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I was named after two extraordinary women: my aunt Janet and Saint Catherine of Siena. I know my aunt to be a devoted wife, talented chef and seamstress, and someone who exemplifies beauty in her home. I know Saint Catherine to be a devoted spouse of Jesus, dedicated servant of the poor and sick, and someone who displayed a feminine strength that was grounded in her identity in Christ. While one woman taught me by practical, tangible example, the other has modeled for me an authentic spiritual life. Whether practical or spiritual, women have a great calling to bring beauty and goodness that ultimately point to the truth of Jesus Christ into this world. It is our feminine genius—our inherent gift to our communities, the Church, and the world. But sadly, a woman’s purpose is often confused, and in many instances, it is being rewritten or erased altogether. That is why we women need mentors who bring us closer to authentic womanhood. Because in this day and age, now more than ever, we need to remember, return to, and reconnect with true womanhood and femininity, in order to flourish in the very essence of who God created us to be. My aunt and Saint Catherine are two of my mentors. Who are yours? If you need someone to look up to, especially in the spiritual realm, may I introduce you to Saint Catherine of Siena? Especially on her feast day, it seems fitting to get to know Saint Catherine and discover how she is a role model of Catholic womanhood for our times. Woven throughout her life story are four lessons we can learn from this Doctor of the Church. The Early Years Lesson #1: No matter our calling, we must do it with passion and conviction. “Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.” // Saint Catherine of Siena Catherine was born in Siena, Italy, on March 25, 1347. She was the youngest of twenty-five children, although half of her siblings did not survive childhood. From an early age, Catherine was a joyful, pious child, sensitive to the things of Heaven. When she was six, Catherine received her first vision of Jesus seated in glory. He was surrounded by Saints Peter, Paul, and John, and from His throne, He silently blessed her. Throughout her childhood, she remained focused on the Lord by building a monastic cell inside her mind, where she spent much time in prayer. She loved our Lord completely, and she knew His love for her. She is known for saying, , “We are of such value to God that He came to live among us [ . . . ] and to guide us home. He will go to any length to seek us, even to being lifted up high on the cross to draw us back to Himself. We can only respond by loving God for His love.” Catherine had great devotion to her family. She viewed her father as a representation of Jesus, her mother as our Lady, and her siblings as the apostles. This helped her serve her family with love and humility. When Catherine was sixteen, her sister Bonaventura died. Catherine’s parents suggested that her brother-in-law marry Catherine, but Catherine opposed this idea. She began fasting, and she cut her hair short to taint her appearance. This persuaded her parents, and she was not forced to marry. Spiritual Life Leads to Public Life Lesson #2: Our work grows out of our prayer. “You are rewarded not according to your work or your time, but according to the measure of your love.” // Saint Catherine of Siena, Dialogue 165 While Catherine remained deeply religious, she was not called to enter religious life. At the age of eighteen, she joined the Mantellate, lay branch of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. This allowed her to live a life of prayer at home, while also associating with a religious order. The Mantellate taught Catherine how to read and write. In 1368, when Catherine was twenty-one years old, she experienced a mystical marriage to Christ and claimed to receive an invisible wedding ring from Him. At the same time, a more public apostolate grew out of her contemplative life. She became well-known for her holiness and compassion, and many people sought her spiritual advice. At this time, Catherine also began visiting the sick and poor. As Catherine became known as a santa donna, or holy woman, her renown led her to become involved in politics. She traveled throughout Italy, promoting peace and repentance in a time of civil and religious unrest. Truth Flows From Goodness Lesson #3: As disciples of Jesus, we are called to speak Truth in our corner of the world. No advanced degree required. “Preach the Truth as if you had a million voices. It is silence that kills the world.” // Saint Catherine of Siena Catherine grew in courage to speak truth, even to those in authority. For example, she encouraged Cardinal Pietro of Ostia, Italy, “to be occupied with nothing but loving God, saving souls, and serving the sweet spouse of Christ.” Catherine even corresponded at great length with Pope Gregory XI. And she helped influence him to return to Rome, ending seventy years of the papacy reigning from Avignon, France. His death was followed by the Great Schism, and as a result, Catherine traveled to Rome, where she urged princes and cardinals to promote obedience to Pope Urban VI. While the corruption in the Catholic Church during her lifetime caused Catherine great distress, she loved the Lord so much that she could never abandon His Church. And while it was unusual for women in her time to have such public influence, Catherine demonstrates that when we remain women of deep prayer and are confident in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can truly be who God created us to be. Set the World on Fire Lesson #4: The Lord desires the Church to transform the world, not the other way around. “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” // Saint Catherine of Siena Catherine composed more than 400 letters and prayers. She is most known for The Dialogue, which is described as a series of her conversations with God. While deeply personal, the truths contained in The Dialogue are universal in nature, allowing anyone to benefit from them. In 1375, Catherine received the stigmata, although like her mystical wedding ring, it was only visible to her. Five years later, at the age of thirty-three, she became ill, most likely due to rigorous fasting. Catherine died on April 29, following a stroke. Her last words echoed the words of her Lord from the Cross: “Father, into Your hands, I commend my soul and my spirit.” Pope Urban VI celebrated her funeral at the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. Catherine was canonized in 1461. She is regarded as one of the greatest mystics and spiritual writers in Catholic history. Because of her spiritual work, The Dialogue, she was elevated to being named a Doctor of the Church. Saint Catherine’s feast day is April 29. She is the patroness of fire prevention, illness, Italy, Europe, miscarriages, people ridiculed for their faith, sexual temptation, and nurses. Saint Catherine of Siena, pray for us! Check out our Saint Story on Saint Catherine of Siena!

Create a still, quiet space for prayer. Spend a few moments focusing on your breathing. Then join us in this meditation: Read: Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Listen:  “My child,  Let Me show you the meaning of your life. Not just the purpose I had at your beginning or the good plans I have for your future, but the meaning of these days you’re living.  On the days that you forget Me, I’ll remind you. On the days that you think of Me all day long, I’ll rejoice.  On the days that you focus on you, I’ll wait. On the days that you focus on others, I’ll be proud. On the days that you feel like bursting with love, I’ll show you where it all comes from. On the days that you feel overlooked, I’ll still be looking at you. I promise: I’ll show you the meaning behind this life. Not just one day, but all of them. They’ve always been and will always be from Me. This is not to say that you don’t matter. No, hear me when I say that you matter infinitely.  Through Me, you will find you. Just let Me show you how.  The purpose of your words, the impact of your actions, the importance of your feelings, and the beauty of your ideas. My control over your life doesn’t make you powerless; it will make you freer than you’ve ever been. Craft this life with Me. Walk with Me and take it all in. You know in your heart what you see—so tell the world about it.  Go ahead. I’ll be right here.” Read:  “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20 For more like this This meditation is pulled from the “Resurrection” chapter of Detailed Love, inspired by Easter. For more prayers + meditations like this, grab a copy of Detailed Love: Meditations on God’s Intentional Presence, new to the shop. 

