“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” // Matthew 13:16-17 At first glance, my Montessori classroom appears chaotic. I hear children talking loudly—almost yelling. The new, young girl dumps an entire bucket of water on the floor, a group of boys distract the girls with silly jokes, another child breaks down in tears, and an inquisitive one has dropped the entire alphabet box. Hundreds of letters now cover the carpet. But if I pause and really observe, I also hear a girl joyfully singing a love song to Jesus that she makes up as she illustrates a few lines of the story she just wrote. Despite the noise, a boy is lost in concentration as he works to find the right place for each piece of his geometry work. The group of boys dissipates as a couple notice the water spill and show their new classmate where to find the towels and mop. They give her a lesson on how to clean up with greater precision, gentleness, and patience than I would. My assistant helps with the alphabet box as the child looks up and smiles. Looking through the window into the room for catechesis, another young child is still at work with the Good Shepherd material. He calmly and peacefully moves the figures, enjoying his time of prayer and work. “Lord, give me eyes to see” was frequently my prayer as a Montessori teacher, imploring God to change me from the blindness of my impatience in order to see the truth of the beauty happening all around me in the children God had blessed me to serve. Where in your life has God blessed you to see and hear the mysteries of God? Whether in your faith life, travels, motherhood, ministry, work, or personal life experiences, God has allowed you to see and hear His treasures in special places. May we have eyes to see. Jesus, open our eyes to see and our ears to hear. May the truth of what we have seen and heard always give witness to You, our Word of Life. Amen. [bctt tweet="“Lord, give me eyes to see." // Mary Catherine Craige " username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion

“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” // Matthew 8:19-20 I needed to be out of my new apartment in two days. The company I was renting from had let someone else book the place where I was living, despite the fact that I had sent multiple messages over the previous month stating my intent to renew. I had received no response from them until the last minute when they told me I needed to move out. It was their mistake. They admitted it was their mistake, and yet they still did nothing to help me. Alone and unfamiliar in this new, big city, I had to pack up and be completely unsettled yet again. I had no idea where to go or where I would find a place to rest my head. The pilgrimage of life can feel deeply unsettling. Circumstances can shake our sense of grounding and make us question if there is any place we belong. It is comforting to know that Jesus understands our unrest and also experienced this in His earthly life. Eventually, I found a new place to settle, but not without significant stress and used-up patience. With fervent prayers, some decisive action and vulnerably accepting help from new friends in the local Catholic community, God resolved the situation and brought me to a place that was an even better fit. We need to remember that we are made for Heaven. Our experience on earth is a journey, a path forward towards our true end of eternal happiness. Ultimately God is our home, the place where we belong. How can you come home to God, even during experiences of chaos and unrest? And perhaps, in your prayer today you could allow Jesus to find a place to rest His head within your heart. Rest in Him as He rests in you. This kind of contemplative prayer can offer you great peace. God, thank You for being my home and place of rest even in the unsettling experiences of my life. Be my strength and stronghold. Guide me, Lord. Come and dwell always in my heart. Amen. [bctt tweet="We are made for Heaven. // Mary Catherine Craige " username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion

“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” // Luke 3:22 I stood at the sink washing up dishes from breakfast, feeling my sadness. The day seemed fine, and yet the not-too-distant death of my father brought a cloud of grief that seemed to hang over me, even on a good day. Welcoming this emotion and being present to how I felt, I remembered that at any time I could step into the love God always has for me. At any time I could lean into the truth that I am God's beloved. Without avoiding, rejecting or shaming the sadness I felt, my body relaxed as my perspective shifted and love became my focus. It felt like a small "upward glance" (Saint Therese's description of prayer) that brought me a few moments of warmth, closeness, and intimacy with God, even while washing dishes. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, concluding our celebration of the Christmas season. This feast is one of the three events that make up the celebration of the Epiphany: the Visit of the Magi, the Baptism in the Jordan, and the Wedding Feast at Cana. In these holy events, God's divinity is made manifest among us. God comes to meet us. And yet, this holy feast is not just an event of the past. These mysteries can touch even the most ordinary human experiences of our lives, even standing at the kitchen sink. At any moment, you can open your heart to step into the love God has for you always and at every moment. We hear the Father's words from Heaven over His Son Jesus: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). What happens when you take a moment, right now, to open your heart to receive God's belovedness for you and allow yourself to step into the love He has for you in this very moment? Listen to His words and your heart. [bctt tweet="God comes to meet us. // Mary Catherine Craige" username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion

"Lord, teach me your ways." // Psalm 25:4 Completing my Montessori training and then getting my first job as a lead teacher at my top-choice school, I felt excited to begin. I had invested so much time and energy as well as financial investment in all my training. I felt so much anticipation to get started and put everything to work. And yet, those first weeks and first year as a new teacher were a new kind of "training" all in themselves. The beautiful pristine ideals of my studies often clashed with the stress, overwhelm, conflicts, and uncertainty of the reality of dealing with a classroom full of thirty three- to six-year-old children, as well as all the concerns of their parents. Working at a Catholic parish school, during my lunch break I would come upstairs to sit in the chapel and look on the large icon of Christ the Teacher, begging Him, "Lord, teach me your ways" (Psalm 25:4). I would pray, "God, teach me to be a good teacher. Teach these children through me. Teach me what to do. Teach me your ways, God." And, gradually, things got better. As I detached and let go of my attempt to control certain outcomes, I could relax, trusting that God was leading the lives of His young children. I could laugh with the children and accept the spilled water, the messes, the tantrums, the exhaustion, the rambunctiousness and numerous personalities of the children all with different needs. I could trust both my own intelligence as well as my intuition, even if I felt I didn't really know what would be the right answer or right thing to do. God was teaching me and teaching my students through me. What's an area of your life where you need to surrender control? Where do you need to allow God to teach you the goodness of His ways? Together let's pray the line of the Psalm today and asking Him from a sincere heart, "Lord teach me your ways." [bctt tweet="Allow God to teach you the goodness of His ways. // Mary Catherine Craige" username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion

“Lemme see! Lemme see! I want to see!” Anyone who has been around children has probably hear these words countless times. In my years as a teacher for preschool and Kindergarten children, these were common phrases within the classroom. And if those words weren’t said aloud, the children would express this desire in their body language, as they would try various creative ways to scooch forward, shift in their seats, or move around so they could see. This need to see and also to be seen is part of the human experience. We want to see, and likewise long to be seen as well. Although Zaccheus, in today’s Gospel, was too short to see Jesus because of the crowd, he found a creative solution. “He ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus” (Luke 19:4). When life feels burdensome with a lot of pain, stress, and overwhelm, we can often lose the desire to solve problems and overcome our limitations using boldness and creativity. Perhaps, sometimes it can even feel easier to shut our eyes, choosing not to see, or even to hide ourselves away, not bothering to let others or God see us. However the example of Zaccheus can inspire us to make the effort to take bold action, to do what it takes to see Jesus as well as to allow ourselves to be seen by Him. What if Jesus is likewise planning to enter your home today, to bring salvation to your family as well as come into the home of your heart? May you have bold and childlike faith to do what you need in order to meet Jesus as He is passing by. [bctt tweet="Allow yourself to be seen by Him. // Mary Catherine Craige " username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion

As I approached the line for Communion, I felt the words of the Gospel echo in my heart strongly inviting a response. “Can you drink the cup?” Feeling a bit fearful, I responded, “Yes!” in my heart to God, and I said, “Amen” aloud as the priest handed me the chalice. I was on retreat serving as a retreat leader with my friend during the summer after our freshman year of college, and I was feeling grateful to have a reprieve from the chaos happening at home. But hours later, I was doubled over in pain experiencing burning chills, a dangerously high fever, and nearly losing consciousness. Despite me insisting that I would be okay, the staff took me to the hospital, and the doctors diagnosed me with a severe case of pneumonia. A part of me felt like it was a mean trick from God. Especially during the slow recovery that took over six months, this illness took away all the plans that were set and ready for the next month's semester abroad in Austria with all my friends. The slow recovery nearly prevented me from returning to college at all and severely limited me from the number of classes and activities that I could attend. I experienced many personal losses on multiple levels for a very long time, and at the same time I received so many blessings that would not have been as sweet or rich had they been given in any other way. God’s invitation to greatness is beyond our human understanding of it. Whether suffering from our sickbed, bearing the responsibilities of caring for children in family life, the loneliness of loss or sadness of prayers still unanswered, God’s invitation to service and intimacy with Him may look different than we have planned and expected. Take a few moments today to sit with today’s Gospel passage (Mark 10:35-45) and ask God to reveal to you the greatness of His plan for you, even though parts of it may still be clouded in darkness and mystery. Glory waits for you on the other side. [bctt tweet="God’s invitation to greatness is beyond our human understanding of it. // Mary Catherine Craige " username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion

We sat in silence. The entire prayer table filled with small lit candles. Although the lights were off, the room was illuminated by the collective light of our little flames. My assistant and I had called the names of our students, handing each young child a tea light in a glass holder. We had prepared them beforehand, showing them how to hold the candle and place it in front of them as they sat cross-legged during our prayerful ceremony. Their joyful smiling faces illuminated the room even more brightly than the candles. Each child was happy to be seen and to be recognized, and happy to receive a symbol of the light of Christ that they received at Baptism. The candles shone on the prayer table the entire school day. Seeing the light still aflame, many of the children took time to come and say a prayer or simply to sit in silence and enjoy their beauty. There is likewise peace, joy, and solemn sacredness when we allow our God-given inner light to be given and seen by others. When we let go of our coping mechanisms of hiding and diminishing the truth about ourselves, our authentic self can shine in its attractive radiance. What a gift to God, ourselves, and others to enter into the shining beauty of who we really are in vulnerability and truth. What do you need to do to show up more fully as your true self? Where are you afraid to shine your light? How can you step into greater courage to be seen by God, yourself, and others today? Come Holy Spirit, inspire us with the fire of Your love. Give us openness and humility to receive the gift of God's light that we may have courage to authentically shine Your truth and love with peace and joy. In Jesus' name. Amen. [bctt tweet="Be seen by God. // Mary Catherine Craige" username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion

My classroom assistant helps three young boys mop up a flood caused by a couple of spilled buckets of water. Two older boys argue about whose turn it is to use the United States map. Annie is crying because Jamie is sitting where she wanted to sit. Mary waits patiently for me to come back and finish showing her the presentation on the Pink Tower as I hear the crash as a drinking glass shatters on the floor and my assistant shifts to keep the children away from the broken glass. "What else can happen in this single moment?" I think, as three-year-old David confidently walks out of the bathroom naked from the waist down except for his little black socks stepping right through the puddle, each step creating pee-soaked footprints along the classroom floor. Getting up, I usher him back into the bathroom to change, as I see Erin holding her stomach about to throw up for the third time this week, most likely in her favorite spot on the carpet. "I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me," Moses cries out to God in the desert (Numbers 11:14). And in my days guiding and journeying with young children as a Montessori teacher, sometimes the responsibility and overwhelm felt too great. Yet Jesus invites us to bring to Him our "five loaves and two fish," (Matthew 14:16) even when the resources we have sometimes seem so little. He blesses our work and brings forth the abundance and peace and joy from it even when it all feels like chaos. And at the end of each day, the children and I would gather around the prayer table, singing a song together and closing out our workday with gratitude to God. The children have taught me to surrender, to laugh at life, and how to "sing with joy to God our help" (Psalm 81:2). Where are you feeling stressed and burdened by responsibility? How can you surrender to God and perhaps even laugh a bit at the chaos life can bring? Heavenly Father, we surrender all our cares and burdens to You. Thank You for caring for us and protecting each of us as Your devoted children. Bring us rest, renewed energy and hearts open to joy that we may see opportunities to play and praise You in every moment. In Jesus' name. Amen. [bctt tweet="Surrender to God. // Mary Catherine Craige " username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion  

