Let’s get to know each other a bit more, as sisters in Christ. Feel free to share your answers to these questions in on our Instagram post and/or your own Instagram post, tagging #BISsisterhood. Christy Isinger is the mom to five lovely, loud children living in the Canadian wilds. A cradle Catholic with a deep love of papal encyclicals, G.K. Chesterton, and British TV, she blogs frivolously at Fountains of Home in between homeschooling, reading books, and neglecting housework. What part of your walk with Christ is the biggest struggle? I think that trust is probably my biggest struggle, because so much really comes down to trusting in God. It's a lifelong learning experience to try to let go of my own will, and accept Christ's. It comes up in so many different ways and can be extremely difficult, or just mildly there, but it's always something I struggle with. What keeps you Catholic? I think that I stay Catholic because I know that there is no where else to go for the Truth. It's difficult, it's demanding, it's really unpopular, but I can't turn away from the beauty of the Church. I love that there is 2000 years of tradition, of saints who gave their lives to the same cause, of Christ acting in human history. I love being connected to the Church that transcends our time and place. To know Christ is in the Eucharist is something that I can't turn away from no matter how tough things get. What do you find yourself continually praying for? Patience, peace, and forgiveness. On repeat. Thanks Jesus! How do you "walk the walk"? There are so many ways. I think a lot of daily life requires our lives to look different to the mainstream culture. Definitely being open to life in my marriage. It's obvious because I've got 5 kids under the age of 8 and get the questions A LOT. But also in our political and social opinions, it seems the political discussion in our country becomes further separated from morality and Catholic teaching, so sometimes even saying you disagree with something is taking a big stance that people aren't used to, but can open up communication on why the Church teaches what she does. Your turn! Answer this on Instagram or in the comments:

When I was in eighth grade, my mom told me, “You don’t choose your confirmation saint—it chooses you.” I waved her advice off like any fourteen-year-old, and had my heart set on St. Maria Goretti (also an amazing young woman). That is, until I picked up Lay Siege to Heaven by Louis de Wohl—a detailed biography of one of the female Doctors of the Church—St. Catherine of Siena. St. Catherine of Siena was a saint I knew I should admire, but one that I didn’t think I related to. She was the nun who told the Pope where to live, right? The one who said to “be who God made you to be and you will set the world on fire?” Yeah, that’s cool. Retweet. What I didn’t know—and what we women need to learn from St. Catherine—is that fire defined this woman’s whole life. Not only was she short, spunky, and told the Pope how it was—she also told God exactly how she felt. Her friends often reported her prayer to be hours of her “storming Heaven” for her intentions—reminding God of His promises. She never let God off the hook—He was her spouse, after all. What brutal, beautiful honesty. In our world today, fire is either misused or put out before it has the chance to grow. We encourage women to be tough, to strive to be like men and place their uniquely feminine gifts aside; or, we allow ourselves to be beaten into a quiet submission and never speak out of fear or shame. St. Catherine did neither. She saw the beauty in her feistiness, in her powerful voice, and allowed God to harness it and unleash it on the world when He saw fit. Not only did St. Catherine shock the world with her courage and honesty—she also humbled herself before God and allowed Him to lead her, no matter the cost—submitting to His Divine Will. She saw crisis in our Church during a massive schism, and decided to do something about it. Yes, she stood before the Pope himself and told him what’s what in a time where women hardly spoke outside of their households, let alone spoke to the Pope himself in the bluntest of fashions. For a young woman with a reckless personality like myself, St. Catherine was a breath of fresh air. Finally, someone who struggled with those same things I did and overcame them with the help of grace. Finally, a woman who was fiery and blunt and sassy—yet somehow still ended up being a saint. I always felt so discouraged by reading about the St. Thereses and the St. Gianna Mollas and the Blessed Mother Teresas—while they were women I greatly admired and could learn from, I never felt like them. St. Catherine became not only my confirmation saint, but my inspiration, my friend, and my example of how to be a spunky gal for the Lord. I am sure she saw my own fire that I ignore and thought I should be ashamed of and decided to pluck me out of the crowd and pray that those gifts are not wasted. She taught me to storm Heaven and never stop believing in an all-powerful God who can do the biggest of things in the smallest of people, that fire is not a gift to ignore, and that any woman—regardless of looks, stature, vocation, or personality—can become one of the greatest saints the world has ever known. She taught me to raise those fists, to speak out of turn when God says so, and to never let the evil of the world silence you. She didn’t just believe in the fire that was the Holy Spirit—she embodied it. She let it consume her and she breathed it into the world. I pray that I am given the courage to do the same. St. Catherine, pray for us. "You are a fire always burning but never consuming; you are a fire consuming in your heat all the soul's selfish love; you are a fire lifting all chill and giving light.” -St. Catherine of Siena Rachael Gieger lives in the beautiful Colorado and can usually be found in hole-in-the-wall coffee shops drinking really good chai lattes. A believer that flower crowns can be worn in every season, she finds peace while sprawled in the adoration chapel at her parish or reflecting on the works of Henri Nouwen, C.S. Lewis, and Fulton Sheen.

