Recently, someone I know surprisingly and suddenly offloaded her anger onto me with a whole host of hurtful and unwarranted attacks. Out of nowhere, and for no understandable reason, I was the target of someone else’s anger and hate that really had nothing to do with me at all. In today's Gospel, after Saint Peter acknowledges Jesus as the Christ, Jesus begins to teach. He teaches his disciples that He must suffer greatly, be rejected, and then be killed. Then He will rise. Conflict, rejection, and suffering are all part of our experience as human beings. Jesus fully takes on this aspect of humanity, even to the point of death. We will never suffer as Jesus has suffered, but in our individual sufferings we can be assured that He knows what we feel, and experienced it even more fully than we may understand ourselves. “O Lord, save me!” the Psalmist prays. “I was brought low and He saved me,” he continues. (Psalm 116) This is the Christian human experience. No one can escape suffering, but the Lord is with us with grace and salvation. “The Lord is my help, therefore I am not disgraced,” Isaiah proclaims in the midst of his own experience of attacks from others. (Isaiah 50:7) We too can proclaim these same words and this same truth: The Lord is my help! We are not alone. Suffering is part of the human experience. We are also united to every human being through the experience of suffering, but even more so, we are united to Jesus Himself. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34) [bctt tweet="Suffering is part of the human experience. We are also united to every human being through the experience of suffering, but even more so, we are united to Jesus Himself." username="blessedisshe__"] In whatever circumstances of conflict or attack or suffering that we may experience, let us remember that the Lord is our help and we are not alone. Mary Catherine Craige enjoys spending her time creating art, writing, and playing her Irish harp. She uses her experience as a Montessori teacher and catechist to serve young children through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. As a life coach, she encourages and challenges women in all walks of life to more deeply discover their purpose and live fully alive. You can find out more about her here.

I have never seen a person die. The closest I have come was seeing my Grandpa Breen in hospice care the night before he died. He was semi-unconscious as I came late at night with my Rosary. I prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at his bedside. As I left I gave him a kiss and taped a Divine Mercy prayer card above his bed, knowing how much he loved this devotion. Today we remember how Our Lady stood by the side of her dying Son as He hung upon the Cross, the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. I cannot imagine what that must have been like for Mary, the grief and emptiness in her soul as she watched the torture of her child. What could have possibly been going through her mind and heart? But in her pain, Mary was not far off at a distance like the disciples who ran away the night before. Our Lady stood by the cross of Jesus, right next to or underneath it. Imagine the great comfort Jesus must have taken in looking down to see His mother's steady presence in His greatest agony. As women, there are many unique types of sorrow we may endure in our lifetime: messy or broken relationships, the loss of a child or spouse, infertility, loneliness, insecurity, trauma, or rejection. No matter the situation, Our Lady is not distant from our own sorrows of life. As she was with Jesus in His suffering, she is right there with us in our own. As a mother, she may not be able to take away our hurt or pain, but she will be with us in the midst of it. Mary will stand with us through the pain as she did with her Son. If you are not familiar with the devotion, The Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, take some time today to reflect on one or two of the decades. [bctt tweet="No matter the situation, Our Lady is not distant from our own sorrows of life." username="amoderngrace"] Whatever sorrow is in your heart, bring it to our Heavenly Mom today. Patty Breen is a full-time lay minister who finds joy in running, strong cups of coffee, and all things Ignatian spirituality. A Midwest gal from the mitten state, she is constantly learning to find grace in all things. She is passionate about ministry to divorced Catholics and women whose relationships have been impacted by sexual addiction. Find out more about her here.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With these words, we trace the shape of the cross over our bodies. The Father claimed us as His beloved daughters in our Baptisms and we are forever marked with His Sign of the Cross. As we celebrate this beautiful Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross today, let us rejoice today in the gift of our Redemption through Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross. Jesus “humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him.” (Philipians 2:8) Let us pray together: Jesus, make my heart an altar where You are exalted and glorified. Give me the grace to be humble today, emptying myself in love to all those who are entrusted to my care. Help me to know Your voice so that I will be obedient to Your perfect will. May my humility and obedience bear great fruit in Your Kingdom. Provide the grace I need to accept the death you are asking on the Cross. Give me confident hope in the Resurrection. Deepen my faith which longs for eternal life with you in Heaven. I surrender to you my burdens and fears, trusting that the Cross does not end with death, but leads to new life. [bctt tweet="The Father claimed us as His beloved daughters in our Baptisms and we are forever marked with His Sign of the Cross." username="blessedisshe__"] Listen to this playlist made just for you featuring songs about the Holy Cross today. Rose Coleman is a contemplative in action who delights in all things beautiful. Her adventurous heart has traveled many places—from circumnavigating the globe on a ship during college to some years in the convent as a religious sister. Exuberant from her childhood, she is an elementary school teacher who learns so much from her students. You can find out more about her here. She is the author of our Blessed Conversations: Ways to Pray study found here.

