Some nights—and for a few of us, most nights—are restless and sleepless. Whether our lack of sleep is due to anxiety, a crying baby, a sick child, or a reason unknown even to ourselves, we may find ourselves wide awake at night. Over the past two years I have experienced sleepless nights in an intense way. Up most of the night, I am anxious and restless during a time when I should be peaceful and rejuvenated. What Can I Do When I Can’t Sleep? There are a few ways that I have sought help in trying to sleep: Confession Reform Wellness Prayer Turning to the Saints Ceaseless Intercession It is this last way that I would like to share about. The Saints are God’s gift to us. The Saints “do not cease to intercede with the Father for us” and lead us closer to Christ, the source of all grace (see Lumen Gentium 49). They strengthen us in our journey towards our heavenly home, instilling in us the hope of the Resurrection through their life story, witness, and prayer. The more we call upon their intercession, the more we realize how active and effective their friendship is.     Saints to Turn to When You Can't Sleep Here are some Saints to turn to when you cannot sleep at night. These Saints, each in their own unique way, encountered God during the night. They teach us how to endure nightly trials, sufferings, and wakefulness through their trust and intimacy with the Creator of nights and sleep, God Himself. The next time you are unable to sleep, ask the intercession of one (or all!) of these Saints. Saint Joseph God spoke to Saint Joseph at night. God instructed Joseph to “get up...” and act in his dreams (see Matthew 2:13). Is God asking us to do something that we have been putting off? Is God instructing us at night to do something? Do we allow ourselves to have enough space and silence during the day to hear God’s will? Or is the only space and silence that we are giving God to speak happening at night? Let us ask Saint Joseph to quiet our hearts to hear God’s will for us and to act if He is calling us to do something... something that will keep us up at night until we do His will. Saint John Bosco Another dreamer was Saint John Bosco. There is a book entitled Forty Dreams of Saint John Bosco that shares his dreams and how he spiritually interpreted them. In one dream, Saint John Bosco saw tumultuous waters, filled with battling ships. Yet there was one strong and mighty ship. On the water appeared two columns with images atop of each: one of Our Lady, Help of Christians; and on the other column, Jesus in the Eucharist. With all its might and strength, the large ship steered itself towards the two columns and finally anchored itself to them. That is when peace comes. If we are anxious, tired, frustrated, or scared when we are awake at night, let us turn to Our Lady and Jesus in the Eucharist, make a spiritual communion, and ask them to anchor us in the reality of their love for us. Saint Mary Magdalene Awaken early to greet the Resurrected Christ, Saint Mary Magdalene is the nightly watch-woman. “Upon my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves…” (Song of Solomon 3:1). While others slept, the apostle to the Apostles was awake and ready to receive the grace of encountering Christ in the quiet early hours. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati This Blessed in Heaven would spend entire nights in Adoration. One night, while kneeling and adoring Jesus in the Eucharist, Frassati became completely consumed in prayer. A witness saw that hot wax from the candles he was kneeling beside began dripping on him and Frassati didn’t even notice. He didn’t even flinch. When we are awake at night, let our first thought be of Jesus, who asked His disciple in His deepest agony, “Could you not watch one hour?” (Mark 14:37). Saint Faustina Kowalska Saint Faustina would spend hours up at night undergoing temptation and spiritual attacks. Let us repeat her words, “Jesus, I trust in You” each night. Let us trust in Him that He is with us, that He loves us, that He is stronger than any temptation we encounter. And even if our bodies cannot rest, let us rest in that love He has for us. Who are your favorite Saints to turn to when you can't sleep? Let's get our own litany going!   [bctt tweet="Saints to Turn to When You Can't Sleep #BISblog //" via="no"] MARY SHOWS US THE WAY Just as a mother might pass on a beloved family tradition to her daughters, Mary shares the recipe for growing in virtue with us. This study on Mary's Virtues will breathe new life into your everyday, beginning right in Mary's home. GET HOME STUDY

Growing up, my Easter basket was filled solely with candy. I loved it! After fasting from candy and sweets for almost six weeks, a basket of candy was a welcomed treat Easter Sunday morning. It wasn’t until I started dating my husband, Mike, that I realized that some families put gifts other than candy in their Easter baskets. The first Easter I celebrated with Mike’s family—after a long night shift working as a nurse—is so memorable. I was given an Easter basket from his family with different gifts, each incredibly meaningful and beautiful. It was the beginning of a new tradition for me, one Mike and I would implement in our own family. Now, one of my favorite things to do is to pick out one or two gifts for the Easter baskets I prepare. Children Love Simplicity The more I learn and grow as a mother, the more I realize how children love simplicity. They find joy in the smallest gifts and treasure our presence more than anything else. The greatest gift we can give our children—whether it is our spiritual children, children we teach, godchildren, adopted, or biological—is our love and presence. If you decide to gift your child with an Easter basket this year, keep it simple. Like Christ teaches us on the Cross and within the tomb, the greatest gift we can give our families is ourselves, who we are, our presence, our joy, and our love. Catholic Easter Basket Ideas for Kids Here are some Catholic-themed gift ideas to consider including in your child’s Easter basket this year. May you have a blessed Easter season! Into the Deep Mass Unit Study Saint Anna Want Paper Doll Camino Socks * Mother Teresa Bib Marian Stole and Chasuble Scapular Saint Thérèse Doll Mass Magnet Play Set * Catholic WordsCard Matching Game * The Adventures of Loupio, Volume * use code CLAIRE for discount What are some of YOUR favorite gifts to include in Easter baskets? [bctt tweet="Catholic Easter Basket Ideas for Kids #BISblog // " via="no"]

