Today’s Gospel reading got me thinking about John the Baptist and his life whose feast day is today. I shared with my friend Liz that I didn’t feel comfortable with John the Baptist. He intimidated me with his camel-hair-wearing and locust-eating ways. He seemed loud, forceful and no nonsense. For someone who didn’t like confrontation, he wasn’t exactly endearing. I laughed when Liz said she had thought the same thing. However, she shared that something changed in her perception. He became her “Saint of the year” (where you choose a Saint to learn about and ask for their prayers). Liz got to know Saint John through prayer and eventually she saw another side to him—a gentle, humble soul completely committed to Our Lord. My mind was blown. First, by the way Liz was able to immerse herself into prayer and befriend the saints, as well as Jesus and Mary. She always talked and acted in a way where you knew that Jesus was more than a “concept.” He was as real to her as the person sitting next to her in a coffee shop. Liz knew Jesus intimately. Secondly, I could see those same qualities of John the Baptist in Liz. She never shied away from speaking the truth. She was always pointing me towards God and challenging me to love Him deeper but her manner was so gentle and loving that I couldn’t help but respond positively and want to love God more. I always thought that John the Baptist was completely out of reach and so unlike me, but I think I have it wrong. God wants me to be more like him; not in the camel hair and locusts way, (at least I hope not!) but in having a love for Our Lord so deep that it has to be shared, even in the face of death. Like Saint John and Liz, I want the Holy Spirit so alive in me that people are inspired to love God more. Isn’t that that we are all called to do in our own lives? Jesus desires us to share the Gospel message, not with judgement but with humility and love, so that others are drawn to the mercy and love of God. [bctt tweet="Jesus desires us to share the Gospel message, not with judgement but with humility and love, so that others are drawn to the mercy and love of God." username="bobbi_rol"] How can you share the Gospel message with someone today? Invite a friend to coffee to talk about the faith. Bobbi Rol is a wife, mama and blogger living on the Monterey Bay in CA with her husband, teen daughter, and three rambunctious boys. When she is not dodging light sabers or stepping on Legos, she can be found outside with her family, catching a late night movie, or decorating her planner. You can find out more about her here.

I sat blissfully alone in the local coffee shop, with a hot espresso and a fancy breakfast sandwich on the way. It’d been months since I last had a morning out to myself. My soul craved the silence and stillness and change of pace. Indulging with a breakfast treat wasn’t too shabby, either. After the barista left my food, I opened to the readings for today. Saint Paul’s words stirred me with comfort and joy, giving words to memorize into prayer: “May our Lord Jesus . . . encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) I sipped my espresso and let out a contented sigh. And then Jesus' words hit my heart: “You cleanse the outside of the cup…but inside [you] are full of … self-indulgence . . . .” (Matthew 23:25) I had a breath-catching heart-check moment. Am I a hypocrite, sitting here penning pretty words about the spiritual life after Instagramming my espresso? The honest answer is probably “yes.” I want to show my best side, live my best life, earn the accolades for a job well done. Certainly my frequent use of Instagram borders on self-indulgence, as I restlessly pursue satisfaction from something that will never satisfy. I want to have a “shiny exterior,” which isn’t necessarily bad, except when that happens in lieu of a heart turned to Christ. Yes, hypocrisy is a fault of mine. So what is a gal like me to do? How do I turn my restless self-indulgence into something more productive and in the pursuit of holiness? Our Saint for today, Saint Augustine, knows the struggle. Augustine abandoned the faith his mother Saint Monica passed on to him. He lived a life chasing pleasures and self-indulgences while never finding satisfaction or peace. After his conversion, he reflected that our hearts are restless until they rest in God. It is in Saint Augustine’s example that I find an answer to my question. Yes, I need to watch my use of social media, how I portray myself, and what I eat and drink. More than that, I need to first turn my heart to God, who alone can satisfy my soul’s deepest desire for joy and love and happiness. In God alone will I find the guidance to cleanse my heart and transform my life from the inside out. Pray with me today, this beautiful prayer from Saint Augustine. Allow the Holy Spirit to move in your life and strengthen you in every deed and word. "Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, That my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, That my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, That I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, To defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, That I always may be holy. Amen." (source) [bctt tweet="Allow the Holy Spirit to move in your life and strengthen you in every deed and word." username="blessedisshe__"] Praying this prayer, let your heart really truly open to the Holy Spirit to infuse every inch of your life. Gina Fensterer is a Colorado native at heart, but the West Coast beach life suits her just fine. She currently lives in small coastal area of California with her husband and six children. She loves the Jesus prayer, coffee at any time of day, homemade salsa, photography, and sleepy toddler snuggles. You can find out more about her here.

