“What do you want for Father’s Day?” “Ummm...nothing. I don’t know. Surprise me.” Am I the only one having this same conversation every May/early June, year after year?! As a wife to an incredible husband and amazing father to our two children, I deeply desire to celebrate my husband big and well on days like Father’s Day. I love the idea of showering him with gifts that are meaningful or useful (or both!). I want him to feel appreciated, valued, and most of all, convey how grateful I am for all he does for our family. Not to mention, I need to celebrate and honor my own amazing dad, too! But man, picking out gifts for the guy(s) in your life can be hard, right? Here is a little Father's Day Gift Guide especially for the Catholic men in our lives! Father's Day Gift Guide for Catholic Dads I’ve spent a lot of time browsing the wonderful wide web and asked some friends on Instagram for ideas. I’m hopeful that this Catholic Father’s Day gift guide will make this year’s gift-giving a bit easier for us all! Prayer Books Getting a book to help dive into prayer for the entire year sounds perfect for a guy who loves structured prayer. Nunc Coepi Prayer Companion is the perfect prayer companion for men to use every single day. For the guy who likes structured prayer, this makes a great gift. Magnificat subscription + leather Magnificat cover While it’s true that you can get the daily Mass readings online or in an app format, sometimes it’s nice to have the actual printed version. Not to mention, the monthly books include extra prayers and other writings to aid in faith formation. An annual subscription to Magnificat is affordable and useful (the books show up in your mailbox about a month in advance). The books are great to keep in the center console of the car, a briefcase, or a desk drawer. Bonus: this cool leather cover would keep them from getting torn up. Cocktail kit Pair this Crate & Barrel boxed bar set with the fun + cheeky book Drinking With the Saints and you’ve got a gift match made in Heaven for the guy who likes to pretend he’s a bonafide mixologist (anyone else’s husband?!).  Masculine Rosary I don’t know about you, but now that we’re real adults, I find myself wanting to upgrade things like our Bibles and Rosaries from our junior high versions. These rosaries by Blessed is She are so great for men: Saint Joseph Rosary, Saint Charbel Rosary, and the Saint Maximilian Kolbe Rosary.  Horse Soldier Bourbon Right after 9/11, a group of elite Green Berets were sent to north Afghanistan to help rally the rural tribes against the Taliban. These soldiers were nicknamed the “Horse Soldiers” because of they had to literally travel by horseback to reach some of the remote areas. These same soldiers went on to found American Freedom Distillery, who makes Horse Soldier Bourbon. If your husband, brother, or dad likes military history, America, or bourbon, they will love this. Pair it with a copy of the book Horse Soldiers, or set a time to sit down and watch the movie portrayal, 12 Strong, together. Classic leather wallet A staple on any gift guide for men: the leather wallet. But really though, every guy I know could use a new, nice leather wallet to replace whatever ratty one they have (or to replace the binder clip they’re currently using!) Here is a classic one that is made ethically in Peru or a pocket one made in the USA. Coffee mug to inspire him The "Do Something Great" quote by Saint John Paul II is perfect to inspire men every single day to pursue the Lord in virtue and in faith, which is why it's perfect on this black stainless steel rambler. Wooden pocket cross These crosses are small and designed specifically to be carried in a pocket as a reminder throughout the day to pray, hope, and not worry. An alternate, also pocket-sized idea is the pocket oratory, designed to aid in prayer while on the go. Engraved leather mousepad This full grain leather mousepad is handmade in the USA and can be engraved with up to 15 letters. Consider something other than his initials, like "AMDG". This stands for Ad maiorem Dei gloriam, the Latin motto of the Jesuits, which means "For the greater glory of God." The phrase “soli deo gloria” (glory to God alone) would also fit. A conversation-starter tie Would it even be a Father’s Day gift guide if there wasn’t a tie included?! If you’re shopping for a guy that rocks a tie on the reg, consider this Our Lady of Guadalupe option, this Marian symbol design, or this one featuring the Benedictine cross. We hope this Catholic Father's Day gift guide helped you! If you have any more ideas, share with us in the comments! [bctt tweet="Father's Day Gift Guide for the Catholic Dad #BISblog //" via="no"] This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the ministry of Blessed is She!

