"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." // Luke 17:6 Download these beautiful free wallpapers from Sarah Ann Design from today's readings. Let His word dwell in us richly, sisters. Remember, Members, you get this 8x10 digital download for free! Head to the shop for your download. Download your F R E E wallpapers right here --->>> Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

Often, when I think of St. Francis of Assisi, I feel overwhelmed by the legacy of his holiness. At first glance, the heights of his sanctity seem out of reach. His radical charity, his desire for poverty, and his extraordinary joy are difficult to comprehend, let alone live out. It is easy to think of great Saints like Francis and become disheartened. How can I, a wife and mother, live out Franciscan charity, poverty, and joy? After prayer and reflection, the answer was pressed upon my heart. St. Francis was charitable because Christ was charitable. St. Francis chose poverty because Christ was poor. He was joyful because of Christ’s joy. [bctt tweet="St. Francis was charitable because Christ was charitable. St. Francis chose poverty because Christ was poor. He was joyful because of Christ’s joy. #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] Lovers and Imitators of Christ No matter what state of life or vocation we're in, we are called to be lovers and imitators of Christ. When I started thinking of Francis’ life as a beautiful love story instead of a giant list of virtues, I became inspired instead of discouraged. Fall in love with Christ and the charity, poverty, and joy will fruitfully follow. Knowing, loving, and imitating the life of Christ leads to holiness and sanctity. This is true whether we are a Franciscan friar walking the streets of Assisi or a mother walking the halls of her home. The Communion of Saints We all have unique gifts that God desires to cultivate and that we in turn are called to share. We have specific talents, strengths, and virtues that help build the Kingdom of God. Yet we cannot do it alone. We are a community of Faith that depends on one another. God gave us the gift of the Saints and we can learn from their example of holiness and imitate them in their outstanding virtues. The Best Bible Interpreters Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI spoke of this in a General Audience when he said: The Saints are the best interpreters of the Bible. As they incarnate the Word of God in their own lives, they make it more captivating than ever, so that it really speaks to us.   Pope Benedict continued to proclaim that the witness of St. Francis of Assisi: who loved poverty as a means to follow Christ with dedication and total freedom, continues to be for us too an invitation to cultivate interior poverty in order to grow in our trust of God, also by adopting a sober lifestyle and a detachment from material goods. St. Francis and Lady Poverty The poverty of St. Francis of Assisi is often seen as his hallmark virtue. From the time he stripped naked and renounced his father’s riches to the moment of his death bearing the wounds of the Crucified Christ in the stigmata, Lady Poverty reigned supreme in his heart. Poverty was a virtue St. Francis of Assisi lived both in his interior and exterior life. He had a poverty of spirit, a poverty that, if lived out, has Heaven as a reward (Matthew 5:3). From this poverty of heart sprung exterior signs of poverty. This was not only in the way he dressed, spoke, and looked, but also in his service and love for the poor and sick. Three Ways to Become Poor Like St. Francis Sisters, that same poverty that Christ lived and that St. Francis imitated is obtainable for us here and now, no matter what our state of life or vocation. We are called to not just desire poverty, but to delight in it! How? The life of Saint Francis teaches us how to do this through keeping our eyes fixed on the Crucified Christ, through complete trust in our Creator, and through rejoicing in moments of poverty. Keep Our Eyes On the Crucified Christ St. Francis’ great love story began at the Cross. It’s where he was told to rebuild the Church and it’s where he gathered the grace and strength to do so. Francis’ life was completely and wholly Christ-centered. Everything He did was for Christ and to make Him known and loved in this world. There is no greater poverty than the poverty of the Crucified Christ. Vulnerable, despised, naked, and alone, Jesus hanging on the Cross is poverty embodied. St. Francis fell in love with the poverty of Our Savior on the Cross. When we gaze at a crucifix, let us realize that because of Christ’s great poverty we are able to become poor in turn and rebuild His Church. Let us see that the true riches of this earth are found in love and sacrifice. [bctt tweet="There is no greater poverty than the poverty of the Crucified Christ. Vulnerable, despised, naked, and alone, Jesus hanging on the Cross is poverty embodied. #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] Complete Trust in Our Creator Do we truly, completely, wholly, and fully trust in God, our Creator? I have had small moments of this kind of trust with Him in my life, and they have been the most sanctifying and graces. Yet like St. Peter on the water, my feet (and heart) often fail and fall into the ocean of anxiety, which always leads to distrust. St. Francis placed all his trust in God. Because he fell so deeply in love with the Crucified Christ, and knew that He lovingly died for him, he found Him trustworthy. Trust is a fruit of love. Christ is worthy of our full and complete trust! Our lives will never be the same if we live out the words, “Jesus, I trust in You!” Rejoicing in Poverty Every time I pay bills or a financial “stress” happens, I am tempted to become anxious. St. Francis and his companions rejoiced in these moments. They gladly accepted everything Christ laid before them because they saw it as an opportunity and invitation to trust in their Creator. They cried out, “God will provide!” and He always did. And He always does. We can do the same thing in our work, with our children, at home, as a religious, or wife. We can delight in these moments of exterior and interior poverty, crying out to our Creator in trust, and watch the miracles unfold. How do you imitate the poverty of St. Francis within your particular vocation or state in life? [bctt tweet="Ways to Imitate the Poverty of St. Francis No Matter Your Vocation or State in Life #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]

In 2004, I was an awkward, gangly freshman with an unfortunate haircut (weren’t we all?). My new high school had no lockers, no athletic fields, no bleachers in the gymnasium. And no, I wasn’t homeschooled! I had the unique experience of attending our diocese’s brand-new Catholic high school and was part of the first class to attend all four years. When my high school opened its doors in 2004, it welcomed 100 students, only freshmen and sophomores. My high school experience was undoubtedly very unique (we each had a laundry basket to hold our books because of the aforementioned lack of lockers). But it’s an experience I’ll always cherish. I loved my high school for many reasons, not least of which is the patroness under which it was founded: St. Theodore Guerin. In 2004, this Saint was not yet canonized. The name of my high school actually changed during my time there—from Blessed Theodore Guerin Catholic High School to Saint Theodore Guerin Catholic High School. I’d never heard of Mother Guerin before starting high school, but my life will never be the same since coming to know her throughout my teenage years. St. Theodore Guerin was Obedient to the Call Known to us now as St. Theodore Guerin and recognized as the first Indiana Saint and 8th American Saint, Mother Theodore was born Anne-Therese Guerin on October 2, 1798, in Etables-sur-Mer, France. She had a rough start in life and bore the responsibility of caring for her mother and sister after the death of her father and brothers. Finally, at age 25, she was allowed to fulfill the desire of her heart and call from God to enter religious life. She joined the Sisters of Providence at Ruillé sur-Loir, France. When the bishop of Vincennes, Indiana wrote asking for an order of sisters to come help with the influx of Catholic immigrants in the area, it was decided that Mother Theodore was the only one up to the task. She did not want to leave France, especially for what was at the time completely untamed wilderness in Indiana. Yet she was obedient to the call and agreed to make the difficult journey. Together with five other Sisters of Providence, they took on the mission of bringing Christ’s love to the settlers of southern Indiana. Mission in the Wilderness The sisters arrived to a remote area of Indiana, with no town or other neighbors in sight. They were tasked with establishing a motherhouse, opening schools, and ministering to the pioneers who had settled in the area. During their first winter, the mission at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods consisted of a rough log cabin chapel and a small farmhouse where Mother Theodore, her fellow sisters, and a few postulants lived. During their first winter in the wilderness, harsh weather, cold, and frequent hunger plagued the sisters. Not to be deterred, they converted the house’s porch into a chapel and were comforted by the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Mother Théodore said, “With Jesus, what shall we have to fear?” [bctt tweet="“With Jesus, what shall we have to fear?” -St. Theodore Guerin #BISblog //" username=""] Endless Challenges, Endless Trust Mother Guerin faced numerous challenges during her early years in Indiana, including fire, hunger, crop failures, prejudice, a split between the diocese of Vincennes and the diocese back in France, separation from her original order, and severe illness. When you read accounts of Mother Guerin’s time establishing Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, it sounds surreal. How did one woman endure so much hardship, sorrow, and physical challenges? Her answer was simple: trust in Providence. Trust in Providence Providence is defined as “the protective care of God.” Mother Guerin put all her trust in God, trusting that He would protect, guide, and care for her and her missionary sisters as they tackled the immense tasks set before them. She trusted that He would see her through all the trials and tribulations and imbue her with the necessary strength. She trusted that God was good, even when things didn't go as planned. In many ways, her faith was very simple and straightforward. St. Theodore Guerin + Our Own Wilderness As I reflect on St. Theodore Guerin’s life and legacy, I often wonder what wilderness God is calling me to. He may not be asking us to sail across an ocean and establish schools, hospitals, and a religious order in the middle of the untamed forest. But He is calling us all to something. Often that “something” is not clear to us. Or if it is clear to us, it can feel daunting or overwhelming. I can’t imagine what it was like to set off into the wilderness with no guidebook, no plan, no Google in the palm of my hand. But I do know what it’s like to be called to something, and feel ill-equipped. As I mother my two young children, I often feel ill-equipped. As I take on the sacrifice of a husband who works night shift, I feel ill-equipped. When people ask me for advice on basically anything under the sun, I feel ill-equipped. I often wonder if I’m the woman for the job. I wonder, as Mother Guerin traveled to the wild frontier of Indiana, if she felt the same. Maybe your wilderness is your vocation to your family, your classroom, your workplace with co-workers who believe differently than you, your family of origin who doesn’t understand. Maybe your wilderness is a broken marriage, the weight of singleness, or the cross of infertility. May We Have Great Trust! Whatever wilderness God is calling us to, may we respond with the bravery and confidence of St. Theodore Guerin. May we “have confidence in the Providence that so far has never failed us. The way is not yet clear. Grope along slowly. Do not press matters; be patient, be trustful.” May we, like Mother Theodore, submit willingly to the will of God, holding nothing back from Him. May we place ourselves gently in the hands of Providence, with full knowledge that in a life with Christ, we have nothing to fear. St. Theodore Guerin, pray for us! [bctt tweet="St. Theodore Guerin + Trusting in Providence #BISblog //" via="no"]