The First Reading is from a letter Saint Paul wrote to the Church in Thessalonica. (2 Thessalonians) Being a port city in Greece, I imagine that the Church there was filled with fishermen, merchants, sailors, and shop keepers. With the warmth of the sun and the smell of the ocean surrounding them, the men, women, and children of Thessalonica soaked up Paul's words as their priest read them. Personally, I sometimes struggle to follow Paul through his run-on sentences, but I wonder what power his words held for the Thessalonians. When they heard Paul’s greeting, were they filled with thanksgiving? Did they smile at his words, remembering how he gestured and spoke? There seems to be a real depth of love and friendship in his message, a true pride in how their Church was flourishing, and a sincere hope that for their own sake and the glory of God, they would continue to grow in their faith. I wonder what a letter from Saint Paul to the Church in my town would be like. I live in a town of 16,000 people, which is surrounded by bean and corn fields. Our parish is made up of farmers, engineers, teachers, and medical professionals. What message would he have for us? Would he be proud of our faith? Would he see my parish as flourishing? Would he inspire others by telling them of how we endure our sufferings? And what about you? Maybe your town is a bustling city like Thessalonica or a small town nested in the heartlands like mine, but no matter where you live, what of your parish? What would Saint Paul say to you? Is your local church thriving? Are you and your friends growing in your faith? The beauty is that this letter is meant for us, too. Maybe we need to step up in our parish and faith lives, but maybe we likewise need reassurance of the saints’ presence in our lives. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy are praying for us, praising God for us, and cheering us on to Heaven. May we be worthy of their friendship. [bctt tweet="What would Saint Paul say to you? Is your local church thriving? Are you and your friends growing in your faith?" username="BonnieEngstrom"] Are you helping and giving of your time and talents in your community? How can you do more of that? Bonnie Engstrom is a writer, baker, speaker, and homemaker. She, her husband, and seven children live in central Illinois, and her son’s alleged miraculous healing through the intercession of Venerable Fulton Sheen was submitted to the Vatican for Sheen’s beatification. Bonnie pretends she has a green thumb, bakes a fantastic chocolate chip cookie, loves naps and chai tea, and blogs. You can find out more about her here. She is the author of the Blessed Conversations Mystery: Believe study found here.

“Choose today whom you will serve,” Joshua challenges his troops in today's First Reading. (Joshua 24:15) In the Gospel, Jesus issues a similar ultimatum: "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father." When a number of disciples depart, He says to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” (John 6:65, 67) Joshua’s troops stay. The Twelve stay. Everyday, we face the same challenge: Decide today whom you will serve. Do you want to leave? To be honest, some Sundays, I do not want to wriggle myself into something presentable and go to Mass. Like. . . today. I just finished my first week back in the classroom with a bunch of teenagers, and I would like to spend my Sunday sleeping and changing from pajamas into a swimsuit and just sitting in the sun with a cold drink for most of the day. (I am single and deep into my late 20s. Don’t begrudge me this dream. Don't worry, I have a hat and sunscreen, too. Again, I'm deep into my late 20s. I've learned this lesson.) But here’s the thing. When I woke up this morning, I had to answer for myself and decide: Whom do I serve? I want to stay close to the Lord. I want to serve my God. And for Catholics, staying close to Christ means staying close to the Eucharist, especially in the Mass, especially on Sundays. Saint Peter speaks for all of us when he says, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." (John 6:68) And truly, to whom can I go without the strength of Christ? As Joshua’s troops cannot enter battle without the strength of God protecting them, I cannot venture into my daily life without His grace enveloping me. The Mass—weekly, at least, or more if you’re lucky and able—is an affirmation of our answers to these questions. [bctt tweet="As Joshua’s troops cannot enter battle without the strength of God protecting them, I cannot venture into my daily life without His grace enveloping me." username="br1gid"] Master, to whom shall we go? Only to You. Christ draws us back again and again, reminding us always of Who it is we serve. Let Him draw you close. Brigid Hogan is a high school English and ESL teacher who lives in northeast DC. She is passionate about Catholic social teaching and tries to live it out daily in her relationships and community. Most of her pleasures are guilty ones like television, burritos, and Twitter. Find out more about her here. She is the author of our Blessed Conversations Mystery: Beloved found here.

