I have a friend who reminds herself each day to "notice small miracles." This is a not only a phrase that she recalls to mind, but rather an attitude that she has chosen as a theme for her life. She started the practice of noticing moments of goodness and beauty during a time of family crisis, and this simple habit has become a touchstone for her to experience joy, whether in time of blessing or in challenge. She shares her "secret of happiness" by encouraging others to do the same. In our daily lives we probably won't experience a miraculous event like in today's Gospel of going fishing and finding a coin double the amount of our taxes, but all the same, God surprises us in little and big miracles that relate to our specific needs and lives. Today's Psalm reminds us to praise God for what He has specifically given us: "Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you. He has granted peace in your borders; with the best of wheat he fills you. He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word!" (Psalm 147:12-14) What has God given to you? What are some small miracles that you can notice today? Can you take a moment right now to offer some praise for the gifts you have recognized? Ask God to surprise you with some miracles as well as the grace to see and praise Him for His abundant goodness. Perhaps the practice to "notice small miracles" could bring change and blessing to your life as well. [bctt tweet="What has God given to you? // Mary Catherine Craige" username="blessedisshe__"] This organ rendition of the Catholic hymn "Holy God We Praise Thy Name" is striking. Mary Catherine Craige enjoys spending her time dancing, writing, playing the Irish harp and surfing the ocean waves of northeast Florida. As a transformational life coach, she supports strong women to create beauty out of challenging circumstances and to design a life of abundance, freedom and joy as the person God has created them to be. She is a contributing author to our children's devotional prayer book, Rise Up. You can find out more about her here.

For the last few months I have begun praying a simple, little prayer in the morning as I drive to work: Jesus, would You just come and surprise me? Allow myself to be surprised by You. Now this specific prayer is in regards to where my life finds me right now and the desires of my heart. But I think this prayer could apply to career, vocation, relationships, families, unmet expectations, hopes, and dreams. What would it look like for you to ask Jesus to surprise you right where life finds you? The Gospel today finds Jesus telling the disciples they cannot know the time or hour when He will return. They must be prepared and found waiting in earnest expectation. But regardless of the week, day, or year, it will be a surprise! And God-willing, He will find us ready and alert. We believe in and follow the God of Surprises who called Abraham and Sarah from their homes to the land He promised them. They held onto their faith in Him, waiting on His promises for their good. (See Hebrews 11:8-12.) Like them, our challenge is to live in that sacred tension of both being prepared and being open to Jesus coming to surprise us in our everyday lives In my mind, I like the idea of surprises but when it comes down to it, a surprise is a time when we aren't in control! And it is hard sometimes to be open to that. And so in my own little way, I repeatedly ask Jesus to come surprise His little Patty-kins because I know I need help to be open to Him. Pray for your heart to be open to His surprises today and surrender that control over to Him. [bctt tweet="What would it look like for you to ask Jesus to surprise you right where life finds you? // @amoderngrace" username="blessedisshe__"] The Suscipe Prayer is so powerful. Try to incorporate it into your daily prayer. Patty Breen is a full-time lay minister who finds joy in running, strong cups of coffee, and all things Ignatian spirituality. A Midwestern gal from the mitten state, she is constantly learning to find grace in all things. She is passionate about ministry, writing, a great lipstick color, and smiling is her favorite. Find out more about her here.