In today's psalm, we pray that God will guide us, and in the Gospel, Jesus pretty much does exactly that: He lays out the law of Love for how we are to live out our lives. (Luke 6:27-38) This felt like an ask-and-receive moment, and what this makes me realize is how often I ask God for something and then I don't do what He tells me to do next. Either I don't continue to follow Him, or I stop short after my prayer and don't listen for His response. In these scenarios, I'm sort of stalling the process. He's going to lead me. He's always with me. He's waiting for me to listen and He's waiting for me to take action on what He's saying. I just need to give Him that time, and to mean it when I ask Him to guide me—to ultimately be open to His answer and His will, however painful that might be (like loving your enemy). A few years ago when I was in the midst of some of my greatest suffering—which was mostly physical—I remember praying over and over again for relief. I was so consumed by this prayer that I didn't give God much more time after that prayer. That prayer felt heavy enough for me. What I didn't realize, though, was the levity He wanted to offer if I only sat with Him a little more after that prayer so that I could hear and feel His love for me in that moment, and His guidance in my suffering. Today I'm praying for God's guidance, and I'm going to give Him a few more minutes after that prayer to listen to Him, and to be open to His will, and see what He has to say. I'm going to invite you to do the same, Sister! [bctt tweet="Today I'm praying for God's guidance, and I'm going to give Him a few more minutes after that prayer to listen to Him, and to be open to His will, and see what He has to say." username="praymorenovenas"] Heavenly Father, teach me to slow down, to be open to Your will, and to heed Your voice in my heart. Annie Deddens is a writer and producer. She runs a prayer ministry with her husband, called Pray More Novenas. She has a heart for the sick & suffering, and she writes about living with greater faith (hope & love, too) in this imperfect world as a Catholic wife. You can find out more about her here.

Oh, Saint Paul, you crack me up. Always truthful, never one to mince words. I like to imagine him patting a distraught young wife on the hand as she tearfully confesses her marriage struggles, and saying to her, “Well, I did try to warn you.” This is one of those passages in the Bible that can feel almost insulting to read, especially if we are fighting to champion the truth and goodness of marriage in a culture that has lost respect for the institution. At the same time, most of us just flat out DON’T BUY IT. Sure, we are happy that some folks choose to pursue their celibate vocations as priests, sisters, religious, or consecrated single people. But don’t we quietly figure it’s just terrible for them, and wonder if anyone could be reasonably expected to suffer it? But it is clear from not only Saint Paul, but also Jesus himself, that a faithful single life is for "those to whom that it is granted" (Matthew 19:11). Not that one can endure it, not that it is a worthy sacrifice, but because they have done it for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. So, to those of us who are unmarried, we’d do well to heed Saint Paul’s advice and prayerfully consider if God is calling us to the gift of remaining that way. But what about those of us for whom that ship has sailed? Those of us who, like the beautiful woman of today’s psalm, find ourselves married? Well, we are on the hard road through life to salvation. But hard is not the same as bad. And if God has called us to this life, it must be because He knew we needed to do it the hard way. We can expect that in marriage and family life there will be sorrow and tribulation. There will be hunger. There will be weeping. There will be hatred, and exclusion, and insults. Jesus says. It’s right there in the beatitudes. (Luke 6:20-23) But He also tells us that, faced with these trials, we should “rejoice and leap for joy” (Luke 6:23) because it is THROUGH those trials that we will find salvation, and Heaven. [bctt tweet="We should “rejoice and leap for joy” (Luke 6:23) because it is THROUGH those trials that we will find salvation, and Heaven." username="kendra_tierney"] Let us pray for each other's vocations. Kendra Tierney is a forty year old mother of nine and wife of one living in and working on a big old fixer-upper house in Los Angeles. She's a homeschooler and a regular schooler and is counting down the days until her oldest turns sixteen and can take over some of the driving! Her new book, the Catholic All Year Compendium: Liturgical Living for Real Life, will be published on October 7th. You can find that here, her first book, A Little Book About Confession, here, her blog here, and her word art here.