Let’s get to know each other a bit more, as sisters in Christ. Feel free to share your answers to these questions in on our Instagram post and/or your own Instagram post, tagging #BISsisterhood. Megan Hjelmsted is a wife, mom, writer, and former soldier whose real passion is equal parts faith and chocolate. She’s currently getting used to the joys of stay-at-home-motherhood and the great outdoors near Denver. She writes often in her head, promptly forgets most of it, and occasionally jots down life lessons and little humors at Positively Imperfect. What is your favorite religious text or book? Story of a Soul, St. Thérèse. So simple yet spiritually rich! Do you have a special Saint that you feel a strong connection to? How so? St. Jude is my special buddy. At some point in college I acquired a St. Jude prayer card (which I've long since memorized!) and every night I started asking St. Jude to pray for my now-husband. I credit St. Jude with his conversion, which happened within the year. St. Jude remained my "prayer buddy" in heaven after that, but I sought his prayers especially after multiple pregnancy losses and receiving a fertility-limiting diagnosis. Soon after, I learned I was expecting again and our youngest was subsequently due AND born on St. Jude's feast day! So, St. Jude gets a lot of props around here. Which virtue do you find yourself working on the most throughout your day? Humility - so tough. I'm always, always working on seeking God's approval before others and not comparing myself to others! What part of your walk with Christ is the biggest struggle? I'm always reaching out to others by default, or wanting others to experience God's loving power, so it's hard sometimes to stop and take a good look at myself, and ask Jesus what he wants to do for me. Or reflect on how much he loves me. I know objectively that it's true, but it takes slowing down and intentionally opening my heart over and over to really nourish that personal relationship--which ultimately helps me grow the most. And in turn I am able to better share his love through my own personal experience. What keeps you Catholic? Sheer grace! All the grace from all the sacraments, no doubt, but I have always been especially drawn to the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist during communion or adoration. I can actually feel His presence in the room and my heart cannot help but respond to it and keep returning to it. Do you have a motto / quote / saying you live by? Matthew 6:34 - Do not be anxious about tomorrow; tomorrow has enough worries for itself. What do you find yourself continually praying for? All those in my life facing various struggles and the souls of loved ones. Also more abandonment to God's will! How do you "walk the walk"? Lots of grace! Staying close to Jesus on the Eucharist through mass or stopping by the church and sitting in front of the tabernacle for a few minutes daily helps tremendously in keeping my mindset in the right place. I also love reading the devotions from all my Blessed is She sisters, and listening to EWTN radio during all the hours I play chauffeur for my kids' activities is a God-send; so many of the programs really feed my soul. How does Christ call you to serve - is it prayer/contemplation/acts of service, etc.? I feel God made me to connect with and through others. I've worked with our church youth group and recently started helping run a moms group. I'm a helper by nature; I love to share with others and "invite them in." I was the new shy kid once upon a time, so it's always on my heart to help everyone find a place, whether it's the youth group, moms group, or just at mass. Of course, it can be intimidating and awkward sometimes to walk up to someone I've never met, but responding to God's promptings to welcome and connect with others has also led to some of the best fruits--wonderful new friendships and the whole parish being blessed by others sharing their gifts! Your turn! Answer this on Instagram or in the comments:

St. Gianna Beretta Molla is my homegirl. As a woman quickly approaching her late 20s who is Catholic, called to marriage, and gasp! still single, I find the fact that she met her husband later in life and married him at the ripe “old” age of 33 oddly comforting. And she was days away from 34. In 1955! She was probably harassed by well-intentioned family and friends much sooner and more persistently than I have been! But St. Gianna is my homegirl not for fact that she married older. Saints are forged in trial, and her faithful persistence made her a saint. Whenever God presented her a trial, she answered, “Whatever God wants.” Gianna Beretta was born in late 1922, the tenth of thirteen children. Only nine survived to adulthood. With any suffering, especially the death of a loved one, it is easy to blame God and turn away from Him. Like many health care providers I know, deaths early in life tend to drive our passion to heal others. A cousin dying of leukemia most poignantly remains a primary reason I became a nurse, and I bet her siblings’ deaths were part of Gianna’s motivation to become a doctor. Surely, Gianna suffered when her siblings died so young. Yet Gianna answered, “Whatever God wants.” After graduating medical school, Gianna wanted to join her brother Alberto in Brazil. A missionary priest, he established a hospital, and Gianna greatly desired to assist the women with her gynecology background. But Gianna’s chronic health issues kept her home in Italy. Struggling with my own diagnosis of a chronic gynecologic health issue, I have wept bitterly for the children I might not be able to have. Surely, Gianna wept as well over the loss of her missionary life abroad. Yet, when Gianna could not join Alberto in Brazil, she answered, “Whatever God wants.” Gianna established a clinic in Mesero, outside of Milan. She viewed her work as a physician to the mothers, babies, elderly, and poor she served to be her own “mission.” She considered religious life but felt called to marriage. Instead of fixating on her vocational state, Gianna worked diligently, caring for her patients as the Divine Physician cares for His children. I work hard to view my job as an ER nurse as God’s mission for me, but sometimes I believe that lie that my life has no purpose until I fulfill my vocation to marriage. Surely, Gianna must have ached to fulfill her vocation to marriage. Yet, she poured herself into her mission as a doctor and also served in Catholic Action and other organizations. In her enduring single state, Gianna answered, “Whatever God wants.” Gianna met her future husband Pietro Molla late 1954, and they married in September 1955. They quickly had three children: Pierluigi in 1956, Mariolina in 1957, and Laura in 1959. Helping my sister and brother-in-law take care of their two boys who are less than two years apart, I am sometimes frightened to be so open to life! Surely, Gianna must have been overwhelmed at the many changes in her life. Yet, she was a very happy wife and mother. In her family life, Gianna answered, “Whatever God wants.” After her third child, Gianna suffered two miscarriages and was pregnant once again in 1961. In the second month of her pregnancy, her doctors found a fibroma on her uterus that needed to be removed. Her doctors offered her an abortion and fibroma removal that would ensure her ability to become pregnant again, a hysterectomy, and removing only the fibroma. According to the principle of double effect and Catholic teaching, Gianna could have licitly select for her doctors to remove her uterus which included the fibroma and her unborn child. But Gianna elect for only the fibroma removal, saying her child’s life was more important that her own. When wrestling with ethical issues at work or moral issues in my personal life, I often look for the easiest solution. Surely, Gianna with her background in gynecology knew the risks of carrying her child to term. Yet, Gianna answered, “Whatever God wants.” Gianna was able to carry her daughter to term and gave birth to her via C-section on Holy Saturday, 1962. Gianna Emanuela was born healthy, but Gianna continued to have severe pain after the surgery. She developed an infection in her abdomen and died seven days after giving birth at age 39. Surely, Gianna gave her life for her child, modeling how Christ died for His children. In the last moments of her life, Gianna answered, “Whatever God wants.” St. Gianna was canonized in May, 2004, with her 91-year-old husband Pietro and children present. Gianna Emanuela is now a doctor herself, specializing in the care of the elderly As God allows various trials in my life, I tend to answer, “But this isn’t what I want.” Yet, St. Gianna and her example is teaching me to say, “Whatever God wants.” Through her intersession, I am teaching to embrace each trial, each difficulty, each cross with confident love, saying with imperfect trust, “Whatever You want, God.” [bctt tweet="Whatever You want, God."] Marissa is a registered nurse in her mid-twenties who works in a busy Emergency Department in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is a cradle Catholic who marvels at how the Good Lord has been cradling her throughout her life.