I closed my eyes and breathed in the ocean air. It was a gorgeous day and I was looking forward to a hike with my family. However, a portion of the trail went up a mountain and the people at the top looked small and far away. I thought, There’s no way! My short and stout legs are never going to make it! But as I looked at the expectant faces of my kids, I had to try. I trudged up the trail and finally made it to the top where the lookout over the ocean was breathtaking. A few weeks later, my family wanted to hike again. I was surprised that the second time around, it wasn’t that bad. The third time on the hike was even easier. What once seemed impossible was now doable. The same can be said for our spiritual life. When I first started writing for Blessed is She nearly five years ago, I was a strong Catholic, but there were still areas of my spiritual life that needed work. I wasn’t reading Scripture daily, I prayed the Rosary infrequently, and rarely did a Holy Hour of Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. However, like that mountain hike, God was challenging me to climb higher and give a little more. When I felt weak, I recalled Saint Paul’s words, “God is able to make every grace abundant for you" (2 Corinthians 9:8). Slowly, I started daily Scripture reading. Then praying the Rosary. Later, making a weekly Holy Hour and attending weekday Mass more often. Had I tried it all at once, I would have failed! I simply took one step at a time, working on one spiritual practice, and building on it depending on my season of life. Slowly, what once seemed impossible is now a natural part of my life. God is patient with us, but He’s also persistent. He whispers to our hearts and draws us closer to Him. I know He will continue to challenge me to grow. How is God tugging on your heart? How are you being challenged to grow? [bctt tweet="God is patient with us, but He’s also persistent. // @bobbi_rol" username="blessedisshe__"] Do you know the background of Blessed is She? Read more about how Jenna Guizar answered God's call on her heart. Bobbi Rol is a wife, mama and blogger living on the Monterey Bay in CA with her husband, teen daughter, and three rambunctious boys. When she is not dodging light sabers or stepping on Legos, she can be found outside with her family, catching a late night movie, or decorating her planner. She is a contributing author to our children's devotional prayer book, Rise Up. You can find out more about her here.

Sometimes when I am having a particularly challenging day, I take five minutes and mentally look back at a play-by-play of my life. In visualizing the many peaks and valleys of my journey as a daughter of God, I am reminded of two simultaneous truths. First, the peaks are those joyous times when most things seemed to be going right in my life. These were times when it was easy to feel God's presence because I could so tangibly see His blessings poured out in my life. The valleys are a whole other matter. Those were my rough-and-tumble times—times of disappointment, heartbreak, and loss. These were the times that, even though God was intimately present, I had a hard time seeing Him in the midst of the chaos. And yet, when I take a moment to do my play-by-play, I can begin to grasp the fruit of those valleys. I see myself emerging from them as a stronger, more trusting, more resilient woman. I see my more deeply rooted faith, less shaken by strong winds and more willing to look to the Lord in confidence. I'm grateful for the valleys as much as the peaks. Today's First Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy (see Deuteronomy 4:32-40) is Moses' own five-minute play-by-play for the Israelites. It's his wake-up call for them, a gentle reminder that the Lord God has been with them through every one of their own peaks and valleys. Are you in a peak or a valley today, or perhaps somewhere between? Are you able to see and hear the work that He is doing in your heart? In your workplace? In your family? In your school? In your neighborhood? Let's pray today for the ability to be more like Moses, more aware of God's saving presence in our lives. Let us fix in our hearts, just as Moses did, that whether we are shouting joyfully from a peak or feeling like we're slogging through a valley, He is with us. Truly nothing so great has ever happened before. [bctt tweet="I'm grateful for the valleys as much as the peaks. // Karen Schultz" username="blessedisshe__"] This priest talks on when things are difficult and how to not feel sorry for yourself. Karen Schultz hails from the Land of 10,000 lakes, where she is often found in or near one of them. As a doula, lactation educator, and FertilityCare Practitioner, she finds joy in helping women to embrace the gift of their bodies. Downtime is found in quiet adoration chapels, farmers markets and gardens, listening to bluegrass music, and embracing the diversity of Minnesota’s seasons. She is a contributing author to our Works of Mercy Study: Misericordia. You can find out more about her here.

