Navigating Unmet Expectations In Motherhood
NAVIGATING UNMET EXPECTATIONS IN MOTHERHOOD Originally published by Blessed Is She A few months ago, I overheard my daughter Kristen talking over the phone with her friend. She beamed as she relayed how I had accepted her not-so-good grades with calm and composure. She explained that she was expected to work hard and give it […]
Friendship On The Feast Of The Visitation
FRIENDSHIP ON THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION Originally published by Blessed Is She We were on our usual weekend double date when Angie told us she was pregnant, her first. I was pregnant too, four months, my second. Our husbands beamed as we chatted about symptoms and cravings, hopes and dreams as preparations made their […]
Authentic Female Friendships
AUTHENTIC FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS Originally published by Blessed Is She The Saving Graces, written by Patricia Gaffney, is a story of four girlfriends who for a decade shared deep affection that helped them deal with the ebb and flow of life, uniting them as years went by. Their story profoundly impacted the way I viewed friendship. […]
Calvary With Mary
CALVARY WITH MARY We are soon approaching the most holy week of the year, the liturgical crescendo, a time for deep reflection and entering into the heart of redemption. It is a journey to Calvary where sin and death are nailed to the Cross in the person of Jesus Christ. It is a place where […]
Feast Of Our Lady Of Guadalupe
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE The circumstances were dire. It was the sixteenth century and the Spaniards were conquering the land of the Aztecs violently. The Aztecs were known for their grotesque sacrifices which served to satisfy their bloodthirsty gods. At the same time, Franciscan missionaries were conquering hearts for Christ by proclaiming the […]
Grace-filled Life
GRACE-FILLED LIFE Although being born in a Catholic home that knew the theology about Mary, I could never relate to her. It didn’t matter how much I said the Rosary and Angelus or that I had even done the consecration to the heart to Mary; I just couldn’t connect with her. I interceded through her […]
Something About Mary
SOMETHING ABOUT MARY There’s something about Mary! I’d be lying if I say I knew exactly what this meant, following my conversion in 2004. My journey to Catholicism has been long and wrecked with confusion. Among many things, Mary was a big deal. I struggled with Our Lady’s place in the life of the […]
The Peril Of Perfectionism
THE PERIL OF PERFECTIONISM Confession, ladies: I have struggled with perfectionism for years. I still do on so many levels. Being the goal-oriented person I am, I struggle to keep up to “the list,” “the planner,” “the performance,” very often affording myself little or no grace. It’s taken me years to even receive […]
Patris Corde
PATRIS CORDE – THE YEAR OF SAINT JOSEPH On the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrated on Dec. 8, 2020, Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter, Patris corde (“With a Father’s Heart”), to mark the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as patron of the universal Church. […]