Jesus found Philip. Philip found Nathanael. Nathanael found Jesus. (John 1: 45-51) As I read today’s Gospel message in the first chapter of John, I prayerfully inserted my name: Jesus found Debbie. Debbie found a neighbor, a friend, an acquaintance, a family member, a teenage girl . . . and they found Jesus. What a beautiful and simply stated chain of events that reflects such an important challenge for all of us as disciples. We are called to help others find Jesus, the living and true God, so they can help others do the same. So, what holds me back? I am afraid that I won’t have the right words to say, or answers to complex questions, or enough theological understanding. But Philip models for us the perfect opening line, which he heard Jesus say earlier to two followers: “Come and see.” “Come and see” is an invitation I can offer for others to see who Jesus really is, to suspend their judgments, preconceived notions, or negative experiences of the Church, and journey to the place of encounter with a Person who is not just waiting to be found, but is the One in pursuit. When I extend this simple invitation, the pressure is no longer on me to have all the answers. It's God’s job, and His deepest desire, to show people that His Son is the Answer. What I’ve learned in the 35+ years since “Jesus found Debbie” is that “come and see” means an offer to faithfully accompany others as they walk the path toward Christ. It means rejoicing with them when they rejoice and weeping with them when they weep. In addition, I invite others to come and see my life, which is far from perfect, but by God’s grace reflects the reality of His love and mercy. Philip’s simple invitation has a beautiful effect. Nathanael encounters Jesus. The Lord sees him, He knows his innermost heart. From this intimate connection with the Messiah comes Nathanael’s profession of faith: “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Today, Jesus calls out to each of us, “Come and see! Draw closer to Me. See Me in prayer, in all the circumstances of your life, and in the people around you.” Today, Jesus asks us to be like Philip—eager and ready to invite others to “come and see” Him—and to be like Nathanael by sincerely acknowledging Him as our Lord and King. [bctt tweet="Today, Jesus asks us to be like Philip—eager and ready to invite others to “come and see” Him—and to be like Nathanael by sincerely acknowledging Him as our Lord and King." username="@bloverevolution"] Have I invited anyone to come closer to the Lord? 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.

I was the new kid in town, with three kids of my own and no clue how to do this at-home-mom thing after working full-time for so long. Unlike third grade, when a smiling girl at my new school approached and said, “wanna be friends?” making adult friends in a new place felt more awkward than dating. So when the nice mom chatting me up at story time casually invited me to a play date with others, I dove headlong at the chance. But it didn’t take long for my eyes to be opened to the “reality” of this new group of friends. Their homes, cars, and designer clothes were clearly newer and nicer than mine. When a brand name I didn’t know came up in conversation, I casually asked, “What’s that?” then promptly melted in shame as two women shot each other glances, aghast at my ignorance. I was suddenly, painfully aware that—after spending most of my adult life in uniform and focusing every free second on the kids—I was both socially awkward and unrefined. Of course, that perception was my own doing. I’d passed by every truth I knew about my dignity and worth, rejecting them for the lie that worldly status and self-image matter more. Today’s Gospel parable sounds exceedingly harsh, until you learn that the King actually provided the proper attire for the guests before they even walked through the door. (Matthew 22:13) The man wasn’t thrown out because he was poor, but because he outright rejected the beauty and dignity of the king’s gracious gift—simply to continue on in his poverty of self-centeredness and sin. Friends, it’s not about what, or “who,” we wear, but the dignity He’s already clothed us in. It’s not about where we live, but Whose courts we’ve been invited into. It’s not the accomplishments we boast, but the good we allow Him to work through us. It’s not about attaining more "likes," but rather the priceless souls He might reach through us when we say "yes." It’s not tallying our mistakes and failures, but the state of grace we seek through reconciliation with Him and amending our ways. Yes, life is so much more than self-image. It’s about accepting—and reflecting—the beauty of Our Lord’s heart, generously imprinted in our soul, and draped across every inch of our being as the garment of His Love. [bctt tweet="Friends, it’s not about what, or “who,” we wear, but the dignity He’s already clothed us in." username="PosImperfect"] Where have you rejected the garment of His Love and grace in your life? Run to the Sacrament of Penance and let Him wrap you once more in the richness of His Love. Megan Hjelmstad is a wife and mom 24/7 and an Army Reservist in her “spare” time. She’s a bibliophile, tea drinker, sleep lover, and avid admirer of Colorado’s great outdoors. When the writing bug hits, you can find out more about her here.