We have a tradition in our house that Friday night is pizza night. My toddler and I make the crust from scratch each Friday afternoon after he wakes from his nap. He giggles with delight as my hands get “messy, messy, messy!” kneading the dough. But before it is time to knead, even before I add any flour to the mixture, we begin with yeast. The tiny grains of yeast, when combined with warm water and a little sugar, immediately begin to grow. The yeast completely changes the character of my dough. “Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?” (1 Corinthians 5:6) Saint Paul draws us a wonderful analogy: Just as yeast leavens dough, so too does sin expand in our own souls. Sin often begins small, like a dry grain of yeast; yet before we know it, it has grown into something bigger. Sin spreads and rises in us, puffing up our souls into someone other than who God created us to be. We are no longer pure. I have seen it happen in my own life. Comparison quickly swells into jealousy. Mindless scrolling on social media can spiral out of control into sloth. Gossip breeds unfair judgment. Unkind thoughts about another person give rise to hatred. Thinking our little sins are not a big deal? That’s pride. And how quickly this sin affects not only our own souls, but our communities and our families, too. But the Good News is this, sisters: We have the opportunity for restoration. Christ desires to restore us from sin, just as He restored the man with the withered hand in today’s Gospel. (Luke 6:6-11) So let us be encouraged to “clear out the old yeast.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) Spend some time in prayer with our loving and merciful Father. Ask Him to gently reveal to you what yeast is breeding in your soul. Then bring it to Him, humbly confess it, and allow Him to heal you. [bctt tweet="Spend some time in prayer with our loving and merciful Father. Ask Him to gently reveal to you what yeast is breeding in your soul." username="inendlesssong"] Today is Monday. As we begin this new week in this autumn season, pray about starting a new routine of going to Confession regularly. Ask a friend to be your accountability partner. Not sure who to ask? Find a sister-in-Christ in one of our regional Facebook groups. Elise Howe is a devoted wife, momma, vocal artist and teacher. She currently resides in New York City, though she will always be a Midwestern gal at heart. Elise has a heart for ministry, dark chocolate (but not too dark) and coffee with a generous amount of cream + sugar. Find out more about her here.

“Thus says the Lord: Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!” (Isaiah 35:4) The moment I read those words, tears began to fall. I needed to hear that. These last few weeks, my heart has been heavy because my mom’s cancer came back. When I heard the news, it hit me hard. Normally, I cry, grieve, and then I'm okay again. This time, I randomly broke out in tears for days. We canceled our annual summer trip and planned to go to my parents instead and throw a big birthday party for my mom. I tried to psych myself up for it, but everything in me rebelled and I didn’t want to go. I didn’t know why I was feeling this way and begged God to take those feelings from me. But He didn’t. During the drive to my mom's, I fell into sobs. I didn’t want to see my mom sick. I didn’t want to face the fact that she could die. The heaviness remained and I just keep pleading with God to help me accept her illness. Finally, after my mom’s party and seeing her happy and surrounded by so much love, the heaviness passed and peace came. I knew Our Lord would strengthen my mom and take care of her. I knew He would provide me the strength I needed to help her and to accept His will. This morning I got the news that my mom’s cancer is much worse than we thought, and the prognosis wasn't good, but I didn’t break down this time. God’s peace was immediate and my heart is trusting that He will hold her close and provide for her. Sometimes God’s answers are so instantaneous that it’s like a little miracle. But sometimes prayers are not answered right away and we struggle under the weight of our cross. I don’t know why it took so long for the fear to subside and for the weight to be lifted the first time. Looking back, I think God was stretching me and teaching me how to believe and trust even when all my emotions wanted to do otherwise. He was reminding me that, as long and dark as the night may seem, the light of the morning sun will always shine once again. [bctt tweet="As long and dark as the night may seem, the light of the morning sun will always shine once again." username="bobbi_rol"] If you are carrying a cross, lean on Christ, even if it feels like relief is slow in coming. He will not abandon you. Bobbi Rol is a wife, mama and blogger living on the Monterey Bay in CA with her husband, teen daughter, and three rambunctious boys. When she is not dodging light sabers or stepping on Legos, she can be found outside with her family, catching a late night movie, or decorating her planner. You can find out more about her here.