Let’s get to know each other a bit more, as sisters in Christ. Feel free to share your answers to these questions in on our Instagram post and/or your own Instagram post, tagging #BISsisterhood. Laura Kelly Fanucci is a writer and mother to three little boys who never stop talking. She works part-time from home for the Collegeville Institute at Saint John’s University and just published Everyday Sacrament: The Messy Grace of Parenting. Laura and her husband live in the suburban wilds of Minnesota and you can find her at Mothering Spirit, talking about parenting as a spiritual practice. What is your favorite religious text or book? The Psalms. It's all in there: joy, anger, hope, despair, fear, love, praise, and lament. The Psalms remind me that God wants - and can handle - the whole of our lives. And I love all the images of God in the Psalms: mother, father, shepherd, midwife, healer, rock, redeemer, creator, refuge... Do you have a special Saint that you feel a strong connection to? How so? Lately I can't stop thinking about Mary Magdalene - what it meant to be the apostles to the apostles and one of the women to whom it was given to see the Resurrected Christ first and proclaim him to the world. What does it mean to each of us as women to be called to share Christ's good news - especially in a world that will misunderstand us as much as it misunderstood her? Which virtue do you find yourself working on the most throughout your day? Patience. Parenting is a refining fire, but wow, do I need my selfishness burned off each new morning. What part of your walk with Christ is the biggest struggle? Keeping hope. Trusting that resurrection is real and that God will always bring light from darkness. What keeps you Catholic? The Eucharist. The community of the Church. Scripture. Sacraments. Do you have a motto / quote / saying you live by? I always go back to the wisdom of Blessed Mother Teresa: "Let nothing so fill you with sorrow that you forget the joy of Christ risen." What do you find yourself continually praying for? Couples experiencing infertility, miscarriage, or the loss of a child. People with broken hearts. Reconciliation within families. Those living in poverty. How do you "walk the walk"? One stumbling step at a time. Trying to teach my kids that forgiveness is one of the biggest parts of the Christian life - so it's okay if we keep messing up and having to ask each other for forgiveness. How does Christ call you to serve - is it prayer/contemplation/acts of service, etc.? I think through writing as prayer. I feel tugged towards a more contemplative view of the world: to try and see with new eyes all the small or surprising moments of grace that the world overlooks. And to share them with the ones who are hungry to hear that their lives are holy, too. Your turn! Answer this on Instagram or in the comments:

We are so happy to have you here. In our Facebook groups and Twitter chats. At Blessed Brunches and the Beauty From Ashes Retreat. No matter where we come together, the community is at the heart of everything Blessed Is She does. You - each and every one of you - are the extraordinary women whose prayers and love keep our community alive and vibrant. In that spirit, we have a new membership offering to give women new ways to connect with each other and the support that our ministry offers through a monthly workshop series. Members get access to the monthly workshops as well as get the Lent/Advent journals auto-shipped to their door. You can learn more here about our membership launch today. Each of the women in our community is truly extraordinary, and the new membership offers a new way for us to support each other on this journey with Christ every day.

How lucky are we to get to have another beautiful piece by Tara of Frameworthy Designs! Today's second reading says, "we were called for freedom," Galations 5:13 You can download it for your phone and computer below!Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