Guardian angels are way cooler than most people realize. I blame bad religious art, misrepresentations in the media, and a lack of emphasis on them in religious education. To be fair, catechists and religious educators have so much to cover in such a short amount of time, I completely understand why in-depth explanations of the angelic hosts fall by the wayside. After all, understanding “angelology” is not necessary for salvation as is understanding the Sacraments, Scripture, and Tradition. So in all honesty, it kind of makes sense as to why people don’t know as much about angels as they do other aspects of Catholicism. That being said, knowing more about your guardian angel will help you to foster a relationship with him. And that will only help you in your quest for holiness! In fact, that’s exactly why God gave each one of us a friend from Heaven. Guardian angels aren’t merely here protect us from physical harm. Their mission is to help us make our way to the right side of eternity. There are innumerable ways in which they can step in and assist us through daily difficulty. Responsibilities of Guardian Angels One of the first prayers we learn as children is the Guardian Angel Prayer. It’s short, sweet, and easy to memorize. It actually also reveals a short summary of all the assistance your guardian angel can give. In the last line, we make the request that our angel would be with us throughout our day, “...to light and guard, to rule and guide.” What exactly does this mean? To Light Unlike humans, angels have infused knowledge. This means that they already know everything there is to know about anything and everything. This does not mean that they know the future; rather, they have all knowledge of spiritual and material truth. When God created angels, he made them differently than us. Human beings gain knowledge through involvement. We have to experience the truth in some way, shape, or form before we can understand it. This is not true for angels. They were created already knowing these things. Part of the duty of our guardian angel is to help enlighten our minds. This is especially advantageous to us in light of the Fall that takes place in Genesis. One of the effects passed down from that first sin in the Garden was the darkening of our intellects. By choosing to know evil, it clouded our understanding of goodness, truth, and beauty. We all experience this everyday. Sadly, we often forget that our guardian angel can help us sort through “gray matters.” Assigned to us at conception, they are given the ability to communicate with us. Being spiritual beings, they don’t talk. But they do have the power to influence us (which they do without disrupting our freewill). Intellectual Difficulties If you’re struggling with something intellectual, or any matter of the mind, ask your guardian angel to light the way. If you’re studying and struggling to comprehend the material, request a “lightbulb” from your guardian angel. If you’re in the middle of a test and can’t seem to remember the right answer, speak a silent prayer and seek some aid. Maybe you’re a professional, and there’s some coding you can’t figure out, or a case you can’t crack, or a medical issue that has you stumped. Or maybe you’re dealing with family issues that can’t seem to be ironed out. Or you’re struggling to believe in something the Church teaches. In all of these instances, as well as any other place in which you find yourself stuck at a stand-still, call upon your guardian angel. The Saints can certainly intercede for you, but your angel can actually enlighten you. I mean, his sole purpose is to serve you in your pursuit of goodness, truth, and beauty. Utilize him! To Guard Within our Faith, this is the best known craft of our angels. Almost automatically, we picture them protecting us from bodily harm throughout our days. They can do this, and we should ask them for their guardianship, especially in dangerous situations that cannot be avoided. However, they can also guard us from evil spirits trying to lead us astray. This is something we all deal with all day, everyday. Our guardian angels can help us with spiritual warfare, a silent but costly battle. He can’t fight your battle for you, but he can fight alongside you, sharing his influence to help encourage you to act courageously, with virtue, and with strength. [bctt tweet="Our guardian angels can help us with spiritual warfare, a silent but costly battle. He can’t fight your battle for you, but he can fight alongside you. #BISblog //" username="grace_swap"] To Rule By asking our guardian angels to “rule” over us, we’re asking for their assistance with moral decisions, as well as discipline. Back in the Garden, when humanity was in its state of original personhood, we had complete control over all of our appetites. Our lives were balanced, we knew when to say “yes” and when to say “no.” We could easily distinguish between right and wrong. Sin changed that. In addition to the darkened intellect, another effect of sin was the weakening of man and woman’s will. Now, it’s common for our appetites and whims to “rule” us. We all know from experience that it’s often easier to obey our weaknesses and tendencies than it is to stand firm and do the right thing. Sometimes we encounter situations with a lot of gray moral matter. They can be very difficult to navigate, and we don’t even know what the right thing is in a particular circumstance. Our guardian angels are able to assist us with all these things. Just as their intellect differs from ours, so does their will. Their will is “fixed,” in contrast to ours which is free. What this means is that, when they were created with infused knowledge, there was also a moment of decision. In this one moment, each angel chose whether they would or would not obey God. When they made their choice, it was definitive. There is no “changing their minds.” They can’t change their mind because they already know and understand everything. Thus that one choice to obey (or not to obey) became fixed. They will always obey God and they can help us to stand firm in our moral resolve as well. To Guide Remember, we are merely pilgrims on earth, journeying to Heaven. I don’t know about you, but anytime I’m going through something new or difficult, I want guidance. I want the wisdom of others. I want to be led. It makes sense to rely on my guardian angel for spiritual guidance. I often ask mine to guide me through dark thoughts or disagreements with a loved one. I ask him to pray alongside me and for me. Sometimes when I can’t pray, I imagine myself behind him and ask him to pray in my place. I ask him to remind me to do the good things I promised I would do for another. I try to rely on him the same way one might rely on a mentor. He knows more than I do about material and spiritual matters, and God gave him to me to help me. Imploring his aid actually makes my angel happy and helps me from getting lost. Foster the Angelic Persons The angels do so very much for us, and most of it goes unnoticed and underappreciated. St. John Bosco said that our guardian angel is our most faithful friend and companion. St. John Vianney said that our guardian angel tracks our merits in order to make a case for us at our personal judgment (he also says that Satan keeps a list of our sins). St. Bernard of Clairvaux encourages us to show affection for our angels, “…for one day they will be our co-heirs just as here below they are our guardians and trustees appointed and set over us by the Father.” We often forget that they are always present with us here on earth. But in Heaven, we will be very aware of their presence and all that they have done for us. It makes sense to spend some intentional time with them now and to form a real friendship with them. After all, they already spend so much time with you! It's Easier than We Might Think Establishing and nurturing this relationship with your guardian angel is way easier than you think. All you have to do is talk to him. Seriously, that’s it. Start by including the traditional prayer to your guardian angel in your morning offering. Then, as the day passes and the hard stuff hits, stop for a moment and consider how your angel might help you. Can he offer you some knowledge? Can he offer you encouragement? Can he fight alongside you as you overcome a difficult moment? Think about what he can do for you and then simply ask for help. Repeat this over and over again throughout your days. You won’t be disappointed. Do you have a close relationship with your guardian angel? How do you call on him throughout your day? [bctt tweet="How to Grow Closer to Your Guardian Angel #BISblog //" username="grace_swap"]

