First Reading: Ephesians 2:19-22 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 117:1-2 Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. Praise the LORD! Gospel: John 20:24-29 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." ESV Warm tears streamed down my face as I sat in the doctor’s office. A little (but not completely) to my surprise, my husband and I were expecting. This would be our second child. Only three short months prior, our first was born into eternal life too soon, when we miscarried him at eight weeks. The moment I heard there was a new life inside me, my heart swelled with emotion. Gratitude. Joy. Happiness. Moments of these flitted through my body, but more than anything, I felt fear. I really hate to admit that, but it’s true. My heart was still wounded, my spirit weak and afraid. Yes, God had done a mighty amount of healing in my life since those darkest days, but He was not done with me yet. Do not be faithless, but believing, I heard Him say. And oh, how I wanted to believe. With all my heart, I wanted to believe that this time would be different. Like Thomas, I struggled. Hearing the heartbeat and seeing our sweet baby kick and wave at each ultrasound was a gift from God, an encouragement to my soul, but deep down, I still had doubts. In some ways I think it was a method of defense. If I didn’t fully believe, I might not be as hurt if something did go wrong. Do not be faithless, but believing. My mind understood this truth, but my heart was slow to follow. If we are honest with ourselves, I think we all have these Thomas moments in our lives. Those moments where, in our human weakness, we just can’t muster the faith to believe. In our desire for proof, our desire to reach out and touch Jesus’ wounds, we have no need for faith. Yet when, in faith, we follow Jesus without seeing Him, we are blessed. When I held our baby in my arms and felt his fresh-to-the-world skin against my chest, I finally believed everything would be okay. Peace be with you, I felt Jesus say, as He did to His disciples. Every day the Lord gives us opportunities to have faith and believe without seeing, without knowing. He gives us the chance to trust in His love. If only we might embrace those opportunities to grow in faith, that He might bless us abundantly through them. Lord Jesus, help our unbelief. Increase our faith. The Psalmist sings, the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. May we find peace and hope in that truth. Praise the Lord—indeed. Amen! photo by Madi Myers-Cook Elise Howe is a devoted wife, new momma, and musician currently living in NYC, though she will always be a midwestern gal at heart. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Genesis 22:1-19 After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Mori'ah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; and he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the ass; I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place The LORD will provide; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided." And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, "By myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice." So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 115:1-6, 8-9 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to thy name give glory, for the sake of thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness! Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them. O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -- he then said to the paralytic -- "Rise, take up your bed and go home." And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men. ESV We understand, somewhere deep down, that the state of our souls is more important than the state of our bodies. But it is pretty deep down there. Our bodies are just so NOTICEABLE, it is hard to remember. But Jesus at first chose to forgive the paralytic’s sins . . . and leave his body broken. To know God in this world and be happy with Him forever in the next does not require a body free from faults, it requires a soul free from sin. So many of us struggle with broken bodies: be it infertility, sub fertility or miscarriages, or mental illness, or cancer, or an achin’ back. We struggle against an inclination to overeating, or laziness, or concupiscence. We watch our loved ones suffer from illnesses or infirmities. We pray and pray and pray that God would heal our bodies, or take away our temptations, or remove the pain from those we love. And it is GOOD that we do. We should never stop. Sometimes, as Jesus did for the paralytic, our bodies will be healed. But, very often, that is not what happens. Very often, our sins are forgiven, but our infirmities remain. And that is when we need to fight to remember our priorities. That is when we need to rejoice that our sins are forgiven and the gates of heaven are opened to us, despite the imperfection of our bodies. That is when we need to guard against letting disappointment in our broken bodies lead us into sin once more. We can’t let bitterness and jealously harden our hearts and take our focus away from what really matters. As Catholics, we profess that we believe in “the Holy Catholic Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.” That means we believe in the promise of a perfected, eternal body . . . someday. But we believe in the power of the sacrament of confession to forgive our sins . . . RIGHT NOW. [bctt tweet="We believe in the promise of a perfected, eternal body . . . someday."] Will you allow Jesus to forgive your sins today? And leave you in the body you’ve got? photo by Madi Myers-Cook Kendra Tierney can be found blogging, homeschooling, and gestating Tierney baby number eight in Los Angeles, CA. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Genesis 21:5, 8-20 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac." And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the lad and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your descendants be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring." So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went, and sat down over against him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, "Let me not look upon the death of the child." And as she sat over against him, the child lifted up his voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him fast with your hand; for I will make him a great nation." Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. And God was with the lad, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 34:7-13 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. O taste and see that the LORD is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him! O fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no want! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come, O sons, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is there who desires life, and covets many days, that he may enjoy good? Gospel: Matthew 8:28-34 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood. ESV Have any of you seen "The Bible" miniseries on Netflix? I myself just began watching it, and part of the first episode focuses on what is going on in the First Reading between Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. Of all this drama going on, I find myself most able to relate to Sarah. I think in a lot of ways each of can be like Sarah at different times in our lives. When Abraham first told his wife of the prophecy that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, she was shocked. How is it possible for there to be future generations if Sarah is unable to conceive? I wonder what that must have felt like for her. Maybe she was resentful, angry, or even just laughed in Abraham's face. Wanting to believe such an incredible promise from God, Sarah struggled and wrestled with how this would come to be. So in her doubt and lack of faith, she devised a plan that would absolutely allow for God's words to come to fruition. Sarah told Abraham to take her maidservant Hagar to conceive a child with. Sarah tried to fix an unfixable situation on her own, but in the end it backfired. A little baby boy is born, and he is named Ishmael. And we know, Sarah eventually does conceive and gives birth to Isaac. But something deep within Sarah's heart begins to stir ad bubble over. As she watches Ishmael and Isaac play together, her heart grows cold, hardened, and even jealous towards Hagar and her son. Resentment builds up in her soul as she feels the full force of her plan unraveling. Desperate for her own son Isaac to fulfill the promise of God, Sarah demands that Abraham cast off Hagar and Ishmael so that her son may receive what is rightfully his. Abraham is utterly heartbroken to send away his firstborn son with his mother, but finds comfort that God has a plan for Ishmael and that he will not be forgotten. At the end of the day, we are no different than Sarah. In our broken humanity, it can be easier to think of a way to make things work out instead of trusting God's plan and purpose. Yes, it is scary to trust God, especially when we do not understand what He is doing or why something is allowed to happen in our life. I am sure Sarah felt this way too. Sarah reminds us that whenever we get entangled in the mighty mysterious plan of God, it never works out. Are there situations in your own life today you just don't understand how God will work everything out? Share them aloud with Jesus; He already knows it all. Are you willing to let God be God and not get in His way? What would that look like in your own life? photo by Madi Myers-Cook Patty Hubbard is a wife, writer, and youth minister. When not fundraising for World Youth Day, she is learningSarah reminds us that whenever we get entangled in the mighty mysterious plan of God, it never works out. to cook more than your average Lean Cuisine. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Genesis 19:15-29 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city." But he lingered; so the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him forth and set him outside the city. And when they had brought them forth, they said, "Flee for your life; do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley; flee to the hills, lest you be consumed." And Lot said to them, "Oh, no, my lord, behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life; but I cannot flee to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me, and I die. Behold, yonder city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there -- is it not a little one? -- and my life will be saved!" He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Make haste, escape there; for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zo'ar. The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zo'ar. Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomor'rah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But Lot's wife behind him looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD; and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomor'rah and toward all the land of the valley, and beheld, and lo, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 26:2-3, 9-12 Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind. For thy steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to thee. Sweep me not away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men,men in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes. But as for me, I walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. My foot stands on level ground; in the great congregation I will bless the LORD. Gospel: Matthew 8:23-27 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, "Save, Lord; we are perishing." And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" ESV Trust. That is a hard thing for some of us. I ask you to put yourself in the boat, or in the position of Lot. How would you act? Lot literally had ANGELS take him by the arms and bring him out so as to save his human life. They gave him tangible instructions and told him what he was to do, and what he was not to do. He lingered, so they helped him more. And when he was safe, he argued with them about where he wanted to go. God completely destroy the cities, yet He spared Lot's life, and Lot still finds himself unable to completely follow God’s will. He lacks trust. He lacks faith. He was frightened. The disciples also lack trust and faith in the awesomeness of our Lord and He was right there physically with them while they were frightened! "Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?" It is hard to imagine how they could fear anything while in His midst, but then these great and holy men were at this time without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Their fear shows us how normal they were. They didn’t know what we know. They didn’t know about His death and resurrection. They hadn’t felt the holes in His hands. Like Lot, they just couldn’t grasp how awesome His power is. We have Jesus right here for us Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist. I know how the story goes and I can kneel in His real presence. I have the grace of the Holy Spirit, and yet I am still stubborn. I know what He wants me to do and yet, like Lot, I try to negotiate with him. Like the disciples, I still get scared. [bctt tweet=""Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?""] How is your faith today? Are you like Lot some days? Do you bargain with Him just a little? Take some extra time with Jesus this week. He will bring you peace. He will bring you comfort. Join me as I strive to say yes to God in everything. MaryRuth Hackett is a full-time wife and mother doing her best to teach her four children to love God and country. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Acts 12:1-11 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword; and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison; and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, "Dress yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your mantle around you and follow me." And he went out and followed him; he did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened to them of its own accord, and they went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel left him. And Peter came to himself, and said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting." Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-9 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. O taste and see that the LORD is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him! Second Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength to proclaim the message fully, that all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare'a Philip'pi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli'jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." ESV Today is an awesome feast in the life of the Church—the feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Both apostles were ordinary, faithful men who were called to an extraordinary mission in expanding and leading the early Church. We just read about the various radical crosses they carried with Our Lord: exile, persecution, imprisonment, calumny, and eventually death for the sake of the Gospel. Yet in and through all their sufferings, they lit an unquenchable fire in the hearts of the new faithful that would spread throughout the world and consume more souls for the Lord up to the present day. I've read the First Reading countless times before, but what struck me today was a small yet significant detail Saint Luke includes when describing Saint Peter's imprisonment. Luke recounts that Peter, while in prison, was being guarded by two men, and was bound by two chains. Peter wasn't just imprisoned, he was outnumbered. The odds were against him. Yet in His mercy and love, the Lord sent an angel to break the chains of Peter and lead him out of the prison where he had been overwhelmed by persecution. Peter was outnumbered, but God was with him. Peter was overwhelmed with suffering, but God is victorious over death. Peter was chained, but God gives liberty to the captives. Sister, do you feel outnumbered today? Do your worries, your concerns, your to-do lists, your responsibilities, and your fears imprison you? Are you so overwhelmed with whatever is staring you in the face that you want to run away because you're just one person? Who are the two guards keeping you locked away? What are the two chains that keep you from moving forward to freedom? [bctt tweet="Jesus is for you, He is with you, and He desires to rescue you, too."] In the Heart of the Lord, you are not outnumbered. Jesus is for you, He is with you, and He desires to rescue you, too. He wants to break the chains that bind both your hands, He wants to lead you out of the dark prisons of your heart into the light and fresh air. He wants to fill you with good things and make your face radiant. [bctt tweet="In the Heart of the Lord, you are not outnumbered."] So when you feel outnumbered, as we all do from time to time, remember that the Lord doesn't leave His little ones imprisoned. We, the Church, are making earnest prayer for you today. photo by Madi Myers-Cook Olivia Spears is a middle school religion teacher turned SAHM who is married to her high school best friend. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24 Because God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living. For he created all things that they might exist, and the generative forces of the world are wholesome, and there is no destructive poison in them; and the dominion of Hades is not on earth. For righteousness is immortal. for God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of his own eternity, but through the devil's envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his party experience it. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13 I will extol thee, O LORD, for thou hast drawn me up, and hast not let my foes rejoice over me. O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit. Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me! O LORD, be thou my helper!" Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, that my soul may praise thee and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever. Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15 Now as you excel in everything -- in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in your love for us -- see that you excel in this gracious work also. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their want, so that their abundance may supply your want, that there may be equality. As it is written, "He who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack." Gospel: Mark 5:21-43 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him; and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Ja'irus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, and besought him, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well." And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, "Who touched my garments?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, `Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth.And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" But ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. When they came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, he saw a tumult, and people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a tumult and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Tal'itha cu'mi"; which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." And immediately the girl got up and walked (she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. ESV So much pain. In today’s Gospel, the pain is palpable, isn’t it? The anguish of the man whose daughter is on the brink of death . . . the desperate woman who has been bleeding for twelve years without relief of any kind. We all have it—pain that we carry deep within ourselves. Maybe your wound happened long ago, when you were young and innocent and yet it has never been able to heal. Or maybe yours is a freshly inflicted wound brought on by a careless word or thoughtless deed. Perhaps, you just haven’t yet been able to forgive yourself. Sometimes the pain in our own lives can feel like it’s just too much to bear. “Take this cup from me, Lord!” we plead when we can find words to speak aloud. Or, when words fail, we search for relief wherever it may be found. Maybe we’ve even believed, as the hemorrhaging woman: “If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well.” But, for some reason, we can’t get close enough to touch Him. We are ashamed. Or we don’t think He can be bothered with our small suffering. Could it be that we believe He is so far removed from us that we just cannot make it to Him? Are we too weary to hope that lasting relief is possible, and so we bury the pain down deep, trying to march on with our lives? In the first reading, we are reminded that God Himself did not make death, and that He doesn’t delight in the death of the living. He made us so we would have life—that we would be clean, be well, be whole—but . . . do we actually believe His words? He wants to take my sin? He wants to take my grief? He wants to take the wounds inflicted upon me time and time again from those closest to me? He forgives me for the times I have hurt myself? My sister, the answer is, simply, yes! What would happen if you trusted just enough—in this present moment—to offer Jesus the pain, the suffering, the burden you’ve been holding on to? What would He say? Saint Mark’s Gospel gives us a good idea: “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Or perhaps, “Tal’itha cu’mi,” that is, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” [bctt tweet="He made us so we would have life, but do we actually believe His words?"] Dearest Jesus, my Savior and my Lord, please help me to give You all of myself today, including my deepest wounds, sufferings, and pain. Help me to accept Your invitation to arise and walk ever more faithfully along Your path. Amen. photo by Marlee Kay Heather Renshaw is a writer, speaker, and uplifter on a mission to love and serve God with her husband and five children in the Pacific NW. You can learn more abut her here.