I may have let out a little squeal of delight when I saw the date I'd been assigned—the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I haven't always had an easy relationship with Mary. There was no deep theological misunderstanding or ideological resistance on my part; I just didn't get her. I didn't get who she was, why she was, or why she should matter to me. Of course you want to honor your mom, God. I get that. She's your mom. But what does that have to do with me? I had it all backwards. I thought that Mary wanted—or needed—our affection and devotion in her own right, and that for some reason God wanted to share His platform with her, so to speak. I didn't realize the beautiful gift God wanted to give me. Mary, in all her human weakness and frailty, had found the strength to perfectly exercise the grace God had bestowed upon her from the moment of her conception and was able to give back to God the only thing any of us have to offer our Creator: her will. Her fiat was lived and life-long, a continuous self offering to Heaven. So fruitful was her surrender that God Himself was able to take on human flesh and dwell within her, and with all of us. Mary had nothing of her own. A poor girl from the Middle East betrothed to a good man, prepared to live a quiet, invisible life. Yet when God asked her to do the incredible, she didn't get in the way. Mary has nothing that God hasn't given to her. None of us do. The big difference is that Mary knows it, and because of that, God was able to accomplish everything through her. Every moment of her existence has been spent pointing in His direction and saying one of the few recorded phrases we have from her lips in Scripture: "Do whatever He tells you." (John 2:5) [bctt tweet="Her fiat was lived and life-long, a continuous self offering to Heaven." username="jkuebbing"] Ask Our Lady to help keep your face tilted up towards His, seeking His will over your own. Jenny Uebbing is a wife, mother to five, and the author of the blog Mama Needs Coffee. She's learning to practice self care again after a long stretch of baby growing, and if everyone else is asleep you can usually find her in the gym or behind her Kindle. You can find out more about her here.

Last summer, a colleague and I took a group of students to Kingston for an immersion experience partnered with an organization that cares for people with different abilities living in Jamaica and a few other countries. In addition to building relationships with the residents and staff of the community, they usually have a hefty work project for which they can use a large group of energetic teenage boys. The full days of hard work, energetic play with the kids, and Jamaican heat combined with close quarters naturally lead to some tension within the group. One student in particular was notorious for being the first to grab seconds at meals and was not the most aware of his classmates’ hunger and frustration—and that of the adults as well. On one of our last days of taxing work in intense heat, our supervisors brought over a long awaited cooler of refreshing cold water which also signaled our break time. As we gathered our water bottles, I will give you one guess as to who jumped to the front of the line. But then, just as I (and I assume the rest of the group) was about to explode in frustration only intensified by the exhaustion from our week, I saw him take the water bottle and walk it over to a resident who had been hanging around our work site. In Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, we read, “do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts...” (1 Corinthians 4:5) On that day in Jamaica, I was pleasantly surprised to find my assumptions incorrect and my student’s motives generous and loving. He ended that immersion on a high note and, after a year of more growth in maturity, made a great leader when we returned to Jamaica this July. The truth is, we can never really know someone else’s heart. Humanity limits understanding. So rather than jumping to conclusions and risking outbursts in frustration, I pray to follow the Ignatian Presupposition and strive to “Trust in the Lord and do good.” (Psalm 37:3) [bctt tweet="The truth is, we can never really know someone else’s heart." username="blessedisshe__"] Are you struggling with judgment and harsh conclusions? Pray this Psalm and hold it in your heart. Sarah Stanley is a small town Ohio girl who is mildly obsessed with all things Ignatian and is very passionate about faith, social justice, and the intersection of the two. She recently earned her Master of Divinity and now serves as the Director of Christian Service at a high school in New England. When she’s not working, she enjoys contagious laughter, travel, clever puns, and finding the good in all things. You can find out more about her here.