If there’s one thing I picture most vividly when I think ahead to Advent, it’s moments with my family. I remember racing with my siblings to be the first to hang the ornament on our felt Advent calendar every morning. I smile recalling my toddler’s sweet face, glowing in the light of our Advent candles last year. I’m already looking forward to praying the St. Andrew novena alongside my husband (whose middle name is Andrew) again. Cultivating Closeness with Your Family this Advent When I look back without my rose-colored glasses on, though, I also see so many moments of rush, distraction, and stress in the Advents of my past. Looking ahead to this year, I want less of all of that. Instead, I want to enter into the Christmas season at the end of Advent closer to Christ and closer to the people in my life than ever before. It may feel a little early to start thinking about Advent. Since it can take some time to get our hearts and plans in the right place, though, here are three simple ideas for cultivating closeness with your family this Advent. Carve Out Quality Time Ever since I started distinguishing between the Advent and Christmas seasons, I’ve realized what a blessing it is to put so many activities on hold until December 25. Sure, I aim to complete my Christmas shopping by the end of Cyber Week. Other than that, though, the weeks leading up to Christmas have felt mostly leisurely and slow over the past few years. This intentional margin creates the perfect space for quality time with family members. Cultivate Closeness through Service Living Advent well presents a beautiful opportunity to be a light and an encouragement to others. Maybe your mom is swept up in the chaos of last-minute shopping and gift wrapping. Invite her to take a break and meet you for coffee, cinnamon rolls, and a few hours of reminiscing about childhood holiday memories. Maybe your husband is working extra-long hours to be able to take time off for Christmas. Surprise him with a simple, inexpensive date night. My favorite includes driving around to admire the lights in the area with mugs of hot chocolate in hand. Even if you’re not a “crafty mom” (hand raised high), find just one Advent craft on Pinterest that looks manageable for you and your little ones to tackle. Coordinate siblings spread across different states for a big family Google Hangout one evening. No matter your season of life, your skill set, or even your love language, it’s almost impossible to grow closer to others without spending time with them. Family is certainly no exception. Pray for Your Family More times than I want to admit, I’ve been struck by the realization that I don’t pray for my family as fervently as I should. I want to be the biggest prayer warrior for my husband, son, parents, and siblings. Even so, I still forget their important days, the struggles they’re facing, the delights they’re rejoicing in, and the intentions they’ve shared with me all too often. This year, our Blessed is She Advent Journal serves as the perfect reminder to lift up our families in prayer daily. Centered on Jesus’ own family and genealogy, All the Generations leads us through the people who surrounded and preceded the Word made Flesh. As we dive into this real-life family, who walked and breathed and shared meals and passed on traditions, we’ll be praying for healing in our families. There is so much to learn from this deeply diverse group of people, culminating in the perfection of the Holy Family and in the Savior of the world. Especially if quality family time feels impossible, remember that praying for your family is the one thing you can always do, no matter the situation. Division, strained relationships, unresolved hurts, betrayals, and so much more are very real pain points in so many of our families. These deep struggles can make the community aspect of the Advent and Christmas seasons especially raw and painful. Our hope and prayer is that this year’s Advent Journal assists all of us in praying in a meaningful way for those tender areas of our most intimate relationships. [bctt tweet="Especially if quality family time feels impossible, remember that praying for your family is the one thing you can always do. #BISblog //" username="lisajanelkirk"] Other Ways to Pray Along with praying through our Advent Journal, consider committing to a daily Rosary for your family’s intentions, lifting them up through the novena to the Holy Family, or offering up Masses for them.     Pray With Your Family This last point may be the most challenging one. We all come from diverse families and have experienced different upbringings, which may or may not have included prayer at all. Approach this goal with love and gentleness, especially if your family does not share your Faith. Praying with family can range drastically. But no matter how small your opportunities to do so may be, consider embracing them. That might mean attending Eucharistic Adoration with your whole family. Or, it might be as simple as asking your family to join you in a blessing before dinner. No prayer offered up to Our Lord with a sincere heart goes unheard or unloved! How do you cultivate closeness in your family during Advent? And don’t forget, our 2019 Advent Journal is now available! [bctt tweet="Cultivating Closeness with Your Family this Coming Advent #BISblog //" username="lisajanelkirk"]

“We don’t care what it is, so long as it’s healthy.” I heard this response when parents were asked, “Do you hope it’s a boy or a girl?” A mother did not want to say she hoped the child was a girl if it implied she would be disappointed when a boy was born. Then I heard pro-life advocates say, “Well, what if it isn’t unhealthy?” What would you do then? I had a child who was unhealthy. He carried a rare and life-threatening genetic condition. He lives and thrives, but it did not come easily. When I was pregnant again, what I did I hope for? “Please don’t let her have that condition.” She did not have that condition, we learned at her twenty-week ultrasound. She had anencephaly instead, a condition considered incompatible with life because the child develops in the womb without a brain. Our daughter died during birth. What Matters to Me We find ourselves with the unlooked-for blessing of another child. My eldest questions about hair color, eye color, gender, everything she can think of to form her expectations of what we will discover when this little one comes into the light. Exasperated with the questions and tired of considering these elements I said, “None of that matters to me, as long as it's healthy, that is the only thing I want.” Today I attended the Rosary of a child who died the week before. He was almost 6 months old. He was not born healthy. My son and this mother’s son were not born healthy. But my son is three and a half, and she is living through one of the worst days of her life, the day she buries her child. There was a moment when overcome by fear early in the pregnancy I went to a crisis pregnancy center to get an early ultrasound. I needed to know if my baby was alive if it could survive that pregnancy without miscarriage. After the revelation of a jelly bean jumping on the screen a whisper in my thoughts said, “If there had been something wrong, we would have faced it.” Later ultrasounds revealed the son I would know, whose life my life would revolve around. I'll Take It All I will take the medical gloves, the dressing changes, the medical pumps that beep in the night, the emergency room visits, the hospital stays, the commute to monthly clinic visits. I will take the tears, the desolation, the act of clinging to a God unseen who walks with us unseen as we carry a child unseen or may or may not survive this pregnancy and childbirth. I will take the strain of navigating a health crisis while awkwardly navigating my pregnant body around the hospital room. I will face the possibility of delivering this baby while a caregiver delivers my son to the emergency room. I will take what God gives us. WRITE + PRAY We invite you to sit with the Word and unpack it in a uniquely personal way, finding your own story. Discover your story within His. GET WRITE AND PRAY Being Pro-Life This is what it means to be pro-life in the face of health risks and unexpected pregnancies. We accept the most frightening, the most challenging, the most isolating events in our life knowing that even in these things, God will work all things for good for those who love Him and trust him. And so we entrust ourselves, our son, and our unborn child into His Hands, knowing we cannot know the mind of God or be His counselor and that we cannot fathom the riches and the wisdom of what He has planned for us. Let Him take us as we are, in our doubts, in our uncertainty, in our fears as we tread lightly a path untrod before. There are many who have tasted it, but each path of childrearing and child-grieving is unique and must be cut through as one navigates alone, alone by oneself, alone with one’s spouse, alone with one’s children, alone with one’s family, alone with one’s community. Except that God said we are never alone. “I will send an advocate, a comforter, who will show you the way to go.” Oh the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How did I get to this point? Through prayer, therapy and tears. Never Alone Are you walking a similar path or know someone who has a high-risk pregnancy or received a prenatal diagnosis? Please consider sharing this devotional with them, Journey in Love: A Catholic Mother’s Prayers after Prenatal Diagnosis, published by Our Sunday Visitor, available in print and as a free downloadable ebook. [bctt tweet="A Mother's Prayer When Baby Isn't Healthy #BISblog //" via="no"] Kathryn Anne Casey is a graduate of Divine Mercy University, freelance writer, housewife and mother of four children. Her weekly newspaper column "Here's to the Good Life!" and blog, www.KathrynAnneCasey.com, focus on art, psychology, consumerism and the importance of local community. Her book, Journey in Love: A Catholic Mother’s Prayers After Prenatal Diagnosis, published by Our Sunday Visitor is available now.