I love to ponder the tenderness of the relationship of mother and son. It’s a relationship I know well, because I live it daily with my own five sons. It's a love that is tender and powerful, transformative and holy; and it connects us deeply to our Lord because it’s a relationship God chose for Himself. We know He could have only ever been an adult, or not a human at all, but those were not the courses He chose to bring about our salvation. He entered so fully into our humanity, with such humility, that He became a baby. Fully submitting himself to the care of a mother—to sustain, to nurture, to raise, to nourish. A holy, human woman became the arms that held the Creator, the lap that cradled the Savior, the food that nourished the Bread of Life. How clearly this communicates to us the value of the human family and its infinite worth in our experience as people. We know that we can be sanctified by our human relationships—by how well we live our vocation, how well we serve and become another Christ for the people God has entrusted to us to love. God Himself models for us this heroic charge. He did not live the majority of his life as a prophet or king, but as a child, submitting Himself dutifully and lovingly to His mother and foster father in the little town of Nazareth. He desires for us to LIVE this life—in all its humanity and regularity, even in the monotony of every day. This is where He will reach us and show us how to be holy. The queenship of Mary is such a clear revelation of how Our Lady mothered Christ—as both God and man, human and divine—fused in the mysterious act of love called the Incarnation. It only makes sense that Our Lord, loving both His mother and all of humankind with a perfect, heavenly love, would give her to us all, and give all of us to her, forever. What love, what tenderness, what understanding, for the God of all creation to give us a mother. [bctt tweet="What love, what tenderness, what understanding, for the God of all creation to give us a mother." username="blessedisshe__"] Hail, our Mother, hail, heavenly Queen, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. Help us to be worthy sons and daughters. Regina Caeli, pray for us! Blythe Fike is the wife of Kirby and mother of 8 smallish kids. She loves the quiet life in small town SoCal. You can find out more about her here.

Who then can be saved? It seems impossible, doesn’t it? Jesus paints a rather clear picture for His disciples, and it seems like a cruel impossibility. Obviously a camel cannot pass through the eye of a needle, even when the needle He's talking about may have been the narrow gateway into Jerusalem! How in the world are any of us supposed to make it into Heaven? When Jesus says that it will be hard for the rich to enter His kingdom, he’s not talking about the total sum of our bank accounts. He’s talking about the riches that we cling to, white-knuckled, unwilling to set aside in order to grasp His hand reaching out in invitation. He’s talking about what takes up the most space in our hearts. That will be the greatest stumbling block, making it difficult for us to attain Heaven. What is it in our hearts that is taking up the space He should be filling? Is it a disordered love for material things? Desire for praise or recognition? Do we insist on following our every whim and desire, disregarding our obligations? If something other than God commands the most space in our hearts, then we are impeding the possibility of true and deep intimacy with the Lord. If Jesus is warning us of the dangers of being like the rich man, what kind of poverty is He calling us to? He calls us to Christian poverty, which is complete and total dependence on Him Who is capable to doing all things, like leading a sinner like me towards the gates of Heaven. [bctt tweet="He calls us to Christian poverty, which is complete and total dependence on Him." username="jacquiskemp"] Let's pray for a larger heart, more love, and more space for God in our lives. Jacqueline Skemp is a daughter, sister, wife, and mother who endures living in Minnesota after leaving California for her one true love. You can find out more about her here.