I just about coughed out my coffee while chatting with a friend and lifelong Franciscan when I heard her casually mention how one-dimensional Saint Francis of Assisi had become—reduced to the “patron saint of the birdbath.” So much beauty, wonder, and respect for all of creation is lost when Saint Francis is relegated to the backyard, she mused.  Her words echo through my mind each time I notice birds gathered around feeders with Saint Francis in tow, or today as we celebrate Earth Day and the patron of the environment. I mean no disrespect to Saint Francis, our patron and icon of faithful stewardship, but even the Franciscan community whom I have come to adore, yearns for a deeper understanding and theology of our particular calling to be good stewards of creation. Saint Francis’ lived example and composed Canticle of Creation are stunning, and his is not the lone voice of our Tradition inviting us to dig a little deeper and to live lives marked by simplicity and honor for our fellow creatures of all kinds. There are few topics in the wealth of the Church’s teachings that are written about more beautifully in Scripture and Tradition than the gift of creation and the call to be good stewards in every way—perhaps especially regarding the physical places where we live. Interestingly, in my nearly forty years, I have never heard a homily on the matter. Not once.  We talk frequently about time, talent, and treasure as the gifts we have been given to share, and as such are called to steward well. How gifts that are freely received need to be held with open hands. And it has led me to wonder why we so seldom make the leap to stewardship of the primary gift we have been given: our home. As we honor our created world on Earth Day today, we have an important opportunity as people of faith to draw upon the richness of our Tradition, and, in doing so, we ourselves will grow. Rather than recycle (pun intended) the same message we have used every other year, I wonder how it might look if we got familiar with our roots a bit, and leaned into the beautiful theology of stewardship we have at our fingertips, and what far-reaching effects that could have.  Let us look at what our Tradition teaches us about our world and role in it: “The whole earth is a living icon of the face of God.”  // Saint John of Damascus (source) “Humankind is called to co-create so that we might cultivate the earthly, and thereby create the heavenly.” // Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Abbess & Doctor of the Church “Every creature is a glittering, glistening mirror of divinity.” // Saint Hildegard of Bingen (more by Saint Hildegard) "The environment is God's gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole. [ . . . ] Our duties towards the environment are linked to our duties towards the human person, considered in himself and in relation to others. It would be wrong to uphold one set of duties while trampling on the other." // Pope Benedict XVI (Charity in Truth [Caritas in Veritate], § 48, 51) “I don't want to flee, nor do I want to abandon the battle of these farmers who live without any protection in the forest. They have the sacrosanct right to aspire to a better life on land where they can live and work with dignity while respecting the environment.” // Sister Dorothy Stang, a School Sister of Notre Dame de Namur from Ohio. (She became a martyr in 2005, killed by a hired gunman for her work among the poor living in the Amazon, where she advocated for their home and human rights against wealthy area loggers and landowners.)  Sister Cleusa Carolina Rody Coelho, was also martyred for her work defending the human rights of Indigenous people in Brazil in 1985. "Changes in lifestyle based on traditional moral virtues can ease the way to a sustainable and equitable world economy in which sacrifice will no longer be an unpopular concept. For many of us, a life less focused on material gain may remind us that we are more than what we have. Rejecting the false promises of excessive or conspicuous consumption can even allow more time for family, friends, and civic responsibilities. A renewed sense of sacrifice and restraint could make an essential contribution to addressing global climate change." // United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good) "Equally worrying is the ecological question which accompanies the problem of consumerism and which is closely connected to it. In his desire to have and to enjoy rather than to be and to grow, man consumes the resources of the earth and his own life in an excessive and disordered way. [ . . . ] Man, who discovers his capacity to transform and in a certain sense create the world through his own work, forgets that this is always based on God's prior and original gift of the things that are. Man thinks that he can make arbitrary use of the earth, subjecting it without restraint to his will, as though it did not have its own requisites and a prior God-given purpose, which man can indeed develop but must not betray. Instead of carrying out his role as a co-operator with God in the work of creation, man sets himself up in place of God and thus ends up provoking a rebellion on the part of nature, which is more tyrannized than governed by him." // Pope Saint John Paul II (On the Hundredth Year [Centesimus Annus], § 37) “Let the earth bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. Mountains and hills, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Everything growing on earth, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. You springs, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Seas and rivers, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. You sea monsters and all water creatures, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. All you birds of the air, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. All you mortals, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.” // Daniel 3:74-82 "A true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. [ . . . ] Everything is connected. Concern for the environment thus needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to resolving the problems of society." // Pope Francis (On Care for Our Common Home [Laudato Si'], § 49, 91) All of these quotations and examples are just a small glimpse into the vast and beautiful collection of sources from martyrs, bishops, Saints, prophets, and popes, who have written throughout the ages. I hope you will consider it as a timely invitation to more fully embrace the practice of good stewardship as a mark of our embodied faith.

In 2014, Blessed Is She was founded as a way to build community amongst Catholic women across the nation. Suddenly, Catholic women across the world were able to bond through their faith despite not living in the same state, let alone country. With the Blessed is She App, we took that technological advancement a step further and have created a space where we say the Rosary daily together and actively participate in a community of Catholic women internationally. Here is all that's included in the Blessed is She App: An intentional space in our Community, where we'll pray every day together, study the Bible together, pray the Rosary together, and grow in Faith.  Access to daily live prayer to teach you more about the Catholic Faith and how to pray with the Church's rhythm. Access to relevant weekly Q&As that will help you navigate life as a modern Catholic woman. Daily encouragement to help you enter into prayer, community, and more. Monthly Prayer Invitations from Beth Davis to help you grow in intimacy with Jesus as you journey to heaven. Early access to new releases. One of the most difficult parts about being Catholic in today’s day and age is feeling like you are alone in the faith. I’ve talked to many women who love the Church, the Saints and all that our wonderful faith has to offer, but long for community within their faith. Here are some testimonies from current Blessed Is She App users: Testimonies from BIS App users: “I use this app all the time to pray. It’s wonderful.” “It is a safe place to be and hear from other women of faith. Being able to do so here makes me feel part of the greater sisterhood of Christ, which I believe is very real.” “It is a beautiful blessing to be able to share my faith and takeaways from the readings and devotions by connecting with so many beautiful daughters of God. I love starting my day with it.” “I found the BIS app last year after doing the Advent devotional with the teachers and staff in my Diocese. This Lenten Season I did Rescued and really feel I have grown in my faith. BIS is helping me to continue to do that. I am more active in the app and am doing Risen too. I look forward to checking the app each day, watching the lives or recordings, and interacting with the women. I feel like Jenna and Beth are my real-life friends!!” “I stumbled upon Blessed Is She before joining RCIA. This sisterhood has been an integral part of my conversion. I have a more intimate prayer life and have made meaningful connections with other Catholic women. THANKS BIS!” “After moving to a new state, the BIS app was ESSENTIAL to building community. There are so many ways that the BIS community on the app has benefited my life. In particular, the Near Me feature connected me with a great friend in my new home and for that alone I’m so grateful!” “I came into the church with my older sister when I was 19. I came from a very evangelical non denominational background, so needless to say it was a very isolating season going through RCIA. However, the encouragement from Blessed is She was a drop of cool water that has sustained me through some of the darkest (and brightest!!) moments of my life!” “Before BiS I thought I knew a lot about Jesus and did a lot of talking to Jesus. But now, I am learning what it means to be friends with Jesus.” “I've replaced my old habit of checking social media in the morning with reading the daily devotional on BIS, and I am so much more centered and encouraged throughout the day because of it.” Here are a few ways that your life can be transformed through the app: Praying the Rosary & Midday Prayer Daily with Other Women Each day, someone from the team goes live and leads all of us in a Rosary. What better way to get closer to other women than by praying the Rosary, which leads us closer to the heart of authentic femininity: our Heavenly Mother Mary? Talking About Jesus with Other Women Sometimes it can be hard to find others who want to grow in love of Jesus alongside you. The Blessed is She App makes it easy: every woman on there wants to know more and more of our Lord's heart. Join us to encourage each other, pray with each other, chat in our live weekly Q&As, and more! Finding Women Who Live Near You Call it “find my friends,” but for making new friends, the “near me” feature has enabled a lot of women to find those in close proximity to them which has in turn led to friendships being formed through the app. What are you waiting for? Find your new best friends through the Blessed Is She app!