Our devotion for the spouse of Mother Mary should not have ended with the conclusion of the Year of Saint Joseph. Rather, it should continue to blossom and unfold each day of every year. Saint Joseph is a powerful intercessor, a strong heavenly friend, and a witness to holiness. Ways to Show Devotion to Saint Joseph Here are some ways that we can foster our relationship with the head of the Holy Family. Consecration to Saint Joseph One of the most spiritually transformative experiences that I have had is consecrating myself, my family, and all of my belongings to Jesus through the intercession of Saint Joseph. I did this through Father Donald H. Calloway’s book, Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father. It was a powerful experience and I continue to see many fruits of this consecration in my life today. This book is a more formal consecration, consisting of thirty-three days of prayerful preparation prior to your consecration day. Though I strongly recommend Father Calloway’s book due to its spiritual benefits, you don’t need to practice something so ceremonious prior to consecration. A simple prayer, like this one from Saint Bernardine of Siena, also consecrates you to Jesus through Saint Joseph: O my beloved Saint Joseph, adopt me as thy child. Take charge of my salvation; watch over me day and night; preserve me from occasions of sin; obtain for me purity of body. Through thy intercession with Jesus, grant me a spirit of sacrifice, humility, self-denial, burning love of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and a sweet and tender love for Mary, my mother. Saint Joseph, be with me living, be with me dying, and obtain for me a favorable judgment from Jesus, my merciful Savior. Amen. Whatever form of consecration you choose, remember, you are entrusting yourself and all you own to Jesus through the protection of Saint Joseph. Jesus did just that as He lived in Nazareth, and it would do our souls well to do the same! Honor Our Lady Whenever I am honored, my husband is honored. Whenever my husband is honored, I am, too. It is a beautiful mystery that when spouses are married, they become one. We draw closer to Saint Joseph when we show his spouse love. We can do this through: Pondering Scripture about Mother Mary. Praying a Rosary. Wearing a Scapular. Going on a Marian Pilgrimage. Consecrating ourselves to Jesus through Mary. Going to Mass on Saturday mornings in honor of her weekly Feast. Teaching children the Hail Mary. Images in Our Home After consecrating my family to Saint Joseph, we put a large image up of the Holy Family in our home. As I walk by it each day, this picture reminds me of the virtues of Saint Joseph and beckons me to strive for holiness. This image of the Holy Family also serves as a witness to those who enter into our home. Recently, when a repairman came into our home, he saw the image and shared with me that he had not been to church in a long time. I told him that he is always welcome to come back. Holy images in our homes bless our own families, and all those who we welcome into our space. Here are some of my favorite images of Saint Joseph to put in the place where you dwell: This Holy Family Candle St. Joseph, Patron of the Church Image Three Hearts Holy Family Framed Print (use code CLAIRE for discount!) The Sleeping St. Joseph Statue Pray There are many beautiful prayers composed in honor of Saint Joseph. His litany is a powerful one to pray, as is my favorite, the Holy Cloak Novena. This novena is a Carmelite tradition and is prayed for thirty days. This prayer of protection and intercession is powerful: O Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph, you who were chosen by God above all men to be the earthly head of the most holy of families, I beseech you to accept me within the folds of your holy cloak, that you may become the guardian and custodian of my soul. From this moment on, I choose you as my father, my protector, my counselor, my patron, and I beseech you to place in your custody my body, my soul, all that I am, all that I possess, my life, and my death. Look upon me as one of your children; defend me from the treachery of my enemies, invisible or otherwise, assist me at all times in all my necessities; console me in the bitterness of my life, and especially at the hour of my death. Say but one word for me to the Divine Redeemer whom you were deemed worthy to hold in your arms, and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, your most chaste spouse. Request for me those blessings which will lead me to salvation. Include me amongst those who are most dear to you and I shall set forth to prove myself worthy of your special patronage. Amen. Learn From the School of Saints Throughout Church history, God raised up men and women who found favor through their devotion to Saint Joseph. Researching their stories, learning about them, and imitating how they practiced devotion to Jesus’ earthly father will help us grow in holiness. Here are some Saints who had a strong devotion to Saint Joseph: Saint André Bessette Saint Teresa of Avila Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Blessed William Joseph Chaminade Saint Francis de Sales Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich Saint Josemaría Escrivá Pope Saint John Paul II What are some of your favorite ways to show your devotion to Saint Joseph? Do you have an image of Saint Joseph in your living space? Let us know in the comments below! Saint Joseph, pray for us!   [bctt tweet="Ways to Show Devotion to Saint Joseph #BISblog //" via="no"]

God’s mercy leads me to hope in eternal life. God is merciful. Those three words change reality! Mercy is the reason God the Father sent His only Begotten Son to us.

My husband handed me a prayer book one winter morning about two years ago. “Magnificat†read its beautiful cover.

One of the clearest expressions of joy in the Gospel came from one of the most hope-filled women, Saint Elizabeth.

What leads to discouragement? Discouragement enters into our lives when we place hope in ourselves, in others, or in created things.

I have a friend who inspires me to be holy through her actions. When I feel distraught or tempted to despair, her response is always prayer, service, and sacrifice.