As I was writing this post, I told my husband what I was researching: how one becomes a Doctor of the Church, which Saints are considered Doctors of the Church, and so on. To which he responded, “That’s easy. Go to med school. Be Catholic. Be female.” To which I rolled my eyes and opened Google. Because in reality, one of the reasons I wanted to write about the female Doctors of the Church is because I was completely in the dark on this topic! I’ve heard this term a lot, but had no clue what it means or who it refers to. So if you’re like me, and are curious about what exactly the term “Doctor of the Church” means, and especially which female Saints have been bestowed this title—read on! What is a Doctor of the Church? The term “Doctor of the Church” is a special and specific title bestowed on certain Saints who are deemed to have contributed significantly to the life of the Church, through understanding of Sacred Scripture and development of official Church doctrine. The Church began doling out this title in the 13th century. The term “doctor” stems from the Latin word docere, meaning “to teach.” Each Doctor of the Church exhibited inspiring personal holiness during their life, had a deep understanding of what it means to truly live the Christian life, and contributed to the theology and philosophy of the Church through their writings and teachings. There are currently 36 Doctors of the Church. While no one knows exactly how many canonized Saints there are (estimates place the number at over 10,000), the fact that there are only 36 Doctors makes them especially significant and worthy of our study and intercession! How One Becomes a Doctor of the Church The process to become a Doctor of the Church is pretty straightforward. First of all, a person must be canonized a Saint, which is an entirely separate process from being deemed a Doctor of the Church. Once a person is canonized a Saint, any of the faithful can recommend them to be recognized as a Doctor. First, the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith determines the veracity and theological soundness of the Saint’s works. This council is looking for three main qualities: Holiness that sets them apart, even from other Saints Depth of doctrinal insight An extensive body of work which upholds and contributes to Catholic Church teaching If the above criteria are met, the Saint is recommended to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints that presents possible cases to the Pope. The Holy Father ultimately bestows the title of Doctor of the Church on the Saints deemed worthy of the title. Who are the Female Doctors of the Church? Of the 36 current Doctors of the Church, four are female. These four women are considered some of the most influential women from the entire 2,000 year history of the Church. Known for their holiness, their writing, and the incredible impact they’ve had on the faithful around the world, these women are definitely on the Saints All-Star Team! St. Teresa of Avila Born in 1515 in Avila, Spain, Teresa eventually became a Carmelite nun. She worked alongside St. John of the Cross (another Doctor of the Church) to reform the Carmelite order and return it to a life dedicated to contemplative prayer. She received a lot of criticism and persecution from the Church for her reformation efforts, which was hard for her to bear. She was also a mystic and contributed many spiritual writings that continue to inspire people today, including her most notable, The Interior Castle. She was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970. St. Catherine of Siena Color me shocked to learn that this particular Doctor of the Church was, in fact, a layperson, not a religious sister! Catherine of Siena was born in Siena, Italy in 1343 and dedicated herself to God at a young age. She refused to get married, and lived with her parents in a cell-like room (similar to those occupied by nuns). As a “Third Order Dominican,” St. Catherine was dedicated to prayer but also active in the outside world (unlike nuns, who are cloistered). St. Catherine is credited with convincing Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy to Rome from Avignon, where he lived. She was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970. St. Therese of Lisieux Born in France in 1873, Therese is described by her mother as being a stubborn and feisty young girl. After a conversion at the age of 13, Therese became determined to enter the Carmelite order, but her bishop would not allow it. Undeterred, Therese petitioned Pope Leo XIII for permission. Her request was granted, and she entered life as a religious sister at age 15. Her life was dedicated to her “little way” of holiness - a way of serving Jesus by doing small acts of love. Although she lived a life hidden from the world until her death at age 24, her spiritual autobiography Story of Soul became a bestseller after her death. She continues to inspires others to take on and live out her “little way.” She was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1997. 