Oh, the fun that could’ve been had with the title to this post! Should I have called it Archangels for Dummies? Or maybe, Mike, Gabe, and Raf: Three Cool Dudes to Know? Perhaps Raphael & Friends: Not Just Ninja Turtles? OK, that’s a little silly, even for me. Nevertheless, here we are on the feast day celebrating the archangels with what can best be described as a very brief introduction to who and what the archangels are. If you came in search of high theological ideas or catechetical astuteness, look elsewhere. We are going to be covering the basics here, today, friends. See, I can hardly understand humans sometimes, so the inner workings of angels and things of Heaven are a little outside my grasp. Let’s learn together, shall we? (Spoiler alert: I’m going to lean heavily on the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Bible for this one.) Is there a difference between angels and archangels? Before we answer that question, maybe a better question would be, “Who/what are angels?” For that, let’s turn to St. Augustine. He says: “‘Angel is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is ‘spirit’; if you seek the name of their office, it is ‘angel’” (CCC 329). So, basically, angels are spirits. These spirits have intelligence and will and are immortal, personal creatures. They are the servants and messengers of God (CCC 329-330). If angels are the messengers of God, it would stand to reason that archangels are messengers of a higher office. A higher standing, if you will. The most important jobs are given to them. An Archangel By Any Other Name... The Catholic Church recognizes three archangels by name and has bestowed the title of Saint to them, as well. They are Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Rabbinical (relating to rabbis and their writings) and apocryphal literature (spurious writings not included in Sacred Scripture) contains the names of several other archangels. However, just as those books are not included in the Catholic Canon, neither are the names of those archangels. Let’s take a closer look at Heaven’s main messengers. Keep the Saints Close All Year A Happy Life Keep feast days, prayers, and the Saints woven into your daily rhythm with the 2027 Catholic Liturgical Planner. Inspired by the Beatitudes, it makes room for prayer, gratitude, goals, and the ordinary details of a life centered on Jesus. Explore the 2027 Planner → Michael St. Michael seems to be the main man when it comes to archangels. He’s got four very important jobs: Fight Satan. Champion and defend Christians and the Church. Bring the faithful to Heaven when they die. Call people from their life on Earth to judgment in Heaven at the end of days. Michael is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments in the Bible. In the book of Daniel, he is named twice. First, Michael comes to Daniel in a vision that leaves Daniel weak and without an appetite for three weeks (chapter 10). Then again, he is mentioned as a “great prince” and a “guardian of your people” during a vision Daniel has of the resurrection (chapter 12). In the New Testament, we find Michael fighting the devil as protection over the body of Moses (Jude 1:9). And in Revelation, Michael is once again at battle against the devil in the form of a dragon as he and his army of angels protected the woman and her infant son (Revelation 12:7-9). The name Michael means: Who is like God? St. Michael is the patron of soldiers, police, and doctors. Gabriel If Michael is a soldier, then Gabriel is a good, old-fashioned mailman. But this mailman brings only the biggest and best of messages. Namely, just about anything concerning the Messiah. The first of these revelations comes in the Old Testament to, you guessed it, our guy Daniel (Daniel 9:21-27) when Gabriel shares with him a timeline of sorts as to when the Messiah will come. He appears in the New Testament first to Zechariah to reveal that Elizabeth will give birth to a son despite her old age. Then, he takes away Zechariah’s ability to speak because of his disbelief (Luke 1:10-20). Of course, Gabriel’s ultimate message is best known to us as The Annunciation. Gabriel appears to our Blessed Mother and announces to her that she is to bear the Son of God in some of my most favorite verses in the Bible. (Luke 1:26-38) One source I read said that it seems only natural that Gabriel was given special charge over the Holy Family. It was offered that Gabriel was the angel who visited St. Joseph in his dreams and may have been the angel who came to comfort Jesus during his Agony in the Garden. The name Gabriel means: Man of God. St. Gabriel is the patron of messengers, telecommunications workers, and postal workers. Raphael Michael the Soldier. Gabriel the Mailman. Raphael the Doctor. The Archangel Raphael is only mentioned by name in the book of Tobit. In this book, Tobit and Sarah both pray for death as they feel it is the only thing that can save them from their sufferings. Tobit sends his son Tobiah on a journey and tells him to find a trustworthy traveling companion to help him on his journey. Raphael appears to Tobiah disguised as an Israelite. He helps Tobiah on his journey, teaches him ways to make medicines, and eventually heals both Sarah and Tobit of their ailments. In Chapter 12 of the Book of Tobit, Raphael reveals to the people who he actually is and says to them, “Do not fear; peace be with you! Bless God now and forever. As for me, when I was with you, I was not acting out of any favor on my part, but by God’s will. So bless God every day; give praise with song.” (Tobit 12:17-18) Tradition holds that Raphael was present during the New Testament, as well. Perhaps he could be found at the pool called Bethsaida where the sick would go for healing (John 5:2-4). And perhaps he is still at work today, delivering miraculous healing to the faithful. The name Raphael means: God heals or Divine healer. St. Raphael is the patron of travelers, the blind, bodily ills, happy meetings, nurses, physicians and medical workers. Happy Feast of the Archangels! In honor of these Heavenly Messengers, perhaps we can take a moment to pray for all of those under their patronage. Maybe read the Book of Tobit today (it’s not too long, I promise!) or the first chapter of the Book of Luke. Of course, the prayer to St. Michael is always a good choice. However you choose to celebrate the Archangels today, I hope you’ve learned something new. I know I have!

But you . . . pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. // 1 Timothy 6:11 Download these beautiful free wallpapers from Jazmin De Guzman from today's readings. Let His word dwell in us richly, sisters. Remember, Members, you get this 8x10 digital download for free! Head to the shop for your download. Download your F R E E wallpapers right here --->>> Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

In the way that only the Holy Spirit can work, St. Vincent de Paul has been tailing me for a long time. In eighth grade, long before I had ever given thought to (or heard of) the Vincentian charism, I chose St. Elizabeth Ann Seton as my Confirmation Saint. This was based solely on the facts that she was both mother and Sister and was reputed to be an expert horsewoman (Mother Seton Founded the Sisters of Charity, a Vincentian order). My first real job was as a case manager in the Seton Women’s Center at a Catholic Hospital. I married a man whom I met volunteering with the Vincentians, and was later hired to help other reflect on their own service experiences with those on the margins in the spirit of Vincent de Paul. Long before I made sense of these “coincidences,” God was already at work on my heart by the example of these fine folks. It’s clear I had, and still have a lot to learn in this way. St. Vincent de Paul: An Unlikely Saint I’ve said before that I have a soft spot in my heart for unlikely Saints—those who don’t fit neatly into our boxes of holiness: St. Oscar Romero, St. Bridget of Sweden, St. Elizabeth of Hungary. I’ll now add St. Vincent de Paul to the list, and here’s why. St. Vincent de Paul was born to a large and impoverished family in France in 1581. Knowing well that money was tight and his future may not hold much stability, he enrolled in seminary for a steady income to by which to support his family, and to gain some prestige. One story told of him is that his father came to visit him one day during seminary, and St. Vincent was so embarrassed by his father’s shabbiness that he claimed he did not know the man and refused to receive him as his guest. If there is fodder for a less likely saint, I don’t know it. Encounters with the Poor But the Lord works so often and so beautifully with our hard-heartedness and circumstances. Vincent asked the local Daughters of Charity to introduce him to the poor with whom they worked. St. Vincent began to visit them to bring food and comfort in whatever ways he could. Overwhelmed by the scope of needs, he realized that his connections in the community and in the parish could assist him with financing and helping him to visit the poor he’d begun to visit. Recognizing the importance of this partnership, he began to use the prestige he had achieved to connect the wealthy women in his parish to make visits to these impoverished families as well (thus establishing the Ladies of Charity). His mission was born out of an encounter with the Christ, in the image of the most vulnerable he served. [bctt tweet="St. Vincent de Paul's mission was born out of an encounter with the Christ, in the image of the most vulnerable he served. #BISblog //" via="no"] You will find that charity is a heavy burden to carry, heavier than the bowl of soup and the full basket ... It is not enough to give us soup and bread ... You are the servant of the poor ... They are your masters, terribly sensitive and exacting you will see. It is only for your love alone that the poor will forgive you the bread you give them. -St. Vincent de Paul   Connecting Communities St. Vincent had a knack for remaining present to two different communities and introducing them to one another: the elite and the impoverished. By nurturing both relationships, he was able to be formed by those he served and provide invitation to those with means to take on a posture of service, too. In doing so, his vocation was born. It was at this time that St. Vincent met his would-be counterpart and spiritual directee, Louise de Marillac. Louise had been recently widowed and felt called to religious life, but was interested in Vincent’s particular charism of going to the people of France as opposed to joining a cloistered convent where she felt she would be separated from those on the margins. At the time, no such order existed for women. Due to the complete lack of organization for charitable works in France at the time, Louise’s desire for service and innovative approach for meeting these needs came at a perfect time. She began to instruct other women interested in meeting the needs of the day, to "Love the poor and honor them as you would honor Christ Himself." In this way, hospitals and orphanages were established to streamline the service that was so direly needed. Out of this work, came the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. A Legacy of Service In 1833, Frederic Ozanam, a university student in a debating club was challenged to identify the place of the Church and its involvement in meeting the needs of Paris of the time. In light of this challenge, Frederick founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. It’s first work really began serving the sick poor during Paris’ cholera outbreak. The St. Vincent de Paul society was and continues to be a lay organization of Catholics committed to meeting the needs of the poor, both in their homes and in the community. Better for the Kingdom Together I love the witness of these three distinct individuals and the ways that their vision for service to the poor and their belief that serving the marginalized in this way made tangible their deep love of Christ incarnate. It speaks deeply to the creativity of the people of God as well as the creative and collaborative nature of our very callings. The legacy of Saints Vincent and Louise and Blessed Frederic Ozanam invite collaboration and remind me that I do not have to act alone as I’m tempted to believe from time to time. We are, in fact, better together. [bctt tweet="Better Together: On the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul #BISblog //" via="no"]