“The one thing necessary,” my Dad would say. It was a somewhat ambiguous phrase he’d reference, sometimes almost a joke, but also expressing the depth and seriousness of his continual search for the “need of only one thing,” that Jesus reminds us to focus on in today’s Gospel. And along the journey of my father’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, these words become more and more true. The experiences of loss and slow dying have a way of reminding us to come back to what is most important. Through my father’s decline, his life continues to teach us to have faith to put aside the burden of the inevitable sadness, worries, and stresses of caretaking to come back to the “one thing necessary,” and, like Mary, “[sit] beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak” (Luke 10:39). Can we sit with Jesus present in our loved ones, families, children, students, clients, co-workers and to listen to them and to Him teaching us lessons about what is most important? So many "shoulds" can get in the way these days. So many demands and pressures tell us to we need to do more. But what if the "more" we need to do is actually to listen and rest? Can we take time to practice presence and just "be"? Because being present and encountering God and one another are truly what is most important. What is your current experience of being “burdened with much serving”? Are you worried and anxious about many things? When you come and sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to what He has to say to you, what do you hear? Take some time today to pause, even if only for a moment or a couple minutes, and listen. What do you hear and feel God speaking to your heart? [bctt tweet="What if the "more" we need to do is actually to listen and rest? // Mary Catherine Craige " username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion  

My mentor shared with me the story of her transformation. After God hadset her free her from various behaviors that had been keeping her in bondage, she was surprised to experience an intense time when her family and friends were not very happy with her new way of living. Her new-found strength, boundaries, and inner growth were not accepted among those who wanted her to stay the same and avoid disrupting the status quo. But she was strongly committed to the freedom God had given her. Gratefully she did not quit when she faced pushback, and she has continued to be an inspiring instrument of hope, healing, and new life to the many women she serves and guides. Jesus is the perfect model to inspire us to continue to serve and shine despite encountering various kinds of resistance. In today's Gospel (Matthew 8:28-34), we hear the story of Jesus visiting the territory where He drives out drives out demons from two people who were preventing use of a particular road in that town. And despite Jesus' mighty deeds and all the good He is doing bringing freedom and new life, the people of the town beg Him to leave. Jesus knows well the resistance we can face when doing good work, especially when we are involved in work that brings healing, freedom, and light. There are some people who may not be ready or willing to receive what you have to say and offer. But this is not a problem and definitely not a reason for you to stop doing good. Keep going, sister. Keep serving others, shining your light, and walking the journey of healing and transformation with Jesus' power accompanying you each step of the way. Come Holy Spirit, fill us with Your strength and love. Give us strength and perseverance to continue along the path of life. In moments of opposition or when we are not well-received, fill us with Your power to continue to serve You and Your people. In Jesus' name. Amen. [bctt tweet="Keep going. // Mary Catherine Craige" username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion  

"What do you want to do when you are well?" my new doctor asked me. I had gone through the emotionally exhausting routine of seeing yet another new doctor so many times, but I had never been asked this question. "Dance," I said. "I want to dance again," I told him without hesitation. Though I didn't think it was very possible, especially not without pain and exhaustion afterward. Chronic illness had not only taken away my strength, energy, and health, but also all opportunity to enjoy the beautiful forms of creative expression that I loved. Every Easter I would ask for the same thing: healing. "Please, God, give me new life. Manifest Your Resurrection in me, even in my body." Year after year and during every season, I was praying for this intention. And still, no. Still chronically sick. Still baffling doctors who gave me bandaid recommendations to ease my mysterious symptoms. Through many Easters, some better than others, I was still asking, but still without answers and without much relief. Over a decade after my first appointment, it was a beautiful day when I was able to share the joyous news with my doctor. "I wanted to tell you," I said with a big smile. "I'm dancing again." "And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it" (John 8:31). How do you want God to manifest His Resurrection in you? How do you want to praise God and express your aliveness through the gift of your body, mind, and spirit? Keep asking, sister. Keep asking Him for what you want. God will do it in His time. [bctt tweet="God will do it in His time. // Mary Catherine Craige" username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion God, grant me the patient hope to experience You manifest in me.    