A text message changed my life in an instant. Someone I love more than words let me know he was gravely ill and on the way to the hospital but did not let me know which one. Suddenly, nothing was more important to me than finding him. My mind rushed to find the most convincing, concise words to describe my situation as I dialed hospitals in two states. Two phones, multiple Google tabs, and many good phone operators later, we found this beloved person. Friends who were closer went to visit him. Slowly my adrenaline levels lowered to normal levels. Now, I do not even remember what was happening before or after I received that text message. I only remember the tenacious energy I felt that immediately focused on locating someone I loved. I knew what was important in that moment. How often do we keep the important things in focus? I wonder if this is one of the most consequential questions for happiness. In today’s Gospel, Jesus met fishermen and the encounter changed their lives in an instant. He revealed to them their identities as sons of the Eternal Father and called them to a greatness never before seen in the world: holiness in Christ. They were able to respond because they knew what was important. In the First Reading, Saint Paul says, “everything belongs to you . . . and you to Christ, and Christ to God.” (1 Corinthians 3:21, 23) Do we believe this? Can we imagine how fiercely the Lord pursues us when we are lost, or broken, or lonely? Saint Paul says we belong to Christ. What does it mean to belong to the One who is Love? How fiercely this Love fights for us, if only we let Him. May each of us be given and accept the grace to know just how much we are loved. How blessed we are to belong to the King of Kings and to the High Priest of the New Everlasting Covenant! May we allow ourselves to be pursued and found by this Love each and every moment of every day. [bctt tweet="May each of us be given and accept the grace to know just how much we are loved." username="SrMariaKim"] Reach out to a person you love and tell them how much you love them! Believe inside how much God loves you, today. Sister Maria Kim Bui is a Daughter of Saint Paul, women religious dedicated to evangelization in and through the media. She is originally from Tempe, AZ, spent most of her fourteen years in religious life in the northeast, some time in Texas, and now was recently asked to serve as the director of marketing and sales at the Sisters' publishing house in Boston. Find out more about her here. She is the author of our Blessed Conversations Mystery: Belong found here.

As a traveling speaker in ministry, I see an incomparable amount of beauty in our Catholic Church. I meet countless selfless people and witness incredible movements of the Lord’s hand. But I also see exactly what Saint Paul speaks about in the First Reading today—division among people according to who they follow. (1 Corinthians 3:9) I witness people speaking about the ministries or organizations they belong to, within their parishes or in the global Catholic community, sometimes with an air that the ministry they belong to or run is, in one way or another, “better,” or even “more Catholic,” than others. Maybe you've experienced the pain of this kind of division. Maybe you know it too well. The Enemy keeps jealousy and rivalry alive and well between ministries in our Church, and this tears our Church apart. Different ministries, organizations, clubs, and parish groups may plant seeds for people, but the mission of each one should always point back to one place—God Himself. In the same way that Saint Paul and Apollos were simply working in unity with one another, the organizations we belong to should not divide us, but should enrich our lives of faith and bring us closer to the Lord. We are all God’s co-workers, called to work together for the good of all people and the good of His Church. We are called to support one another in the missions we feel most led to—to support rather than tear down, to offer assistance and resources to others when we can, to celebrate the beauty of the different facets of each parish and of our greater Catholic Church. Today, let us pray for unity in the Church as Saint Paul called for unity among those he addressed. May we be bridge-builders and peacemakers in our parishes and in our world, encouraging and supporting one another in peace, in unity, and in love—all under the bright, bold banner of our one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church. [bctt tweet="Today, let us pray for unity in the Church as Saint Paul called for unity among those he addressed." username="emwilss"] Let us pray for each other today, Sisters. Emily Wilson-Hussem planned her whole life to become a sports reporter but turned out to be a Catholic musician and speaker at the hand of God. She lives out of her suitcase and travels across the world speaking to people of all ages. The heart of her ministry is offering encouragement to teen girls in search of their true identity, and she loves every second of it. She is the author of I Choose the Sky and Go Bravely. You can find out more about her here.