I once drove out of the Costco parking lot and saw a man with a sign that read “HUNGRY.” I had a $10 bag of trail mix next to me I had just splurged on in a moment of pregnancy hunger. In the minute I had at the light, I considered handing him the bag. But I thought, I just bought this, and it wasn’t cheap! I am ashamed to say that I decided not to give it to him. I, who could have waltzed back into Costco and easily bought another bag, decided against generosity. The moment passed as I pulled away, and I felt sadness overwhelm me. I was instantly sorrowful that I chose to be selfish rather than generous, that I thought only of myself and not of the greater need of this poor man. Think about the times in your life when you gave generously to those in greater need than you . . . is there one time you can recall where you felt sad afterwards? Probably not. There may be times, however, like this shameful moment with my trail mix, when we can recall going away sad because of our own pitiful inability to love like Jesus did. Jesus asks the rich young man for one thing—radical generosity. (Matthew 19:21) He asks the same of us. Perhaps when the basket at church comes around on Sunday, we give what feels comfortable rather than what stretches us. Perhaps we give a homeless woman the the $5 bill in our wallet rather than the $20, even though we would survive without the $20. Maybe it’s a moment where we have more time to give than we let on so that our friend in need stops talking and we don’t have to listen anymore! Giving comes in many different forms, and there is one thing I know will stand true in life . . . I will never know a radically generous, but unhappy, person. I can’t go back and give my trail mix away. But I can learn from the sadness I felt at my selfishness, and let it propel me to radical generosity in the future. [bctt tweet="I will never know a radically generous, but unhappy, person." username="emwilss"] This week, let us be women who go out of our way to be generous, who give more than feels comfortable, who seize every opportunity to give of our time, talent, and treasure back to the Lord and to those in need. Emily Wilson-Hussem planned her whole life to become a sports reporter but turned out to be a Catholic musician and speaker at the hand of God. She lives out of her suitcase and travels across the world speaking to people of all ages. The heart of her ministry is offering encouragement to teen girls in search of their true identity, and she loves every second of it. She is the author of I Choose the Sky and Go Bravely. You can find out more about her here.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives His followers a crash course on the doctrine of the Real Presence: “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” (John 6:53) Don’t worry, it didn’t sound any less weird and horrifying to them then than it does to us today. There was murmuring and quarreling about it then, as now. People left the Church over it then, as they did in the sixteenth century, and might today if anyone really talked about it. But let’s go there. Let’s talk about what Jesus taught, and what the Apostles and evangelists and Church Fathers defended, and what every Catholic must profess to believe about the Real Presence in the Eucharist. The Council of Trent—convened in 1545 to address the Protestant schism—asserted: “In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist ‘the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.’" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1374) There you have it. At every Mass, just as Jesus explained, Catholics receive the actual flesh and blood of the actual Jesus. An account of the entire doctrine is beyond the scope of one devotion (the USCCB has a great q&a), but if the “what” is the Real Presence, the “how” is called Transubstantiation. That is, that the “substance” which means "what it is," of the bread and wine is changed at the consecration to the body and blood of Jesus, while the “appearance” of the bread and wine, and its other properties, remain unchanged. It still looks, tastes, and smells like bread and wine, but, as Saint Thomas Aquinas says, is "the entire body of Christ, that is, the bones and nerves, and the like." (source) No formed, informed Catholic can claim that the Eucharist “symbolizes” Christ. That contradicts Church teaching as well as the words of Jesus Himself. As Flannery O’Connor wrote in The Habit of Being, in her unmistakable style, “Well, if it’s a symbol, to hell with it." So, what are we to do with this information? Our two choices are pretty well summed up by verses that follow today’s gospel: “As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, ‘Do you also want to leave?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’” (John 6:66-68) I’m #teamstpeter. Spend some time in the Adoration chapel this week. When you receive the Eucharist at Mass, pray a special prayer of thanksgiving for a God Who became Man so we could partake in His life! Kendra Tierney is a forty year old mother of nine and wife of one living in and working on a big old fixer-upper house in Los Angeles. She's a homeschooler and a regular schooler and is counting down the days until her oldest turns sixteen and can take over some of the driving! Her new book, the Catholic All Year Compendium: Liturgical Living for Real Life, will be published on October 7th. You can find that here, her first book, A Little Book About Confession, here, her blog here, and her word art here.