The evening of June 8, 1985 was a memorable one for Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. With her community of Carmelites, Saint Thérèse listened to the obituary of Sister Anne-Marie of Jesus, a fellow Carmelite Sister in a neighboring monastery.

Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy. // Hebrews 10:23 Hope and trust. These two words roll off our tongues so easily. Yet it is difficult to plant these words deep within our hearts and it takes much more effort to live them out. Unwavering hope and trust is only possible through Someone Who is the source of hope and Who is completely trustworthy. We must fall in love with Christ, we must truly get to know Him, His Person. Only then can we see the fruits of His love for us, both the quiet and the radical ways He transforms our lives. We will come to learn that He is trustworthy, He is worthy of our trust. Our love stories about Christ will in turn give others that same hope we have found in Him. The more we spend time with Him, the more convicted we will become to hold on to the Good News that gives us hope, our confession of faith. We get to know Him through prayer, reading His Word, Daily Mass, Adoration, Confession, and by simply talking to Him. We get to know Him in the men, women, and children who surround us. What is His promise to us? His promise is eternal life. Our hope is found in the Resurrection! That is our hope! That is what we are called to share! That is our Good News. There is life and life in abundance through Him, with Him, and in Him! There is Eternal Life and we have a place in His Kingdom. Hope and trust in Him and in His promise. That is a sentence that doesn’t roll off the tongue so easily, but it is the sentence I want to embed deeply within my heart and, even more, live out. Hope and trust in Him and His promise, for He is trustworthy.   [bctt tweet="Unwavering hope and trust is only possible through Someone Who is the source of hope and Who is completely trustworthy. So we must fall in love with Christ, we must truly get to know Him. #prayerpledge //" username="findphilothea"]   Let Us Pray Lord God, help us to have hearts receptive to hope. Help us to know You and love You more, increasing our hope in Your promise through relationship with You. Reveal to us the ways that we do not trust You, those areas in which we do not believe You're faithful. Send Your Holy Spirit to shed the light of Truth upon those areas. We are Yours! Amen. For Discussion In what areas do you struggle to trust the Lord? Dig deep and spend time here... Why do you think that is? How would your life look different if you entrusted that area(s) specifically to Jesus? How would you feel, act, and decide?   [bctt tweet="They That Hope: The 2022 Prayer Pledge // Day 2 #BISblog #prayerpledge //" username="findphilothea"]

Welcome to our Remember series, where we pause to reflect on how God has proven faithful in the past so to help us place our trust in Him in the present. We look to the future, knowing that God always keeps His promise and that He always makes a way. We invite you to pray with us, to write your own Psalm (see the end of the post!), and share with others about how God has been faithful in your life. When I moved to Buffalo, New York for nursing school, I was lonely. The first thing I did when I unpacked and settled into my new dorm room was Google “young adult groups in the area.” Nothing came up. After Mass one morning, I asked a priest if there were any groups or gatherings for people my age. He said he did not know of any. The school I went to was Catholic in name but felt very secular. That loneliness continued to grow and I felt my faith life suffer from a lack of community. I desired real community and authentic friendships with my entire heart. Loneliness can make us turn inward. I had to resist that temptation and I knew I needed to turn outward to God in prayer. I needed to pray for friends and I needed to pray to be a good friend. I began to ask the intercession from my “twenty-four year old Saint friends”—five men and women in Heaven who all died at the age of twenty-four: Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows Saint Kateri Tekakwitha During those first few months in a new city, they were my only friends. I had been asking them for help for the past few years, yet my prayers heightened as I grew in loneliness each day. I began asking them for a gift for my twenty-fourth year. I told them that they received the best gift at the age of twenty-four: to enter into Christ’s Kingdom. I asked that they might send me a gift just like they obtained during their twenty-fourth year. I prayed this prayer daily throughout each day. God was teaching me something so powerful during that time: to depend on Him. In times of both bounty and famine, He must be first in my life. As I asked the intercession of His Saints, I realized that they did just that. They placed Christ first, no matter what situation they were in, no matter how they felt, lonely or otherwise. One evening I looked at an image on my wall of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. “Lord, what should I do?” I prayed. The answer was immediate. I knew I had to start a young adult group in honor of the Blessed. The group had its first meeting when I was twenty-four. I met the most beautiful people in that group, some of whom are still my dearest friends. And I received my gift, that gift I had longed asked for. “Ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full,” Jesus tells His disciples. My joy was full! I met Mike, my husband, my gift, in the group. I know it is through the intercession of these five Saints that I met the man I was going to marry, that I was led to my vocation. Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims here on earth brings us closer to Christ, so too our communion with the Saints in Heaven joins us to Christ. God is not in competition with us or our relationship with the Saints; rather, He delights in it and even channels His grace to us through their intercession. In retrospect, my life during that time was made so much richer through cultivating friendships with the Saints. They are here for us, championing us on—that beautiful host of Heaven—awaiting the day we can join them in perpetual praise of our Father. During my engagement to Mike, I collected images of these five Saints. I framed them and placed them on a small table beside the altar during our wedding Mass. The priest blessed them after we said our vows and they now hang in our home. These images are a powerful reminder of our wedding day, the vows Mike and I promised to one another, and the fidelity of the Saints towards us! I thank God and His Saints every day for their gift to me. If you are feeling lonely, isolated, and in need of a faith community, don’t be afraid to start making the changes yourself and create a young adult or women’s group. People will come! I promise! Every single person here on earth desires community and deeply desires the true, good, and beautiful. Don’t be afraid to cast your nets into the deep for a beautiful catch! And pray for your gift. Ask these Saints—so active in Heaven—for your gift. Whether you are eighteen, twenty-four, forty-four, or one hundred and four, ask these Saints for a gift. They are ready to send us Christ’s love, guidance, and grace. Through them, Christ will make a way. If you would like, we invite you to write your own psalm to help you remember the marvelous works of the Lord. We walk you through it here. Keep this psalm handy. Pray it when life makes it difficult to see Who reigns sovereignly.   [bctt tweet="REMEMBER Series // Finding Friendships #BISblog //" via="no"]