“You, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus’ words that declared to Peter a new name and a new mission, were planted like seeds into the soil of Peter’s heart. I wonder if Jesus’ voice echoed through Peter’s memory as the seed developed roots and began to grow? This phrase must have been such a consolation to Peter: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.” What a busy builder Jesus has been these last 2000 years! But as Peter grew into his mission of being the rock of the Church, I wonder how often he remembered Jesus’ words from the end of today’s Gospel? “[Peter, you] are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Matthew 16:23). Peter could not see how Jesus’ Passion, death, and Resurrection would bear fruit. As Peter continued to walk with Jesus, his thoughts must have slowly become more and more like God’s thoughts. Today, let us turn our gaze to Jesus with the intercession of Saint Peter. Is there a place in our thoughts that Jesus might say, “You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do”? Jesus wants to give us the grace to transform our natural thoughts into supernatural thoughts. He wants our hearts to be so closely united to Him that we might think with Him. Jesus desires that we would live in joyful hope that our own suffering and death will bear great fruit. [bctt tweet="Today, let us turn our gaze to Jesus with the intercession of Saint Peter. // Rose Coleman" username="blessedisshe__"] It's Saint Dominic's feast day today and his is a story of fighting heresy and establishing an order that is both contemplative and active, focused on contemplata tradere, handing on to others the fruits of contemplation, or to speak only of God and with God. Rose Coleman is a contemplative in action who delights in all things beautiful. Her adventurous heart has traveled many places—from circumnavigating the globe on a ship during college to some years in the convent as a religious sister. Exuberant from her childhood, she is an elementary school teacher who learns so much from her students. She is a contributing author to our children's devotional prayer book, Rise Up and the author of our Blessed Conversations: Ways to Pray study found here. You can find out more about her here.

My parents recently gave me a box of old pictures from storage. Inside, a familiar face stared back—mine, morphing from sixth to twelfth grade. I looked happy enough, but the sudden flood of memories contained plenty of awkwardness, drama, and seemingly innocuous identity wounds that left lasting scars. Tucked between pictures was a collection of crisply-folded notes; the 90s precursor to texting. I wryly unfolded one, then froze: it was my first boyfriend’s writing, and I squirmed as his words jumped off the page, "I’m so lucky to be going out with you. You’re smart, pretty, athletic . . . the whole package." My grown-up face flushed; immediately I dismissed his sentiments as tween desperation. I had clearly been an ugly duckling; I was as convinced of that now as I was back then. But later in prayer, I sensed Jesus crushing decades of lies about my identity with a single question: So . . . what makes you think he was wrong? I imagine a similar tone as Christ challenged the woman in today’s Gospel, calling out all the lies the world had concocted about her worth. She was a Gentile, an outsider to the Jewish covenant, seeking to break through a seemingly impenetrable cultural barrier. A woman who, like the rest of us, was nothing without the Lord. But in her startling humility and immense faith, she not only accepted this reality, but in bold trust threw herself into Christ’s mercy and refining love. In response, His consoled heart delightedly poured out healing upon her. Jesus knows. He knows how apt we are to deflect God’s love—and by extension, His mission for us. Continually we reject Him in favor of lies that bind us to wounded pride and self-deprecation. I have the wrong background. I’m nothing special. My failings are greater than Your mercy. But He died to refute every lie. He chose us, created us intentionally for His work and Kingdom. He makes us worthy. He continually offers us affirmation, an invitation to repentance, awe-inspiring healing. And He challenges us through one woman’s heroic humility to look beyond the world’s lies to the truth of who He made us to be. [bctt tweet="He died to refute every lie. // @PosImperfect" username="blessedisshe__"] Visit Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament via this live adorecast today. Megan Hjelmstad is a wife and mom 24/7 and an Army Reservist in her “spare” time. She is the Stories Manager for the Blessed is She Instagram account. She’s a bibliophile, tea drinker, sleep lover, and avid admirer of Colorado’s great outdoors. She is a contributing author to our children's devotional prayer book, Rise Up. When the writing bug hits, you can find out more about her here.