🌹 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 → St. Hildegard of Bingen St. Hildegard was born in Germany in 1098. Experiencing mystical visions from a young age, she joined a Benedictine order and became a superior. Described by Saint John Paul II as a “light for her people and her time,” her life and writings were highly influential to the church. Pope Benedict XVI, who declared her a Doctor of the Church in 2015, outlined his reasons for bestowing the title in this letter. The Female Doctors of the Church are Our Examples and Intercessors When it comes to getting to know the Saints, these four women are a great place to start. By their title as Doctors of the Church, they are the highest examples of sainthood and personal holiness. Their writings and teachings continue to inspire the faithful, centuries after their lives and deaths. They are some of the most powerful intercessors we have in Heaven! May these strong, smart, humble and holy women inspire us to pursue Christ above all, to dedicate ourselves to prayer and penance, to draw closer to our Father through total abandonment to His will. St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us! St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us! St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us! St. Hildegard of Bingen, pray for us! If you'd like more resources about these female Doctors of the Church, here's a full list! This post contains affiliate links. 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Happy Earth Day! Perhaps you’re wondering what this secular holiday has to do with the modern Catholic woman. A lot, in fact! The discussion about creation is not a new one, and there’s been a lot of buzz in recent years within the Church about the care and concern of our planet. If you haven’t read Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si, today is the perfect day to dive in. The reality is that caring for our planet isn’t simply a secular issue or a millennial issue. As Christ followers and faithful Catholics, we are called to be diligent in caring for our planet. Here’s why. God and Nature Nature, in all its beauty, leads us back to the One Who created it to begin with. Since I was young, I have always felt incredibly close to God when I’m nature. Whether it’s laying in the grass in the backyard with my kids making cloud shapes or sleeping under the stars on the edge of the Grand Canyon, I rarely feel closer to God than when I’m in His creation. There is something so powerful about the fact that God gave our human parents—Adam and Eve—a natural world to inhabit and care for. He didn’t give them a grand palace or strong fortress. He gave them a garden. We are created with an urge to seek out nature and to meet God in the midst of His creation. Being in nature brings a peace and tranquility few other things do, especially in the hectic, ultra-connected world we live in. To that end, Pope Saint John Paul II offered this beautiful sentiment at World Youth Day in 1990: The aesthetic value of creation cannot be overlooked. Our very contact with nature has a deep restorative power; contemplation of its magnificence imparts peace and serenity. The Bible speaks again and again of the goodness and beauty of creation, which is called to glorify God.   Creation Whispers God's Goodness Maybe you’ve experienced this yourself. The breeze blowing through open windows on the first spring day. The crunch of vibrant leaves under your feet in the fall. The feeling of being in the woods, or listening to the sound of the rain. Watching buds burst bravely forth after a long winter. A cloudless blue sky in June. These things all whisper to us of God’s goodness and His presence. The Catechism words it simply and well: The beauty of creation reflects the infinite beauty of the Creator and ought to inspire the respect and submission of man's intellect and will. (CCC 341)   Our Call to be Stewards In Genesis 2:15, it says: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it.” The call to care for and steward our natural world is a Biblical call that stems from this verse in Genesis. God made all things and called it good. Everything in existence praises Him simply by existing. Therefore, we are called to treat the natural world with respect as the handiwork of God the Father. This call is also reflected in the Ten Commandments, the seventh of which is “Thou shall not steal.” Again, the Catechism expounds on this in the following paragraph: The seventh commandment enjoins respect for the integrity of creation. Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity. Use of the mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorce from respect for moral imperatives. Man's dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation. (CCC 2415)   In short, we are commanded to care for nature in a way that respects not only our current generation, but also generations to come. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: The environment is God's gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole. (Caritas in Veritate [Charity in Truth], 2009, no. 48) Practical Steps to Care for the Earth We are obligated to use the earth’s goods responsibly. This big question is... how? Today provides the perfect opportunity to consider our current actions and evaluate where they fall in terms of sustainability. Are there things we could be doing to reduce our impact on the planet, and the burden on future generations? Every person is in a different season with a different capacity, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this. One family might be able to own one car, compost, grow all their own vegetables, and buy all organic clothing. Another family might not have the capacity for any of these things. But we can all assess our own actions and see where we might be able to make some changes that demonstrate “respect for the integrity of creation.” Maybe it’s keeping a reusable coffee mug in your car for your coffee shop run, or switching from paper towels to cloth towels for kitchen clean-up. Maybe you can host a clothing swap instead of shopping for new clothing (the conventional fashion industry has a tremendous impact on the environment). Caring for Creation this Earth Day and Beyond The good news is that no matter your age, stage or season, there is something you can do to “cultivate and care for” the earth, and every tiny step is worthwhile and beneficial. In the words of St. John of Damascus, “the whole earth is a living icon of the face of God.” This Earth Day, and every day, let us live and act like it. [bctt tweet="On Caring for the Earth: Living Earth Day as Catholics #BISblog //" via="no"]

I absolutely love spring. The last of the dirty snow piles melt away, the ice thaws, the gray skies slowly shift back to sunshine. Fresh breezes flow through open windows. The world around us begins to wake up. Trees fill with buds and leaves, a sure sign of the world coming back to life after a season of dormancy. And all the praise hands for the million potholes that finally get filled! Decluttering and Deep Cleaning Everything feels fresh and new, and the urge to declutter and lighten my space kicks in. It’s refreshing to scrub away the dust and dirt from the long winter spent inside. It's freeing to toss all the things that have accumulated with no real purpose over the last several months. I start thinking about ways to purge and simplify, as well as spruce up our space to make it more life-giving and peaceful. And while I love the springtime because of the opportunity to clean and declutter my physical space, I also love this season because it offers a chance to do a little spring cleaning in my soul as well. To scrub away the dirt and make space for new life and growth to happen. We may have the KonMari Method on lock, but what do we do with the things keeping us from joy in our soul? How do we clear the clutter in our own minds that might be holding us back from a life of true joy and deeper connection with God the Father? Spring Cleaning Your Soul Here are six ways to achieve a little spring clean of the soul this season. Purge negative thoughts and feelings. I love the Bible verse that says to “take every thought captive” (2 Corinthians 10:15). To make space for more joy in our life, we have to intentionally “take captive” every negative thought and actively let go of it. Holding on to negative thoughts about yourself or your life is a stumbling block to a life that “sparks joy” everywhere you turn. For me, these negative thoughts often look like “I can’t do this” or “this will never work.” Time to sweep those thoughts straight into the trash! Intentionally swapping negative thought patterns for spiritual truths will lighten your soul and breathe fresh life into your spirit. I like to make a list of spiritual truths found in Scripture and stick it on my bathroom mirror. Reminding myself of who God says I am is a surefire way to rise above the negative thoughts I often sink into. Clear the clutter of unmet expectations and unanswered prayers. Once during college, I was talking with a priest. He told me to imagine walking up to the altar during the Consecration at Mass and laying on the altar everything I wanted to offer to God that day. Maybe a thorny relationship, a disappointment, or even a victory! I absolutely love that image. I often remember it as we kneel for the Eucharistic Prayer, asking myself what I can offer to Jesus at this Mass. As you work on spring cleaning your soul, consider if there are unmet expectations or unanswered prayers you can place on that table. Visualize taking them off your own shoulders and placing them before Christ. Offer them to God. He can carry the weight of the burden of deep disappointments or an uncertain future far better than we. Dust away old resentments and past hurts. As new life blooms all around us in springtime, we can ask God to breathe new life into our relationships, too. Are you holding on to resentments or grudges? They are taking up space in your mind and heart, leaving less room for joy and peace. This season, ask God to heal old wounds and mend any broken places. Invite Him to breathe His Spirit into any relationships that need mending. Ask God to scrub your heart clean as you forgive and are forgiven. This is a great time of year to consider people who need your forgiveness, and to extend that forgiveness to them. Lent is also the perfect time to make a thorough Confession. Receive all the graces offered through the