I am personally convinced that, when, some time in the future, the intellectual history of the Catholic Church in the twentieth century is written, the name of Dietrich von Hildebrand will be most prominent among the figures of our time. // Pope Benedict XVI My favorite college course was an ethics class taught by Dr. Maria Seifert Wolter that I took when I studied at Franciscan University’s Kartause. Sadly, it was one of the first times I had taken a philosophy course in my entire life! Those weeks of studying ethics encouraged me to think in ways I never had before, or never had pushed myself to think before. It was challenging, exciting, new, and filled my soul in a unique way that no other class had. Discovering Dietrich During the last few weeks of the course she taught us about one of her favorite philosophers, Dietrich von Hildebrand. I left the semester with a desire to learn more about him. During that Christmas break I read his biography The Soul of a Lion along with his writings too, like, The Heart and Marriage: The Mystery of Faithful Love. The Power of Philosophy He came to mind again a few months ago and I ordered his memoir My Battle Against Hitler. There is something so special about this man, something to be respected. Not just his intellect, but also his virtue. Named Hitler’s Enemy Number One, Dietrich Von Hildebrand stood for and proclaimed truth in season and out of season. The fact that a philosopher was labeled the primary enemy of National Socialism shows the power of philosophy, the power of the love of wisdom. My Battle Against Hitler reads like a thrilling movie and I hope it is made into one soon, mostly because I want people to know more about this great man and his incredible life. Reading his memoirs that were written during such a pivotal time in history made me realize how few people know about this great philosopher! Someone I Could Follow John H. Crosby, the founder of Dietrich von Hildebrand’s Legacy Project, writes of him: Dietrich von Hildebrand was a philosopher I could follow. His heroic struggle against Nazism fired my imagination; his single-minded love and pursuit of truth presented me with a vivid embodiment of the true philosopher; and his passion for music, literature, and art taught me that life without beauty is impoverished and inhuman. I couldn’t agree more! Dietrich von Hildebrand teaches us truth through the way of beauty. He fully lived out the goodness and virtue that he taught. I am always left inspired and yearning for more after reading his writings. Born Into Beauty A devoted Catholic convert, Dietrich von Hildebrand was born in Florence in 1889. With a sculptor father, Dietrich was born into beauty and surrounded by it during his childhood. That love and reverence for beauty continued throughout his entire life. Von Hildebrand began studying philosophy at the University of Munich in 1906. Influenced by philosophers Edmund Husserl and Max Scheler, von Hildebrand became a leading philosopher in ethics, phenomenology, epistemology, and aesthetics. One of the most pivotal hallmarks of von Hildebrand is that he sought to answer, “the crucial questions of human existence by looking first to the nature and dignity of the human person” (source). Conversion Dietrich von Hildebrand converted to Catholicism in 1914 and remained a devoted Catholic. He said that the beauty of Christ and the Saints are what attracted him to our great faith. Catholicism influenced not only his writings but his way of life. He lived out the truth, beauty, and goodness that he so powerfully proclaimed. The truths that Dietrich found and taught in both philosophy and Catholicism allowed him to combat National Socialism during the Second World War through his strong voice and writings. Von Hildebrand opposed anti-Semitism and National Socialism so vehemently that he had to flee Europe for safety. Leaving A Legacy By 1940, von Hildebrand was settled in New York City and began teaching at Fordham University. It is there that he met his second wife, Alice von Hildebrand. He is the author of many books and writing and his ideas on marriage influenced the Second Vatican Council’s teaching. A Challenge Philosophy can be intimidating. Yet don’t dismiss it for that reason! Delve in! Ask questions, research, work through it, and challenge yourself! As Catholics, we are blessed to boast that we have the heritage and beauty of Dietrich von Hildebrand, a great philosopher who championed the dignity of every human person. In every age it is important that we continue to be seekers and lovers of wisdom, that we become philosophers. Start with this great philosopher, Dietrich von Hildebrand. Read his books and his other writings. Check out The Hildebrand Project! I promise you that your life will be deeply enriched if you do! Have you ever read von Hildebrand? What is your favorite of his works?   [bctt tweet="Dietrich von Hildebrand // The Philosopher Every Catholic Should Know #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]   This post contains affiliate links. Thanks so much for supporting the ministry of Blessed is She!