Every summer, my family would drive to Tennessee for family vacation. We’d wake up early to hike, spend the afternoons lounging on the porch with gorgeous mountain views, we’d explore the local town, visit Dollywood, and play boardgames late into the night. They were the very best days of summer, and at the end of each trip, my sister and I would beg our parents to let us stay longer. Mom and Dad always assured us to not worry, telling us we’d come back. We loved those weeks in the mountains. They were exactly what we needed: time to bond, a chance to see the country, time to laugh and talk and take a break from televisions and computer screens and the responsibilities of the every day. Vacation was a totally different pace from the every day back home, a concentrated snapshot of what we wanted our “normal days” to actually look like. It was the ideal: time together, with nothing else to distract us. Peter, James, and John head to the top of a mountain to spend time together with Jesus. There, on that mountaintop, Jesus transfigures before them, His divinity on full display, the glory and goodness of God visible and present. This is Jesus, fully God and fully man. Nothing is hidden. Nothing is held back. Jesus is transfigured, and they are witnesses of it. Naturally, they don’t want to leave. Who would? They’ve heard the voice of God. They’ve seen Jesus’ power. They’ve become “fully awake.” They want to stay. It is a good place to be. But they can’t stay there. Not yet. That mountaintop is the foretaste of what’s to come in Heaven where we are witnesses to God’s glory, forever. But there’s still work to be done, down the mountain, to get ready for that Heaven for which we so desperately long. The mountaintop, very real and beautiful and necessary, is the place we are renewed and refreshed so we can better live in the every day, down the mountain. We’re brought to the mountaintop and shown His glory precisely so that we can come back down and share it with everyone else. [bctt tweet="This is Jesus, fully God and fully man. // @KatiePrejean" username="blessedisshe__"] This masterpiece of the Transfiguration was the artist's final work. Katie Prejean McGrady is an international Catholic speaker and author of three books with Ave Maria Press. After working as a theology teacher and parish youth minister for six years, Katie now travels full time across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., speaking about faith, culture, family, evangelization, discipleship, and the best way to order a flat white (extra shot, medium temp). She and her husband Tommy have a podcast (The Electric Waffle), a dog (Barney), and a 1 year old (Rose) and live in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Find out more about her here.

When I was young and just out of graduate school, I had ambitions to sing and to write. Neither proved to be very lucrative and as I struggled away, I took a room in a dilapidated house, sharing a bathroom with two other women and a “kitchen”—our stove was a hot plate—for $140 a month. My landlord was an exceptionally odd character who looked a bit like Ichabod Crane, only taller and a bit scarier, but my room had delicious wood floors and a nice view. In addition to being inexpensive, it was located in what they called “the hip zip” of Nashville, not far from Music Row and the like. I tucked right in. Still, even at such a bargain, there were months I found it difficult to pay the rent. One month in particular grew quite grim. With freelance writing, you are sometimes paid “on publication,” and if the publication of a piece is delayed for editorial reasons, it could mean months of waiting for a paycheck. I was also making a very determined effort to tithe properly, my first serious attempt as an adult. So, I tithed and trusted, sweated and prayed, in the southern heat of the Hip Zip. Then, just before the first of the month, I received an unexpected letter. I had over-payed my car insurance and was being issued a refund. The amount? $147. I always think of this story when I read about the fishes and loaves miracle. True, Jesus did not serve lobster tail with warm rhubarb compote for dessert, but I’m guessing that fish and bread was more than enough after such a remarkable day, sitting among the crowds, listening to the Great Teacher. Let’s not forget—Jesus is a miracle man—though our loaves and fishes may look different. And though I may never be materially wealthy, the graces garnered from my work, especially as a writer and retreat/spiritual director, are more satisfying than anything money could buy. Grace can never be purchased, sisters. But it is promised and so often given in unanticipated abundance by a generous Father. [bctt tweet="Let’s not forget—Jesus is a miracle man—though our loaves and fishes may look different. // Liz Kelly" username="blessedisshe__"] Pray this prayer for extra grace after receiving the Blessed Sacrament, or simply throughout the day after a spiritual communion. Liz Kelly is a jazz singer who fell in love with Jesus. She writes, teaches, offers spiritual direction and retreats with a special interest in helping women to flourish in their faith. She’s written six books, including the award-winning "Jesus Approaches" and the "Jesus Approaches Study Supplement." And she still sings jazz, but mainly in the tub and while washing dishes. Find out more about her here.

