Rachel shares how Christ speaks to her in the midst of discouragement when hope seems most far off.
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Mariana encourages our hope to transcend earthly goods, no matter how good they may be, and instead place it in the certain promises of Jesus.
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Kristen speaks to the transformative power that a hope rooted in the person of Jesus can bring to seemingly overwhelming circumstances, especially when it involves the whole of our present experience.
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Christians are called to be people of hope. Hope is a theological virtue in the Catholic tradition and appears as a theme numerous times throughout the Old and New Testament. It clearly holds a place of importance in the spiritual life but knowing what exactly that place is can be a challenge, especially with the variety of ways that the term “hope” is used in our day-to-day…
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McKaela reflects on the ways that hope has encouraged her to see life as a grand adventure even in the midst of seemingly mundane times.
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Just last year I began being more intentional with my time and actions during Advent. A friend offered some beautiful insight to me saying that “while Lent is a time to prepare for the death of Christ, similarly Advent is a time to prepare for the birth of Christ.” Since then I have tried to be more intentional with my time.
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I sometimes try to picture how Mary and Joseph would have felt in their anticipation for Jesus’ birth. I can picture them being more nervous than most parents because they knew their son was actually the Son of God! That is serious pressure, but they both bore it with such grace.
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I think it’s safe to say that Advent is usually a very busy time for all. However, unfortunately, it tends to be busy with everything else but the soul. Society has done a great job at distracting us. It prepares us for a day rather than a person and before we know it Christmas is “over.”
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So this Advent, while awaiting the coming of Jesus Christ with Mary, I am also awaiting – with the disciples – the knowledge of the path that the Lord is calling me to. Together, Mary and the disciples show how to wait – faithfully, trustingly, while also continually preparing to receive Him.
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Usually, Advent is seen as a time to prepare. We begin hanging up all the decorations and participating in all the activities, both religious and not. Many Catholics can even feel compelled to identify major problems, worries, or fears in our lives so that we can give ourselves a reason to enter into this season in a big, meaningful, or dramatic way.
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Stewardship has been a call on the human heart since the genesis of man: “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). This is a call not only for our first parents, but for us as well. We are each called to build up the Kingdom through the particular gifts God has given us –– whether monetarily, ability, or circumstantially.
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Although we may not be able to give big dollar amounts, the Lord asks us to bring to the altar what we have to offer, and he will multiply them. For example, when I bring $5 to the table, and you bring $5 to the table, our $5 becomes $10, and just like that, our gifts have multiplied. But this only happens when we give as a community. All of us must offer our gifts at the altar, not just some.
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I firmly believe that the most fun any of us will ever have with our money is to give it away and be a blessing to our family, friends, community, and world. Our unique personalities SHOULD be an intimate part of the type of giving we do. What causes, movements and ministries do you want to see furthered in our world? We should absolutely be giving to those personal reflections of our hearts, in addition to giving to our local parish and diocese.
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As a Catholic woman, God has granted me gifts and resources which He hopes I will care for and nurture. For a long time, I viewed these gifts and resources as normal elements of life—family, friendship, money and time doing things I enjoyed like being in nature. Only when I intentionally spent time in prayer and considered these gifts, did my perception about them change.
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God has pursued, is pursuing, and will always pursue me more than I pursue Him. I’ve looked for Him in people, food, and adventures and at some point, I always end up weary and disappointed. But He continuously pursues me as I am, seeking me in my doubts and insecurities. He has led me to the desert many times and has spoken persuasively, encouragingly, and lovingly to me (Hosea 2:16) to the point that even when I try to ignore Him, I know that He is there.
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In the midst of many movements and outcries, we have interviewed Black Catholic women about their experiences of racism and their hopes for the Church and our world. Through their words and stories, we pray that you find healing, understanding, and zeal for renewing our Church and society; that through your personal choice of charity, we might call out sin, call on virtue, and truly love each of our neighbors as another self.
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My faith constantly reminds me that I am precious in the eyes of God. I do not deserve the treatment that I received. To Catholic BIPOC, the Lord delights in you and who you truly are. Your righteous anger is a holy fire on the sin of racism. Let’s keep going, sis.
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My hope for the future of the Church is that we can love one another with a consistent life ethic. My hope is that we can embrace the beauty of the intentional uniqueness of persons.
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We need to face the fact that we, as American Catholics, have not upheld the values of the Catholic Church. It’s not until we admit our failings and look at ourselves with a self-critical eye that healing can begin.
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We are beloved. There is nothing we can do to earn or lose this inherent truth. However, it can be difficult to live this truth in our daily lives –especially in a world filled with ever new and constant demands and influences that require so much of us, to be more: more accomplished, more fit, more popular. In fact, sometimes, we’ll look up and find ourselves stuck in the false reality we have created for ourselves instead of living into the belovedness He desires for us.
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