Want to know what I love about this Blessed is She sisterhood? Authenticity! I love the open dialogue when we share the triumphs and trials we face as a Church. You know the domestic church takes place around your kitchen table, or the boardroom, on your college campus, and the cancer ward. . . not just when we are in the pews. Ladies, you are not afraid to love one another into honest conversations about surrender, wounds, sacrifice, and unexplainable joy. This truthfulness is necessary if we are going to welcome everyone into the Church. In the Gospel today, Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them.” Since we are called to have faith like a child (Matthew 18:3), this message is for us just as much as it is for the baby in the cry room. We are all called to come to Him! But sometimes we are like the Apostles, preventing our brothers and sisters from encountering Christ. Sometimes we impede the path for our brothers and sisters to run like children, freely to Him. We miss out on opportunities for gently guiding the broken into a relationship with the One Who loves them and died for them as they are. Sometimes, the rebukes we speak are silently internal; often they are so frighteningly audible that Christ shudders; mostly, they are our self righteous pride. We are all sinners in need of the merciful embrace of Christ, and His grace, to live His teachings more fully. When has judgment and gossip prevented you or someone you know from walking through the doors of church? Why should men and women with same-sex attraction struggling to live the teachings of the Church on chastity feel unwelcomed in our churches instead of embraced? Why are we not loving those who have been wounded by divorce and are going through an annulment process to receive answers and healing from God? And what about the reality of mental health and actively loving people in their darkest days? “The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14) Our work within the Church must go beyond the pews and parking lots! [bctt tweet="Our work within the Church must go beyond the pews and parking lots!" username="@SoCalTriciaT"] Today, let’s look in the mirror and recognize how we prevent friends, neighbors, family members, or even strangers from a real relationship with Christ. Let us help create a path for everyone to know His love and mercy and experience the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Tricia Tembreull is a California girl with a Texas-sized heart for hospitality. She serves as a Parish Coach for Life Teen, International, and joyfully travels around the globe training, empowering, and praying with youth ministers. When not on a plane, she is either in church, spending time with family or friends, in the kitchen cooking up something delightful, or on the beach for an evening walk. You can find out more about her here. This devotion was written for these readings about a month ago. We are mourning and greatly troubled by the abuse within our beloved Church. We are praying with you. Lord, be near.

Independent: one of the words most frequently used to describe me by my family from the time I was a baby. They are not incorrect in their observation. Picture that stubborn child who insists on doing everything by herself and you have me—even now at nearly thirty years old. I pride myself on being self-sufficient, on being able to take care of myself. Unfortunately, this means that I struggle with asking for help and letting someone care for me. This is partly to do with stubbornness, but mostly because I genuinely fear being burdensome to those around me. As I begin preparing (officially) for marriage, I can’t help but see the way God has been moving in forcing me out of my comfort zone of independence to be joined with someone who will help me grow in many ways—especially in allowing myself to be taken care of. “‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ . . . . So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” (Matthew 19:5-6) In the time my fiancé and I have been together, by the grace of God, my heart has been stretched and pulled in many different ways, including learning how to just be loved. It is crazy how challenging it can be to allow someone to show their love through care, compassion, and forgiveness—especially when we think we do not deserve it. The beautiful thing is that in our relationship I am learning to let not just him, but others in my life love me as well. Through their love I know that I am seeing just a tiny glimpse of the way I am loved by God. God uses all vocations to bring us to holiness and fuller understanding of His love! Whether single, religious, or married, God is reaching out with open arms inviting us to be lavished in the same manner describe in Ezekiel today (Ezekiel 16:6-14) and to experience the same forgiveness and fidelity to His covenant. (Ezekiel 16: 60, 63) Let’s be honest, I will probably always have a bit of an independent streak. But, thankfully, through my vocation and the love of others, I am learning to grow in understanding of my dependence on God and the need to allow myself to be loved just as I am. [bctt tweet="God uses all vocations to bring us to holiness and fuller understanding of His love!" username="blessedisshe__"] How are you experiencing His love today? Jot it in your journal, hold it in your heart. Sarah Stanley is a small town Ohio girl who is mildly obsessed with all things Ignatian and is very passionate about faith, social justice, and the intersection of the two. She recently earned her Master of Divinity and now serves as the Director of Christian Service at a high school in New England. When she’s not working, she enjoys contagious laughter, travel, clever puns, and finding the good in all things. You can find out more about her here.

