Ladies, we are made to be resilient like Mary
All Catholics, particularly Catholic women, are called to emulate Mary. In his “Letter to Women,” Pope St. John Paul II wrote, “The Church sees in Mary the highest expression of…
How to pray the Rosary every day for the rest of your life
Unless you’re a nun in a convent, praying the Rosary daily can be a challenge for anyone. Over the years, many people have asked how I manage to pray the…
What Our Lady of Lourdes can teach us during Lent
Our Blessed Mother appeared in a radiant light to St. Bernadette on Feb. 11, 1858. Most people know about the healing waters at Lourdes, but do you know what Our…
Letter to a young bride
Dear Bride, I’ve been married for a long time. I won’t tell you how long because Radiant’s readers are young, and I’m afraid you’ll think I have nothing to offer….
Grandma’s dresses: A Christmas reflection
During my conversion to the Catholic faith, I found myself in a bit of a conundrum figuring out what to wear to Mass for the first time. I ended up…
Allowing ourselves to be weary pilgrims this Advent
Displayed in a small side chapel of Sant’Agostino in Rome is an arresting painting by the great Baroque artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The work, “Madonna of the Pilgrims,” shocks…
Books on my journey from daughter to bride (Part 1)
During my recent move from one apartment to another in preparation for my fast-approaching wedding, I realized once again how many books I own. While I’ve promised Dominic, my soon-to-be-husband,…
The 54-day Rosary novena is the best cure to a painful breakup. Here’s why
During my teenage years, I was in a relationship with a handsome young guy whom I was convinced I was going to marry. I had it all planned out in…
Mary, my mother: The power of Marian consecration
It happened in the back of a cop car: the Blessed Virgin Mary showed me her motherly care. It began while I was stuck in traffic on a daytrip bus…
Why we call Mary ‘co-redeemer,’ and what that means for us
A few weeks ago, we had a visitor in our home who went straight for the jugular. “You Catholics are going to hell because you believe in a religion instead…