level of growth.” —Father Richard Rohr
Continue reading “The Gift of Spiritual Companionship”
In the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1–16), Jesus tells of a landowner who hires workers throughout the day—some at dawn, some at noon, some just before sunset—and then pays each the same wage. To our modern sensibilities, this feels unjust. Shouldn’t those who bore the heat of the day earn more? Isn’t fairness the bedrock of justice?
Continue reading “The Scandal of Grace”
“A soul which does not practice the exercise of prayer is very like a paralyzed body which, though possessing feet and hands, makes no use of them.”
— St. Alphonsus Liguori
Prayer is mysterious. It doesn’t always come with fireworks or clear answers. Often, it feels intangible, like silence or stillness. But without it, something vital begins to fade. We lose contact with Jesus, not just His teachings, but His presence. The One who sees us, loves us, and longs to guide us through every joy and sorrow.
Continue reading “Why Daily Prayer Matters”
Smitten With Goodness 