On this Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, invite Our Lady to speak these words to your heart: My Beautiful Daughter, I hope that my words today bring encouragement to your weary heart. I hear your thoughts, know your feelings, and see your desires. I remember what it feels like to be faced with confusion, uncertainty, and pain. There are even times when I see the dragon attempting to devour the glorious life of my Son within you. But I need you to know that you are safe. I am here in Heaven with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and all the Angels and Saints. We are preparing a home for you. You may feel like you are in a lonely desert right now, but I want to strengthen your heart today with my humility, obedience, purity, patience, and love. Yes, the King desires your beauty and I will show you how to let Him be the Lord of your heart. Live your Baptism, be strengthened by your Confirmation, receive His mercy through the words of my priest in Confession, and receive Him often in the Eucharist. We have a place prepared for you and all you need to do today is stay with Jesus. He is your way, truth, and life! Simply remain with Him and He will be your joy and peace. Then your soul will truly proclaim the greatness of the Lord! With All My Love, Your Heavenly Mother Mary P.S. Don’t forget, I want to crush the head of the serpent in your life . . . and if the enemy continues to wreak havoc, I will punch the devil in the face. [bctt tweet="Simply remain with Him and He will be your joy and peace. Then your soul will truly proclaim the greatness of the Lord!" username="blessedisshe__"] Take a few minutes to write a letter back to Mary. How do you want her to help you today? Rose Coleman is a contemplative in action who delights in all things beautiful. Her adventurous heart has traveled many places—from circumnavigating the globe on a ship during college to some years in the convent as a religious sister. Exuberant from her childhood, she is an elementary school teacher who learns so much from her students. You can find out more about her here. She is the author of our Blessed Conversations: Ways to Pray study found here.

“Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3) Last night I lost it with my five-year-old son. He thought he was being funny, shouting some little phrase over and over again. I, on the other hand, thought it was annoying. “That’s enough.” I kept telling him. “No more yelling, please.” But his shouting only grew louder, as did my scolding, until he reached a pitch that made my ears ring. I leapt up from my seat and stormed across the room. The smile on my son’s face was instantly replaced by look of terror and before I could even give voice to my anger, he had run away from me to cower in the corner. My son is afraid of me! The realization hit me like a freight train, and at the same time I was flooded with a wave of remorse. Remorse for losing my temper, for not handling the situation better from the outset, for not being the kind of mom I aspire to be. There are a lot of things about my children that exasperate me. Their temper tantrums. Their inability to reason and listen. Their tendency to take away my sleep and leave a trail of graham cracker crumbs all over my house. But in today’s Gospel, our Lord tells us that in order to enter His Kingdom, we must become like children. So what is it about these little humans that we are supposed to emulate? It’s the simplicity of heart. The total dependence. The perfect trust. Not two minutes after I had lost my temper with my son, he was giving me a hug, asking for my help with his train tracks, and telling me that he wanted me to lay down with him when it was bedtime. I fail daily as a parent, and still my children keep coming back to me with all of their cares and needs. How much more should we be able to trust in and depend on our Heavenly Father, who is good and perfect and deserving of all our love? [bctt tweet="I fail daily as a parent, and still my children keep coming back to me with all of their cares and needs. How much more should we be able to trust in and depend on our Heavenly Father?" username="blessedisshe__"] Instead of feeling stuck in a place of remorse over our failings, let's turn to Our Heavenly Father with love and appreciation today. Anna Coyne is a Saint Paul native, wife, mother, and convert to the Catholic faith. When not chasing after her two young children you can probably find her playing the piano, knitting, tripping over wooden train sets, or writing. Find out more about her here.

Would you walk awhile in Simon Peter's shoes with me, Sisters? If you read a bit more of his journey in your own journaling Bible, you'll know that Simon Peter has left his fishing nets and the only life he's ever known to follow Jesus. (Matthew 4) He's seen lepers healed and storms calmed (Matthew 8), a despised tax collector repent and be welcomed into his new circle of friends, and two certifiably blind men regain their sight (Matthew 9). He's watched as our Lord has fed five thousand with only five loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 14), and later, another four thousand with equally meager offerings. He's walked on water, and faltered, only to be rescued by His beloved. (Matthew 14) Simon Peter has even found the courage to declare Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (Matthew 16) and watched as his Lord is transfigured on a mountaintop. (Matthew 17) So when the Lord asks Him to go fishing to find money to pay the shekel tax, we're left wondering, did he really do it? The Gospel, as it turns out, doesn't say. I have no more of an idea than you if Simon Peter actually tossed that hook in and pulled up a fish with a shekel in its mouth. But really, it doesn't matter. The larger question for us today is: Would we go fishing as Simon Peter was told to do? Do we trust Him to meet every need in our lives . . . next month's mortgage payment, hubby's job search, our kid's worrisome doctors' visit, the big exam next week, our struggle to find our vocation, and on and on? [bctt tweet="Would we go fishing as Simon Peter was told to do?" username="blessedisshe__"] Would you have gone fishing to look for that shekel? And will you do it today? 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.