Are you ever overcome with a feeling of overwhelm that washes over you when you are faced with a huge decision? Sometimes, the decision is between two good things, and yet it feels imperative that you get this right. That you figure things out perfectly. That you deploy all the right discernment strategies, weigh the pros and cons ad nauseam, and consult all the wise people in your life before even attempting to commit to one way over the other. I am tempted to fall into those feelings often. I feel like it's my job and my job alone to figure out the best way to go about things. As if God's will must be deciphered in a proper order and all other options will lead to doom! (I can get very dramatic about it!) But today's readings reminds me that this way of thinking may be indicative of a lack of faith and trust on my part. Do I not believe that I have received the Holy Spirit? Do I not believe that seeking the Holy Spirit in prayer while making decisions allows His will into my life? Just as Saint Paul is saying today, with the Holy Spirit we have the mind of Christ as baptized members of the Church and daughters of God. (1 Corinthians 2:16) What an amazing gift! Now this doesn't mean that we should make decisions without proper prudence and attention, nor does it mean we should over-spiritualize our decisions, but it does mean that if we are seeking out the Holy Spirit in our lives and inviting Him into our decision making, then we should live not out of fear, but out of trust and freedom. If we are living our lives with the intention of following God's will, then we need to also trust in Him, that He will be there no matter which path we choose. Our God is powerful, authoritative, and just in all His ways. He will guide us with His love. [bctt tweet="Our God is powerful, authoritative, and just in all His ways. He will guide us with His love." username="blessedisshe__"] Where do I seek control and fear trusting in God in my life? What decisions are holding me prisoner to anxiety and tension instead of allowing me to live in freedom and grace? Holy Spirit come into my life and show me your way and give me the grace to live in your freedom. Christy Isinger is a wife and mom to five lovely, loud children and lives in northern Canada. When not homeschooling, she is a devoted reader of English literature from Jane Austen to Agatha Christie. She writes about the beauty of faith, life, and the home at her blog and is the co-host of the Fountains of Carrots Podcast. You can find out more about her here. She is the author of our Blessed Conversations: The Ten Commandments study found here.

The desire for autonomy is part of human nature. I need only to observe my small children to see evidence of this. I ask my two-year-old to go get her shoes, and she literally runs in the opposite direction. I tell my five-year-old it’s time to put the LEGOs away and he instantly has three excuses why he can’t. But it’s not just children—I am guilty of the same behavior. My mother suggests a certain brand of skin care, and I make a mental note to never use that brand. As humans, we just don’t like to be told what to do. That’s why today’s Psalm refrain almost makes me laugh. “Lord, I love Your commands.” (Psalm 119:27) This type of praise is not my default. Lord, I love Your mercy, and Your compassion, and the way You died to save me. But Your commands? They are what make this Christian thing so difficult! This Psalm refrain and the verses that accompany it come from Psalm 119, which happens to be the longest of all the Psalms. In fact, it is the longest chapter out of any book of the Bible, and it’s all about loving God’s law. Coincidence? I don’t think so. God gave us the gift of free will. He knows our desire for autonomy, and that obedience will at times be difficult for us. He wants us to know that His law is not meant to stifle us; rather, it is meant to set us free. As Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “He has anointed me . . . to let the oppressed go free.” (Luke 4:18). What oppresses us more than sin? And what can free us from sin besides obedience to Jesus—the fulfillment of God’s law? When we choose obedience to God’s law we are choosing freedom in Christ. It is a sweet and pleasing gift to God when we freely submit our wills to Him and say, “Lord, I love Your commands.” [bctt tweet="When we choose obedience to God’s law we are choosing freedom in Christ." username="blessedisshe__"] Make a good Confession this week. Get set free! Anna Coyne is a Saint Paul native, wife, mother, and convert to the Catholic faith. When not chasing after her two young children you can probably find her playing the piano, knitting, tripping over wooden train sets, or writing. Find out more about her here.