beauty of absolution. Every time I go to Confession, it truly feels like God is scrubbing away a layer of dirt and film off my heart. It's like I can see more clearly once the dust is wiped away. This spring, consider how He might scrub your soul of sin through Confession. Ask Him to wipe away the film of anger or a past grudge that needs to be forgiven. Kick a bad habit to the curb. This, of course, is easier said than done. Put simply, bad habits are clutter in our life. And how freeing is it to stop rearranging piles of clutter and instead just get rid of it? We are all works in progress. This is not about striving for perfection or beating ourselves up about all the things we’d like to change. It’s simply an opportunity to consider what bad habits may have crept in over the long winter. Too much time on Instagram? Skipping the morning prayers? Snoozing the alarm every day? Choose one to kick to the curb. Evaluate your current spiritual routines and adjust as needed. Taking stock of where you are currently is the first step in creating a rich spiritual life that leads you closer to Christ. Honestly evaluate your current spiritual routines. Look at what your daily prayer life looks like, your Mass attendance, your reception of the Sacraments. Are there areas you want to grow in, like praying a Rosary daily or more frequent Adoration? Are there spiritual routines that need to be adjusted for your current season of life (for instance, my usual routine of waking up early to read the daily readings had to adjust when I was up all night feeding a newborn). Ask yourself what an ideal spiritual life looks like in practical terms. Consider where you are currently. Only then can you make a plan to get from point A to point B. Clean with and for God This spring, let’s meet God in the midst of our mopping and sweeping, dusting and decluttering. Let’s invite Him to show us what needs to get cleaned up in our lives in order to be more joyful and fulfilled. Let us cling to what truly “sparks joy,” which is a life lived in communion with Christ and accordance with His will for each and every one of us. [bctt tweet="Spring Cleaning Your Soul #BISblog //" via="no"]

A few months ago, my husband and I decided to start praying the St. Andrew Novena together. The novena begins on November 30th (St. Andrew’s feast day) and ends on Christmas Day. It can be an intense undertaking, as it calls for praying the same prayer 15 times a day, every day. I will admit, I did not finish all 25 days of the novena (all the kudos go to my husband, who did!). But a few days into it, I started wondering what this novena business was all about, anyway. I was born and raised Catholic. I have prayed a handful of novenas throughout my life, mostly in recent years. Despite participating in them, I’ve never learned much about them, or why we as Catholics might want to pray them. So I did some digging, and I’m sharing it all here in case you, too, are curious about this aspect of Catholicism. What is a Novena? The word “novena” is derived from the Latin word for nine, or “novem.” Typically, a novena refers to nine days of prayer, asking God for a specific intention, often through a Saint’s intercession. Novenas are a beautiful way to grow purposeful, consistent, and persistent in daily prayer. Many of the most popular and widely-prayed novenas begin or end on a Saint’s feast day. And it’s important to note that while most novenas are indeed nine days long, there are some exceptions (like the St. Andrew Christmas novena, which is 25 days long!). Why is a Novena 9 Days? There are a few reasons why the number nine might be significant. The first comes from the Acts of the Apostles, when Jesus told His disciples to gather together and pray after His Ascension into Heaven. Tradition tells us that the Apostles, along with the Blessed Virgin Mary, went to the Upper Room and prayed together for the nine days between Jesus’ Ascension (believed to have been 40 days after His Passion/Passover) and Pentecost. Another reason could be that nine is significant because of the nine months that Mary carried Jesus in her womb. In fact, people in the Middle Ages traditionally spent nine days in prayer leading up to Christmas to signify the nine months that Jesus spent in the womb of His mother! I love these two thoughts behind the significance of the number. The parallel between Jesus spending nine months in Mary’s womb before coming forth to fulfill His mission on Earth, and Mary and the Apostles spending nine days in prayer before going forth to spread the Gospel is so striking.     