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The Sacred Heart of Jesus and Consoling the Heart of Jesus
“Behold this Heart which has so loved men that It spared nothing, even going so far as to exhaust and consume Itself, to prove to them Its love. And in return I receive from the greater part of men nothing but ingratitude, by the contempt, irreverence, sacrileges and coldness with which they treat Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what is still more painful to Me is that even souls consecrated to Me are acting in this way.” ~Revelations of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque~ The revelations of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque contained beautiful truths about His Sacred Heart and the unfathomable Love contained within it.…
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Birthdays and Learning to Forgive
Yesterday we celebrated this girl! She’s grown so much since these pictures were taken, but her smile can still light up a room, and her laughter is contagious. You don’t see her a lot in this space because I decided long ago to try to give the older kids their privacy — but let me tell you, we are so proud of this young woman and just marvel at the ways she’s growing into such a beautiful woman of faith and integrity. She was the first person to ever call me “Mom” and she was part of a very important lesson I had to learn after a very traumatic birth…
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The Big, Fat Baby’s Guide to Fasting
“And (Jesus) said to them, ‘This kind (of demon) cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.‘ “ Mark 9:29 Intermittent fasting is all the rage right now, but it is rare to find the people touting its praises on the internet to be approaching fasting from a religious perspective Fasting, in the public sphere, is often boiled down to a great way to lose weight, regain energy and increase focus — and though those things might be nice side effects of fasting, they are truly the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the powerful benefits of fasting, from a faith perspective. True, intermittent fasting has…
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Holding on to Hope
Oh February! It has come close to getting the better of me on several occasions — bouts of sickness, exhaustion, little sunlight and motivation — but I am happy to say I think I’m going to make it through! How about you? If there is anything good to be said about February, it is that February is the month that I grow the most in the virtue of hope. Like any virtue, hope can only grow when it is tested. More specifically, it can only grow when we are tested, and so I guess I should be thanking February for always making me exercise the virtue of hope in new…
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You Are Not Enough — But That’s Okay, Because Jesus Is.
The phrase, “You are enough” has become a big catch phrase that has blown up social media and Christian circles for the past year or so. Honestly, I was kind of sold on the concept — that is, until I wasn’t. Please don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean to attack all those good people out there trying to help, especially women, to accept themselves for who they are. The problem is that, like many slogans, it all depends on what you mean. Yes, God made us good. Yes, He made us in His own image and likeness. So, in that respect we are enough and are worthy of being loved…
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Nobody Puts Mary in a Corner
Last week, I was sitting in Mass trying to pay attention during the homily — and failing miserably. I just couldn’t help myself from thinking about that famous quote from the oh-so-popular-and-yet-so-awful movie, Dirty Dancing. That famous line of Patrick Swayze, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” just kept popping up in my head. The struggle is real, people. Those of you who have no idea what I am referring to, you must have had a very blessed childhood — for the rest of us, I’m sure we can agree it was hardly the place for that memory. At least I could be comforted by the words of St. Teresa of Avila…
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Donkeys, Lent, and Holy Week (Part 2)
Yesterday I shared a little bit about a prayer that I find myself praying on a regular basis. The prayer goes a little bit like, “Lord I’m an ass — but please let me be the ass that carries you into Jerusalem.” To understand where the inspiration for this prayer came from, read more about it here. But there is a part two to the story of the donkey. I have always been puzzled by that second donkey in the scripture, “Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.” Matt 21:5 KJV. I was always bewildered by the concept of…