Jesus, as I express kindness and tenderness to those who are the easiest to love, aid me in lavishing Your love on those I find particularly difficult. Help me see You in the eyes of those I struggle to love. Abolish the obstacles I place to maintain my comfort, that keep me safely tucked away from loving those that You are gently pushing me towards. Most importantly, help me love others that think themselves not worthy of love, especially Yours. Plant in my heart whispers of encouragement to love others I have pushed away, so that I may be a greater reflection of Your creation, not the version of myself that picks and chooses who I love. Amen. Author Bio: Kateri Estano is a recent graduate of Salem State University with a B.A. in English and a concentration in Professional Writing, living in Peabody, Massachusetts. Besides spending time with and preparing to marry her fiancé in July 2023, she enjoys knitting, baking, hanging out with friends, traveling, and adoration. An avid writer since high school, she has recently felt called to share her poetry and writing beyond her computer files. She enjoys composing pieces about God's love for His creation and her relationship with Him. She hopes that her writing will help spread the message of God's intrinsic love to other women. You can find her on Instagram @katericampbel

My husband and I were in the middle of our European honeymoon. We had just landed in Greece after spending a week exploring the streets of Rome. Based on my natural family planning (NFP) chart, I was expecting my period to arrive sometime during our Rome stay. I packed dozens of menstrual products, prepared for a week of bloating and cramping during our romantic getaway. But by the time we arrived in Greece, my period was seven days late. Even during my most stressful months, my period had never been that delayed. A Honeymoon Surprise Something felt off. I sat at dinner with my husband, verbally processing the “what if”s over what would be my last glass of wine for a while. He insisted that I had nothing to worry about, that the travel likely impacted my cycle. But I couldn’t let it go. I peered over to the pharmacy next to the restaurant, got up from our table, and told my husband I was going to buy a pregnancy test. With a loving smirk, he responded, “If that’s what will give you peace of mind.” After dinner, my husband and I returned to our hotel room, and I immediately went to the bathroom to settle the uncertainty once and for all. I peed on the stick and placed it on the counter. The instructions on the package told us to wait three minutes for an accurate result. From the bedroom, my husband asked if he should start a timer on his phone. By the time he asked, there were two solid pink lines staring back at me. “Yeah… start the timer…” I replied with a shaky voice. My husband rushed to the bathroom to witness the result with his own two eyes. We were both stunned. We had planned to wait two years before having children. Instead, we found ourselves staring back at a positive pregnancy test two months after our wedding. There were two images that came to my mind in the minutes following that moment. The first was the Annunciation. I thought about Mary, who also received unexpected news that she would be bearing a child in her womb. I thought about her questions to the angel, followed by her acceptance of God’s will. I tried to identify with this willful submission, but shock and fear held me hostage.  Then came the image of the Crucifixion. I more closely identified with this image of pain, torture, and suffering. I wondered why God would allow such a terrifying curveball to enter my life when I knew I wasn’t ready. I recalled the words from Saint Faustina’s diary: “I am already with You on Calvary . . .  I am stretched out on the cross” (§ 1580). The rest of the night was a blur. It was just me, my husband, and a positive pregnancy test halfway across the world, far from anybody we knew. I wept for hours until I couldn’t anymore, and fell asleep weary with despair. My Initial Response For the rest of the honeymoon, nothing felt real. I woke up each morning and the weight of the grief immediately collapsed onto me. The grief was like the aftermath of a heartbreak or the death of a loved one, when your first waking thought is a heart-dropping Oh yeah, this is reality now. Except in this case, I grieved the loss of my life as I knew it. I was seven weeks pregnant at my first OB appointment. Despite the two positive pregnancy tests, a part of me wasn’t expecting to see anything on the ultrasound. Instead, I saw a tiny little baby the size of a blueberry, with a beating heart that flashed like a rapid blinking light. The sonographer described the baby as a “gummy bear,” having two small nubs for what would become their arms and legs. People had told me that once you saw the ultrasound, the fears would go away. But while getting to see my child for the first time was novel and heartwarming, the image provided little reassurance about my situation. I was ashamed that I had gotten pregnant so early into my marriage. I spent over a year and hundreds of dollars learning how to chart my cycles specifically so my husband and I wouldn’t be one of those Catholic couples. I felt like a failure. The few people who knew about my pregnancy at that point were overjoyed and excited for me. And while I was grateful for their support, the eagerness left little to no space for me to be candid about my grief and fears. During the Annunciation, the angel told Mary “Do not be afraid”—but how could I not be? My entire idea of the future had shattered in one moment. How was I expected to give up the comfort of a child-free life? What about our plans to travel and buy a house? What about all the concerts I love going to? How will we access childcare? Will my employer treat me differently now that I’m a mom? Will my friends abandon me? Doubt and insecurity filled every vacant space in my mind.  All of this combined gave me pretty intense anxiety throughout the following weeks. I felt trapped and betrayed by my own body. The reality of how parenthood would change my life and demand more than I thought I was capable of sent me into a state of panic. I couldn’t escape the sense of impending doom; it quite literally lived inside me. I didn’t feel connected to my child at all. All I could think about was how much I wish I could go back and make sure I didn’t get pregnant in the first place. I’ve been Catholic my entire life, a pro-life activist since I was eighteen, and worked at a pregnancy resource center for almost three years. And still, nothing prepared me for how much getting pregnant would shake me to my core and test my faith in God. I’m not like Mary, I thought to myself, pondering the seemingly unattainable nature of accepting God’s plan for my life. Identifying with Mary’s fiat felt like a romanticized and ambitious goal that was far from my reach.  