I was recently blessed to accompany a woman, a new sister I met through the Blessed is She network, to an S-Anon* meeting. My heart was pained as I sat silently listening to women share the objectifying triggers and wounds from their spouses' sex addictions. Fears and feelings of inferiority abounded, mixed with profound strength and vulnerability. It was inspirational to see the women embrace a 12-step recovery program* and rise above all the difficulties in their lives. It was honestly one of the most tender evenings of my life. Mark’s Gospel today exposes God’s divine design for His beloved daughters (and sons). We were not created for our hearts to be defiled by “evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, and folly.” (Mark 7:21-23) No, we were designed, “to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:27) Unfortunately, we live in a stained world where our senses allow depravity to enter our consciousness. Incredible shame surrounds brothers and sisters who struggle with sex and pornography addiction. At our fingertips and behind concealed rooms in our homes, the beauty and dignity God created women and men to be have become twisted and manipulated for pleasure. I don’t know about you, but I want to “be doers of the word and not hearers only.” (James 1:22) Like the Israelites, I want every soul to enter the Kingdom of Heaven God created for us, and I want every soul that has been wounded and broken by sins and abuses of the flesh to “be treated as an object of love, not as an object for use.” (Pope Saint John Paul II, Love and Responsibility) Christ's words ring true today as they did 2,000 years ago: “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” (Mark 7: 15) I kept hearing on my heart that grace flows through wounds, so as a sisterhood, we must pray for healing from the scars of sexual addictions and abuse. [bctt tweet="We must pray for healing from the scars of sexual addictions and abuse." username="SoCalTriciaT"] Do not fear to reach out to a sister or brother to seek the healing you need. God will be present throughout your recovery. *S-Anon is a program of recovery from the effects of sexaholism, based on the Twelve Step and Twelve Traditions of S-Anon, for the families and friends of sexaholics. It's a resource if you or anyone you know needs help recovering from sex addiction or from the effects of sexaholism. **The Twelve Steps of S-ANON Tricia Tembreull is a California girl with a Texas-sized heart for hospitality. She serves as a Parish Coach for Life Teen, International, and joyfully travels around the globe training, empowering, and praying with youth ministers. When not on a plane, she is either in church, spending time with family or friends, in the kitchen cooking up something delightful, or on the beach for an evening walk. You can find out more about her here.

To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one–to each according to his ability. (Matthew 25:15) “I am pretty sure you are the one with five talents,” my sister-in-law said to me, “With four kids and all, and I always thought Jesus should have been a little easier on the one who just buried his talent. At least he did not lose it!” She continued, “Sometimes those people with one talent are simply doing the best they can.” My sister-in-law, who used to work with criminal youth, now works with homeless men struggling with drug addiction—those who can just barely put their one talent in the bank. I pondered her words a minute. In a way, she was right. I have a graduate education, a comfortable home, a husband and children, a great side job, and have never been deprived of the necessities of life. Yet, nearly everyday I am tempted to just bury all these gifts in the ground instead of caring for them according to my ability. I would love for God to look at me and say, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' (Matthew 25:21) But the reality is that I have not lived up to what He is asking me to do. I am often fainthearted and afraid to step up and live out my calling. He is more likely to look at me and say, “You could have at least put it in the bank!” (from Matthew 25:27) This is when the weak, lowly, and weary put me to shame. They know that they cannot make it without help, while I go through life thinking it is all up to me. When we are given much, it is easy to forget that it is all a gift. He wants me put my efforts into His bank of mercy and grace. For it is only through Him that my abilities will reap a good return. [bctt tweet="It is only through Him that my abilities will reap a good return." username="blessedisshe__"] Sister, when you are afraid to start a new endeavor or to merely make it through a normal day remember that God is here for the weak and the fainthearted. Put your trust in Him, and you will share in His joy. Susanna Spencer is the Theological Editor for Blessed is She who studied theology and philosophy in her earlier life. She happily cares for her three adorable little girls, toddler boy, and her dear husband in Saint Paul when not writing and editing. She loves beautiful liturgies, cooking delicious meals, baking amazing sweets, reading good books, raising her children, casually following baseball, and talking to her philosopher husband. You can find out more about her here. She is the Theological Editor of both the Catechism Studies and the Mystery Studies.

