Physical illness brought me closer to this popular saint
Working as a Catholic communications professional kept me busy. I rarely had the opportunity to sit down and read for pleasure. For years, I had wanted to read “Diary of…
Look to the spiritual classics to find joy in suffering
If we seek to conform ourselves to Christ, then we seek to conform ourselves to his cross. In the timeless spiritual classic, “The Imitation of Christ,” whose authorship is commonly…
Finding Christ’s love in times of grief
I woke up one morning tired of the noise of my usual routine: wake up, crawl out of bed, turn off my alarm and press play on my favorite podcast…
When you see holiness in a life well lived
Five years ago, on the eve of the feast of the Assumption, my grandfather passed from this life. A fresh college graduate, I had spent the previous few months living…
Rose Hawthorne Lathrop: A beautiful witness of end-of-life care
Most of us reading this article are young women. While many of us are still healthy and strong, we may soon, if not already, find ourselves as caregivers for aging…
Keep your eyes on the Master’s hands
“Keep your eyes on the Master’s hands.” A priest offered this advice to my husband and me during his homily on our wedding day. He encouraged us to take the…
Uncovering the hidden blessings of the melancholic
There is a popular book, written by Art and Laraine Bennett, that every Catholic should read. In “The Temperament God Gave You,” the authors identify four human temperaments that have…
How to find joy in Easter when you feel forgotten by Jesus
It’s Easter. But maybe it doesn’t feel like Easter to you. Maybe you’re still in your own Gethsemane, weeping, feeling alone in your agony. Maybe you’re still on the cross,…
Carrying the cross: A reflection on suffering
Suffering. Every human being experiences it at some point in this life. Rich or poor, old or young, male or female, it makes no exceptions. Grief, disease, anxiety, guilt, hunger…
Our greatest act of worship is returning the gift of the Cross
What do you get the person who has everything? God is clear throughout the Scriptures that the act of giving gifts is central to his relationship with us. From manna…