God’s mandate is love. Not efficiency. Not urgency. Not the breathless pace we’ve come to accept as normal.
Continue reading “Anchored in Love: Choosing the Unhurried Path of God”Anchored in Love: Choosing the Unhurried Path of God
Tag: Goodness
A Reminder to Lift Up Your Spirit
“Don’t spend your energies on things that generate worry, anxiety and anguish. Only one thing is necessary: Lift up your spirit, and love God.”
—Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
We live in a world that constantly pulls at our attention and burdens our hearts with worry. But Padre Pio’s words offer a gentle redirection: lift up your spirit, and love God. When anxiety threatens to consume us, we’re reminded that the most important thing isn’t fixing every problem—it’s turning our hearts toward the One who holds us.
Continue reading “A Reminder to Lift Up Your Spirit”A Pilgrim of Hope at the Mother of All Churches
On this Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, I’m still carrying the grace of having recently walked through its Holy Door—an act of pilgrimage during this Jubilee Year, as a pilgrim of Hope.
Continue reading “A Pilgrim of Hope at the Mother of All Churches”Show Us the Way: Cultivating Gentleness in a Hardened World
We live in a world that rewards independence, self-reliance, and performance. Especially in the West, we’re taught to look out for number one, to keep our guard up, and to measure our worth by success. But over time, this way of living hardens the heart. We become efficient but emotionally distant, strong but spiritually brittle. And in this climate, the fruit of gentleness feels like a foreign language.
Continue reading “Show Us the Way: Cultivating Gentleness in a Hardened World”The Chain of Gratitude
In a world that often feels loud, fast, and unforgiving, kindness and generosity are more than virtues—they are radiant echoes of Christ. They soften the edges of our days, interrupt cycles of fear and anger, and remind us that love is never wasted. But how do we cultivate this way of being when the world feels overwhelming? One answer: gratitude.
Continue reading “The Chain of Gratitude”Five Years of Goodness: A Celebration of Grace
Five years ago, I launched Smitten with Goodness on All Saints’ Day with trembling hands and a heart full of longing. What began as a personal journey—working out my salvation with fear and trembling and seeking a deeper understanding of my faith—has become something far greater than I ever imagined. A quiet offering has become a place of encounter.
Continue reading “Five Years of Goodness: A Celebration of Grace”All Hallows’ Eve: A Night for the Luminous
Tonight, the world flickers with jack-o’-lanterns and laughter. Children dress in costumes, doorbells chime, and the air hums with mischief. But beneath the revelry, a deeper mystery stirs. October 31 is not merely Halloween—it is All Hallows’ Eve, the sacred vigil before the Feast of All Saints.
Continue reading “All Hallows’ Eve: A Night for the Luminous”The Goodness That Waits
“Good is the Lord to one who waits for him, to the soul that seeks him.” (Lamentations 3:25)
Continue reading “The Goodness That Waits”Crying for Heaven to Come to Earth
Sometimes my heart aches with longing—for the Spirit to fall, not just on me, but on all of us. There are moments when the lyrics of Bright City’s Come Holy Spirit feel less like a song and more like a cry from deep within:
“Come Holy Spirit, fall on us. Burn like a fire, living flame of love.”
Staying in My Holy Lane
Lately the Lord has been helping me get real with myself. It’s only by knowing myself in a deeper way that I can deepen my relationship with God, and know my true need. It’s the opportunity to grow in humility, thinking of myself less, and allow divine love to stir the generosity in my heart.
Continue reading “Staying in My Holy Lane”
Smitten With Goodness 