This post originally appeared on The Heart's Overflow. I have a list. It's a list of names. Other mothers that I pray for. I update my list every month, or as the need arises. New names get added, other names move to different categories. My list has categories. Pregnant women, that's one category. But not just pregnant women. Women pregnant for the first time. Women pregnant for the seventh time. Women who continue to work and run errands and exercise as if nothing has changed, and women who spend 9 months curled up on their couches and vomiting into their toilets. Women who wanted to be pregnant, desired it, dreamed of it, prayed for it for months, sometimes years. And woman for whom a new life is an unexpected shock, joy is clouded by fear and stress, another mouth to feed, another body to cloth. Grace and peace and good health, O Lord. The babies keep coming, the months tick by, and the names in this category come and go. Then there are women who want to be pregnant, but aren't. Women who long to hold a baby of their own for the first time, and women who's babies are grown, and long for one more. Please God, just one more. Women who are in and out of doctors appointments, trying different diets, supplements, and medications, and each month brings another disappointment. This category, unfortunately, doesn't change as much. There are other categories besides these: working moms and stay at home moms. Moms who's husbands travel a lot, or are in school, like mine, and do a lot of solo parenting, and single moms who bear the weight of parenting alone. There are moms finishing school, moms attempting to home school. There are moms sitting with their children in doctors offices and therapy appointments, turning their worlds upside down for a child with special needs or health complications. And there are moms suffering through their own poor health, each day they rise above it and care for their families. Lord, hear our prayer. There is a category for when the unthinkable happens; mothers holding their children's hands in hospital rooms. feeling the helplessness that comes with watching a child suffer. Lord, show us your mercy and love. And there are mothers saying goodbye to their children and entrusting them to the arms of Jesus. And grant us your salvation. When I look at my list of names I am reminded that I am not in this motherhood thing all by myself. I am reminded that when I have hard day, or week, someone else is too, and I can offer my own trials up for them. I am reminded that there are other women praying for me. When I look at my list of names I am reminded that motherhood comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and that there is no room for me cast judgments or comparisons. Because it's hard. This motherhood thing is really hard, and we are all trying our best for our families. When I look at my list of names, I am reminded that what every mother needs and deserves is compassion, understanding, a listening ear, and a praying heart. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love   Anna is married to her best friend and mother to one miracle baby boy. She teaches piano and violin lessons as a side gig to being a full time stay-at-home mom along with gardening and knitting. As an adult convert to Catholicism, she continues to find new reasons to love the Catholic faith. She is proud to call Saint Paul home, and can be found blogging at The Heart’s Overflow. WANT TO DEEPEN YOUR PRAYER? Get ready to be radically changed by the Lord and His presence. Be drawn into intimacy with the Lord by way of weekly videos, a community within the Blessed is She app, and invitations into reading scripture in a whole new way. BEGIN THE WELL: ABIDE