In today's world where Christianity has become so politicized, cliched, commercialized, sanitized, and comfortable it is all too easy to assume we know what it's all about. We assume Christianity is simply a comfort to the masses, an excuse to push political theories, simple platitudes for us all to "be nice." We've forgotten that Christianity is radical, revolutionary, and completely transforms humanity in a real, metaphysical, and cosmic way. Nowhere are the words of Jesus so unique, so game-changing, and so seemingly crazy as in His bread of life discourse from the Gospel of John. (John 6:41-51) Here Jesus extols the Jews with this idea that you have to eat the bread come down from Heaven in order to have eternal life. He goes even further saying the He Himself is the bread of life. If you were a Jew listening to a man standing in front of you saying that he is the bread of heaven which you must eat to gain eternal life, wouldn't you think he was pretty crazy? To many converts to the faith, this Scripture explaining the Holy Eucharist has been a huge stumbling block. And to those of us who are cradle Catholics, we probably have simply glanced over these passages without realizing how revolutionary this idea really is. No other person of any other religion has made such claims as Jesus does here. There was no precedent to a person saying something like this that would have rang familiar to the ears of the Jewish people who heard Jesus speak. This is something so important, so vital, to the salvation history of the world, and the salvation of your soul and mine, that we can't gloss over how radical it may sound. We need to let this mystery, this seemingly crazy idea soak into our hearts: this Bread is the source of our eternal life. I bet it will take our entire lives of faith to even begin to understand what it means for us, and for the world. And that's okay, because Christianity isn't a neat, easy, and comfortable faith. It's a faith of mystery, transformation, and most shocking of all, eternal salvation. [bctt tweet="Christianity isn't a neat, easy, and comfortable faith. It's a faith of mystery, transformation, and most shocking of all, eternal salvation." username="blessedisshe__"] Pause for moment today to consider Jesus as Bread from Heaven. Jesus in the Eucharist is fully here, fully given to us, fully our salvation. Lord, help our faith grow in light of your Truth. 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.

Just last week I woke up with a new awareness of my life that has been present for awhile, but I just hadn’t seen so clearly. As my eyes opened I also seemed to internally survey my life and recognize that I have truly received so many of the things that, for years and years, I have been waiting and longing and praying for. After numerous years of struggling with chronic illness and begging God for healing, I have more strength and new life within me. I have received deep and true friendships that center on mutuality and support and journeying together. Though unfortunate circumstances led to an unexpected and sudden move, I now live in a place of great beauty, peace, and sunshine which is becoming more my home than where I was raised. After years and years of waiting and praying, I am in a deep relationship with a man with whom I share life and love and joy. I am realizing that through faithfulness to God, I am truly cultivating the life I have wanted—the life that God Himself gives and desires for me, too. “For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.” (Habakkuk 2:3) Before, I couldn’t see the vision. I couldn’t see that what I wanted and needed would actually happen for me as well. It had already seemed too late. Too many years had already gone by, and still many more years passed, until this recent experience of waking up and recognizing what I now have received in God’s timing. Even in the midst of these gifts I am receiving, there is still so much waiting required of me and continued hope for the fulfillment of God's promises. The words in today's First Reading call us on to hope, but also to have faith. With a little mustard seed of faith “nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) [bctt tweet="I am realizing that through faithfulness to God, I am truly cultivating the life I have wanted—the life that God Himself gives and desires for me too." username="blessedisshe__"] Are you struggling, feeling that your time has either passed or won't come? Press your heart into these readings today, Sister. Mary Catherine Craige enjoys spending her time creating art, writing, and playing her Irish harp. She uses her experience as a Montessori teacher and catechist to serve young children through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. As a life coach, she encourages and challenges women in all walks of life to more deeply discover their purpose and live fully alive. You can find out more about her here.