Transforming My Heart As I write this, I am now thirty-four weeks along. Our son has been squirming and kicking for the last several minutes, and I couldn’t imagine life looking any other way right now. To be honest, I don’t really know what changed my mindset. Maybe it was prayer. Maybe it was talking to my therapist. Maybe it was both. Nonetheless, I think time was a key factor. The more time I spent processing the situation and allowing myself to feel sad and angry, the closer I got to acceptance. Conversations with friends also helped me realize that my shame about being a pregnant newlywed stemmed from the wounds of Original Sin. We live in a world with such a broken approach to human sexuality that many of us Catholics feel a need to prove the effectiveness of natural family planning over contraception in avoiding pregnancy. But the truth is, we don’t need to “prove” any of this to anyone. My husband and I are living out the vows we recited before God including to accept children, and this is more of a witness to the Sacrament of Marriage than any family-planning timeline. I stopped labeling myself as an “NFP failure” and started embracing my identity as a mother. That doesn’t mean the grief has been completely resolved. I still have trouble picturing myself caring for a baby and wonder how I’m going to navigate the mental and emotional demands of motherhood. I don’t consider myself a very maternal person, and the last few months have been a crash course in parenting, from breastfeeding to car seat safety and everything in between. As I approach my due date, worries about labor and delivery have become more present. But every day, I’ve continued to say yes to the gift that is this child’s existence, even if doing so makes me nervous and the future is unclear to me. Mary’s fiat was not a one-time deal; it was a constant and daily “yes" to everything motherhood would entail, from Jesus’ conception to witnessing His death on the Cross.  I don’t think I’ll ever understand why I became pregnant at the time I did for as long as I’m on this side of Heaven. What I do know is that God trusted me to be the mother of this child, and that the Crucifixion is followed by the Resurrection. My suffering has purpose, and this suffering is bringing forth new life—literally. I think this truth will gradually reveal itself throughout the rest of my life, unraveling towards the ultimate reality of God’s goodness. What a gift it is to be presented with an experience that leaves me no other choice but to surrender my life to Him. Author Bio: Cassie Kohler is a graduate from The University of Texas with a degree in Marketing. She works full time as the Communications Director at a Catholic parish and enjoys drinking tea and singing karaoke in her free time. A fan of live music and spending time outdoors, Cassie resides in Austin, Texas with her husband, Alex.

Jesus, my heart is consumed and infatuated with the prospect of loving You. I desire to be worthy of Your love but know that my worthiness does not stem from my duties, obligations, or successes. Remind me that my inherent value was given to me by You when I was created and is found in Your ceaseless, ever-present love for me. Keep my heart fixated on Your intentions for me and away from the rotten vices of pride and perfectionism in my life. Let the fruits of my flawed humanity be transformed by Your grace to exude Your goodness in all I do. Never let me fail to love You with all my heart, but not fall into despair when I cannot fulfill my lofty expectations. Amen. Author Bio: Kateri Estano is a recent graduate of Salem State University with a B.A. in English and a concentration in Professional Writing, living in Peabody, Massachusetts. Besides spending time with and preparing to marry her fiancé in July 2023, she enjoys knitting, baking, hanging out with friends, traveling, and adoration. An avid writer since high school, she has recently felt called to share her poetry and writing beyond her computer files. She enjoys composing pieces about God's love for His creation and her relationship with Him. She hopes that her writing will help spread the message of God's intrinsic love to other women. You can find her on Instagram @katericampbel

10 Animals (and Saints) God Used to Show His Glory  There’s a line in the Gospels after Jesus calms a storm that always sends me into contemplating this question: “Who then is this whom even the wind and sea obey?” (Mark 4:41) What must it have been like to watch the strength of the waves and the wind settle at the mere sound of a Man’s voice? While it calmed the outside forces, it likely brought a peaceful stirring in the hearts of those who observed the miracle. Psalm 19:2 assures us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of his hands.” We see these glories throughout all of Scripture. God uses all parts of His created realm to reveal His Truth and Love to every generation, from Genesis through Revelation, and all throughout Church history—including today! It is impossible to get through a single book of the Bible without reading a miraculous story involving nature—and it’s not just the weather! This includes the animals. From a ram showing up at the opportune moment (see Genesis 22:13), to a whale swallowing Jonah (see Jonah 1:17), to a donkey speaking to Balaam (see Numbers 22:28), God uses all His creation to reveal His presence. When we look at the lives of the Saints, the same reality is present. In congruence with National Wildlife Week, let’s take a look at ten times God has used animals to display His glory! Saint Mammes and Lions Saint Mammes of Caesarea was born in the third century in the prison where his Christian father died. Both he and Mammes’ mother were awaiting execution for refusing to abandon their faith. Raised and loved by a wealthy widow, he grew up Christian and was given a good education. The faith of his parents seemed to run in Mammes’ veins, and as a teen he converted many of his friends to Christianity. His evangelistic skill made him a target of the government’s persecution. With the help of an angel, he escaped and dwelt in a cave in the wilderness. There he preached to the animals and survived off of the produce in the region. When soldiers eventually came hunting for him, Mammes agreed to be taken without a fuss. While many attempts had been made to kill him before, he finally died due to an abdominal wound from a trident. Mammes’ identifier in sacred art is the presence of a lion comrade, as he seemed to have influence over them. For example, the lions would not touch him when he was thrown to the beasts as a form of intended execution. Another time, soldiers who had arrested him came across a lion chasing a group of sheep. Mammes called out to the lion who abandoned his hunt and did Mammes’ bidding, even allowing the man to ride him to the town where he was going to be imprisoned. What a sight that must have been for those who saw him as a Christian slated for martyrdom! Saint Anthony of Padua and a Donkey  In the thirteenth century, Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron Saint of lost things, assisted an adversary in finding his belief in the True Presence of the Eucharist. This man, Bononillo, not only refused to believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Sacrament, he publicly ridiculed those who did. Anthony tried to instill faith in him through explanations of Scripture and doctrine, but Bononillo remained hard-headed. What happened next depends on the source. Some claim it was Bononillo who suggested the plan, others that it was Anthony. Regardless, the two agreed that if Anthony could convince a donkey to bow before the Eucharist, Bononillo would be forced to accept the truth. Bononillo gave his animal no food or drink for three days. Anthony fasted willingly. At the planned time, the adversaries met in the town square as agreed. The hungry donkey was presented with the option of a consecrated host held by Anthony, or a pile of fresh hay directly under his own nose. To everyone’s surprise—most especially Bononillo’s—the donkey ignored the hay, walked to Anthony and bent his front knee in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament!   Saint Fabian and the Dove Within our faith, we give precedence to the writings of the early Church Fathers, those men who were the earliest successors of the Apostles. Their proximity to the Apostolic teaching grants them more direct knowledge of teachings and events in the early Church that we cannot possess ourselves. One of these Fathers, Eusebius, shared the following story in his writings.  