This post originally appeared on Blessed Are The Feet. I need a qualifying clause before I begin this post: This is a post about sacrificial love in marriage. It’s a post I want to write because I think it is worthwhile. However, I am terrified to write it because I know my husband will likely read it and laugh his head off at what I am about to tell you that I am learning about marriage. Because my skills at actually putting this into practice are less than stellar. Thus the need to learn. So listen, I’m going to say things about marriage. Good, solid, helpful things. And then I am going to try to do them better than I do them now. And you are going to read them and not think I know all about what I am doing in this whole marriage thing and that I have it all together. Okay? Good. Now that that’s settled, let’s continue. When we went to Assisi for the weekend during our time in Rome in December, I was excited about many things. I mean, did you even just hear what I sad? I was IN ROME. And spending the weekend IN ASSISI. With the man that I love. ALONE. In a place where there’s CAPPUCINO and GELATO. And St. Francis too! So much good stuff. The one thing that I was not really looking forward to (not that I had negative emotions about it, just that I wasn’t particularly longing for it) was the fact that Assisi is not only the birth and resting place of St. Francis, but also of St. Clare. I have never had much of a relationship with St. Clare the way I do with many other saints. I’ve sort of always felt that Clare was the introvert to Catherine of Siena’s extrovert and I was squarely on the Catherine side of the spectrum. Of course, I respect her holiness and her role as a saint. Clare was just never my saint, you know? And then we went to Assisi. And St. Clare determined that she most decidedly WAS my saint and got all bossy and up in the business of my marriage. I tried to be all, “What can you possibly know about this, you are a clositered nun?” But then she was, “Beatific vision, babe.” And I liked her sass. No, really, it was much quieter and gentle than that, because St. Clare, but there was something about that time away with my husband and the example of the way Clare loved Francis that bound itself to my heart and has yet to let me go. It was one of the reasons behind my Franciscan reading plan for the year. And one of the reasons I am choosing the word “present” for this year. And it’s a constant mental dialogue in my head these days as I consider the way I relate to my husband. Clare, the cloistered nun, is schooling me on the heart of marital love, which is a sacrificial self-gift that wills the good of the other (my dear husband) and desires us to be united in that love. Clare’s love for Francis was not some celibate romantic love. It was an altogether different kind of love than the one I share with my husband. But if it was anything, it was true and it was truly sacrficial. And in that, there are many lessons for me to learn. The first lesson St. Clare is teaching me is to relish the chance to give and receive physical affection to my husband. Don’t freak out. I am not about to turn Clare and Francis’ relationship into some hippie love fest. But let’s talk about this. One of the first sites relating to Clare’s life I laid eyes on was the small window in San Damiano where she greeted visitors. It was also, a sign informed us, the window through which she was able to pay her final respects to Francis after his death. She leaned through to kiss his hands and feet it said. I was captivated by what that moment must have meant for Clare. She loved Francis in a way I will never fully understand. In life, their vows, and their own commitment to practice those vows in their most extreme form, likely mean that there was very little physical contact between Clare and Francis, even what there would have been between normal friends who happened to be religious. But in death, Clare was finally able to touch Francis’ body and give physical witness to her love for him by venerating his hands and feet which bore the wounds of Christ. In that contact with Francis, she touched both him and her Lord. And I am quite sure she felt immense, intense gratitude for the opportunity, albeit stung with sorrow and grief. I, on the other hand, can share a physical embrace that can take multiple forms as I please with my husband. And often, I do not appreciate the beauty of that aspect of married life–being able to drape my arm over his side at night because I simply want to know someone is there. Being able to lay my head on his shoulder when I am tired or sad or vulnerable. Being able to walk down the street holding his hand. And, yes, being able to share the intimate embrace of marital love. Too often, I take our physical relationship for granted, or even resent feeling obliged to make time and space for that affection when I am busy or tired or simply wanting time alone. These days, however, I think of the gift Clare made of herself to Francis when she cloistered herself away so that she could belong to all Franciscans as mother and sister, and to the Franciscan movement as foundress. In doing so, she also left a wall of distance between her and Francis that was a great sacrifice. And when in death, she could once again embrace him, however briefly, I can only imagine the bittersweetness of that poignant moment and how she must have held it close to her heart until they were reunited again in heaven. If only I could take a bit of that spirit and infuse it into my daily physical interactions with my husband, how much sweetness might I find in the privilege of the touches of married love? I don’t know quite yet, but I am learning. Clare is a willing teacher. The second lesson St. Clare is teaching me is to appreciate where this man has led me. When we had made our way through the spaces of San Damiano, seeing where Clare slept and died, where she sat to eat and performed a few miracles too, we stopped for a moment to rest in the courtyard. Just over the top of the wall of the cloister peaked the tops of the mountains of Umbria. The blue skies clear and crisp and the rolling beauty of the place just tickling the tips of the horizon above the wall. I realized that every day as she walked the grounds of her cloister, Clare had the opportunity to look back at what she had left behind there in the rolling hills of Umbria. The family, the freedom, the comfort of the life she had once known, all peered at her over the wall and invited her back, or at least invited her to brood sadness, loneliness and resentment for what she no longer had. And all that she no longer had, she had left behind because she had chosen to follow Francis on this grand faith adventure he was leading. The comparison is not lost on me. Here, I am far away from so many places and people I love, following the man I love most of all on this grand missionary adventure. From what we know about the level of holiness that Clare reached there in the little cloister of San Damiano, I’m guessing she didn’t let the beckoning hills draw her along the winding spiral from the slight sadness that is the cost of sacrifice to deep sadness, bitterness and resentment. I think Clare cultivated an appreciation for the life she got to lead because Francis had run out to live the gospel as an adventure. So these days, I’m finding more contentment in being where I am. When sadness rears its head for the missing of all I’ve left behind to follow the man I love on this grand adventure in faith, I let it come and then blow away on the breezes of a tropical sky. When he gets a little more adventure than me because my life is now tied to the women we serve out of our home, it is a little like a “cloister moment”, and dear St. Clare, she keeps sidling up beside me graciously and showing me how to walk it well. I am learning to love the life this man’s spiritual adventure has purchased for me in the hard sacrifice of leadership, in familiar ways and in new ways and even in its hard moments. And in doing so, I am learning to love this man the same, in both the familiar and the ever new of our sacramental love, in the together adventure and the alone lonely. I am not over my tendency to let my sadness explode as blame on his shoulders when it collides with the stress of this life, but I am learning not to. And St. Clare is a gracious and patient teacher. The third lesson St. Clare is teaching me is that smallest opportunity to serve this man is a worthwhile endeavor to show my love. At the top of the Basilica of St. Clare, there is a room full of glass cases that hold artifacts from the lives of Francis and Clare and the first Franciscans. A beautiful set of intricately embriodered vestments that Clare made in her quiet moments of free time. And the small shoe she sewed together from rough leather and thick thread to cover Francis’ foot when the wounds of the stigmata made it impossible for him to continue to walk barefoot as his rule prescribed. And a small silver box containing the locks of her shorn hair, the ultimate sign of her commitment to Francis and the life she dedicated to full service of him and his brothers. I think about what it must have been like for Clare every time news reached her that Francis had a need that she could use her skills to fill. The love with which she must have sewn that shoe knowing that she could aid Francis in bearing the cross Jesus had offered him. The self-sacrificial love of her hair, cut off as an offering of her life to his vision. The motherly tenderness with which she made garments and clothes for him and the brothers. I bet Clare’s heart leapt every time word reached San Damiano that Francis had a specific task he needed her to perform–a tangible way she could show her love for him. I have those same chances every single day. So many small requests from my husband to serve him in some small way. I can choose to fulfill those requests in joy, grateful for the opportunity to help the man I love in a tangible way, or I can fulfill them begrudgingly, annoyed at the disruption of my own activity or being asked to do something he could do for himself. I am learning to stop and offer a little prayer of gratitude before every small act of service I am asked to offer my husband. When I close my eyes to offer that prayer, I always see that sewn shoe and the locks of Clare’s hair. And I feel her invitation to learn to find joy in the daily sacrifices of love, in the tenderness of the ways I get to serve this man I love, and the unity of spirit and purpose we can achieve when I see his needs as my own and meeting them as a good I do for both of us. I still huff a good bit. But I am learning not to. Because Clare is teaching me. And she is a pretty good marriage mentor, this saint who lived the life of a cloistered nun. I am glad she picked me when I thought she was not for me. And I am grateful she’s all up in my business these days. St. Clare, pray for me. Colleen Mitchell is wife to Greg and mother to five amazing sons here on earth and five precious little ones in heaven. In 2011, She and her husband serve in Costa Rica where they run the St. Francis Emmaus Center, a ministry that welcomes indigenous mothers into their home. She works out what it means to love Jesus and live the Gospel as an adventure at her blogBlessed Are the Feet.

Let’s get to know each other a bit more, as sisters in Christ. Feel free to share your answers to these questions in on our Instagram post and/or your own Instagram post, tagging #BISsisterhood. Joan Geiger is a newlywed who works full-time as a Registered Dietitian. In her spare time she enjoys going on random adventures with her husband, reading her favorite blogs, writing music, and drinking coffee. She also blogs at Everything is Yours. What is your favorite religious text or book? One of my favorite books is one that I actually just read for the first time, My Sisters the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir by Colleen Carroll Campbell. I was assigned to read the first three chapters of it for a women's group that I belong to, and after getting to the third chapter and being "hooked" on the book, I just kept reading and loved it! I'd highly recommend this book which highlights the lives of various saints and shares how they can accompany us on our life's journeys. How do you "walk the walk"? I try to "walk the walk" by treating others with respect and compassion. Being a dietitian, I am presented with this opportunity on a daily basis as I encounter many people and try to treat them with kindness from the minute I say hello. When at home or with family, I do my best at trying (key word is trying!) to be as loving as I can, and to get in my regular prayer time in the morning, and journaling/prayer before bed. How does Christ call you to serve - is it prayer/contemplation/acts of service, etc.? I feel that Christ calls me to serve through acts of service. Within the past year my husband and I have been able to get more involved with our parish's EDGE program on Wednesday nights. Though it's only an hour of our time each week, it's been really rewarding getting to know the youth in our small groups and to see them grow and transform over the school year. We also have felt a calling to become more involved in a newer ministry at our parish, Sposi Novelli, which is targeted toward newlywed couples. We have really enjoyed getting to know other married couples and being a part of a community that is growing! Your turn! Answer this on Instagram or in the comments:

