• When J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, he gave us a vibrant metaphor for the Christian life. In many ways, we are all Frodo. We are all on a mission, called to take up our cross and wage war against evil and darkness. We’ve each been given a task only we can complete, […]

  • “Jesus gives me, at every moment, what I am able to bear and nothing more, and if in the next moment He increases my suffering, He also increases my strength.” -St. Thérèse of Lisieux

  • I love this time of year. As cliche as it is, there’s something about January that invites us to revel in possibility. There is so much potential and limitless opportunity. Unfortunately, too often I choose “all of the above.” And it’s not long before I’m an overwhelmed, stressed-out mess, resentful of my mile-long to-do list […]

  • “Let us run to Mary, and, as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.” –Saint Francis de Sales

  • Do you know the underrated villain of the Christmas story? No, not King Herod. He’s definitely the worst, but he also hogs the limelight. I’m referring to the innkeeper. “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for […]

  • The second week of Advent this year is a BIG one for Mother Mary! 💙 Go Team Mary! 💙 We celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Monday (Lucys’ birthday!), Our Lady of Guadalupe on Thursday (my MIL’s birthday), and a day that I’m just starting to learn more about and LOVE, Our Lady […]

  • Let’s talk about jigs. Not the lively dance with leaping movements, but rather the device for guiding a tool or for holding machine work in place.  The older I get, the more I appreciate that the Church has liturgical seasons. I’ve come to think of them as jigs that keep us on track spiritually. And this world has no […]

  • You don’t need to put a gift in a box and wrap it in fancy paper for it to be a gift. It’s still a thoughtful and generous gesture of love or appreciation. But the wrappings add mystery, magic, and a key ingredient that makes it truly special: anticipation. Anticipation is one of two things we’ve […]

  • A prayer for my Sweet 16 daughter, Lucy, who celebrates her birthday on the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 💙 Take heart, dear one. The world you were born into is loud, unkind, and crude. It will cast judgments on you and cancel you quickly. You are right to be afraid. Danger looms around each dark […]

  • St. Nicholas is in my “Saint Posse,” the name I’ve given the group of patron saints I feel especially close to and inspired by. It is thought that Nicholas may be the patron saint of more causes than any other saint, including children, sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, brewers, pawnbrokers, toymakers, unmarried people, students, and […]