This past August, my husband Mike and I made a commitment to make exercise part of our weekly routine. I have always loved to exercise and was a marathon runner, but I had slowly let my exercise routine fall wayside. Yet when I received a diagnosis of secondary infertility, I knew I needed to make exercise a priority again. It feels so good to be taking care of our bodies in this way, and the benefits are plentiful! I wake up earlier with more energy, and have more productive days! I am more motivated to improve other areas of my life, too. Only a few days into exercising regularly, I realized that I was praying more. I had the energy and desire to spend more time with God in prayer. We are Both Body and Soul We are both body and soul, and we must do our part to make sure that both are healthy. The health of one can often affect the health of the other. Our bodies are a gift, made in the image of our Creator. One way we can glorify God is through keeping our bodies healthy through exercise. [bctt tweet="Our bodies are a gift, made in the image of our Creator. #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] We Glorify God in Our Suffering, Too I want to express that if you are physically unable to exercise, do not feel badly about yourself or that you are not glorifying God through your body. In fact, you are glorifying Him even more in your suffering. Christ is close to us in our health, and close to us in our illnesses and disabilities. What My Patients Taught Me During my time as a critical care nurse, I encountered many people who were unable to exercise, and I know that not everyone is able to participate in the gift of exercise. After seeing patients who were not able to exercise, and thinking of the times that I have personally been sick, it has helped me to appreciate when I am physically able to exercise. Health is a gift that we cannot take for granted. Catholic Exercise Trainers There are two beautiful ladies, Camille San Souci and Shalini Blubaugh, who have created their own fitness regimens. They incorporate Catholic teaching within their programs to motivate and connect how the physical is linked to the spiritual. I’ve conducted little “interviews” with each that more fully expresses the beauty of these women and the programs that they’ve created. Shalini Blubaugh and ZYIA Active Hi, Shalini! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? I’m originally from Minnesota but now live in Denver, Colorado with my husband, Matt, our seven month old little girl, Callan, and our pup, Sully. I graduated from the University of MN - Twin Cities in 2012, served with NET Ministries, and went on to law school at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. I’ve always had a passion for health and fitness. I graduated from law school in 2017 and just knew that it wasn’t for me. So I went back to my roots, my passion for health and fitness! I was a health coach for about two years and decided that it was time to be certified as a personal trainer. I still wanted to be active in all things health and fitness as I studied to be certified, though, and that's when ZYIA fell into my lap. Total God thing! I couldn't be more happy to be exactly where I’m at! What is the name of your program and its mission? ZYIA Active is an active lifestyle brand. Our mission is to inspire and uplift by making activity a fun and essential part of life. Who doesn't feel great about a workout when you're in the right clothes? No tugging, no pinching, no adjusting. And who doesn't feel more confident overall when they're comfy and yet still put together? From pieces for us ladies, to our dudes, to our littles, we've got you covered. Why do you personally love exercising? I truly believe that when we care for ourselves, we are best able to love and serve and care for those that God places in our lives. We are His vessels—His hands and feet! I want to take care of me so that I am best able to care for them, whoever "they" are! Exercise just makes sense from this lens. Why do you love training? There is something so beautiful about encouraging another to do better and be better, one day at a time. Sometimes it takes someone else believing in us before we are able to believe in ourselves and the goals for our health that we have. Seeing women not only reach goals, but also begin to see themselves as He sees them—beautiful, beloved and worthy—leaves me speechless. We do what we do not to become more beautiful, beloved and worthy, but because we already are! Why is it important for women, specifically Catholic woman, to exercise? Ultimately, because we are temples of His. We are body and soul. When one part thrives, the whole thrives. When one part suffers, the whole suffers. Exercise is a natural progression of all of that. We are better, more able, more healthy all around when we take care of our bodies. I think it’s also so important for us as Catholic women to set a good tone for our own kids, particularly our girls. I want to see myself as He sees me. So that I may pass that vision on to my own daughter. We are little churches! We house Him! What a gift. Camille San Souci and More Than Sweat Hi, Camille! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Hey friends! My name is Camille San Souci, and in my job as a certified fitness trainer, I teach group classes, train personal clients and have online wellness programs with my specialty being prenatal/postnatal fitness. While training is my career, I am a wife and a Mama first. My husband Nick and I live in Montana with our four kiddos, Lilia, Evangeline, Raphael, and Ignatius. What is the name of your program and its mission? The name of my online health and fitness program is “More Than Sweat” because I believe that exercise is so much more than just sweat, more than just the physical. I designed and created More Than Sweat to give people all of the physical tools necessary for living a healthy lifestyle: an app-based exercise program, nutrition guidance, deep core education, and accountability! I am probably not the typical trainer on the block, de-emphasizing physical appearance. My ultimate goal for you as your trainer is not the perfect body composition, but rather wellness from the inside out. I want your heart to be literally and figuratively well. To me, that is when the magic really happens, when we will be doing health and fitness the most closely to the way that God intended. Our bodies will be healthy, but it will also be well with our souls. Why do you personally love exercising? Sweat has been a part of my life since I was a kid with a variety of sports which turned into a true passion for general exercise because I have personally found it to holistically improve my quality of life. Sure, the physical, of course, but also the mental, emotional and spiritual. Why do you love training? Ultimately my love for exercising led me into training; I wanted other women to experience the same benefits I was. Exercise is a catalyst for overall well being on so many levels, and I consider it a true honor and blessing to encourage women in that journey. Why is it important for women, specifically Catholic woman, to exercise? I believe as Catholic women, we are called to exercise. Not so that we can fit into those skinny jeans, but so that we are fully equipped and ready to fulfill the vocation to which we are called. Be it the single life, married life or religious life, exercise enables us to do that to the best of our ability. We will be less hindered by physical limitations and more grounded in our mental and emotional health so that we can spiritually serve in the way that God has individually called each of us. Made in His Likeness What are your favorite ways to exercise? The gym or at home? With a program or trainer? Does exercising come naturally to you, or do you struggle to find the time and energy? Share with the Blessed Is She community in the comments below! [bctt tweet="Exercise + the Theology of the Body #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]