"I'm never coming back to this school again!!" she yelled at me, tears streaming down her five-year-old face. "I'm going to tell my mom on you!" she continued, trying to find threats that would hurt her teacher. I had made the guideline clear. If if she continued to disturb her friend's work, I would ask her to sit at a different table. She kept talking to her friend, and I kept my word, calmly insisting that she now needed to sit in a different place. "I'm never coming back to this school again," she yelled loudly at me again as the whole classroom watching the interaction between kindergartner and teacher. In my Montessori training, we had learned that there is no need to "break" the will of a strong-willed child. Rather, one should support the child to order this strength and intensity towards choosing the good. The will includes our ability to choose, discern, and decide, and it is naturally ordered to the good. The entire Montessori environment, and my role as a Montessori teacher, was to support the development of the will in each of the children, to set the foundation for well-formed virtuous adults who are able to make good decisions. The "strong-willed" children were always challenging, and yet always held a special place in my heart, perhaps because they required me to learn to truly love, and it is they who truly taught me how to be a good teacher. Jesus, the Perfect Teacher, says today, "I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of the one who sent me" (John 6:38). His will, perfectly aligned with that of the Father, is absolutely ordered to the good in all things, because He is Goodness Itself. Do you realize that God's will chooses you? God has chosen you, created you, and named you good (cf. Genesis 1:31). Despite your own experiences of resistance, rejection, and perhaps five-year-old-like fits, how can you strengthen your will to be more united to God's and the goodness He desires for you? listen to today’s devotion [bctt tweet="God has chosen you. // Mary Catherine Craige" username="blessedisshe__"] Lord, open my eyes to do Your will.  

I had packed my bags and moved to Ireland, hauling my harp through airports and arriving with excitement to begin a year-long intensive study of Irish music. Ready to "sing to the Lord a new song" (Psalm 96:1) upon my harp, I began a new adventurous creative chapter of my life. Past the watermill of the old farmhouse where we stayed, the green fields and grazing cows greeted me. Long-necked white swans swam peacefully through the gentle currents of the River Shannon as fishermen cast their lines for a catch. Depending on the rains, the water rushed swiftly over the large rocks, mimicking the sounds of my instrument. A most peaceful setting in which to learn to "praise God with the harp" (Psalm 33:2) however, within the music center, the experience was far from peace. What held the potential for so much good, in reality, turned out to be the complete opposite of all my hopeful and excited expectations. Fear for my own safety kept me from even being able to enjoy the beauty that surrounded me and in order to protect myself, I felt I had no other option but to quit my internship and return home. "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men" (Luke 5:10). And yet the disappointment of one dream eventually opened up another. Returning to the States, God sent me to become a Montessori teacher to guide the development of young children, another deep dream that had been resting in my heart. Singing yet another "new song to the Lord" through the work of my hands and heart, God gave me a different calling and opportunity to serve. Where has your calling changed and God called you to something new? What are the blessings that have come from disappointing and unexpected change? *Readings for Saint Patrick's Memorial listen to today’s devotion [bctt tweet="Where has your calling changed and God called you to something new? // Mary Catherine Craige " username="blessedisshe__"] In answering the call to be flexible to sing a new song, have you faced any challenges this Lent?  

"Jusqu'à maintenant," I heard the priest read in French, and those two words hit me as if I had never heard the story of the Wedding Feast of Cana before. "Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now" (John 2:10). Those two words "until now" from the story of the Gospel struck me as if for the first time. Now. The moment was now. God's promises of miracles now. I was sitting leaning against a pillar in the underground Basilica in Lourdes, France, attending Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. I had traveled all the way to France by myself to be here for this feast day. I had bought my plane ticket and made the decision to come only a week before this spontaneous yet powerful pilgrimage. Tears streamed down my face as I felt my loneliness and the pain for which I had come to this place to ask for healing. Giving thanks for the blessings of bathing in the healing waters and re-consecrating myself to Mary at the grotto, my human heart still felt deeply sad and alone. As the French words struck me more strongly than my native language, I felt the truth that God had saved the best for now. This moment now. The miracle happening right now, whether I fully understood or saw all that God was doing, I could believe that this is true. Can we have eyes of faith to see and believe the goodness and miracles that God has for us right now, in this very moment? Can we believe His miracles are possible and coming to us even before we see them fully realized? * Readings for Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes [bctt tweet="Believe the goodness and miracles that God has for us right now. // Mary Catherine Craige " username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion What miracles are you praying for today? Take them to Our Heavenly Mother.  