How Do You Pray a Novena? Simply pray the novena prayer that corresponds with each day for nine days straight. Some novenas repeat the same prayer each day (those are great ones to start with!), while others have a specific prayer for each day of the novena. I personally like to bring one specific prayer intention into the novena. In a world where far too much is clamoring for our attention, our headspace, and heart space, I love the clarity and laser-focus a novena brings to my prayer life. I focus on one thing every day for nine days. I don’t expect the intention I pray for to magically happen on the last day. But I love the intentionality of focusing on just one prayer request for a period of time. Choosing a Saint When it comes to choosing a particular Saint's intercession to seek, I like to choose a Saint who has some link to my intention. For instance, if you are praying for an intercession linked to motherhood, you might consider praying a novena to ask for the intercession of Saintly mothers such as St. Gianna Molla, St. Zelie Martin, or St. Monica. If your intention centers around a job or employment, you may consider a novena to ask for the intercession of St. Cajetan, the patron Saint of job seekers, or St. Joseph. If your intention feels particularly thorny, convoluted, or desperate, a novena to ask for the intercession of St. Jude (patron Saint of desperate situations) or Our Lady Undoer of Knots is a great choice. These are not hard and fast rules, just ideas to get you going! Tools + Tips For the practical aspect of remembering and praying novenas, there are some great tools out there for helping you begin—and stick with—a novena. Pray More Novenas is a site created by one of our own Blessed is She writers, Annie, and her husband. It was designed to help Catholics—you guessed it—pray more novenas! They choose different novenas to pray as a community. I find that knowing I’m praying alongside thousands of others helps me stick to it. You can sign up to get daily emails to remind you to pray. It’s a great way to implement novenas into your regular prayer life. There’s also a great app that simplifies novenas by giving you daily reminders, suggested dates to pray, and the novena prayers all in one place. Finally, I like to utilize the alarms on my cell phone to remind me to pray (if I’m not getting a reminder sent via email or through an app). Set yourself up for success by choosing a time when you’re already likely to be on your phone, so the alarm doesn’t catch you off guard or in the middle of something important. I know that I typically spend some time scrolling in the evening after my kids are in bed. Setting an alarm for that timeframe makes it more likely that I’ll actually say the prayers. Lean into Grace Finally, don’t sweat the details too much, sisters. If you miss a day, it’s okay. Say two prayers the next day, or just call it a wash and keep going. God is merciful. A sincere heart and our best effort is what He asks of us! I have to check myself when I fall into thoughts of, “Oh no! I missed a day! Now this won’t count and God won’t grant my intention!” It’s important to remember that God is absolutely not a genie in a bottle. We don’t get prayers granted like wishes as long as we click our heels together three times or say certain prayers the right way. While a novena is a beautiful way to bring our specific intentions before God, it’s not a guarantee that He will answer our prayers in the way that we hope. Often, I find His answers are always better than anything I could have imagined or hoped for, anyway. Let us, as a sisterhood, walk together as we grow more consistent and persistent in prayer. Let's embrace the beauty and challenge of novenas, knowing there’s no way to "mess up" when God’s will is our highest aim. Do you pray novenas? What is your favorite novena to pray? [bctt tweet="All About Novenas #BISblog //" via="no"]

The new year is a perfect time to reflect on the year that just ended, as well as your life as a whole. As you think and dream about this new year— maybe even jot down some goals—a deeper faith life might be on that list. For the last several years, I’ve had some kind of faith-focused goal. At first, I was discouraged about it. “Here I am again, hoping to be more faithful, again.” But truly, this is how it should be! Year after year, desiring to grow in holiness and faithfulness. The more time we spend with God, the more time we want to spend with God. The more we seek Him, the more we want to seek him. And the more we learn about who He is, the more there is to know and discover. Faith is a sliding scale: there is no end-point or destination, except Heaven. Strategies and Tips for a Fresh Faith So if you’re like me and you desire a deeper faith life in 2019, here are a few tips and tools to aid that process. Just like jumper cables make it a lot easier to jumpstart a car battery that’s run out of juice, these tools and strategies will help revive a faith life that’s grown dusty from inactivity or deepen the one that already exists. Stack Your Habits The biggest obstacle for growing in faith, for me, is always the time. I have this picture in my mind of what a “good enough” faith life looks like (Daily Mass! An hour of quiet time in the morning! A family Rosary every day!). I struggle to figure out how to make this image of the “perfect” faith fit into my actual life. If this is you, sister, can I offer some encouragement? There is no perfect faith, because we are all imperfect women simply striving for holiness. We all fall short. Even the has-it-all-together woman on Instagram with her beautiful home altar and perfectly calligraphed Bible verses in the margins of her journaling Bible. We all fall short. The best tip I can offer when it comes to making space for faith