Christ Jesus, high priest of the new and eternal covenant, taking human nature, introduced into this earthly exile that hymn which is sung throughout all ages in the halls of heaven. He joins the entire community of mankind to Himself, associating it with His own singing of this canticle of divine praise. For He continues His priestly work through the agency of His Church, which is ceaselessly engaged in praising the Lord and interceding for the salvation of the whole world. She does this, not only by celebrating the Eucharist, but also in other ways, especially by praying the Divine Office. By tradition going back to early Christian times, the Divine Office is devised so that the whole course of the day and night is made holy by the praises of God. It is the very prayer which Christ Himself, together with His body, addresses to the Father. // Vatican II, Sacrosanctum concilium, 83-84 Something New The first time I prayed the Liturgy of Hours I was in a small chapel with about ten people in college. I woke up early one morning after seeing a sign in my dorm’s hallway stating the time and place to meet to pray. Someone handed me a thick prayer book with ribbons. For the next fifteen minutes the most beautiful thing happened. Though I was completely lost and not on the right page the entire time, I felt part of a community, I felt the unitive power of prayer. I felt part of something great and beautiful. The Prayer of Our Church The more I learned about this great prayer of our Church, I realized by praying the Liturgy of Hours I am part of something great and beautiful. The Liturgy of Hours, also known as the Divine Office, is the daily prayer of the Church. The purpose is to give God His due worship throughout the hours of our day. As a natural result of this, like all proper worship, we become sanctified, too. The Words and Wisdom of God The USCCB has a beautiful description of the Liturgy of Hours: “The [Liturgy of] Hours are a meditative dialogue on the mystery of Christ, using scripture and prayer. The dialogue is always held in the presence of God and using the words and wisdom of God. Each of the five canonical Hours includes selections from the Psalms that culminate in a scriptural proclamation. The two most important or hinge Hours are Morning and Evening Prayer. These each include a Gospel canticle: the Canticle of Zechariah from Luke 1:68-79 for Morning Prayer (known as the Benedictus), and the Canticle of Mary from Luke 1:46-55 for Evening Prayer (known as the Magnificat). The Gospel canticle acts as a kind of meditative extension of the scriptural proclamation in light of the Christ event. Morning and Evening Prayer also include intercessions that flow from the scriptural proclamation just as the Psalms prepare for it.” A Transformative Prayer Uniting ourselves as a Church in prayer is powerful. The Liturgy of Hours is the prayer of Mother Church. After years of praying the Liturgy of Hours I have strengthened my relationship with God. Through the Divine Office I am more aware of the importance of our liturgical seasons and the beauty and Scriptural bounty found throughout the year. I am closer to the Saints through reading their writings on their Feast Days. I am continuously touched by the witness of the Church Fathers, whose prose has transformed my heart. These are just some of the many fruits that I have experienced from praying the Liturgy of Hours. From personal growth to uniting myself with the Church, I have grown deeply as a person through this prayer. Ultimately, I pray because God is worthy and deserving of our worship. There are many fruits that come from this proper worship and each is a blessing and a gift. Helpful Resources, Tips, and Links A Liturgy of Hours set is an investment. If you are open to a second hand set, talk to your pastor or a religious community in your area to see if they have a set you can have for free. You can also ask local bookshops if they have a discounted Set available for you to buy. You can purchase your own Liturgy of Hours Set here and use code CLAIRE for 15% off this set and your entire order. The Saint Joseph Guide for the Liturgy of Hours (code CLAIRE for discount) is something I use daily when I pray the Divine Office. It gives the page numbers for each of the five “hours” every day of the year and includes the page numbers for Feast Days, too! It’s always on my Christmas wish list! This Burrowshire Podcast Episode, ‘How and Why to Pray the Liturgy of Hours,’ is so informative and lit a spark in my heart to be faithful to praying the Divine Office each day. Vatican II’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum concilium, section on the Divine Office (83-101) is worth reading. The USCCB explanation of the Liturgy of Hours is one of my favorites! A Layman’s Guide to Liturgy of the Hours by Father Timothy Gallagher is a great resource (Discount code = CLAIRE). I use the DivineOffice App not only to pray the Liturgy of the Hours on the go but also for ribbon placement if I ever am a little lost and don’t have my Saint Joseph’s Guide available. Don’t give up! Invite your parish priest over for dinner and Evening Prayer, asking them to spend some time teaching you the Liturgy of Hours. Or, watch this amazing instructional video on YouTube. Start small. Don’t feel pressured to pray all of the five hours starting out. Start with Morning or Evening prayer. I have found that the more I pray the Liturgy of Hours, the more I desire to! It truly orders your day towards God. Do you pray the Liturgy of Hours? How has it changed your spiritual life? Do you have any tips or resources that have helped you? Share in the comments below!   [bctt tweet="A Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]