When the nineteenth successor of Saint Peter had died and a new pope needed to be chosen, bishops and laymen flocked to Rome for the funeral, camaraderie, and prayer. Fabian—an unordained layman—was one such person. In the midst of discussions, a dove descended from the ceiling and rested on Fabian’s head. Eusebius remarked that all those present sensed it was a clear imitation of the dove which descended upon Jesus at His Baptism. The Church took it as a sign of God the Father’s will and Fabian was elected the twentieth pope. It is also interesting to note that doves are symbols of peace, and Fabian’s papal reign was a time of fewer persecutions and greater acceptance of Christians.  Saint Daria and the Lion Saint Daria had been a priestess of a pagan religion in the third century in Rome when she married her husband, Chrysanthus, a Christian convert. His passion and love for the faith changed Daria’s heart, and she, too, was baptized. The duo were looked to by the local men and women as faithful religious leaders. Their eloquence converted many and caught the attention of Rome, which led to their arrests.  Daria was sent to a brothel, a common tactic used by Rome for Christian women who had devoted themselves to celibacy. When the first man was sent into her room to abuse her, a lion appeared and attacked the man, pinning him to the ground. The lion then looked to Daria as if she were supposed to direct him further. She instructed the man to be released and he fled from the room. Unwilling to accept defeat, two more men experienced this process before Daria’s captives angrily set the room on fire with Daria and the lion inside. The Saint made the sign of the cross over the lion and instructed him to jump through the flames and escape. The room burned completely to the ground while Daria remained inside, and she was saved from any injuries.  Chrysanthus had endured his own tortures while they were apart, but the two were reunited and died together in martyrdom. Saint Ambrose and Bees The words of Saint. Ambrose was known to be sweet and soothing, assisting many in “swallowing” some of the difficult teachings of Catholicism. It is said that his honey-tongued capabilities were hinted at as a baby when his nanny took him outside to nap in the fresh air. Asleep with his mouth open, bees came, landed on his face in great numbers, and were crawling in and out of his mouth without harming him. Though this initially alarmed the nearby adults, they ended up marveling at the situation and took it as an omen of the great things God intended to do with Ambrose’s life. Saint Gall and the Bear This sixth-century missionary found himself in Switzerland during the colder months and was warming himself near a fire. A hungry bear hid in the trees, charging at the moment he saw to be most opportune. Gall was barely startled by the bear and simply rebuked him. The bear heeded Gall’s words and went back into the woods. After a bit of time passed, the bear returned, carrying wood to add to the fire. From that point on, the bear was the constant companion of the Saint, and they are often depicted together in sacred art. Centuries later, a city stands bearing the name of the Saint, with a black bear honoring this story on its coat of arms.  Saint Hubert and the Stag Saint Hubert suffered the great tragedy of losing his spouse in the midst of childbirth. He sought solace in another passion: hunting. In fact, the woods became the place of refuge and Hubert spent the majority of his time and effort tracking down deer and dissociating from reality. One Good Friday, Hubert ignored the masses of people headed to church and once again rode into the forest to hunt. In the quiet, he came across a beautiful stag and was about to shoot it when the deer turned and looked in his direction. Between the antlers was a magnificent cross, the sight of which caught Hubert off guard. Even more so did the voice which assured him, “Hubert, unless thou turnest to the Lord, and leadest a holy life, thou shalt quickly go down into hell.” When asked for further direction, Hubert immediately responded to the instructions to go seek out his local bishop, and then learned to find solace in God instead.  Saint Joseph of Cupertino and the Sheep Saint Joseph is well known for many things, but his miraculous events surrounding sheep are not typically at the top of the list. There are two stories in which Joseph’s direction over sheep is astounding. In the first, Joseph went out into the fields when his own parishioners failed to show up for catechesis due to the harvest. He decided to preach to the sheep instead. He called to the sheep, encouraging them to come learn about Mary, the Mother of God. The sheep left their fields, jumping over fences, ditches, and streams, and came to the chapel door in an orderly fashion. They listened to his teaching, and even prayed a litany with him, ‘baaing” in unison at the proper time to respond. At the end of the lesson, the sheep returned to their homes without any help. Another time, a hail storm occurred so suddenly that people at a farm had been unable to shelter their sheep and save them. The hail stones were so severe they had killed the entire flock. Joseph went out into the field, picked them up one by one and commanded, “Rise in the name of God.” Each sheep was brought back to life. Saint Marcarius and the Hyena A fourth-century Egyptian hermit, Saint Marcarius, was in the midst of prayer one day when he heard a knocking at the door. Upon opening it, he found a mother hyena who had been using her head as a knocker. In her mouth was a cub which she placed in Marcarius’ hands. The hermit could see that the cub was blind and deduced that the hyena was asking for a miracle. He spit and made the Sign of the Cross over the defective eyes, and sight was granted to the little creature.  The next day, the grateful mother returned with a gift for Marcarius, a sheep’s skin. Marcarius made her promise not to harm any animals that belonged to the poor, and promised that if she was hungry and she left them alone, he would feed her. These were his conditions for accepting her gift. She made a gesture of agreement, and Marcarius made the sheepskin his bed.   Saint Patrick and the Horses When thinking of Ireland’s patron, it is likely the first creature one would associate with him is one of a reptilian nature. However, there are other miraculous stories surrounding Saint Patrick and animals—one of them includes a domesticated herd of horses. The story goes that Patrick had requested a bit of land from a local chieftain to build a small church and cell. The chieftain Daire only partially granted the request, giving Patrick access to  land in a valley and not the hilltop so as to not have his view obstructed. Further upon the finishing of the construction, Daire still saw the land as his, not as something sacred and set apart. He permitted his horses to graze there; Patrick’s response was to cause the death of the horses (similar to others being struck dead upon entering sacred spaces incorrectly in Scripture).  Furious, Daire was gathering men to drive Patrick and his followers from what he saw as his land when he was struck with a severe illness. Humble and wise, Daire’s wife asked Patrick for assistance. He sent her holy water with the instruction for it to be sprinkled upon Daire and the horses. Daire was healed and the horses were resurrected. Patrick showed no ill-will towards the clan, even when Daire’s temper continued. All Creatures Great and Small Both faith and reason assure us that God can be seen within His creation. May we join our Saintly brothers and sisters in appreciating and marveling in God’s handiwork!

