“Today, what it means to me to be a Catholic woman is simply to be a woman of the gospel. It’s to embrace and accept the messiness of the human experience while holding to the truth.”
Read More“I need to tell you something: I think the Father works in the quiet – at least this has been my experience. We are sometimes waiting on this sensational healing, this one-and-done type of thing. I know some people who have had that, and I do not doubt their experience. For me, the Father has been quiet, slow, and gradual with me, because he knows it is what I need. Quietly sending the Son, sending the Spirit, sending Mary, sending Joseph. But always to him, always toward him, always his will and his dream for us, his daughters.”
Read More“Our whole life can feel like a kind of grief if we don’t know how to hold our sorrow. One day we’ll all have to live without someone we love. Choosing to enter into love despite that fear is courageous, and something we can only do with God’s grace.”
Read More“Do not ignore your thirst. Cultivate it. Study it. It is the fuel that feeds the divine fire that is already in your soul. If you give God permission, He will transform your thirst into a powerful fount of authentic love.”
Read MoreWithin her flesh, Mary allowed the Divine to come among us. She made the unreachable, reachable and brought that which seemed far within the grasp of mankind. As thinkers, as women, we seek to do that, too.
Read MoreA Christian feminism must take us to the margins. It must lift up the lowly and stand with the oppressed. It must call to cast down the mighty from their thrones and aim to fill the hungry with good things. It must be emblematic of that eternal truth that we belong to one another.
Just as there was a higher purpose in Jesus’s suffering, perhaps there is for us, too. Perhaps the holes in our broken hearts are meant to be healed, in part, by each other. When we know the isolation of loss, we know the importance of being present for others, even when we are unsure of the words that should be said.
As I began to let go of my independence and open my heart, I started to find peace.
Read MoreHe slowly sat up, leaned forward, and tenderly spoke into my heart, “I am sorry.”
Read MoreI encourage you to pray for the courage of Catholic female leaders such as Queen Esther, St. Joan of Arc, and of course the Blessed Mother, who all bravely challenged the status quo to further God’s kingdom and fulfill the desires of their hearts.
Read More...A beautiful tapestry that God was weaving, but for years all I could see was the tangled yarn below. In the moments of silence, God was at work preparing and forming my heart for something new.
Read MoreAre you at a place where your heart is being gently stirred or even visibly shaken in order to make a difference? Have you felt the desire to give your “fiat” and say “yes” to serving, even if it means sacrificing some parts of your life right now? While it may seem like a confusing and even scary path, I encourage you to spend time in reflection and prayer. If necessary, reach out to trusted individuals for spiritual guidance. Most importantly, have faith that God will provide you with the direction that you seek.
Read MoreThis small decision to create more space for silence was a big shift for me. I am more grateful. Every morning as I open my eyes, I thank God for another day of life on this earth and invite the Spirit to help order my day. I am opening my heart in ways I never thought possible.
Read MoreThe sudden invasion of my beloved country, Iraq, disturbed everything my family and I held dear. War stripped away security, home, and comfort. As a cradle Catholic woman who experienced being in a warzone at the age of 10, my whole world was shaken early in life.
Read MoreAs I learned the sound of His voice, I could hear Him telling me to take the plunge, for He would hold my hand. He drew me out beyond the shallow waters where I had spent most of my life, always never too far from the shore.
Read More“I believe I can place all my wants in His hands, with the hope that He knows my heart more than I do. This ongoing process of learning to detach from my own ways while placing my trust and hope in the Lord is painful. But, I’m comforted by the words of St. Paul: The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us, Romans 8:18. Sisters, no matter what lies ahead, we have reason to hope.”
Read MoreIf you find yourself avoiding or wrestling with God; if you’re suffering, doubting, deeply hurt, lost or feel alone, pick up a Bible. Start with the Psalms or the Gospels. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Keep opening yourself up to God, and keep your eyes on Jesus no matter how many waves surround you. I promise you He will not let you fall.
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