One of my favorite things to do is to read past World Youth Day messages and homilies. They always leave me inspired and call me to live a life with and for Christ. After each message, I am ready to live out the strongest desires of my heart and boldly proclaim the Gospel. Recently, I read Pope Francis’ most recent World Youth Day message, one that focused on the theme of Luke 7:14, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” Our Holy Father Francis says to the youth of the world: If you have lost your inner vitality, your dreams, your enthusiasm, your optimism, and your generosity, Jesus stands before you as once He stood before the dead son of the widow, and with all the power of His resurrection He urges you: ‘Young man, I say to you, arise!’ Arising in the Winter Sometimes during these long winter months, I feel like that young man. In moments of the darkness this season can bear, I need to be reminded of the hope and new life the Resurrection brings. I need to listen to the voice of Christ who is telling me to arise! There is a mission that I need to be living out, the mission to live with and for Christ and to love others as I love myself. The time for that mission is now, no matter what season it is. Five Ways to Spiritually Combat the Winter Blues Here are five ways that I hear Christ’s voice clearly inviting me to arise. Whenever I feel down, anxious, unmotivated, fearful, low on energy, or worried, doing one of these five things always helps. We are called to bear Christ's light to the world. And within these winter months, hold onto the words that another holy Francis said, “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” 1. Read the lives of the Saints. The Saints give us insight into the Kingdom of Heaven. Their lives, their writings, and their miracles inspire us and act as a sort of spiritual nourishment. It’s so comforting to know that these very real men and women overcame the lure of worldly power, fame, honor, and pleasure. They accomplished incredible feats within their lifetimes, and brought many people (and still do) to Christ. Even reading a quote by your favorite Saint can be a much needed boost of confidence, a consolation, and food for the journey. The lives of the Saints give us hope. They are friends in the battle, friends on the hard road, friends that compel us to a greater joy. We realize that the men and women now in Heaven experienced similar feelings as us: joys, frustrations, sorrows. Their stories reveal to us how to combat the temptation of despair and rather place our hope and trust in Christ. Their lives inspire us to live with and for Christ. Pick a few Saints this winter to learn more about. Look up some quotes by them or read their writings. Celebrate their feast days! Look up the patron Saint of something you are struggling with and read their story, exploring how they were able to bring Beauty Himself into their lives, environment, and situations. 2. Attend daily Mass. If this isn’t possible, read the daily Mass readings. The most intimate way to unite ourselves to God here on earth is to receive Him in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. He is the Life and the Resurrection. When we eat His Body and Drink His Blood we have life in abundance within us. He grasps us by the hand and helps us to arise, like the young man in Luke 7:14. We are filled with Life and Life in abundance (John 10:10). Jesus, the Word, speaks to us through the Word we encounter in the daily Mass readings. Many times I have gained insight, knowledge, understanding, and clarity in decisions through the daily Mass readings and homilies. Attending Mass allows us not only to consume the Body of Christ but also to be surrounded with His Body, the men and women who are His members. We are never alone in our Faith, we are part of a powerful community that upholds us in prayer, support, and love. Going to Mass, even if there are only one or two other people in attendance, shows us that we are one another’s keepers. We are the Body of Christ, we are His Light in this world. 3. Stick to a routine, no matter how you feel. So often during the winter months I’d rather stay in a cozy, warm bed five more minutes instead of getting up to pray. Yet I always regret when I do that, and I never once have regretted praying. Two years ago I made a promise to myself. I decided that I would be faithful to morning prayer each day no matter how I felt. My prayer started out small, just five minutes each morning, yet I remained faithful to my promise. Now, two years later, I see that fidelity to God and to myself has transformed my life. The fruit of that decision extended into every aspect of my life. I began challenging myself to be faithful no matter the circumstance or my feelings not just in my prayer but also in my daily tasks and duties. Establishing and remaining faithful to a routine, that includes time for God, ourselves, our family, our work, our hobbies, leisure, and our friends allows us to thrive and grow. It leads to both freedom and simplicity. It leads to joy. It allows us to give from a place of abundance. Servant of God Luis Maria Martinez wrote that: The secret of the spiritual life consists in this: that we try, with a spirit of faith and with sincerity of heart, to unite ourselves to God in the midst of all the vicissitudes of life. Our life is so complex! So very many elements enter into it! We are affected by everything, even the weather. Therefore, the wise course is not to analyze those states but to withdraw our spiritual life from them in order that nothing and nobody may rob us of our treasure. Let us learn how to guard our treasure equally well at midnight and at high noon, whether the tempest is unleashed, or the sun shines brilliantly in a cloudless sky. [bctt tweet="The secret of the spiritual life consists in this: that we try, with a spirit of faith and with sincerity of heart, to unite ourselves to God in the midst of all the vicissitudes of life. -SOG Luis Maria Martinez #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] 4. Pray for holy friends and be a holy friend. Surrounding ourselves with motivating, uplifting, holy, goal-oriented people fills us with inspiration and joy. So often Christ speaks to us through our friends. Our friends may be the ones who tell us to arise! Holy friends are a gift from God that we must pray for every day. Yet we must also pray to be a holy friend to others. Each day we must grow in virtue, not only for our own holiness, but for the holiness of others. All we think, say, and do affects not just ourselves, but others, too. Are our thoughts, words, and actions allowing us to grow into the friend we want to be to others? We must pray to God for friends who we can glorify God with in this life and the next. 5. Do an act of charity. Whenever I feel myself turning inward, the one remedy that always works to curb this is doing something for someone. My go-to for this is making a meal for someone. My love language is food and I feel so loved when someone makes me a meal! The way I express my love the best is by making something delicious for someone. I pray for that person and their family as I prepare dinner and dessert for them and drop it off. Doing something for someone, whether it’s writing a note, creating a spiritual bouquet, cooking a meal, praying a Rosary, or volunteering with a religious order—truly anything done in love for another—uplifts our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls. Here For You This winter season, rest in God’s love for you. No matter what season, He wants you to live with Him, in Him, and for Him. If you are struggling this winter, know you are loved by our Creator and surrounded by a community that is here for you. Do you struggle in the winter? What are some ways you boost your soul?   [bctt tweet="5 Ways to Spiritually Combat the Winter Blues #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]  