Today's readings sure do pack a punch. Against vanity, greed, selfishness, and more. A quote from Saint Therese of Lisieux ran through my mind when I read, "Think of what is above, not of what is on earth" (Colossians 3:2). She said, “Life is your barque and not your home” (source page 87). I bought an image online a few years ago with her words on them, imposed on top of a large ship with a handful of sails, wading through deep water. It looked like a perfect depiction of what it feels like to balance living in this world without trying to be of it. Sometimes it feels like the water is choppy and I don't know which way to point the sail. God is there, of course; He's the wind. Am I working with Him or against Him? Am I attuned to His direction? Am I holding onto extra baggage, earthly things that He's asking me to let go of? I've found the most helpful thing for me to live out my everyday life in a way that aligns with our Catholic values is friendship—friendship with others who also are wading through these waters and also are trying to decipher God's call. Their companionship and solidarity give me the strength and desire to try again each day and to turn away from the things mentioned in today's readings. Though, admittedly, finding good Catholic friends has been difficult at times. If this is something you're struggling with right now, I recommend checking out the Blessed is She Regional Facebook groups, check out the website to see if there's a Blessed Brunch in your area, and if not, consider hosting one, or download our free study guide (English or Spanish) and start a Blessed Conversations group. [bctt tweet="I've found the most helpful thing for me to live out my everyday life in a way that aligns with our Catholic values is friendship. // @praymorenovenas" username="blessedisshe__"] Watch this brief talk on true friendship and open your heart for deeper connections with the women in your life. Annie Deddens is a writer and producer. She runs a prayer ministry with her husband, called Pray More Novenas. She has a heart for the sick & suffering, and she writes about living with greater faith (hope & love, too) in this imperfect world as a Catholic wife. You can find out more about her here.

When I worked as a teacher, the staff participated in an annual walk-a-thon to raise funds for various charities. My first year working there, I was asked to help. “Of course! Tell me what I can do.” That was a no-brainer. The event was for a good cause, and I was new. I needed to make a good impression on the rest of the staff. A week later, it was time to sign up and put down money, but I had since found out the charity we were walking for supported embryonic stem cell research. I could no longer support this cause. Yet if I backed out, I would risk alienating myself from the rest of the staff. Today we hear the story of Herod’s crossroads. He regretted promising to grant any wish of his step-daughter—especially in front of his guests. Yet his reputation was on the line. So he caved. He knew what he was doing was wrong and instead of doing the right thing, he bent under the weight of his own pride. That day sitting in the journalism lab and taking back my promise to help my coworkers was embarrassing. I hated having to say no. And, you know what, it did alienate me from the other teachers. There was no immediate happy ending to my small moment of bravery. I think the lesson is that we must make the right choice anyway. [bctt tweet="There was no immediate happy ending to my small moment of bravery. // @callherhappy" username="blessedisshe__"] This commentary on Saint John the Baptist and Saint Augustine ties in their courage to stand for unpopular beliefs. Jenna Hines has a teeny army of four children and is married to a bearded fellow named Mike. They are a homeschooling family who just moved out to the country. Find her books and illustrations in her shop. You can find out more about her here.

“Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move” (Matthew 17:20). The verse echoed through my heart as I stared out at the towering mountains quickly passing by my passenger seat window. And there, in the quiet of my heart, I thought, Yeah, right. Because have you ever seen a mountain move? Have you ever seen the sick be healed? Have you ever seen the crippled walk? My thoughts made me slink back in shame. Even though I profess with my tongue the greatness of the Lord, when it comes right down to these unexplainable miracles, doubt fills my troubled mind. In a very real way, I connected so deeply with those questioning Jesus in today’s Gospel. I felt their doubt echo through the very core of me. Because I know what their apprehension feels like. I carry it so deeply in my heart. And it aches. It aches with a longing to find the freedom to believe. Faith is a gift. And so often I feel as though it is one that is still waiting for me to unwrap . . . if only I could find it! Faith, while we receive it first at Baptism, requires us to embrace it and to make a conscious decision to believe through our doubts. So if you also feel the weight of doubt clinging to your soul, may you pray for an increase of the gift of faith. Maybe someday we will all feel that mustard seed springing up from within us. Maybe someday we’ll finally have the faith to move those mountains. [bctt tweet="Faith is a gift. // @iambritcal" username="blessedisshe__"] Read Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's sermon in 2012 about this parable (scroll to June 17). Brittany Calavitta is an enthusiastic advocate for a good book, strong coffee, and a hopeful heart. After battling years of infertility, she and her husband welcomed their first child on September 11, 2016. You can find out more about her here.

“Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen, Herr Zebaoth . . . .” The words flow smoothly from our lips, melody ascending to the heavens of which we sing. Psalm 84 is the text Brahms chose for the fourth movement of his Requiem, a Mass written for the repose of the souls of the dead. The beauty of the music lifts my spirit as my heart wonders what Heaven might be like. When was the last time you imagined Heaven? “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!” (Psalm 84:2) Heaven is beyond our earthly hearts’ understanding, but we can still ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us a glimmer of the Lord’s dwelling place. As I pray about this Eternal Glory, I experience a feeling rather than receive a vision. The Spirit reminds me we are blessed with moments of Heaven here on earth, too—in particular, every time we attend Mass. While the distractions and anxieties of this world often cloud the vision of our hearts, we are gifted a foretaste of Heaven each and every time the Lord unites Himself with us in the gift of His Most Precious Body and Blood, the Eucharist. “I had rather one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere” (Psalm 84:11). Sisters, the more we know the Lord and the more we experience this union with Him, the more our desire for Him increases. Our time on earth is so short in comparison to the eternity we hope to spend with Him. May this hope inspire us to pursue holiness more whole-heartedly. Lord, You are so generous. We ask You to increase our longing for You. Make our souls yearn for Heaven. Direct our eyes ever upon You there that we might one day dwell in Your House in the place You have prepared especially for us. [bctt tweet="The Spirit reminds me we are blessed with moments of Heaven here on earth, too—in particular, every time we attend Mass. // @inendlesssong" username="blessedisshe__"] Experience this fourth movement yourself. Elise Howe is a wife, mother, vocal artist, teacher, and writer. A lover of authentic beauty, Elise is most joyful when creating with the inspiration of the Divine Artist. A born-and-raised Midwestern gal, she happily resides in Michigan after several years "living the dream" in New York City. Elise has a heart for ministry, dark chocolate (but not too dark) and coffee with a generous amount of cream + sugar. She is a contributing author to our Works of Mercy Study: Misericordia. Find out more about her here.

I began a terrifying and exhilarating search for Truth as a young Jewish college student. Although I had many worldly treasures, I was hungry, hurting, and empty. I questioned, studied, and pleaded with Someone I wasn’t even sure existed: God, if You are real show me, and give me the faith to believe. Nine months later, I found what I had been searching for—a beautiful treasure of inestimable value. Perhaps it is more accurate to say the Treasure found me! My personal encounter with Jesus and His Kingdom posed the most urgent and difficult question I’ve ever faced, and left me with a life-altering decision. Was He worth it? Was I willing to “sell” everything, especially what was most valuable to me—family, reputation, future goals and dreams—to gain this pearl of great price, this hidden treasure which few find and many seem to discard? Today as I reflect on Jesus’ use of these parables to describe the value of His kingdom and the cost of true discipleship, I am reminded of my joyful and complete response to His invitation to leave everything and follow Him so many years ago. Yes, He is worth it! Through every trial and sacrifice, despite my fears and failings, I can confidently say alongside Saint Paul that "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:8). I now understand with the wisdom that only time and experience can bring, that my yes to Him is not a one-time exchange, but an ongoing, deepening surrender of every part of me. As the seasons of my life change, I hear a growing urgency in this call to discipleship and I am challenged daily to re-orient my priorities and keep Jesus the Treasure, at the center of my life. As we strive to lay hold of and cherish this beautiful Treasure, may we be encouraged and comforted by the words of Pope Benedict: “Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to Him, we receive a hundredfold in return.” (source) [bctt tweet="My yes to Him is not a one-time exchange, but an ongoing, deepening surrender of every part of me." username="@bloverevolution"] Which vocational path is God calling you on? If you're discerning that, consider this sweet prayer. Debra Herbeck, a Jewish convert to the Church, has worked extensively in youth and women’s ministry. She has directed Pine Hills Girls Camp for the past 32 years, is the founder and Director of the Be Love Revolution, and also helps lead a ministry called i.d.916. She has written a number of books that can be found here. Debra and her husband Peter live in Ann Arbor, Michigan and are the parents of four children and five adorable grandchildren.