My grandfather had an old T-model. Sometimes as a little girl I would peak inside the garage window and see this old timey car, not even knowing how special it was that he had one of the first original models made by Ford sitting in his garage. At times, Papà would take out the car and my brother and I and our cousins would jump in the backseat, and he would drive us around their farm and up to the cabin on the top of the mountain. With the windows down and lots of smiles and giggles from each of us, those moments were filled with so much joy and delight. Years before, my mother and father were riding in that same T-model, while my grandfather had a small accident. My pregnant mother slid from the backseat, injuring herself and her in-utero baby, me. Months of bedrest preceded my birth with fear of miscarriage, and the truth is, I almost wasn't born. Through God's providence and many prayers from my mother during those several months, I was born a healthy baby, ready for the experiences of joy and beauty around me. How do you feel about the truth that God has specifically called you and given you life? Do you believe that He truly desires you to live in an abundance of freedom and goodness and joy? The more deeply we can appreciate the gift and treasure of our own lives, the more we can honor and support every human life around us. How are you coming to more deeply understand your own value so as to more deeply serve life around you and to support future generations yet unborn? [bctt tweet="God has specifically called you. // Mary Catherine Craige " username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion Jesus, thank You for my life.

I had wanted to be spending that money on my honeymoon, not on a trip by myself, but now that wedding was no longer happening . . . . I didn't yet have a family that was dependent upon me. My business was not even where I wanted it to be yet, so not even my clients would be affected if I stayed or left. No one would really care what I decided. I had so much freedom, but the freedom honestly felt quite frightening and also sad. Every reason why I could take this trip seemed to shine a piercing light into all of the sensitive areas of my life that I felt should have been different by now. Once I realized this, I knew this was the exact reason why I needed to go. I decided to press in and see what surprises might be in store. I bought my ticket to Europe six days before I walked onto that plane and made the trip across the ocean. Traveling by myself in one of the most romantic cities, Paris, turned out to be one of the best gifts I have ever given myself. Standing before the grotto in Lourdes on the actual feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes seemed to quietly promise me the prophecies of today's First Reading within my soul. "The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song" (Isaiah 35:1). Abundance. Beauty. Restoration. This is what God does and how He saves, over and over in every circumstance in our lives. And the truth is that often, if the unfortunate circumstances had not happened, we perhaps would not be able to receive the even more abundant gifts that God has to offer us. What is the gift that is present for you today that you would not otherwise be able to receive if you did not also have your current limitations? How can you press in to receive God's surprises? [bctt tweet="Receive the even more abundant gifts that God has to offer. // Mary Catherine Craige" username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion Pray for an increase in trust today, for all the surprises along the way.

I really need to be prudent, I told myself. My college friends and I were traveling to Poland during our semester abroad, and we had just arrived in the town of Częstochowa. Overnight bus travels, hours of walking, and late nights had led me to feel quite exhausted, and I knew I needed be more disciplined in getting rest. My friend came and told me that a special First Saturday all-night vigil was happening in the church. The doors were locked but our friends had found a Polish woman who would let us in and show us the Icon of Our Lady. But it was already after 10pm and I had just promised myself that I needed to be "prudent." Thankfully, I decided to just go and check it out. The kind Polish woman had fed our friends homemade pierogies and then led us into the locked church. Her presence felt like the virtue and generosity of perhaps the Blessed Mother herself. She told us to ask big things from God that night. "No small potatoes," she said as she encouraged us to offer our biggest intentions to Jesus through Mary. The church was packed full of pilgrims, but she led us through the crowd right up to the altar. Below the Icon of Lady of Częstochowa, we consecrated ourselves and the whole world to God, through the intercession of Our Lady, Queen of Poland. Hearing that a small group of American college students were present, they invited us to lead a decade of the Rosary. I stepped up to the pulpit, took the microphone, and led the first half of the Hail Mary in my native language as the entire church responded, finishing the prayer in Polish. I felt so far away from home, and yet at the same time, so welcomed in this foreign country, and so connected through God and Mother Mary. My mistaken understanding of "prudence" had almost kept me from experiencing the most beautiful night of grace, belonging, and blessing. When has God shifted your ideas of virtue and given you abundant blessings, though you originally thought you should be doing something differently? Re-read today's Gospel (Luke 16:1-8) about the dishonest steward and ask the Lord for insights. [bctt tweet="When has God shifted your ideas of virtue and given you abundant blessings, though you originally thought you should be doing something differently? // Mary Catherine Craige" username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion Learn more about this Marian apparition.