This past Lent was the most transformative one I’ve experienced. It coincided with my Ovarian Wedge Resection recovery. During those forty days, Christ healed me not only physically, but spiritually. By Easter morning, I was made totally new. A few hours before Lent began, I asked God what He desired for me to sacrifice. Since I was laying in bed recovering, I felt like I didn’t have much to give. How far from the truth! Christ accomplished His greatest work when He was immobile. I started reflecting on what I was holding back from God and things that I to which I'm attached. Social media came to mind, specifically Instagram. The Call and Sacrifice I use Instagram as the main platform for evangelization for my ministry, Finding Philothea. I fought the idea of fasting from it. What would I do as I laid in bed recovering? Wouldn’t I be lonely if I fasted from it? Bored? Wasn’t I meant to continue to evangelize throughout Lent? God’s answer penetrated my heart: He could do more with my silence. And He did. Replace With Beauty I decided to fast from Instagram. It was one of the best decisions I made. When we fast from something, we should always put something good in its place, as a priest once instructed me. So I replaced the time I normally spent creating content or scrolling on Instagram with spiritual reading, specifically Saint Faustina’s Diary and Bishop Barron’s Word On Fire articles. Those two resources set my heart ablaze. I felt like I had been spiritually starving and now my cup was overflowing with beauty, truth, and goodness. I couldn’t get enough. As I continued with my spiritual readings, my prayer life naturally increased. The knowledge of God’s love for me that both Saint Faustina and Bishop Barron revealed flowed gently into a deepening of my love for Him. Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear I realized how much I had been holding back from our loving and trustworthy God. I discovered how many fears I had, especially the fear of suffering. Physical suffering scared me and I had been trying to avoid it at all costs. I had been afraid of the pain of surgery before my Ovarian Wedge Resection and as I lay recovering I was scared for my heart to continue to suffer with the cross of infertility. I was full of fear. I discovered Saint Faustina’s own journey with suffering and the deep joy she found in it. She wrote of not only comforting Christ but saving her own soul and other souls through her suffering. She wrote that God revealed to her that if angels could be jealous of men it would be for two things: the Eucharist and their ability to suffer. Yet because of my “yes” to Christ at the beginning of Lent, I had opened the door just enough for Christ to enter into my heart. Grace began to pour into my life. I Surrender A few days before Lent ended, I sat on my bed and looked at the San Damiano crucifix that hangs in my bedroom. I saw the suffering Christ, hanging, dying, for me. I looked at Him and repeated, “I surrender.” I told Him I surrender to all He has in store for my life. I said yes to the infertility, if that is what He willed for my life. I said yes to the suffering, if that is what His plan was for me. The most profound peace and joy I have ever experienced immediately flooded into my entire being. That joy has continued to grow as I surrender each day to Him and His will for my life. There is freedom in the surrender. There is joy in knowing that our suffering has merit. [bctt tweet="There is freedom in the surrender. #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] The Power of The Holy Spirit Looking back, I know that it was the Holy Spirit Who prompted all of this. It was the Holy Spirit, the Love between the Father and the Son, Who was inviting me to participate in that Divine Romance. The Holy Spirit blows where He chooses (John 3:8) and I know He was breathing new life within my heart. It was the Holy Spirit Who was inviting me to silence, to retreat, to learn, to discover, to pray. It was the Holy Spirit Who gave me wisdom and understanding, Who planted the seeds of my surrender. Come, Holy Spirit, we pray; and He comes rushing in, powerfully, gently, overwhelmingly. He invites, we give permission, and when we do, He overshadows, and our life is forever changed. [bctt tweet="Come, Holy Spirit, we pray; and He comes rushing in, powerfully, gently, overwhelmingly. He invites, we give permission, and when we do, He overshadows, and our life is forever changed. #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] Ask The Holy Spirit To Be With You I don’t know what God has planned for me this Lent. I do know it will be beautiful. Beauty is found in the sacrifice, in the suffering that always leads to new life. The Death and Resurrection of Christ prove this—the most beautiful reality in this world has ever seen was on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This Lent, I encourage you to join me in asking God what He wants you to sacrifice and what beauty He desires you to replace that sacrifice with. Each time we fast we build upon past fasts. That is why it is so important to fast. We are better able to hear His call and His voice. We are disciplined to say “yes” to His invitations. Ask the Holy Spirit to be with you. Set A Fire Blessed Is She’s Lenten Devotional, Set a Fire, does just this, it helps us invite the Holy Spirit to be with us as we journey toward the Cross and Resurrection. We are never alone in our Faith! We have the Great Advocate, the Holy Spirit, with us. The Holy Spirit transforms us in our sacrifice, in our suffering. Let Him breathe new life within the darkest recesses of your heart, your body, your mind, your soul. Give Him permission to breathe, to move, in you. You are loved by God, you are Spirit-filled, you are called to greatness. The way we live out that call is, like Mary, to say yes and let the Holy Spirit overshadow us. Great things are in store for us this Lent the moment we decide to do this.   [bctt tweet="How the Lord Has Gently Purified Me #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]   This post contains affiliate links. Thanks so much for supporting the ministry of Blessed is She!