Before my daughter was born last November, I read countless blog posts and articles to help me decide what to pack in my hospital bag. Since it was my first baby, and I wanted to be extra prepared, I completely filled my largest suitcase. After she was born, and I unpacked the massive suitcase, I was surprised to see how many things I hadn’t used: flip flops, eye mask, and Cecilia's baby book. These were just a few of the items I had packed “just in case.” Today’s Gospel (Matthew 25:1-13) made me think of this experience as we find Jesus encouraging us to be prepared. He doesn’t give us detailed packing checklists like the ones I found on the Internet. Rather, He tells us the parable of the virgins and the lamps to remind us to keep our spiritual tanks full. Just as the wise virgins brought extra oil for their lamps to wait for the bridegroom, so too should we strive to keep our faith lives active as we wait for the Lord. And there are several ways we can do this. Whether it’s by spending time in prayer, participating in the Sacraments, doing good works, listening to a podcast, or reading a spiritual book, take some time to figure out what fills your spiritual lamp. [bctt tweet="Whether it’s by spending time in prayer, participating in the Sacraments, doing good works, listening to a podcast, or reading a spiritual book, take some time to figure out what fills your spiritual lamp." username="RDgal37"] Sisters, my challenge for you today is to think about what makes you feel the most spiritually filled. Take a moment to think of at least one thing you can do to fill your faith tank and make a plan to put it into action. Joan Geiger is a North Dakota native and new mother, and in her spare time she can be found going on adventures with her husband, working as a Registered Dietitian, and drinking tea. You can find out more about her here.

So, what are you? I was frequently asked this question growing up. As a Filipino-American with an immigrant father and a fair-haired, caucasian mother, I did not really look any one particular ethnicity. Some days I look more Asian, other days I look Hispanic, other days Mediterranean, sometimes Eastern European, and some days, none of the above. Just a mix of who knows what. Coming to terms with my ethnic identity has always been a struggle. I did not feel part of a particular group growing up and often felt like an outsider in my suburban hometown. But these days, I call myself a typical California girl who loves Filipino food and my large and loud extended family. But it makes me think of my identity—that what am I? tug pulls me in different directions. What am I? I’m a Southern California native. I’m a mother and wife. I’m a dentist and professional. I’m a friend and confidant. I’m a nose-wiper and diaper-changer. I’m an ice cream enthusiast and compulsive organizer. I’m an extroverted introvert. I’m a sister, a niece, a daughter, an aunt. But, who am I? In his letters, Saint Paul introduces himself not as what he is, but who he is. He doesn’t say, "Hey, I’m Paul, lover of desert foliage and fine wine that was recently water." He exclaims outright, "Paul, called to be an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God." (1 Corinthians 1:1) He knows who he is. Every previous identifier has been stripped away, revealing the truest identity of all—Apostle of Christ Jesus! In his very soul, his identity is rooted in the one Who saves. Paul praises the name of God with every breath he takes. So today, I’m Samantha, daughter of the King, lover of Jesus, still being saved by our Lord, and disciple of God. Nice to meet you. [bctt tweet="I’m Samantha, daughter of the King, lover of Jesus, still being saved by our Lord, and disciple of God. Nice to meet you." username="Substance_Soul"] Who are you? Dr. Samantha Aguinaldo-Wetterholm is a wife to Paul, mom to two little ones, and practices dentistry at a public health community center for low income families in the Bay Area, California. She (unashamedly) thinks ice cream is its own food group, loves anything Harry Potter, does not leave the house without wearing sparkly earrings, and is an enthusiastic proponent of the Oxford comma. Find out more about her here.