Have you ever met a real-life Jim & Pam Halpert? His jokes always seem to make her laugh, her hand on his arm always seems to make him smile, they have great friendships and thrilling intellectual conversations. In a variety of different ways, they just seem to be so right for each other. I always wanted that kind of marriage, but never knew how to make it happen. I always kind of assumed it would just happen to me. Then, I met my fiancé (cue the cheesy swoon). Building a Marriage Through Deepening Levels of Intimacy While we were dating, Chris shared some great advice he had received. Building a romantic relationship means we work to deepen in intimacy across all areas of our lives. Our intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual intimacy should all deepen at about the same rate. When they’re all in sync, a real freedom and synergy begins to exist between the couple. I picture a bar graph. All five areas (intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual intimacy) increase evenly. If your intimacy is dramatically higher or lower in one area, the relationship loses its balance and problems can arise. Engagement is the perfect time to focus on growing and balancing these five areas. As you prepare for the ultimate intimacy of marriage, thinking about these five areas can help you build a solid foundation. Of course, this balance is key throughout the entirety of a marriage, too. Intellectual Intimacy We’ve all heard the classic first date questions: “How many siblings do you have?” “What do you do for a living?” “What do you like to do for fun?” Intellectual intimacy is built when two people grow in understanding of each other. When you first started dating, you probably learned something new about each other in every conversation. By now, you can probably order his coffee and buy him a shirt he’ll love because you know him so well. As an engaged woman, you can trust your beloved more deeply when you really know him: not just his likes and dislikes, but the way he processes new information, his values and beliefs, and his temperament. By spending time learning and exploring each others’ personality traits now, you can avoid potential miscommunications down the road. Here are some ways to consider your level of intellectual intimacy: Is there anything about my life, habits, or past that I’m intentionally avoiding telling my fiance? Are there patterns of behavior in my fiance that I don’t understand? Does my fiance love to hear about my dreams for the future? Do we regularly have conversations without phones, TV, or music distracting us? Does our intellectual intimacy balance with the other areas of intimacy? Social Intimacy There’s a very real stereotype that, when two people start dating, it’s a big deal to meet each other’s parents. Chris is Canadian and I’m American, so when he came to meet my family for the first time, it meant thousands of miles and an expensive plane ticket. Not only that, but he came to visit for (American) Thanksgiving, so within hours of meeting my parents and siblings, Chris also met a couple dozen cousins, aunts, and uncles. As you can imagine, it was a significant leap in social intimacy. Social intimacy is when a person grows closer to people who are closest to you. This means meeting parents, friends, coworkers, your childhood best friend, and your tennis partner. The more your partner becomes entwined in your other relationships, the more intimate you two will become. Engagement is a great time to consider: Are there key relationships that I haven’t yet invited my fiance into? Does my fiance know most (if not all) of the people who we’re inviting to our wedding? If not, can he meet them? Are we spending an appropriate amount of time together, considering we’re not yet married? Does our social intimacy balance with the other areas of intimacy? Emotional Intimacy Do you remember the first time you told your fiance you loved him? Most people do. It’s a significant step forward in emotional intimacy. Whether you’re a naturally emotional person or not, you probably recognize that sharing those words of love, and eventually, sharing all your joys, sorrows, frustrations, hopes, and dreams with your future spouse brings you closer together. While we were dating long-distance, Chris and I talked for hours on FaceTime about anything and everything. When we got engaged, I felt more free than ever to be honest about everything in my life. Engagement is the time to share your heart even more fully with your future husband. He loves you—enough to ask you to marry him—and your intention in marriage is to share your whole life. That includes the good, the bad, and the ugly stuff in your heart. It can be difficult to tell where to draw the line for emotional intimacy in engagement, but here are some questions to consider: When we’re together, am I comfortable and confident about myself? Have I ever been afraid or reluctant to tell him what I’m thinking or feeling? Why? Do I share my heart freely with my fiance because I know he cares about me, or because I’m attention-seeking? Does our emotional intimacy balance with the other areas of intimacy? Physical Intimacy It’s no surprise many couples struggle to moderate physical intimacy during engagement, especially when you’ve already decided to give yourselves totally, faithfully, freely, and fruitfully to each other in a few months. Engagement is a time to build virtue. It would be easy to be selfish, impulsive, or indulgent, but building a strong marriage is about trust, patience, self-sacrifice, and joy. I’m so grateful that Chris provides strong leadership in this area and challenges me to practice the virtue I strive to live in the other areas of my life. What better opportunity to build holy habits than the physical intimacy of engagement? During engagement, your physical intimacy can and should grow, but this does not mean license to come “just short” of the intimacy of marriage. Chris described our experience like this: “We're striving to to show physical intimacy by using actions intended to show affection, not to indulge lust. All the other intimacies in our lives have grown, so of course our affection for each other also grows in appropriate, beautiful, and private ways.” A couple’s physical relationship should always be an expression of love directed toward the whole human person; it’s never ordered toward self-gratification or lust. Consider your physical intimacy: Do I feel we’ve gone too far in the area of physical intimacy? Have we made excuses to ourselves about our level of our physical intimacy? Have I been limiting our physical intimacy during engagement because of fear or shame? Am I excited about giving myself to my husband on our wedding night? Does our physical intimacy balance with the other areas of intimacy? Spiritual Intimacy How do we invite our future spouses into the most intimate relationship of all: our relationship with God? Before Chris, I couldn’t really imagine what spiritual intimacy looked like for couples. I saw couples praying the Rosary together during college and wondered if that was the extent of shared intimacy with God. Thanks to Chris, I’ve learned that the source of spiritual intimacy is the personal intimacy we each have with Jesus. Now, we just get to share that Divine intimacy with each other. For example, if we’re on a walk, Chris will spontaneously thank God for the beauty of nature or ask for the Holy Spirit’s presence in a particular situation we were discussing. These are things he might have done internally before, but now he’s doing them out loud and inviting me to be a part of them. In engagement, spiritual intimacy means letting your future husband to be a part of your relationship with God. It means setting aside times to speak to God together as a couple (and in marriage, we should strive to find this time together daily). It means receiving the Eucharist together. Together, seek spiritual formation by reading Scripture, discussing your favorite spiritual reading, or studying the Sacrament of Matrimony that you’re preparing to embrace. To consider your spiritual intimacy, ask: Am I seeking intimacy with Jesus Christ daily in prayer? Do my fiance and I joyfully go to Church every Sunday? How can we start the habit of praying together? Have we been learning about the Sacrament of Marriage and discussing it together? Am I relying too much on my fiance to keep my prayer life together? Does our spiritual intimacy balance with the other areas of intimacy? A Lifelong Task If one or two of the areas of intimacy stand out as areas to work on, then be honest with your fiance and make a plan to focus on them. If there was ever a time to build virtue and strengthen areas of weakness, it’s engagement. As I write this, I have about a month to go until the big day. I know the challenges of married life will come. But because Chris and I intentionally work on our relationship every single day, I’m confident that the intimacy we share with Jesus and each other will be the strong foundation we build our marriage upon. What's your best advice for building these levels of intimacy during engagement? [bctt tweet="How to Build a Marriage During Engagement: Cultivating 5 Levels of Intimacy #BISblog //" via="no"] Written by Becca Arend.

The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. // Luke 16:10 Download these beautiful free wallpapers from Brass and Mint Co. from today's readings. Let His word dwell in us richly, sisters. Remember, Members, you get this 8x10 digital download for free! Head to the shop for your download. Download your F R E E wallpapers right here --->>> Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

Can I tell you something? Long before I had a personal relationship with Jesus or a prayer life of any depth, I would always roll my eyes if on Sunday Mass a certain text from the Gospel of St. Matthew was read aloud. Can you guess which one I am referring to? The genealogy of Jesus that is full of all those difficult to pronounce first and last names. Fast forward ten years or so. My Favorite Gospel: St. Matthew I now read and love the four Gospels in an intimate, personal way. But in a special way over the years, Matthew has become one of my favorite two of the four Gospels (the other one being John). And yes, I have grown to love and appreciate the telling of Jesus’ genealogy! There is something special to me now about understanding and appreciating the genealogy of Jesus. The Gospel according to St. Matthew was the most widely distributed in the early Church. Even when the canon of Sacred Scripture began to crystalize, a primacy of honor was still given to Matthew. This is for a variety of reasons. One important point being that Matthew was the first Gospel to be published and distributed bearing the name of one of the original Twelve Apostles. Matthew’s account offers a beautiful account of the life and mission of Jesus Christ, with equal focus on His mighty deeds and memorable teachings. Matthew’s Gospel insists that the Good News of Jesus is meant to be proclaimed—not only to the Jews but also the Gentiles. The mission and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth are for all people everywhere; a concept all the more important for our world today. As the Church calendar honors the feast of Saint Matthew today, I wanted to help demystify him a bit and help us better understand and appreciate this particular Gospel. Looking at three different categories, I want to unpack more deeply the author, his audience, and the message. Author From as early as the second century, it was the widely accepted belief that the Gospel according to Matthew was written by St. Matthew the tax collector himself. Today, the apostolic authorship of Matthew’s Gospel is only held by a minority of biblical scholars. The reasons are many and varied. Most critical scholarship identifies the Gospel of Matthew was written by a Jewish Christian of the time. Some believe Matthew’s Gospel was written and obtained information from the Gospel according to Mark. The author of Matthew’s Gospel shows familiarity with cultural and religious customs of his day, giving him firsthand knowledge of the writings, language, and traditions of ancient Israel. However, in the final analysis, the view of Christian tradition (the author was Matthew) and the view of critical scholarship (the author was a Jewish Christian), Sacred Scripture tells us that Matthew was a Jewish disciple of Jesus (Matthew 9:9, 10:3). Being a tax collector in ancient Galilee, Matthew would have been fluent in Greek, so it is not that great a leap to say the person the Gospel calls Matthew fits quite well the profile of the evangelist assumed by modern scholars. Audience Christian scholars have long maintained that Matthew’s Gospel was written for a Palenstinian Christian audience. The Jewish perspective and tone of the book seem to point in that direction, as did the fact that Matthew had originally written in a Semitic language, such as Aramic or Hebrew. Since few Gentiles would be interested in a work influenced by Jewish concerns, every indication points to the fact that Matthew’s Gospel was meant for new believers in Palestine. The Jewish perspective the book is written would have been very familiar and helpful to new Jewish Christian converts. Biblical scholarship today pinpoints Matthew’s original audience and readers in the eastern Mediterranean region. However, the majority of modern scholars today believe the Gospel of Matthew was written to a mixed community of both Jewish and Gentile Christians in or around the Syrian city of Antioch. Thought the exact locations remain uncertain, it is very probable that Matthew’s original audience lived around the Syria-Palestine region. Message The Gospel of Matthew can easily be summed up as the “Gospel of the kingdom.” Interestingly enough, the word kingdom appears over 50 times in the Gospel. In Matthew’s theology, the kingdom of Heaven is the divine perfection of the ancient kingdom of the great King David. Jewish Christians would have been very familiar with this strong theme in the experience. Throughout the gospel a very strong theme views Jesus as the fulfillment of the Davidic Messiah. The new and everlasting covenant established through Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant of kingship. While King David was a strong, mighty warrior king, the kingship of Jesus Christ is radically and profoundly different. Have You Read the Gospel of Matthew Lately? In the almost ten years of working as a parish youth minister, one of my favorite things to do was help teens meet and discover the person of Jesus Christ through the four Gospel accounts. I often tell people to this day, You want to get to know Jesus personally? Read the four Gospels! Today’s feast is as good a time as any to dive more deeply in the Gospel accounts (specifically Matthew!) to get to know Jesus on a heart level. Start in Matthew...take your time each day reading a bit and praying over it. A Scripture Meditation Study Seek His Kingdom Pray with Scripture through the Gospel of Matthew. With guided reflections, prayer prompts, and space to journal, this study helps you encounter Jesus and make His Word part of your daily prayer. Explore the Matthew Study → I am excited for how He speaks to your heart in new ways. This blog post references citations and historical insights from the book The Gospel of Matthew by Curtis Mithc and Edward Sri.