is to simply “stack your habits.” This means pairing something you’re already doing with something to grow your faith. Praying along with an audio Rosary while you do your hair and makeup. Offering a morning offering in your head while you brush your teeth. Say a Hail Mary whenever you put on your shoes. As you begin to marry things you’re already doing with prayers, those prayers will become habits and you’ll do them without thinking. If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. -Colin Powell   A prayerful life is built by prayerful moments, and the tiny steps do add up. Look for Little Swaps Look for things in your day-to-day life that you can swap for something that helps grow your faith. For example, we sing a song to our kids every night before bed. For awhile we rotated through the usual suspects of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and “The Bear Went Over the Mountain” and, inexplicably, “Jingle Bells” for awhile in the middle of summer. About a year ago, we made a switch and started singing “The Servant Song” to our kids at bedtime instead. It’s easy to sing along to and the words draw me back to the entire purpose of motherhood, which is to love and serve my children as Christ does. The lyrics make me pause and ponder. I end up leaving their room after bedtime reflecting on God, instead of mindlessly humming “Jingle Bells” the rest of the night. Think about areas in your day where you could do the same! Do you like to listen to podcasts while driving? Que up one focused on faith formation. Love to listen to music while running? Find a good worship playlist to listen to as you pound the pavement. You get the idea!     Resources and Tools The Laudate App This free app was designed specifically for Catholics and is a wealth of resources all in one place. You can read the daily readings from the USCCB, along with a reflection for those readings. There is information on Saints on their feast days. This has been an easy and fun way to learn about Saints I already love as well as learn about new ones (Saint Venantius Fortunatus, anyone?). I also love the Rosary podcasts, making it easy to pray along with an audio Rosary while curling my hair in the morning (stack your habits!). You can search the Catechism, get a really good Examination of Conscience, pray the Liturgy of the Hours or Stations of the Cross, and find so many great prayers and litanies all within the app as well. Blessed is She Liturgical Planner This beautiful planner is the Catholic woman’s dream planner, especially the woman looking to cultivate a deeper faith in 2019. It includes information on the liturgical calendar, Saint feast days, Saint quotes, monthly virtues to reflect on, and so much more. The planner is a great way to “stack your habits” by pairing something you’re already doing (writing things in a calendar/planner) with something to grow your faith (using a planner with faith-based features). The planner is available right here! Every Sacred Sunday Journal This gorgeous journal from Every Sacred Sunday has the full Sunday Mass readings for every week of the liturgical year. It also includes a “simple journaling template to help make scripture study and prayer a habit.” There is room to write prayer intentions and thanksgiving and space to take notes from a homily or jot down thoughts about the readings. As a lifelong Catholic, I have often struggled with digging into the study of Scripture. This format makes it feel doable. A Magnificat Subscription A couple of years ago, my husband and I received a subscription for the Magnificat as a Christmas gift. It’s truly been a gift that keeps on giving. You can get a print version and receive a paper copy of the Magnificat to your doorstep each month, or an electronic version that can be accessed online or through an app. I love having a paper copy to tuck into my Mass bag or keep in my car. The Magnificat includes so much more than the daily Mass readings. It has been a really great tool in deepening my relationship with God and specifically a deeper love of the Mass. Yearly Prayer Journal from Val Marie Paper I love what Val Woerner, the creator of the prayer journal, has to say about it: “Being a prayer warrior is a learned skill and I want to set you up with an amazing tool to learn it!” This will be my third year using this prayer journal and it has drastically changed my prayer life. I feel like I am making thanksgiving, petition, and intercessory prayer for my family, friends, and loved ones a habit. The monthly prompts have encouraged me to pray for people and situations I wouldn’t normally think about, like our neighbors, parish, and priests. If you want to cultivate a habit of prayer and need help with the nuts and bolts, this prayer journal could be a great resource! What other resources or strategies do you use to help cultivate a fresh faith? Share in the comments so we can learn from each other as we all journey towards deeper holiness and our ultimate home in Heaven! LITURGICAL PLANNERS Our Liturgical Planners are based on the Litany of Humility. Enter into prayer every day alongside this beautiful Litany. Order your days in His peace. GET YOUR PLANNER