The last six months have been a liturgical whirlwind. Advent sprinted by and ran headlong into Christmas morning. After only five short weeks of Lent, we were thrust into the contemplative season of Lent. As always, those forty days, which always seem like an endless amount of time, abruptly plopped me at the threshold of Holy Week and finally of his triumphant conquering of the forces of death and sin with his Resurrection. Seven more weeks of Easter celebrations and beautiful feasts Goodness gracious, I’m sure what comes next is going to be even more magnificent! And Then Comes Ordinary Time And then it hits me: Ordinary Time. Twenty-nine weeks of Ordinary Time. You’ve got to be kidding. What am I supposed to do with “ordinary” after everything I’ve been through in the past six months? I already put up with the hum-drum of ordinary in my everyday life. Now, I’m supposed to be ordinary in the life of the Church as well? Sheesh…how many more days until Advent? St. Therese and the Little Way But this, my friends, is a magnificent season. In fact, one of the greatest saints of our time, St. Therese of Lisieux, became an extraordinary witness to the importance and sanctity of the ordinary. Speaking of her famous life practice, known as the Little Way, St. Therese remarks that “in [the] little way, there are only ordinary things.” Yeah, okay, but aren’t we called to do big things? To bring Jesus single-handedly to every single person on this earth? To save the world with our Catholic super powers? But St. Therese continues, “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.” Ah, there’s the key. In all of the grandiose liturgical seasons we just experienced, were we not given an example of Christ’s great love? And wasn’t this love also shown in small ways? Indeed, our savior, our God, was born in a poor little stable to make manifest for us his incomprehensible and immense love, which culminated in his total gift of self for us, out of that love, on the cross. Love Is Our True Super Power What, then, is our true super power? It is love. It is practiced in the littleness of Ordinary Time just as much as in the grandness of Advent and Easter. As we transverse (for an extraordinary amount of time) into this new liturgical season, let’s commit to practicing St. Therese’s little way, which she says “is the way of spiritual childhood, the way of trust and absolute self-surrender.” It’s the way of letting that mom and her screaming child go in front of us in the check-out line. It’s the way of cheerfully interacting with that coworker. It’s the way of joyfully helping our friend finish that stressful project. Making Ordinary Time Extraordinary It is a time to practice. Let’s use this Ordinary Time to practice love, the very virtue that God has displayed for us so magnificently since the first Sunday of Advent. Following St. Therese’s example, we have the ability to make this Ordinary Time truly extraordinary with little acts of love. St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us. 🌹 Pray with the Little Flower The St. Therese of Lisieux Rosary Beautifully made to last through years of prayer, and a meaningful gift for a confirmation, birthday, or any friend who loves the Little Flower or Our Lady. Shop the Rosary → Meghan Perks

Let’s get to know each other a bit more, as sisters in Christ. Feel free to share your answers to these questions in on our Instagram post and/or your own Instagram post, tagging #BISsisterhood. Olivia Spears lives in Kentucky, where sweet tea and bourbon flow like milk and honey. She’s a middle school religion teacher turned SAHM who is married to her high school best friend. She spends her time changing diapers, exploring the crunchy side of life, organizing anything she can get her hands on, and dancing in the moonlight. You can come along for the adventure at To the Heights. What is your favorite religious text or book? The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Do you have a special Saint that you feel a strong connection to? How so? Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati. How do I love him? Let me count the ways! He was a young saint from a wealthy family who had a strong desire to be with the poor. He was a normal young man, immersed in his studies at university and skiing and hiking with his buddies, but he always made intentional time to be with Jesus in the Eucharist and then to go out and meet Him in the distressing disguise of the poor. In fact, he lost his life at a young age after contracting polio from a sick person to whom he was bringing medicine. His passion for life, Jesus, fun, adventure, and his family makes him admirable enough. But the cool thing is that no one ever really noticed his holiness. In fact, his family had no idea that he daily served and visited the poor until the day of the funeral, when the streets of his town were packed with those for whom he had cared. Which virtue do you find yourself working on the most throughout your day? Oh mercy, just one? Humility. Always and forever humility. What part of your walk with Christ is the biggest struggle? Jesus has to teach me every single day to trust Him fully and surrender my worries and desires. Bless His Heart, He is so patient with me because I definitely should have learned this lesson by now. What keeps you Catholic? My life was void of depth until I discovered the richness of Catholicism. I have seen that the mission and sacraments of the Church is where I can get the closest to Jesus, and that's where I want to stay. Do you have a motto / quote / saying you live by? Verso l'alto (a saying of Pier Giorgio's). It means "To the Heights." What do you find yourself continually praying for? The healing and conversion of my family and friends. How do you "walk the walk"? I hope I do, but know I'm far from it. I do my best to see in every person the God who made them and loved them to the end. So maybe that means looking the gal bagging my groceries in the eye and asking her how her day is going. Maybe that means thinking and rephrasing before lashing out at my husband. Maybe that means abandoning discomfort and chatting with the homeless person on the corner of the road for a while. How does Christ call you to serve - is it prayer/contemplation/acts of service, etc.? Mostly in prayer, I feel a strong pull toward intercession for others. But as a wife and mom, the whole service-to-others thing kind of comes as a packaged deal. ;) Your turn! Answer this on Instagram or in the comments:

Jesus gives us so much hope in today's gospel. He tells the woman, "do not weep." (Luke 11:13) He tells her not to be sad before he tells the dead man to rise. You see there is life to come, we don't have to cry. How many times in my own life do I sit in despair crying over something because I cannot see the light. We cannot forget whose we are! We have so much to rejoice in and to wait for. You can download today's FREE wallpaper below made by Erica of Be A Heart. Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

Ordinary Time can often feel like the doldrums of the liturgical year. We aren't preparing for a major feast or in a celebratory season. Summer stretches out ahead of us, school is out of session, and work often seems to quiet down as people head out for vacation. Here on the Blessed is She blog, we are spending time with the women who inspire us in our most ordinary days. The saints who show us how to offer up our suffering and embrace our joys. The mothers who taught us our first prayers. The friend who first invited us to kneel in adoration together. Follow along on Tuesdays beginning in June to read about the extraordinary women who have formed our sisters in community, and share your own spiritual inspiration here.

Throughout the month of May, we will be sharing posts focused on journeying alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media using #praywithmary. The Church celebrates the Feast of the Visitation on May 31, bringing to a conclusion the month devoted to our Blessed Mother. The account of Mary's Visitation to Elizabeth from Luke's Gospel (Luke 1:39-56) is reflected upon by Catholics in the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, and I number it as one of my favorite scriptural accounts. Here are seven lessons the actions of Mary and Elizabeth in the Visitation have taught me. 1. Put a little pep in your step.  Luke's account of the Visitation opens with the following line: "During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste . . ." (Luke 1:39). The phrase that always jumps off the page for me is "in haste." Mary went in haste to be of service to her cousin, Elizabeth, whom she had just found out was pregnant in her old age. Let's consider a few things here: First, Mary is pregnant. Second, she didn't jump in her SUV, stop at Dunkin' Donuts for an iced coffee on the way, and arrive a few hours later. Most likely, she walked, over the hills, for hours, if not days. Third, Mary is pregnant. Oops, I said that already! Perhaps it is because I have never done anything in haste while pregnant. In actuality, I don't do much in haste when I am not pregnant. What is the lesson here? Mary was ready and willing to quickly provide service to someone in need. She hopped right to it. She didn't agonize over it, check her calendar, weigh the pros and cons, or pause to consider what might be in it for her. She simply he went in haste to help. It's a lesson that I, for one, am not learning in haste. Each time I hear this Scripture, I am more and more convicted that my attitude towards helping others needs to be far more like Mary's. And for that to happen, I need to ask the Lord to fill me with the Holy Spirit, just like Mary was. 2. Service requires sacrifice. We live in an instant-gratification culture. Watching the microwave tick down the last thirty seconds of cooking the four-minute frozen dinner often leaves me impatiently tapping my fingers on the counter. Yet, most things in life don't happen in an instant, and people's real needs are rarely met in the span of a twenty-minute sitcom. Saint Luke tells us that Mary's visit to Elizabeth lasted for three months (Luke 1:56). Mary was willing to make the sacrifice necessary to help meet Elizabeth's needs. True Christian service requires a heart open to sacrifice and an attitude of putting other's needs before our own. Becoming a mom for the first time drove home this lesson with me. The nine months of pregnancy required a self-sacrificing patience like few other experiences in my life— before or since—with the possible exception of potty-training. No matter how much I desired to rush the process, the child in my womb required my constant, day-in, day-out sacrifice in ways that I had never though possible. Like Elizabeth, my pregnancy also found me needing the service of others to assist me in performing the tasks that my growing belly left me unable to do on my own. This experience of both giving and receiving long-term, sacrificial service led me to see the blessings of a life lived for others, a life like Mary's. 3. The Holy Spirit helps us recognize Jesus. Scriptures tell us: "When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:41-43) Because Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, she was able to recognize the presence of Jesus in the womb of Mary and proclaim those beautiful words that we recite in every Hail Mary. Saint Paul tells us "No one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:3). It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to recognize the Lord Jesus, even when He is hidden from our senses, as He was from Elizabeth. We must daily ask the Holy Spirit to fill us, as He filled her, so that we too are able to recognize Jesus in those we meet. 4. There is joy in encountering the Lord. It is an unmistakable feeling when your unborn child makes a sudden move in your womb. For me, it was just a delight to feel my babies flip, dance, and kick inside of me. I wondered what caused these movements. What were they thinking or sensing from me inside the darkness of the womb? Luke tells us that Saint John the Baptist "leaped for joy" in Elizabeth's womb at the sound of Mary's voice (Luke 1:44).Pope Saint John Paul II calls the mystery of the Visitation a "mystery of joy": But what is the mysterious, concealed source of such joy? It is Jesus. Mary had already conceived Him through the work of the Holy Spirit and He is now beginning to defeat what is at the root of fear, of anxiety, of sadness - sin, the most humiliating slavery for man." Let us pray with expectant faith that in all of our encounters with the Lord Jesus, whether in prayer, in the Sacraments, or in our love for one another, we many feel the joy that the unborn Saint John the Baptist felt. 5. Trust in the Lord bears fruit. Elizabeth honors Mary's trust in God with the following words: "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Luke 1:45). Mary bore Jesus, the fruit of her womb, because she radically trusted God. We, too, are called to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God in our lives, fruit which can only be borne if we live out Mary-like trust. Proverbs 3:5 challenges us to "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart; on your own intelligence do not rely." Like Mary, we may not know all the details of the mission the Lord is asking us to do. We may wonder what the future will hold for us if we follow God's ways and surrender fully to His will in our lives. It is in moments of questioning, or fighting off the temptation to "rely on our own intelligence" that we should call upon our Blessed Mother for her intercession, so that we too can "bear fruit that will last" (John 15:16). 6. The glory belongs to the Lord. How does Mary respond to Elizabeth's unconventional greeting? In humility, she directs all the glory to God. In the opening lines of the Magnificat, one of the most beautiful songs of praise and glory to God, she declares: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,my spirit rejoices in God my savior.For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.The Mighty One has done great things for me,and holy is his name" (Luke 1:46-49). Perhaps the greatest lesson of the mystery of the Visitation is that the glory for all the blessings and good things in our lives belongs rightfully to the Lord. It is a good practice, and one that I am slowly incorporating into my daily prayer life, to have a "gratitude journal," a notebook to log the many blessings the Lord showers upon us every day. Taking time to "proclaim the greatness of the Lord" shifts our focus off ourselves and off the less joyful moments of the day, and places our attention on the Lord and all the great things he has done for us. It is a way to live out the mystery of the Visitation each day. 7. The Visitation is ongoing. Like all the mysteries of the Rosary (indeed the whole of scriptures) there is an ongoing aspect to our meditations. We are not simply reflecting on an event of the past but rather entering into a living Word. Through our meditations, we pray for the grace to grow in imitation of what we are reading and to more and more fully incorporate the mystery into our daily lives. This is an on-going process, and one that will take our entire lives to unfold. photo credit This post was originally published by Debbie on Saints365.