It was the proverbial second chance and I was determined to have no regrets. Two blue lines on a white stick. A new baby was on the way. 17 weeks This would be my seventh pregnancy. I was already blessed with 5 beautiful children ranging in age from 14 down to 2. You notice the math doesn’t quite add up. That missing one, the baby we nicknamed in utero “Little Bit” and later named Catherine Gregory when we buried her, was miscarried about six months earlier at 13 weeks gestation. 20 weeks Catherine Gregory was my first loss. How I spent the short time I had with her, almost paralyzed by anxiety instead of actively loving her, is one of the greatest regrets of my life. This pregnancy would be different. But, the fears that consumed me during my pregnancy with Catherine Gregory, and the circumstances that fed those fears, were exactly the same as before. 23 weeks If the Lord saw fit to allow this pregnancy to culminate in a healthy baby, I would still be the only mother nursing an infant on the high school soccer sidelines. The Zika virus scare was at its height and the virus was active in my state. Once the baby arrived we would no longer be able to fit the entire family in our vehicle. I would still be facing an unresolved heart rhythm issue that was more and more regularly sending me to the emergency room; and this condition was exacerbated by pregnancy. I would once again be nauseated for months and constantly and completely exhausted while needing to mother my five other children. The list went on. 25 weeks None of those circumstances changed with this new pregnancy. But this time I chose to refuse to give into the fear. No more. I refused to waste my life and my baby’s precious, precious life worrying instead of loving this child with every ounce of my will and strength. Never again would I have reason for the terrible guilt and regret that followed my previous pregnancy. So much opportunity to love wasted! This time when I prayed, “Jesus, I trust in you,” I would mean it. 28 weeks Being free, by the grace of God and colossal force of will, from that suffocating fear, my creativity was able to expand. I had long enjoyed photography as a hobby. Thanks to a wonderful online photography group of friends and mentors I had developed some skills: editing, understanding lighting and exposure, the techniques for self-portraits. An idea blossomed to not just document this pregnancy with the typical bathroom mirror selfies I had done in the past, but to chronicle it in a more purposeful way using all of my skills and creativity. 29 weeks It began with an image I created to accompany the Facebook pregnancy announcement at 17 weeks. Then at 20 weeks, when all tests and ultrasounds showed a healthy, thriving baby, I felt I needed an appropriate image to celebrate. I was beginning to enjoy myself. Maybe I should keep this up! But I didn’t want any unnecessary pressure on myself by adding yet one more thing to my to do list. Life was already very full caring for my five climbing, gesticulating, emoting, hungry children. So I determined I would continue with the self-portraits as each weekly milestone passed, but only as long as I was inspired with new ideas and was enjoying myself. I didn’t miss another week. 32 weeks Then, for the first time ever in my 7 pregnancies, I passed the 40-week mark with the baby we nicknamed Siete (Spanish for the number seven). Rather than bemoaning my overdue state, I was excited to have an excuse to complete one last, fun portrait. And God was and is so good. He blessed us with a healthy baby girl. Teresa Azelie Jane entered the world as Hurricane Harvey made landfall a couple hundred miles away. We made it home from the hospital just before unprecedented flood waters started to obscure roadways and eventually drastically change the lives of so many of our neighbors. We were home and safe and as my husband and older children headed out to remove soaked sheetrock and waterlogged carpets and ruined furniture from other people’s homes, I gratefully snuggled my baby and created one last self-portrait with my 5-day-old infant. 35 weeks In God’s goodness and mercy He can turn all things to good. All things. Everything. Even deep regret. Even self-condemnation, bitterness, and grief. Instead of leaving me in the pain of the loss of my child, He transformed that pain into a fresh perspective on this life I have been given. He gave me the inspiration and energy to face the world anew: stronger, more full of hope, with a greater capacity to love, and bursting with creative energy. He taught me that the best way to forgive myself and to honor Catherine Gregory, the baby I lost, was to love the children I have even more. 40 weeks I also discovered that fear and love cannot reside together. One will always push the other aside. One must leave for the other to enter. Only after I actively and fiercely refused to give into fear (through much prayer and choosing to trust and failing and choosing to trust again) could love, and all the creative energy that comes with it, enter in and expand and change our lives forever. 5 days [bctt tweet="My Self-Portrait Project + Healing from Miscarriage #BISblog //" via="no"] Colleen Rudolph is wife to Eric and stay-at-home mom and shuttle service for their six children. She is constantly on the search for the good, the true, and the beautiful whether she sites it through the lens of her camera, encounters it in great books, or savors it in a well made meal. You can see the rest of the images for her pregnancy self-portrait project (10 of the 21 images are included here) right here. You can find out more about her here.

There’s an age old devotion to Mary which has somewhat fallen by the wayside in recent generations. At times, I still find myself hesitant to pray to this Madonna myself. Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows just does not sound sweet. If I’m being honest, it actually sounds like it’s going to be brutally painfully. I mean, who wants to be devoted to sorrow? Who wants to focus on the heavy-hearted? Embracing the Sweetness It was a dear friend in college who invited me to pray the novena to Our Lady of Sorrows for the first time. I participated out of love for my friend, thinking I was doing her a favor by interceding for her petition in this way. But I did not know that the experience was going to have such a lasting impact. I did not know that Mary was actually inviting me closer to her heart, that she wanted me to know her deeply, and that she wanted me to learn how to not waste my sufferings. I also did not know that Mary favors this devotion. The Madonna once revealed to Berth Petit: This title [Our Lady of Sorrows], willed by my Son, is dear to me above all others. Accordingly, as it is spread everywhere, there will be granted graces of mercy, spiritual renewal and salvation.   Our Lady treasures this title above all the others. Above Theotokos. Above Immaculate Conception. Above Queen of Heaven. My mind could not help but wonder… Why? Why does she treasure her sorrow so? Hers Alone Mary is an incredible example to humanity, and as prophesied in Scripture, generations continue to call her blessed. It was Pope St. John Paul II who so brilliantly and simply stated that in the grand scheme of things, Mary did nothing marvelous. She did not conceive herself immaculately. She did not do anything to miraculously conceive Christ. Mary did not assume herself into the celestial realm, and she did not crown herself Queen of Heaven. Those are all things that God did. All Mary did was say “yes.” Saying “yes” isn’t all that special when you put it next to something as astonishing as the Incarnation. But it was all Mary had to give. It was all she could contribute. And contribute she did, with her whole heart. In light of this, I find myself wondering if Mary treasures her Seven Sorrows because they were fully hers. They weren’t acts of God working through her. They were her own emotions and experiences which she could give back to God as acts of trust. Though they were events that pierced her heart and left her bitterly broken, they did not “break” her. Rather, because she continued to say “yes” to God over and over again, even in the midst of her suffering, they united her more fully to her Son. In this, she helped to bring about salvation (which is why we celebrate her feast the day after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross). [bctt tweet="These events pierced her heart...but they did not “break” her. Rather, because she continued to say “yes” to God over and over again, even in the midst of her suffering, they united her more fully to her Son. #BISblog //" username="grace_swap"] Following Her Example If you look at it this way, Our Lady really simplified our understanding of how to approach the Christian way of life. Each and every single one of us can do what she did. Each and every single one of us is capable of saying “yes” to God’s will for our lives. No doubt there will be suffering along the way. But like Mary, we are capable of staying faithful. We can continue to trust, giving our fiat in every moment, and remembering to unite our pains with Christ crucified. Like her, our suffering, when united with Christ’s on the Cross, contributes to the salvation of souls. More Reasons to Foster a Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows Besides the fact that it will help you grow in holiness and not waste chances to win grace for this world, there are additional promises attributed to Devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Those Revealed by Mary Our Lady reserves these seven graces for those who daily pray seven Hail Mary’s while meditating on her sorrows. “I will grant peace to their families.” “They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries.” “I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work.” “I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.” “I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.” “I will visibly help them at the moment of their death—they will see the face of their mother.” “I have obtained this grace from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.” Those Revealed by Jesus In a Revelation made to St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Christ promised these four gifts to His Mother for all those who show devotion to her Sorrowful Heart. Those who call upon her Sorrowful name before their death will be granted the grace of true repentance for their sins. He will be with them personally throughout their life’s tribulations—and especially on their deathbeds. Jesus will inscribe the remembrance of His Passion on their minds and they will obtain a reward for this in eternity. He gives Mary “free-reign” in regards to her devotees, obtaining for them whatever graces she desires. Solacing and Sanctifying Though she suffered much in her life (more than everyone else in the world combined, according to St. Bernadine), she complained of only one thing: that most people forget the sorrowful aspects of her life and do not grieve alongside her. This heavenly Mother even asked of St. Bridget, “...my daughter, though I am forgotten by many, at least do not thou forget me.” On this feast celebrated in her honor, may we give her the reverence she deserves and desires. Consider praying the Seven Sorrows Rosary. Do you have a devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows? What has she meant in your life? [bctt tweet="Our Lady of Sorrows: How to Comfort the Blessed Mother #BISblog //" username="grace_swap"]