When I reflect daily on the state of my soul, I may do a quick checklist of sins I may or may not have committed. Yet I don't often pay attention to how much I've done that day to cultivate the life of God within my soul—to weed and water the garden of my heart to take the parable from today's Gospel even farther. When I take stock of my heart, I often see so much spiritual clutter. There are heaps of other people's voices amidst the clutter: tweets with no explanations, articles defending or promoting whatever topic is currently trending, noise from the culture that doesn't want to admit God exists. I let this clutter pile up and pile up just going about my daily life. For some reason I believe my soul has an infinite capacity for this spiritual noise and there's no need for me to clean it out! But just like living in a house that's piled with junk on every surface and garbage stacked up by the back door, my soul can't really spread out and grow and live without space. We need to make space for life within us, and true growth in holiness by cutting the clutter. We need to be conscious that we take in many different streams of information a day but not without a lasting effect. All the noise and spiritual clutter begins to grow as weeds within our souls. What we take into our minds and hearts matters, even if it's in the form of a celebrity Instagram post. We need to cut the clutter of these weeds, examine how much information we're taking in a day and from what sources. With the space we create our souls can experience silence to water the seeds of goodness. Silence not only allows us to hear God's voice, but also our own and its longing for intimacy with its Beloved. [bctt tweet="We need to make space for life within us, and true growth in holiness by cutting the clutter." username="ChristyIsinger"] When you glance at your phone today, download one of these five Catholic apps and make the time spent there more intentional, and hopefully spend less time on a screen overall. Christy Isinger is a wife and mom to five lovely, loud children and lives in northern Canada. When not homeschooling, she is a devoted reader of English literature from Jane Austen to Agatha Christie. She writes about the beauty of faith, life, and the home at her blog and is the co-host of the Fountains of Carrots Podcast. You can find out more about her here. She is the author of our Blessed Conversations: The Ten Commandments study found here.

Five priests sat in our living room talking to my husband and children while I finished dinner alone in the kitchen. Instead of the normal anxious resentment I often feel when guests are waiting, a warm, happy feeling came over me. I was filled with gratitude that these holy priests were in my home and happy for my husband to sit and converse. I was able to serve them with joy and felt God’s presence with me in my work. This is what the Lord wanted for Martha! A traditional way of reading today’s Gospel from Luke (see Luke 10:38-42) is to look at Martha and Mary as representative of two ways of living our Christian life. Martha in her service and hospitality to Our Lord represents the active life where we live out our love of God through good works and in forming virtuous habits. It is good for us to care for the necessities of life, especially the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter. Mary seated at the feet of Our Lord represents the contemplative life where we spend time with Him in prayer. Pope Saint Gregory the Great says that “the contemplative life is to cling with our whole mind to the love of God and our neighbor, and to desire nothing beside our Creator” (Hom. xiv in Ezech.as cited by Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae,II-II,Q. 180, Art. 1). God wants us to be in His presence because being close to Him is better than anything else. Most of us cannot spend hours each day in quiet prayer, but we can start by taking just two or ten minutes each day for silent, intentional conversation with God. Our time at the Lord’s feet will overflow into the rest of our day, helping stay close to Him in all we do. When we unite our every act to Him in either silent or verbal prayer, we will find our anxiety and care lessened. Jesus asked Martha to stop worrying and see her work as an act of love for Him. He asks the same of us. [bctt tweet="God wants us to be in His presence because being close to Him is better than anything else." username="blessedisshe__"] Schedule into your day these moments of silent, intentional conversation. Ask a friend to do it too so you can keep each other accountable and encourage one another in this growth of your relationship with God! Susanna Spencer is the Theological Editor for Blessed is She who studied theology and philosophy in her earlier life. She happily cares for her three adorable little girls, toddler boy, and her dear husband in Saint Paul when not writing and editing. She loves beautiful liturgies, cooking delicious meals, baking amazing sweets, reading good books, raising her children, casually following baseball, and talking to her philosopher husband. She is a contributing author to our children's devotional prayer book, Rise Up and Theological Editor of both the Catechism Studies and the Mystery Studies. You can find out more about her here.