My days went from chaos to order when I made the decision to organize my time around when I would pray. All other tasks and duties revolve around my first task and duty, to communicate with my Creator. Prioritizing time with God put my entire day into perspective and simplified my routine. Disciplining My Heart, Mind, and Will It took a lot of discipline to get to this point. I promised myself that I would pray during the times I set aside each day no matter how I was feeling. My prayer times range in duration throughout the day, but it’s not the length of time that matters—it’s the fact that I am prioritizing my relationship with God above all things and all people. How to Simplify Your Morning Routine This has led to both freedom and simplicity. I used to fall into my day without a routine and reacted to everything and everyone that came at me. Now I wake up and give my first fruits to Christ, no matter how I feel. I know that no matter what happens in my day, all my failures and successes, I have done the most important thing: speak with God. Envision the Person You Want To Become We are created for holiness, to become Saints! Envision the person, the Saint, you want to become. Do you want to be a leader, motivated by love? Do you want to offer sacrifices for our Church? Do you want to use your time wisely and for His greater glory? Picture that person and write down the qualities of the person you desire to be. This will help you make a routine that enables you to become that person. All of our sacrifices and actions—whether it’s waking up twenty-five minutes earlier so we can pray or going to monthly confession—shapes us and molds our hearts. Write Down Your Routine Taking time to write down a schedule to simplify our routine is essential. We are better able to take care of ourselves and serve those around us. We begin to respond instead of react. Take the time today to create a weekly routine. Write out the hours of your morning, then write down when you will pray. After that, list the essentials (this includes prayer, rest, and leisure, too!) you need to accomplish before noon. Visualizing what we need to accomplish each morning helps us reach our goals. Next, list the non-essentials you’d like to accomplish. Everything from scrolling Instagram to making a phone call, write it down and when you’d like to do those things after your essentials are completed! Visualizing the details of our to-do lists helps us feel less overwhelmed and brings peace. My Morning Routine My routine looks like this: I set aside time for prayer, first thing, after waking up. I read the daily Mass readings and pray the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer found in the Divine Office. I eat breakfast, exercise, shower, teach my son his pre-k lessons, prepare lunch, eat, and clean up. Some Practical Tips Don’t be afraid to adjust your routine if it isn’t working out. With a four year old son, I am revising my morning routine often. Our routines are meant to free us, not enslave us. Challenge yourself. Refining ourselves is difficult and takes discipline. Don’t give up! Ask for the grace and strength from God to reach your goals. If you miss a prayer time, don’t toss away your entire routine! Offer it up and try again! Read A Mother’s Rule of Life, The Pope and the CEO, and Atomic Habits. Place your daily routine somewhere you can see it often. Have scripts of encouragement that you can repeat when things get hard or you don’t feel like sticking to your routine. Set out anything you need for the morning the night before. Our mornings begin before we go to bed! Have an accountability partner! Find someone on the Blessed is She Instagram page or a friend who is yearning to simplify their mornings, too! Exchange ideas and tips. Don’t touch your phone (social media) until your morning essential to-do list is complete! What are ways you simplify your morning? What times do you have set aside for prayer? What have you found helpful? Share in the comments below!   [bctt tweet="How to Simplify Your Morning Routine #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]

I recently finished Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI. The most powerful lesson I learned from this book was the startling reality of the Incarnation. The news that God became man was astonishing to the people of Jesus’ time and should still shock us two millennia later. The Beauty of the Incarnation The declaration that God became man makes us choose. We must respond to this powerful claim. Do we truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God? That He is God? If we do, our entire life must change, everything in our lives changes, history itself changes! One of the most famous passages in the Bible is John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. We hear this verse often, most of us can even recall it from memory, yet how often do we contemplate it? Our salvation is summarized in this simple sentence, these twenty-four words. God loves us so much that He sent His Son to us that we may live forever with Him. What life-changing beauty! God became man so that we may become like God. God is with Us Now When the Word became Flesh, Jesus entered into history. Yes, the world’s history, but also within our own personal stories, too. He remains present today, both in the Eucharist and also in the saints He raises up in every age. Christ’s presence in each of us makes Him forever present to the world. When we preach the Gospel, when we imitate Christ and love what He loved and lived like He lived, we concretize the Incarnation here and now. The Incarnation allows us to wholly and entirely engage with God, with our entire being, with our body and our soul. When we realize the profundity of this, our entire life must change. We live with hope, we live with charity. When we believe in the reality of the Incarnation we live with the hope in the promise that we will sit on the throne with Christ (Ephesians 2:6). WRITE + PRAY We invite you to sit with the Word and unpack it in a uniquely personal way, finding your own story. Discover your story within His. GET WRITE AND PRAY Future Kings and Queens The Incarnation invites us to look at others as good and holy. Because of the Incarnation we are surrounded by kings and queens. One of my favorite quotes is by C.S. Lewis. He wrote in The Weight of Glory: It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. The Incarnation is a reminder that we are both body and soul. That our bodies are good, that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We must strive to understand the dignity of our bodies, we must take care of our bodies, we must love our bodies, we must use our bodies to serve others. We must always honor and respect the bodies of others. Beholding God From the moment Mother Mary heard the first cries of Jesus in the cave of Bethlehem that first Christmas night, to Saint Thomas who placed his finger into Jesus’ wounded Sacred Heart, each person who saw, heard, and touched Jesus was seeing and hearing and touching God. We continue to see, hear, and touch Him today, in the Mass, and in the saints that surround us—those who step out in faith in that mysterious claim: God became man. Glory to the Newborn King!   [bctt tweet="The Beauty of the Incarnation #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]