I have always wanted to do great things. Yet, since childhood, my two favorite saints have ones who preached doing small things: St. Therese of Lisieux and Mother Teresa (who wasn't a saint when I was a child but was a hero of mine). Therese is known for her "Little Way," a practice that imbues … Continue reading Small Things, Great Love
Last Sunday at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh, the deacon began his homily by describing Frodo's journey to Mount Doom in "The Lord of the Rings." I've written before about my love of "The Lord of the Rings," so you can imagine my rapt attention as he started to speak. The deacon compared … Continue reading On Not Giving Up the Quest
It's impossible to find a silver lining in this week's news that a Pennsylvania grand jury accused over 300 priests of abusing about 1,000 people over the course of 70 years. But for better or worse, I'm an idealist, so I always look for a silver lining. And without discounting the evil that was uncovered … Continue reading To Those Who Feel Angry With the Catholic Church
You consecrate yourself to Mary, and then you're done, right? You can coast through life and then be welcomed with open arms to those pearly white gates. Not exactly. And that's not what I expected when I consecrated myself to Mary earlier this year. But I think I did expect my journey to be a … Continue reading Marian Consecration: Not a One-Stop Shop
I was 14 when "The Passion of the Christ" came out, so while I couldn't have seen it in theaters without my parents, I was probably old enough to watch it. Certainly, it seems strange that as a Catholic who enjoys watching movies, it took me this long to watch it. But I've always been … Continue reading “The Passion of the Christ” and Samwise Gamgee
“The woman’s soul is fashioned as a shelter in which other souls may unfold.” – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross In February, my friend Bernadette and I started a Catholic young women's book club. Actually, I have my boyfriend to thank for it, because he gave me "The Other Side of Beauty" (Leah Darrow, … Continue reading “A Shelter in Which Other Souls May Unfold”
In Chapter 24 of the Gospel of Luke, Mary Magdalene, Joanna (the wife of Herod's steward), and Mary (the mother of James) visit Jesus' tomb and find his body missing. Imagine their state of mind: They were heartbroken, having seen their God, whom they loved, crucified. Then, they went to visit his body, and they … Continue reading Why Do You Seek the Living Among the Dead?
In 2012, the United Nations declared March 21 to be World Down Syndrome Day, “to help raise awareness of what Down syndrome is, what it means to have Down syndrome, and how people with Down syndrome play a vital role in our lives and communities.” It’s ironic, because the UN is also a fan of … Continue reading World Down Syndrome Day 2018
When I consecrated myself to Mary earlier this year, I received a brown scapular that had been blessed by a priest. I'd seen scapulars before and heard of the brown one in particular but didn't really know what it meant to wear one until my consecration. Now, I wear it every day. (And on a … Continue reading The Brown Scapular: A Carmelite Tradition
Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC, creator of the "33 Days to Morning Glory" Marian consecration retreat and book, says that "the act of consecrating oneself to Jesus through Mary marks the beginning of a gloriously new day, a new dawn, a brand new morning in one's spiritual journey. It's a fresh start, and it changes everything." … Continue reading Totus Tuus: All Yours, Mary!