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These past few weeks I have begun to hear the song of springtime. While the melody remains faint, if I listen closely, I can hear expectant whispers of the symphony to come: the sole wildflower growing outside my window, the patches of my room dappled with the morning sun, the surprise encounter of a bluebird, the sky drawing me outside a little longer each day, the soft earth beneath my feet anew.  Each of these moments is a prelude to the beauty that will soon arrive. As the earth prepares to awaken, it begins to show signs of life. Yet spring cannot flourish without first clearing out the dead, the dilapidated, and the decayed. The garden soil must be tended before anything can flourish.  In the same way, we too mimic the seasons. During this time of year we feel an itch to draw the curtains open and let the light pour through. We clean our closets, declutter our homes, and care for the places that have been neglected in the darkness of winter. We “spring clean” in anticipation not only of something novel, but also of something lovely.  If this movement is reflected by the natural world, if it is even reflected by hardwood floors and concrete walls, then how could it not be most profoundly reflected by our very souls? As Lent comes to its climax, we are yearning not only to be touched by the light of the Resurrection, but to be drenched in it. We ache for its glory to be made manifest within us—for it to bloom into a garden of inconceivable beauty. Like the rest of creation, we long to sing the song of springtime.  As we enter into the holiest days of the liturgical year, let us not waste the opportunity to let the Father deeply clean our hearts, especially in the spots that have yet to be touched this Lent. Let Him scrub away the dirt, even if it hurts and even if it bleeds. Know that He is creating room— that your heart may be supple and soft and capable of holding greater magnitudes of the Divine. He is preparing you, dear sister, so that when you look into the eyes of His resurrected love, you may also see your own radiance reflected in His gaze.  He wants to create something sacred. He wants to create something holy. He wants to create something divine. Give Him permission to do so. Here are five ways to allow the Lord to spring clean your soul:  1. Let the Lord Be the One To Decide What To Keep and Toss We often believe that we are the ones who know what is best for our souls. Throw this away, hold onto that, rearrange this. Let me recreate it according to my own designs of what I think is good.  The more I journey with Him this Lent, the more I see the fallacies of my heart, and my own propensity to control. He has been showing me (ever so gently) how the things I am trying so desperately to throw away are precisely what He intends to keep, while the things I am grasping on to with clenched fists are those which He is inviting me to hand over.  Listen to the guidance of the Father. Press in where He tells you. Detach where He tells you.  Surrender to the sound of His voice and to the movements of His grace. He will lead you to holy ground. 2. Spend Time With Him  It is impossible to discern how God wants to clean your soul without asking Him. Spend time with Him, most especially before the Blessed Sacrament and in the liturgies of the Triduum, and let Him look into the depths of your heart. It is there that He will illuminate the places that He desires to cleanse and sanctify.  3. Receive The Sacrament of Confession The past few weeks, I have felt the Father gently ask me the following question: How confident are you in the strength of My mercy? How confident are you in its ability to make you new? By my own human measure, my confidence inevitably fails. However, the more that I actually receive His mercy, the more that I repeatedly run back to the Sacrament of Confession with less reluctance, with less hesitancy, and with less fear, the more that my confidence grows.  It is the reception of His mercy that makes us feel safe and secure. It is the reception of His mercy that gives us the freedom and the courage to run.  Let the Father embrace you in the Sacrament of Confession. To cleanse you and to purify you, but especially to simply delight in you.  I pray that His mercy becomes the very air that you breathe.  4. Clean The Exterior  The exterior is an indication of the interior. I have unfortunately tested and proven this to myself more times than I wish. When my life contains physical disorder, it is quite likely that it contains spiritual disorder as well. Cleaning the spaces in which you spend the most time—such as your room, kitchen, or car (guilty)—frees up space within your soul. I am astonished every. single. time.  Throw on a happy playlist, open all the windows, and order the spaces that need it most.  5. Grow Something of Your Own As the Father tenderly cleanses your heart, it can often occur in ways that at first go unseen. Growing something of your own is a small reminder that He is inviting us to patiently embrace pruning. As you cultivate the soil before you, remember that it is much like the soil of your own heart. So much is happening beneath the surface. So much is happening outside of view. Do we trust that the Father is gently tending our own gardens? Do we believe that it is our soul that is coming to life?  “My lover speaks and says to me, ‘Arise, my friend, my beautiful one, and come! For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the turtledove is heard in our land.’”  // Song of Solomon 2:10-12

Read: Then they seized Him and led Him away, bringing Him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with Him.”  But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  Respond: I made the mistake of thinking I could never walk away again.  I thought it was better, I thought I had it all under control. We had history. Relationship. Surely I’d always be that strong. Here we are. The ground was pulled out from under me, and I let go of every good thing, even You. The chaos made me forget that I need You, even forget that I love You.  Those that passed me knew that I was Yours, but I couldn’t seem to remember it. Not with the ways I’ve let You down. Look at me now, nothing to give but a shameful look away. And yet You are looking, too. Not away, but straight at me. Your eyes are speaking clearly:  “Where you see nothing, I see everything I can love.” I know more of Your love through this one glance than I have ever known. Even when I hurt You, You never look away. In Your darkest moment and my lowest, Your gaze is on me. While I’m still denying You, You’re still turning to find me.  Your eyes wake me up, and the rooster crows. You said You’d always love me, and it’s true. Here we are as You make Your way to the Cross in my place.  I pick up my heart again and do everything I can to get my eyes back on You.    Read: And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. Luke 22:54-62 ————— From the “Healing” chapter, inspired by the Triduum. For more prayers + meditations like this, grab a copy of Detailed Love: Meditations on God’s Intentional Presence, new to the shop. 