First Reading: Genesis 18:1-15 And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth, and said, "My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I fetch a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on -- since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes." And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds, and milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. They said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "She is in the tent." The LORD said, "I will surely return to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?" The LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, and say, `Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, in the spring, and Sarah shall have a son." But Sarah denied, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh." Responsorial Psalm: Luke 1:46-50, 53-55 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever." Gospel: Matthew 8:5-17 As he entered Caper'na-um, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress." And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, `Go,' and he goes, and to another, `Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, `Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth." And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; be it done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment. And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and served him. That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, "He took our infirmities and bore our diseases." ESV Today's readings strike to the core of faith: me believing God can work miracles in my life. Me believing in God's hand in events I cannot see or quantify or explain. Sarah conceiving in her age. The Blessed Mother conceiving without having marital relations. The centurion's servant being healed without Christ even seeing him. Maybe it was a fluke. Maybe things just happen. Maybe God doesn't intervene in our world and is this benign creator playing yatzee up there. But I don't think so. When I talk to my friends who are fallen away Catholics, or friends who have a loose affiliation with Christianity in general, or friends who are dye-in-the-wool agnostics, a common stumbling block is "miracles." They do not believe in a God who would play favorites. A God who would allow one woman to conceive but not another. A God who would heal one man but not another. Why so selective, God? Did those people have better prayers, more aptly assembled? Did they race through an arbitrary obstacle course of rote acts and prayers that somehow vaulted their concerns and grievances ahead of others? How mean. What favoritism. I wish I had a quick answer for these people in my life. I wish I could quickly assuage their fears of a hokey mysterious magic belief set on my part. I wish I could articulate my faith better and be suavely persuasive. But I cannot. All I can say is, look, we live in a world of unknowns. We live in a world of flukes and unlikely events. Sometimes wonderful things happen and sometimes they don't. And all we can do is make the best of what we have, ask for what we think we need, and wait for what unfolds. Grace abounds. Sometimes not where we'd like it to, but how can we find our blessing even in the darkest place? I believe in a God who loves us and who intervenes for His own reasons that I'm never going to understand but struggle to accept. [bctt tweet="Grace abounds."] To the family and friends in your life struggling with their disbelief in miracles, offer a simple empathy and then share how miracles have touched your life, be it the story of a saint or something that you experienced personally. photo by Susana Starbuck Nell O'Leary is an attorney turned stay-at-home mom to three lovelies. She and her husband live in the great city of Saint Paul. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. And God said to Abraham, "As for Sar'ai your wife, you shall not call her name Sar'ai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her; I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" And Abraham said to God, "O that Ish'mael might live in thy sight!" God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. As for Ish'mael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him and make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year." When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 128:1-5 Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Lo, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! Gospel: Matthew 8:1-4 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to the people." ESV Today's readings are an interesting reminder in the idea that marriage is a blessing, especially in the sight of the Bible and the Jewish tradition of the Old Testament. God is blessing Abram through his marriage to Sara and in a truly remarkable way. I've always found the story of Abraham fascinating because it seems like a strange story that one of God's first ways of revealing Himself to man would take place within the context of a man's relationship with his wife. Not with a king or ruler deciding the fates of people or the building of temples, but God communicating with a man about the relationship he has with his wife and the building of a family. This first intimacy with God blesses marriage. God is being very specific in recognizing the importance of this relationship on an individual level but also on a huge level because Abraham would become the father of a multitude. The father in faith to us today in fact, all began with God telling Abram he and his wife would be blessed with a child—which must have been completely unbelievable at the time. This reflects back to our Catholic belief in the sacramentality of marriage—that in and of itself marriage gives the spouses grace directly from Christ. But isn't this hard to believe in times of marital strife? Even a small fight or disagreement can shake my belief in my own marriage. Are we really blessing each other when we're driving each other crazy or deliberately misinterpreting each other? Is our marriage a blessing a gift to our spouse when we or they are on the path of self-destruction or addiction or adultery or deceit? I believe that in those difficult situations, and even in the small-by-comparison times of disagreement, that the grace and blessing in marriage is still present, that it is still there as invisible grace. And I mean invisible, like there is no positive spin to be found with a magnifying glass or even the rosiest of rose-colored glasses. The economy of grace is so rarely seen with our earthly eyes, but it exists and it works in our lives whether we feel it as happiness and romantic rainbows, or as a cross with constant difficulty. There is no easy answer to the times when blessing is difficult, but I think the clue may be in today's Gospel. If we too could hang onto our faith like the leper, we too might be able to see the visible signs of Christ's healing power. [bctt tweet="In and of itself marriage gives the spouses grace directly from Christ."] Let's pray that we can have faith and trust in time of difficulty in marriage, and know that marriage is meant to bless us. photo by Susana Starbuck Christy Isinger is the mom to five lovely, loud children living in the Canadian wilds. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16 Now Sar'ai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar; and Sar'ai said to Abram, "Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my maid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sar'ai. So, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, Sar'ai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sar'ai said to Abram, "May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my maid to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!" But Abram said to Sar'ai, "Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her as you please." Then Sar'ai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, "Hagar, maid of Sar'ai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from my mistress Sar'ai." The angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit to her." The angel of the LORD also said to her, "I will so greatly multiply your descendants that they cannot be numbered for multitude." And the angel of the LORD said to her, "Behold, you are with child, and shall bear a son; you shall call his name Ish'mael; because the LORD has given heed to your affliction. He shall be a wild ass of a man, his hand against every man and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen." And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ish'mael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ish'mael to Abram. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 106:1-5 Praise the LORD! O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever! Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD, or show forth all his praise? Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! Remember me, O LORD, when thou showest favor to thy people; help me when thou deliverest them; that I may see the prosperity of thy chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thy heritage. Gospel: Matthew 7:21-29 "Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.' "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it." And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. ESV As I write this reflection, I am 36 weeks pregnant with my sixth baby. I feel huge and heavy. I grunt a lot when I move around and I snap at my kids for leaving things on the ground and I don't feel very lovely. I get really sore if I sit too long. I have heartburn. And to add insult to injury, I have a cold. It isn't easy for me to think of this as doing the will of the Father or honoring His call for my life. In fact, I hardly ever do. Could this possibly be it, Jesus? This large, almost always uncomfortable version of myself? I think He would say Yes. I think He would tell me, "Daughter, live your life for love of Me and you will have accomplished my will." I think I need to say yes back. Yes, Father, I will do this the whole way through. With all its bumps and bruises and all of its frustration and pain. I have a pregnancy—maybe you do, too. Or maybe it's a job or a neighbor or an injury or a marriage or a win or a loss. I don't mean to lump these things into one category but the category is universal because it's all simply the call. Where are you now? What is He requiring of you? Will you say yes? Will you say it again and again? Oh, Saints, pray for us! Blythe Fike is the wife of Kirby and mother of 5 smallish kids. She homeschools and loves the quiet life in small town SoCal. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Isaiah 49:1-6 Listen to me, O coastlands, and hearken, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away.And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified."But I said, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God." And now the LORD says, who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength --he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 139:1-3, 13-15 O LORD, thou hast searched me and known me! Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up; thou discernest my thoughts from afar.Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. Second Reading: Acts 13:22-26 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; of whom he testified and said, `I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will. Of this man's posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, `What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.' "Brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. Gospel: Luke 1:57-66, 80 Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son. And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechari'ah after his father, but his mother said, "Not so; he shall be called John."And they said to her, "None of your kindred is called by this name."And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they all marveled. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him. And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel. ESV Ladies, get ready. Today is the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist. But it’s not just about one man. It’s all about women, too. The prophet Isaiah, the Psalm, and the Gospel all evoke women’s essential role in helping to bring salvation history to the prophetic point of Saint John the Baptist’s preparing the way of the Lord. Today’s Scripture showers us with scenes of pregnancy (“thou didst knit me together in my mother's womb”), birth (“Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered”), and supportive sisterhood (“they rejoiced with her”). But today’s readings don’t simply speak to women who are biological mothers. God’s Word is for all of us—every single person who is called to help build up the Kingdom of God: “The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name . . .[He] formed me from the womb to be his servant.” The reason we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist? It’s not simply to commemorate a feast for Christ’s cousin. It’s because today’s solemnity speaks to the power of God’s plan for humanity and the intricate preparation of every part of God’s story. Every one of us is beloved by God. Every one of us was formed by God’s love. Every one of us was called by God before we were even born. So today—whether you are a daughter, a mother, a granddaughter, or a grandmother, whether you are struggling with your vocation or set firmly on your path—you are called by God. Like John the Baptist, you have a prophetic word to speak and a unique role to play in the world. You are God’s own, as the woman you are today. Take a moment to pray for the courage to follow God’s call in your life right now. Remember to draw from the strength of all the women who have helped bring you to this day—friends, family, mentors, and teachers. Rest secure in your belovedness, fearfully and wonderfully made by your Creator, the God of Love who knit you together in the depths of the dark. The Lord has called you. Laura Kelly Fanucci is a mother, writer, and theological researcher. She and her husband are raising three little boys in the suburban wilds of Minnesota. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Genesis 13:2, 5-18 Now Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle. At that time the Canaanites and the Per'izzites dwelt in the land. Then Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left." And Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw that the Jordan valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zo'ar; this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomor'rah. So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan valley, and Lot journeyed east; thus they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, while Lot dwelt among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD. The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants for ever. I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your descendants also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you."So Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the LORD. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 15:2-5 He who walks blamelessly, and does what is right, and speaks truth from his heart; who does not slander with his tongue, and does no evil to his friend, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; in whose eyes a reprobate is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest, and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. Gospel: Matthew 7:6, 12-14 "Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you. So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. ESV I pride myself on being able to carry a lot of stuff at once. I have twins, so I have a huge diaper bag slung over my shoulder when we take day trips—two of everything, plus a spare set of clothes for the older brother and all the baby supplies for the younger one. There’s my regular bag on my other shoulder with all the usual stuff: crayons, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, lotion, water bottles, hat for the baby, teether for the baby, extra pacifier, mirror, phone, keys, random Lego from the floor of the van, snacks, deck of cards (just in case), my book (again, just in case), sometimes a knitting project (oh, who am I kidding by even putting that in there?). Then there’s the baby carrier—I need that so I can wear him and have my hands free to carry more stuff. I loop as many recycled grocery bag handles over my fingers as possible so I won’t have to make two trips. Then there’s the bag with all the library books that are probably overdue. Add to that all the deadlines, past hurts, anxiety, anticipation and pondering that go along with daily life, and it’s a wonder I don’t fall down flat under the weight of it all. The gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Usually, we think of the narrow gate as being a filter for the other people. The masses can take that wide gate and the path that leads to destruction, but not us—we’re different. We are headed through the narrow gate and Heavenward. Or are we? What if the narrow gate isn’t the end of anything at all? What if the narrow gate is personal? What if the gate is only wide enough for each of us, the essentials of who we are, the core of who God made us to be? What if the size of the gate is designed to strip away all the baggage and damage and hurt and anger and distraction that we’ve been dragging around all our lives? When we get to the narrow gate, we have a choice: we can set aside all the extra baggage and go through the gate toward Jesus, or we can opt for the wide gate that will accommodate all our extra stuff and forget about this whole following Jesus business. People do it every day—it’s certainly easier than having to sort through and pare down and make hard decisions. If we are going to follow Jesus, though, those hard decisions have to be made. We need to leave some things behind. And the narrow gate that forces us to do that isn’t the end of the journey—it’s just the beginning. Today, spend some time thinking about the "extra baggage" you might be carrying that hinders your walk with Christ. What one thing could you decide to set aside today in your quest to follow Jesus on the path that leads to life? Abbey Dupuy is a homeschooling mama to preschooler twins, a first grader and a new baby. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Genesis 12:1-9 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves." So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sar'ai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions which they had gathered, and the persons that they had gotten in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. Thence he removed to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:12-13, 18-20, 22 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! The LORD looks down from heaven, he sees all the sons of men; Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death, and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and shield. Let thy steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in thee. Gospel: Matthew 7:1-5 Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. ESV "Seriously, God? You want me to do what?" In the Scriptures the Lord speaks to Abraham (our forefather formerly known as: Abram), to Moses, to Joshua, and countless others, as if there was an audible voice to be heard. We do not hear God like Abraham did. It is not always clear whether the Lord's voice was an audible voice, an inner feeling, or a mental thought, but whether a voice from the sky or not, the Lord asks us to do things that are leaps of faith, both big and small. The Lord speaks and tells Abraham to do something pretty crazy—to move his whole life at his old age. Sometimes the Lord asks us to do that . . . to move our life or change jobs . . . big things that take great courage and trust. The Lord also scales this down into our day-to-day life. He asks us to take little leaps of faith all day, and we can only hear them if we are in tune with Him and His heart. One example of this in my life was when I was at Target once, and they rang up all the items for the lady in front of me. It turned out she could not afford a number of them, so the cashier took them off her bill and she set them to the side for restocking. "Pay for her things." I "heard" it in my heart and I knew it was God. So I did. I followed a small and simple instruction from God, without question. I do not know what that did for her, or why God prompted me to do that, but I listened and acted that afternoon. There are other days when I feel God's little nudges, and I do not act upon them. There are days when the Lord nudges me to call a particular person, and I make excuses or get too busy. There are days when the Lord says clear as day in my heart as I am out in public, "Compliment that person," and I don't because I am too afraid of what they will think. If God prompted me to do it, they probably needed to be uplifted in some way, but I could not bring myself to that little leap. So today, I pray to be more like Abraham . . . willing to follow the calling of the Lord at a moment's notice. Because I know that the more I respond to His promptings, the more willing I am to respond to the next one, and the next one . . . and only then am I living with the Holy Spirit alive in my bones, moving through my every moment, in tune with the heart of my Father. [bctt tweet="I want to live with the Holy Spirit alive in my bones."] Do you respond to the promptings of God, most especially in your day-to-day life? Do you take the small leaps of faith He calls you to? Emily Wilson 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 ever second of it. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Job 38:8-11 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind: "Or who shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth from the womb; when I made clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, and said, `Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed'? Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 107:23-26, 28-31 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded, and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress; he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to the sons of men! Second Reading: 2 Corninthians 5:14-17 For the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. Gospel: Mark 4:35-41 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?" And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?" ESV I heard the blood rush in my ears. I felt the flush in my cheeks. My heart quickened until it was beating out of my chest. My fists clenched and my chest tightened. The waves of anxiety crashed all around me until I felt as if I would be swallowed alive. I was drowning. In that moment, I knew that I had two options. I could spiral down into the depths of the raging waters of my soul until I was numb to the pain and swallowed by sadness. Or, I could reach out my hand and cry to the Lord and have faith that I will not perish in His arms. When I put it into words, the simplicity of it is apparent. Rely on Him who saves us all from the raging waters. But in the grips of the strongest tide, the most violent storm, the swirling vortex of disquiet, my crippling fear causes me to grab at my throat and allow the pull of woe to send me into darkness. How is it that in my moments of immobilizing anxiety, I do not reach out to my steadfast Lord? When I know He is the only one to deliver me from the raging waters, why do I turn inward and allow the crushing anxiety pull me under? When my anxiety comes, I feel as if I have been capsized at sea. And I know the sea demands for me to be pulled under the crashing waves. But the sea of anxiety will not be silenced without Him. He has calmed every storm; He has commanded the winds to be still. He will pull me out of the crushing and raging waters as long as I reach out for Him. In those times of crushing anxiety, when my chest is full to burst, I must remember to offer it up to Him and allow him to calm the sea inside my soul. I will hear His voice in my ears. I will feel His hands on my cheeks. My heart will quicken in His presence. I will clench His hands in mine. [bctt tweet="The sea of anxiety will not be silenced without Him."] If today you feel the crashing waves of anxiety in your heart, rebuke them in His name, and call out for Him. He will come to you. Samantha Aguinaldo-Wetterholm is a wife, mom, and soon-to-be-dentist currently living in San Francisco, California. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 I must boast; there is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven -- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into Paradise -- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows -- and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. Though if I wish to boast, I shall not be a fool, for I shall be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:8-13 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. O taste and see that the LORD is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him! O fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no want! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come, O sons, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is there who desires life, and covets many days, that he may enjoy good? Gospel: Matthew 6:24-34 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day. ESV Most of us have a pretty clear concept of love versus hate. Perhaps we struggle to love our neighbors, but when we give in to hate, most of us recognize that we have failed. Worry, on the other hand, often disguises itself as a virtue. We think we're being "responsible," or "realistic," or that it's just not something we have a choice about. We think of "not worrying" as a luxury reserved for unwashed people who follow Jimmy Buffet around on tour. But nothing could be more Christian than giving up our anxieties. The three theological virtues are faith, hope, and love. Each is given to us only as a free gift from God. The cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, temperance, and courage) are the midpoint between two vices. Courage, for example, is the virtue between cowardice and recklessness. But the theological virtues are pointed toward God, and, therefore, have no positive extreme. The negative extreme of Hope is anxiety and despair. When we give in to worry, it means we haven’t fully embraced that Hope that God Our Father will provide for us. No matter WHAT happens. Not giving in to anxiety doesn't mean that nothing bad will happen to us, it doesn't mean we don’t strive to protect and provide for our families. But it does mean that we trust that no matter what might go wrong in this world, we are still daughters of the King, and our faith will gain us the inheritance of eternal life. Everything will be fine. Every time. It has to be. We can never have too much faith or love. Nor can we Hope too much. It is never irresponsible to abandon our anxiety and trust God. [bctt tweet="It is never irresponsible to abandon our anxiety and trust God."] It's all about perspective. And if it seems like it would be impossible to let go of our worry, that's because it IS impossible . . . for us. But nothing is impossible for God. [bctt tweet="Nothing is impossible for God."] Faith is a gift. Will you ask for it? Will you accept it? Kendra Tierney can be found blogging, homeschooling, and gestating Tierney baby number eight in Los Angeles, CA. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30 (Since many boast of worldly things, I too will boast.) To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever any one dares to boast of -- I am speaking as a fool -- I also dare to boast of that. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one -- I am talking like a madman -- with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brethren; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-7 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. Gospel: Matthew 6:19-23 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! ESV I'm broken. Oh, so broken. Your words, Saint Paul, ring in my ears as I drag myself out of bed to face my face in the mirror—full of weak, apprehensive, hesitant, brokenness. Yet you say, "I [should] boast of things that show my weakness." I glance at the clock, moving far too fast for my weary soul, and frantically slap on some foundation to mask my inadequate skin and fumble for the mascara to widen my drooping eyes. One tired eye lined, the other still sagging, I catch a glimpse of my reflection and straighten up. I think of all the other put-together ladies who will fill my world once I step out that door. This? Is this the weakness of which I should boast? What about the uncomfortable outfit I chose over exercise pants, because I'm foolishly intimidated by all those lovely ladies? And the cake I failed trying to bake and the friend I forgot to call and the initiative I didn't take and the goal I didn't make? These weaknesses . . . should I boast of them, too, Paul? Should I air all my woes and sufferings to the world, like my lack of sleep and pain that won't end and my work load that's loading up? But I don't think they'll measure up, Paul. I've got nothing on your shipwrecks and beatings and that mom with cancer . . . or that struggling marriage and family grieving their loss and friend searching for a job. It seems like all this boasting of weakness is some kind of suffering contest. Or . . . is it more? Are you telling me that in my weakness, in our humaness, in your shipwrecks and my giant cakewrecks, we can help expose humanity's fatal flaw? The missing piece we've all got—the God-hole in our hearts that can only be filled when we let the walls down and show we can't do it alone? Yes, Paul, I think that's what you're telling me. That you were too weak to make it through another beating or arrest on your own . . . but for God. God carried you through five more. And if I can't do another morning of pushing through pain in order to show up with my smudged eyeliner at another school drop-off while muttering a Hail Mary, You can carry me through five more . . . while using my vulnerable exposé for that other weary Daughter of Yours over there, the one who can somehow still see You through the cracks of imperfection in my thin worldly shell--and for once, she will give herself some grace. Okay, Paul. I will boast as you tell me. I am broken, oh so broken in all my weak and hesitant and apprehensive brokenness . . . but for my God, who fuses my broken pieces into holy wholeness with His strength; my God, who through my exposed weaknesses allows others to see the safety, the confidence, the endlessness of His unfailing love. Today may we let Him shine through our brokenness, sisters, and fill the world with His light. Megan Hjelmstad is a wife, mom, writer and sometimes soldier whose real passion is equal parts faith and chocolate. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 2 Corinthians 11:1-11 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if some one comes and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough. I think that I am not in the least inferior to these superlative apostles. Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not in knowledge; in every way we have made this plain to you in all things. Did I commit a sin in abasing myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel without cost to you? I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. And when I was with you and was in want, I did not burden any one, for my needs were supplied by the brethren who came from Macedo'nia. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine shall not be silenced in the regions of Acha'ia. And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 111:1-4, 7-8 Praise the LORD. I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who have pleasure in them. Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures for ever. He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy, they are established for ever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15 "And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. ESV Such a simple prayer, yet so complex; to say so much with so few words. When was the last time you really examined the Lord's Prayer? Perhaps you're like me; I grew up saying it, but never really thinking about what it was saying and what it was asking. Today I offer you a short study of this important piece of our prayer life. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. :: A reminder of the Ten Commandments—that God's name is sacred and holy. Thy kingdom come. :: A reminder that the kingdom of God, the promise He gave to us, has been fulfilled. Like the most perfect parent God has kept His promise. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. :: A reminder, a promise to God, that our goal is to submit to, to live according to, His will. It is not our will that shapes our world. Give us this day our daily bread; :: A reminder that we need not ask any more than what is need right now, to do the work that is laid before us today. And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; :: A reminder that we are forgiven to the extent that we forgive others. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. :: We ask that God continues to lead our life away from temptations and to free us from sin. When laid out like this, the Lord's Prayer is not so much away to ask God for favors, but a clear, concise way to remember our duty, promises, and our hope in God. Today, pray the Lord's Prayer, and use it as a tool to examine your life and your actions. Remember today the words of Dorothy Day: "I really only love God as much as the person I love the least." We are called to radically forgive others, to radically love others because it is through the love and forgiveness we give to those who least deserve it that our promises in the Lord's Prayer are fulfilled. Can you pray this prayer more deeply? Molly Walter is a wife, mother and homemaker (with a pesky job outside the home). She shares about making the life she wants with the life she's been given over here.

First Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work. As it is written, "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever." He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 112:1-4, 9 Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! His descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house; and his righteousness endures for ever. Light rises in the darkness for the upright; the LORD is gracious, merciful, and righteous. He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever; his horn is exalted in honor. Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ESV I have been a mother for seven years now, which is from when my first child came into existence. It was something I felt called to do, something I wanted, and something that I am glad to be. But there are days when I wonder why I thought this would be fulfilling. As I anticipated the birth of my fourth baby, I started to dread the sacrifices that a new baby requires of me. The middle of the night feedings, the discomfort of milk coming in, the post-partum recovery, and so on, which all made sense given the months of undiagnosed post-partum depression I went through after my third baby was born. But now that I know how to get help for that, I realized that I was being filled with a lot of irrational fears and even spiritual attacks on my vocation. Every major step of the way in my life, I have discerned prayerfully what I am called to do next. My marriage was discerned, and the openness to each child was discerned. But discernment is one thing and living it is another. In a recent discussion on vocations, specifically those to religious life, a priest, another couple, and my husband and I realized that the world often views someone choosing religious life because they believe that they will be “happy.” But often discerning is not always about what makes one “happy” now, but what God is calling us to for our ultimate happiness, our final happiness. A woman who has chosen the religious life may find it difficult to fulfill her daily tasks or wonder why that is what she chose just as a wife and mother may find the daily grind to be too much for her. But this is the life we have chosen, the life that God has given us. The First Reading is perfect on how to live out vocations: “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.” “You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” Even after seven years of motherhood, I am still learning to be generous with what I give my children. I want to sow bountifully, so that I will also reap bountifully. I want to be the cheerful giver, even when it hurts. What I give my family is nothing compared to what Christ gave us all on the Cross. I pray that by the help of grace, I can live this way, and that on this earthly journey I will be enriched for my generosity, and that my final reward is the mercy I will receive despite my failed attempts. [bctt tweet="I want to sow bountifully, so that I will also reap bountifully."] Pray today for the grace to be more generous in your vocation. Discern where you need to give more. Hope in God’s grace. Susanna Spencer once studied theology and philosophy, but now happily cares for her three adorable little girls and her dear husband. She is awaiting the birth of her fourth child any day now. You can find out more about her here.