I am not a good negotiator. Maybe it’s because haggling isn’t regularly practiced where I live or because I am quick to accept a price given to me. I hear friends share stories about their purchases and how they talked their way into a hefty discount but in reality, I suspect that the “discount” is the price the merchant already had set in their mind. That fifteen percent savings was already in their books, planned from the beginning. You just have to ask for it. (See Luke 11:10.) In Genesis Chapter 18, we find Abraham haggling with God for the safety of the innocent in Sodom. He starts high and works his way down, while seemingly schmoozing God along the way. It’s almost arrogant and yet each time Abraham asks God to lower the amount, He does. At a glance, this passage might paint an incorrect picture of a blasé God, willing to bend His will if you say the right words at the right time with the right flair. I don’t know about you, but in my experience, that’s not how God works. But what if the story is instead meant to articulate God’s vast love for His people? God’s omnipotence means He already knew the fate of Sodom and yet we find Him repetitively affirming Abraham’s requests to love its people. Would you spare 50? 45? 40? 30? 20? 10? And each time, God responds “yes” to Abraham, and each response grows in tenderness. “For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it” (Genesis 18:32). These answers do not speak to Abraham’s negotiating abilities but rather to the immense love of the Father Who I imagine would continue to answer in the same way even if Abraham’s numbers dwindled down to the question of merely 1. What if there is only one person? Or even further, what if it’s only me, Lord? And in taking this question to prayer, I find a sense of peaceful feeling deep within that the answer is another, even gentler, “Yes, my daughter, even if it was only you.” [bctt tweet="What if there is only one person?" username="blessedisshe__"] Do you already know about Jesus' revelation of His Divine Mercy? Find out the background to the message here. Sarah Rose is a small town Ohio girl who is obsessed with all things Ignatian and is passionate about faith, social justice, and the intersection of the two. She left Ohio in 2012 and after a year of service in rural Alaska, earning her Master of Divinity in California, and working at a Connecticut High School, is officially back in Ohio serving as a university Newman Campus Minister. When she’s not working, she enjoys contagious laughter, clever puns, and finding the good in all things. You can find out more about her here.

It's the time of year in which my gardener's heart is supremely happy. My fledgling spring seedlings have (mostly) grown into hardy summer plants that happily end up on my dinner table—basil and tomatoes, strawberries and potatoes, and so much more. Most evenings you can find me, sweaty with midsummer humidity and barefoot with black earth finding room between my toes, tending to my little plot of earth. As the traffic buzzes by my little urban garden I'm struck by how alive, how beautiful, how good my garden is. It's in these daily trips to the garden that I ponder over our Lord's words to the crowds (see Matthew 13:24-30): "A man sowed good seed in his field . . . But his enemy came and sowed weeds all throughout the wheat, and then went off." I'm struck by how relevant this passage is to my own spiritual journey. Even though I try to sow good seed in the garden of my heart by making time for daily prayer and receiving our Lord often in the Eucharist, there are always those sins that rise up and choke out good spiritual growth. Sometimes before I even realize what is happening it feels like my beautiful heart's garden is stifled by unforgiven hurts, quick rushes to judgment, and persistent doubts of His plan for me. I don't want a stifled heart, I think to myself as I yank a weed while mulling over the places where I know my heart is lacking. I want a healthy, strong, heart that bears good fruit—just like the fruit of my garden. Sisters, we need not worry if the weeds sometimes overwhelm us. Just as my purposeful plucking of the weeds of my home's garden gives the rest of my beloved plants room to grow, so does the daily, purposeful work on our spiritual heart allow the Lord, the Master of the Harvest, to bear good fruit in us. Seek out the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and ask Him to tenderly care for the garden of your heart today. [bctt tweet="I want a healthy, strong, heart that bears good fruit." username="blessedisshe__"] Here's a two-minute clip on why it's helpful to confess our sins to a priest, in case you're struggling with the Sacrament or explaining it to others in your life. Karen Schultz hails from the Land of 10,000 lakes, where she is often found in or near one of them. As a doula, lactation educator, and FertilityCare Practitioner, she finds joy in helping women to embrace the gift of their bodies. Downtime is found in quiet adoration chapels, farmers markets and gardens, listening to bluegrass music, and embracing the diversity of Minnesota’s seasons. You can find out more about her here.