Recently at Mass, I saw what I often see. A mother walked into Mass with a toddler: a little girl with a pink bow on her head and a pretty, floofy dress meant perhaps for a party or dance recital. She did what every child does when they touch foot in a church—she took off and ran down the aisle, fearlessly and unapologetically, straight toward the altar. She was not disrespectful or wild. The girl was just quietly running. She ran and ran, and then unexpectedly, suddenly stopped just at the altar’s edge. She looked up at the massive crucifix hanging from the ceiling in total awe and wonder for a few seconds. Then she turned around and waited for her mother to catch up and lead her to a pew much farther back in the church. The little girl with the pink bow obliged without argument. Captivated by the Cross I’ve seen this happen dozens of times, but for some reason, on this day, it truly struck me. Why did this little girl not run wildly onto the altar and play with the flowers or mess up the altar cloths, as I probably would have when I was her age? What made her stop at the altar’s edge? I truly think in that moment she was being called by Christ to His altar to celebrate what was about to happen at Mass with Him. Why Not Now? Why don’t I approach the altar with such rigor? What is it about growing up that keeps me from running to Jesus like this little one? At the core, it is shame. Our sin becomes our captor, shackling our hands and feet in the chains of our own shame. These chains are too heavy and distracting to carry all the way to the front of the Church, too shameful to take to the foot of the Cross. So we sneak into a pew in the back of the church and hope that Jesus will see us just enough for our Mass attendance to “count,” but not enough for Him to see our sin and wounds and brokenness up close. We keep Him at arm’s length, as if we are fooling Him somehow. As if we can hide from His love. And then we sneak out before the closing hymn is over so that we don’t have to talk to Jesus a moment longer than we have to. Because Sunday football and food shopping and mowing the lawn and Netflix are waiting. The Cross is Our Life I am not condemning. All of these things I have done myself, over and over. But why? Why are we not running to the Cross like this little one? Often time the procession up to Communion looks more like a funeral march than what it is: a Eucharistic celebration! It is a celebration of this God who took on lowly flesh and decided to dwell among His creation! It is a celebration of the God who gives us His very flesh to transform our weak flesh in this gift of the Eucharist. If we truly understood that, and if we truly understood the Eucharist, I am completely convinced we would be running up to Communion like that little girl, and peering up at the Crucifix in wonder, and marveling at this gift of Christ’s body coming into ours. Let the Children Come to Me Jesus says in Matthew 19:14: “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” How do we become childlike again? How do we restore the desire to run to the Cross? It begins in the confessional. We must come face to face with our sin and verbally admit to ourselves that we have sinned. We cannot seek this forgiveness just in our heads or in our hearts. Saying the words aloud in the presence of a priest is the only way to remove the chains of sin. That verbal recognition of the sin we have committed is what unlocks those chains. The little girl with the pink bow gets it. We were all that little girl once. Let us not be afraid to run to the Cross like her. Let us not hide ourselves. We cannot hide from the One who made us. Let us run to Him, in all of our brokenness, and just allow ourselves to be loved. [bctt tweet="Run to the Cross #BISblog //" via="no"] Jenna Violi is a Theology teacher and retreat coordinator at a Catholic school in suburban Philadelphia. She spends her free time singing at Mass, writing music, teaching herself guitar, drinking coffee, and looking at pictures of corgis. You can find out more about her here.

I was officially diagnosed with depression and anxiety when I was a freshman in high school. Though I have learned coping methods over the years, it is still a struggle in my life. There are days when the fatigue hits me so hard that all I can do is cover myself up with the thickest blanket we own, close my eyes, and try to sleep my troubles away. I often thought to myself, “Sometimes I wish I could just fall asleep forever,” or, “I wish I could wake up when all of this is over.” One day while in prayer, Jesus asked me, “Why do you desire death?” His words hit me hard in my heart. Though I wouldn’t have considered myself as someone who was suicidal, the way I self-harmed through my words and physical actions was definitely a far cry from Jesus’ words in John 10:10, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” Depression and suicidal thoughts are a personal cross that many of us carry. In Matthew 11: 28-30, Jesus says: Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.   Spiritual Help for Depression We shouldn’t be afraid to turn to others when we’re struggling. God works through the hands and words of professionals trained to help treat people with depression and anxiety. Though I’m not a professional, I wanted to share four suggestions you can try in addition to reaching out for professional help if needed, when you need help easing your burdens. 1. Healing Through Prayer Ministry I’m always filled with a rush of love whenever I sit in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament during Adoration. Sitting in silence and simply basking in the love of Jesus is very healing. As someone who struggles to speak kindly to myself, sometimes I prefer to sing songs of love to Jesus instead. My go-to song when I’m not sure what to talk to Jesus about in Adoration is “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You.” We can also proclaim the name of Jesus to others for healing. When my friends and family pray and proclaim His name over me, I feel so much stronger. Though it’s uncomfortable to ask for help, I often reach out through email blasts to the women of my mom’s group at church or close friends. Finally, I highly recommend taking part in a healing prayer ministry. Our parish has something called Heaven on Earth Healing, a prayer ministry for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Members of the church guided by the Holy Spirit helped me to identify wounding, bonding, strongholds, and lies from the enemy that were keeping me from experiencing God’s abundant love. If your church doesn’t have a specific prayer healing ministry, it would be beneficial to reach out to a priest and see if they can pray with you. 2. Become Friends With St. Dymphna St. Dymphna’s feast day is celebrated on May 5th. She is patroness of mental disorders, neurological disorders, depression, and anxiety among others. She was born of a pagan Irish king and a Christian queen in the 7th century. Her father’s mental health deteriorated after the death of his wife and he started to desire her. She fled to Belgium and was ultimately beheaded around the age of 15. I have an image of St. Dymphna glued to a dollar store prayer candle that I light every night when I pray. I also found a sweet St. Dymphna keychain from Shining Light Dolls that I keep on my car keys. 3. Remember that Jesus is the Light When I was reading Give Up Worry for Lent by Gary Zimak, a small action he suggested was to say the name “Jesus” out loud whenever you turn on a light. It’s so simple, but so beautiful. It’s a reminder that Jesus is “the light [that] shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). I keep candles and lanterns around my home for decoration as a reminder that Jesus is the light I need to turn to when I’m feeling the darkness creep in. 4. Invite Jesus into the Shadowy Moments One of my favorite ways to pray is by inviting Jesus into my holy imagination. I pray, “Come Holy Spirit. Sanctify my imagination,” and invite the Lord to walk with me through the hurt in my life. Some days I’m being rocked in God’s arms like a baby as He sings, “He’s got the whole world in His hands” and other days I’m gifted fields of daffodils. There were times growing up when I felt alone and that God wasn’t with me. Inviting the Lord into those moments of loneliness has revealed that He was always there and helped me through the pain even when I didn’t realize it. When the storm of depression feels strong, I pray a quick prayer like St. Peter did during the storm when he tried to walk on water: “Lord, help me!” I ask Jesus to calm the storm raging inside of my heart. Jesus reminds me to look up and keep my gaze focused on Him instead of looking down and sinking. When I look into his eyes, I can walk on water. If you struggle with anxiety or depression, how do you draw spiritual strength from the Lord? [bctt tweet="Turning to Jesus When Struggling with Depression #BISblog //" via="no"] Amy Heyse is an artist and mother who lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with her graphic design husband. You can often find her trying to squeeze in time for personal art-making between motherhood and working as an art instructor at a local paint and sip studio. You can find out more about her here.