Pious Musings from the Saints There’s a quote from the English philosopher and writer Aldous Huxley in which he claims, "After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music" (source).  Within my own life experiences, I have found this to be completely true. Music can cut to the heart and match the depths and heights of my emotions in a way that almost nothing else can. In a similar vein, I have found the combination of witty and wise words within the melodic cadence of a poem has a similar effect on my inner being. Poetry—it seems—is a sort of music of its own. Seven Poems Penned by Canonized Friends There are countless Saints known for their written works—many of them being Doctors of the Church. It should really come as no surprise that in addition to their powerful theological treatises, their personal prayer and relationships with God resulted in rhythmic literary work as well. It seemed fitting on World Poetry Day to share a handful of these pieces. Vulnerable By Saint Catherine of Siena Vulnerable we are, like an infant. We need each other’s care or we will Suffer. More Poems by Saint Catherine of Siena My Peace and My Joy By Saint Thérèse of Lisieux   There are souls on the Earth  who are searching for happiness in vain. For me, it’s the opposite,  joy lives in my heart. It’s a flower that I possess forever. Like a spring rose, it smiles at me every day. More Poems by Saint Thérèse  Girl Disappointed in Love By Karol Wojtyla  With mercury we measure pain as we measure the heat of bodies and air; but this is not how to discover our limits– you think you are the center of things. If you could only grasp that you are not: the center is He, and He, too, finds no love— why don’t you see? The human heart–what is it for? Cosmic temperature. Heart. Mercury. More Poems by Pope Saint John Paul II Laughter Came From Every Brick By Saint Teresa of Avila  Just these two words God spoke changed my life, “Enjoy Me.” What a burden I thought I was to carry– a crucifix, as did He. Love once said to me “I know a song, would you like to hear it?” And laughter came from every brick in the street  and from every pore in the sky. After a night of prayer, God changed my life when God sang, “Enjoy Me.” More Poems from Saint Teresa of Avila Poem of the Virgin at the Foot of the Cross  By Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) At the foot of the Cross, I stood with you today and felt clearly, as never before, that you became our Mother here at the foot of the Cross. A mother’s fidelity here already takes so much heart to fulfill her son’s last will! You were also the handmaid of the Lord. The being and the life of God made man were engraved entirely in your being and in your life and that is how you took his in your heart. By the blood of your heart, by your bitter sufferings, you have acquired a new life for each of these souls. You know us all with our wounds, our weaknesses, you also know the heavenly splendor whose love of your Son desires to flood us with eternal clarity. So you take it to heart to steer our steps. No price seems too high to bring us to the point. But to those whom you have chosen to follow you and surround you one day near the eternal throne, it is up to you to stand with you here near the Cross. Through the blood of their hearts, through bitter sufferings, they have a mission to acquire the heavenly splendor for all those souls of great value that the Son of God has entrusted to them and given to them as an inheritance. More Poems from Saint Edith Stein The Pillar of the Cloud By Saint John Henry Newman Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home — Lead Thou me on! Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see The distant scene, — one step enough for me.   I was not ever thus, nor pray'd that Thou Should'st lead me on. I loved to choose and see my path; but now Lead Thou me on! I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears, Pride ruled my will: remember not past years.   So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still Will lead me on, O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till The night is gone; And with the morn those angel faces smile Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile. More Poems by Saint John Henry Newman Love Never Disappears By Saint Augustine of Hippo Love never disappears for death is a non-event.I have merely retired to the room next door.You and I are the same; what we were for each other, we still are.Speak to me as you always have, do not use a different tone, do not be sad.Continue to laugh at what made us laugh.Smile and think of me.Life means what it has always meant.The link is not severed.Why should I be out of your soul if I am out of your sight?I will wait for you; I am not here, but just on the other side of this path.You see, all is well. More Poems by Saint Augustine Expressing the Inexpressible There is much at which the Saints excelled for which we are all still striving. It is apparent from these few poems that they themselves were no strangers to immense heartbreak or to awe-inspiring love. May their words serve as reminders and encouragement to us as we continue our journey towards our heavenly home, no matter what events we face in life.

On a late summer day, in the Italian hillside town of Castel Gandolfo, Pope Benedict XVI was speaking of springtime.  He was encouraging the ancient practice of lectio divina, which is Latin for “Divine Reading.” This form of prayer includes slowly reading and re-reading a Scripture passage using four steps: reading, meditation/reflection, prayer, and contemplation. He says in his address, “[T]he diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart [ . . . ] this practice will bring to the Church - I am convinced of it - a new spiritual springtime.”  I am all about springtime. As I write, it is a mild winter day and the sun is streaming through the window, giving life to the plants on the ledge and nourishment to my soul. If we weren’t technically smack dab in the middle of the winter season, you’d think it was spring! This turn of the season never fails to lift my spirits and energize my soul. It has that “clean out your closet, shake out the rugs, and open the window” kind of feel to it. It’s a time of literal new life, and therefore, a time of hope.  With Scripture and springtime on my mind, here are a few verses to call to mind this season. Old Testament Springtime Scriptures May my teaching soak in like the rain, and my utterance drench like the dew, Like a downpour upon the grass, like a shower upon the crops. For I will proclaim the name of the LORD, praise the greatness of our God!  // Deuteronomy 32:2-3 “‘For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. Arise, my friend, my beautiful one, and come!” // Song of Songs: 2:11-13 Do not fear, O land! delight and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things! Do not fear, you animals in the wild, for the wilderness pastures sprout green grass. The trees bear fruit, the fig tree and the vine produce their harvest. Children of Zion, delight and rejoice in the LORD, your God! For he has faithfully given you the early rain, sending rain down on you, the early and the late rains as before. The threshing floors will be full of grain, the vats spilling over with new wine and oil. // Joel 2:21-24 Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD; as certain as the dawn is his coming. He will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth. // Hosea 6:3 New Testament Springtime Scriptures “Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wildflowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.” // Matthew 6:27-29 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. // James 5:7-9 Just as Benedict the XVI said, the Lord desires to have an “intimate dialogue” with you. God wants to speak with you, and when His message resounds through the witness of your life, you are planting flowers wherever your path may cross. HIS WORD CHANGES LIVES God is speaking to you through His Word. In this personal study, you will learn to hear God's voice by reading slowly and praying deeply. BEGIN THE JOURNEY

“How did so great and salutary a gift come to me, the gift of knowing and loving God, though at the cost of homeland and family?” Saint Patrick wrote these words in what is called The Confession of Saint Patrick. His feast day is celebrated throughout the world with parades, green rivers, green beer, and corned beef. Everyone becomes Irish for the day, even though Saint Patrick wasn’t a native Irishman himself!     We are most likely familiar with his story, or at least elements of it—he was a bishop, drove the snakes out of Ireland, etc. But besides all of that, he was also a profound witness of forgiveness.  Saint Patrick was born in Britain, perhaps Scotland, to a noble family in the late fourth century. At age sixteen he was kidnapped, along with his father's slaves, and brought to Ireland. In Ireland, he was forced to work as a shepherd—his life taking an unforeseen turn from nobleman to slave in a different land. His family heritage was Catholic, and he was suddenly thrust into a pagan land. The druid priests influenced every aspect of the life he encountered in Ireland—from medicine to politics. Everything was different. He went from rich to poor. He experienced dramatic culture shock. He was ripped from his family and isolated from all he knew and loved. It doesn’t take much imagination to think of what his life was like as a slave.  After six years of being a slave, he escaped, reunited with his family, and ended up in France.  He had grown closer to his faith during his time of enslavement and decided to study for the priesthood. Now physically free from slavery, he sought to be spiritually free. He learned how to forgive with holy boldness, and Saint Patrick chose to forgive those who kidnapped and enslaved him. His bold forgiveness inspired a holy daring to go back to those same people who had disrupted his life with trauma, pain, and confusion.   Forgiveness is an act of the virtue of mercy, and Saint Patrick’s life is a profound testimony of that.  His enslavers did not ask for forgiveness—he forgave anyway. They did not ask him to come and spread the Gospel—he evangelized anyway. He returned to Ireland around the age of forty-eight.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells ust, “Christ has willed that in her prayer and life and action, his whole Church should be the sign and instrument of the forgiveness and reconciliation that he acquired for us at the price of his blood” (CCC §1442, emphasis mine). Saint Patrick was certainly a sign and instrument of forgiveness in his life and action. This could only have happened, though, through his prayer.   He forgave like Christ. His forgiveness then brought the face of Mercy through his own priesthood to those who enslaved him.   It is worth praying Saint Patrick’s prayer (also known as “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate”) through this lens of forgiveness. His breastplate is written in the same style the druidic priests wrote their incantations for protection on journeys. This tells us he was familiar enough with druidic practices, and sought to bring Christ even into the midst of these.   Think of a situation or person who you struggle to forgive, and pray with Saint Patrick:*  I arise today, through God's strength to pilot me, God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's shield to protect me, God's host to save me From snares of devils, From temptation of vices, From everyone who shall wish me ill, afar and near [ . . . ] Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation. Amen.  Saint Patrick, pray that we, too, may forgive with holy boldness and have courage to bring Christ’s mercy in the midst of these, too, who have hurt us. Saint Patrick, pray for us.  *The full Breastplate of Saint Patrick can be found here.