Let’s get to know each other a bit more, as sisters in Christ. Feel free to share your answers to these questions in on our Instagram post and/or your own Instagram post, tagging #BISsisterhood. Anna Coyne is married to her best friend and mother to one miracle baby boy. She teaches piano and violin lessons as a side gig to being a full time stay-at-home mom along with gardening and knitting. As an adult convert to Catholicism, she continues to find new reasons to love the Catholic faith. She is proud to call Saint Paul home, and can be found blogging at The Heart’s Overflow. Are you a convert to Catholicism? How did that happen? I grew up a pretty charismatic Protestant. When I was in college I started dating a Catholic guy. I thought for sure that I could get him to "see the light" and join my church. But then I read about NFP and Catholic teaching on marriage and sexuality, and the truth of it was revealed to me. I thought, "If the Catholic church got it right on this one, what else am I missing out on?" A year later I married that Catholic guy and joined the Church. Do you have a special Saint that you feel a strong connection to? How so? I love Blessed Mother Teresa and am so excited about her canonization. I loved her even before I became Catholic because I spent time in India and developed a real heart for the people of that country. The way she pours herself out so selflessly to others has been so inspiring to me, both in my younger days of foreign mission trips, as well as in my current vocation of wife and mother. What part of your walk with Christ is the biggest struggle? Getting good prayer time in is a real struggle. It's hard to find a quiet space, both in my house and in my head. I'm very easily side tracked. Before I had children, I had a weekly holy hour. I'd like to pick one up again. Then I know I'll have one hour a week where I have to leave my house to go be with the Lord, and while I'm there I'll have no other obligations but to sit and talk with Him. Your turn! Answer this on Instagram or in the comments:

Throughout the month of May, we will be sharing posts focused on journeying alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media using #praywithmary. He said to His mother: "Woman, behold your Son." On Good Friday, I reflected on Jesus and the pain and suffering that His mother must have experienced alongside the cross with Jesus. We know the relationship between a mother and her child is strong, and it is one that even the bonds of death cannot break. We find it difficult to imagine the thoughts that were flowing through Mary’s mind and the intense hurt that pierced her heart. It is not simple imagery to picture Mary at the foot of the cross watching her son die, knowing that He chose to be nailed and placed up on that cross because it was the will of His father. There were few words exchanged between Jesus and His mother, but we know that their emotional bond as mother and son was so strong and powerful that there were not many words that needed to be said. A precious relationship between a mother and a child is so intimate in nature that it is difficult to even describe in such a way that captivates its true essence. As I spent the day in silence I thought about my relationship with my own mother, how it is true that the relationship between a mother and a child is so beautiful and at the same time mysterious. There are many times we say few words to one another, but we know how the other is feeling. It is this enigmatic bond between a mother and her child. When I first divulged my vocation to religious life to my mother, I found it very hard to choose the correct words. I didn't say too much that day to her in church, but she looked at me and we cried together. There were few words needed because as a mother and a daughter we understand how the other is feeling without saying too much at all. Sometimes words just cannot captivate the true emotion that radiates from our soul so we make a decision to remain silent. Mary waited patiently in silence as she hoped for the Spirit to appear to the apostles at Pentecost and for their hearts to become open in prayer as my mother and I hoped for our hearts to become open to one another. I think back to last year on this same day when I was working on a poem for my mother trying to include her experience as the mother of an almost thirty-year old woman preparing to enter religious life. I know it has not been easy for her, and she has had a difficult time hearing the words out loud. She had asked me to write a poem for her, and at first I was not sure how to even begin because again she has not expressed her feelings to me in such significant detail. But then I realized that as my mother even though she has not said these words to me to express her feelings, as her daughter I have simply known how she has felt this entire time. After finishing the poem, I was hesitant to show it to my mother because I did not want to upset her since majority of the time she had become uncomfortable whenever I brought up me entering into the monastery soon or talking about the Sisters. That night was different though because not only did she read it, but I think she was finally able to come to terms with how she felt. She knew that no words needed to be spoken because as her daughter I understand what she is going through, and her feelings were finally written out in black bold type. And I think my mother found peace in my decision because she wrote back to me "I'm going to be the mother of an amazing future nun." I'm Christina Sorrentino, a Benedictine Postulant of Saint Walburga Monastery in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She blogs at Called to Love - A Listening Heart.