Read:  “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.” Respond:  It’s a habit, the way my fingers move along the screen, scrolling mindlessly through things I won’t remember tomorrow.  It’s a habit when I lose track of time,  looking up and seeing a dark room where the day used to be.  It’s a habit when I pull out my stack of books, journals, and Bibles, only to let them sit next to me as I do anything else.  It’s a habit when I close them after mere minutes of pretending to read.  It’s a habit when, eventually, I stop getting them out at all.  It’s a habit, every time. And I can’t even remember when it got to be this hard to resist.  If I get rid of my habits, but leave my heart emptied, I’m no better off than before. The same tendencies find their way back in, through the same door or another. I need a lasting solution, one that can break the cycle. I have no answer but You. You calling me family, You calling me Yours, You calling me to Your will. It’s a big call, following Your will, but You never asked me to do it alone. I’m sure that these habits will never stop trying to steal my attention. Their appearance is  simple, harmless even, but their grip is strong. Sin is relentless, but so are You.  I’ll continue to be weak, while You continue to be strong. Together, we’ll fight these habits and loosen their grip. One day, by Your grace, my only desire will be You. Read: While He was still speaking to the people, behold, His mother and His brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him. But He replied to the man who told Him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:43-50 ————— From the “Sacrifice” chapter, inspired by Lent. For more prayers + meditations like this, grab a copy of Detailed Love: Meditations on God’s Intentional Presence, new to the shop.

Every March since 1911, International Women’s Day has been held around the world. This is a very important and necessary recognition of the needs and struggles of women and girls. As women of faith we need to recognize the important qualities we bring and the essential contributions we can make to the Church’s mission and to God’s people, especially to other women and girls.  When thinking about women who have made a big impact by helping God’s people, one that is fresh in my mind is the story of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini. A movie about her life, called Mother Cabrini, is being released in theaters starting on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2024.  Mother Cabrini was an Italian Sister who was sent to the United States by Pope Leo XIII in March 1889 to serve the Italian immigrants and orphans. And serve she did! Even though Mother Cabrini faced many disappointments and difficulties upon arriving, she was full of hope and anticipation for her missionary work. For example, shortly after her arrival she was off on a daring mission to convince the Mayor of New York City to provide housing and healthcare for hundreds of orphaned children. Mother Cabrini embodied the true spirit of missionary work without counting the cost. What a powerful example of women’s contribution to the church and to society in general.  A Different Story For Women and Girls  On the one hand we have come very far in helping women overcome the oppression they have experienced throughout history—seeing their value and helping them achieve their full potential. Unfortunately, on the other hand, women are still the most mistreated demographic. Never before have we seen so much violence toward women. According to the United Nations, one in three girls and women around the world has been subjected to sexual and/or physical abuse at least once in their lives. The numbers are so disturbing that Pope Francis has referred to this crisis as “almost satanic.” Studies show that women who have been through abuse (of all types) have higher levels of fear, are more isolated, and face greater mental health problems.  Women are suffering and struggling in unprecedented ways. Teenage girls and young adult women are among the groups who are hurting the most. And sadly, in the aftermath of any of these traumatic events, women will sometimes resort to hurting themselves through cutting, eating disorders, and addictions. The darkness can go on for years if the women don’t receive proper care and healing from their traumas.  Having been molested and sexually assaulted at the tender age of eight years old while growing up in Brazil, and having suffered alone for many years, I can say that the darkness I lived in for most of my life was as dark as you can probably imagine. By the grace of God and with the assistance of my amazing holy priest, Father John Putnam, I have received healing that has completely changed my life. And now I feel a strong responsibility to help other women who are still hurting. Responding To A Need  Healed and Restored was created in 2020 to fill a void and respond to a need that has been long overlooked in our society. It is a program that is 100% dedicated to helping women heal their bodies, minds, and spirits in the aftermath of abuse and other traumas. Our goal is to reach these young women as quickly as possible after they have gone through trauma. We help them realize that God desires to heal every single one of His beloved children. We teach them that the enemy is a master manipulator. As soon as a person gets hurt, the devil begins to plant all kinds of lies in her hurting soul. Some of these lies are: God doesn’t love you, everything that happened is your fault, you should be forever ashamed, and you will never find happiness.  Each of us has a story and our stories matter. You matter! The women we serve at Healed and Restored matter. Many are being inspired and compelled to share their stories with others. We are committed to sharing stories of hope and transformation so that women will know that lasting healing and full restoration is possible, because Christ is the One who provides this freedom.  The Mission  The Healed and Restored mission is to transform female victims of trauma and assault into strong survivors who positively impact the world, believe their worthiness, and feel God's love. The vision is to strengthen women who are suffering after physically and mentally traumatic experiences through therapy, workshops, and retreats. Grounded in Catholic teachings and holistic programs, women are being transformed and experiencing God's tremendous healing power as they learn to embrace their identity as beloved daughters of God.  Our ultimate goal is to provide a safe, faith-filled home for women to reside for a period of time and receive mind, body, spirit and soul care, free of charge. We are currently looking for a house to rent in the Charlotte area in North Carolina so we can get our residential program up and running.  As of now, women in need of our services come to us through various different sources—clergy, other ministries, social media, and word of mouth. Since 2020, Healed and Restored has offered women a path to healing by way of therapy sessions, at no cost to them, and with healing-focused retreats both locally and in other states. Women Helping Other Women As someone who was very far away from God for a long time, believing in the lies the evil one instilled in me in the aftermath of the sexual abuse I suffered, I know how other victims of abuse often feel the same way. Living in a broken world such as ours, it’s hard to find a person who hasn’t gone through some type of trauma that has left scars in need of healing.  Christ is inviting us to be still and process our pain so that we may find healing for those hurting places of our hearts. And after we find healing, He asks that we may go forward in faith to spread it to others by allowing God to use us as wounded healers to a world that is in desperate need of God’s mercy and healing hands. The many challenges women are facing in today’s society have made me realize a lot of different things. One of them is that we were never made to walk through the wilderness of our hurts and pain alone. At Healed and Restored we are building a community—a special sisterhood of women who are passionate about helping other women on their healing journey. Healed and Restored is assisting in the transformation of women’s lives. What a blessing and a privilege!  God has taken something the evil one meant for my destruction and is making it into something beautiful. When we find the type of community that welcomes us with love and provides us with a safe place to share our stories, that in turn becomes the encouragement we need to open up about our wounds and allow the perfect Wounded Healer Himself to heal us and remake us into the people He created us to be—before the wounds from trauma took over our bodies, minds, and spirits.  This past January, Healed and Restored hosted our Annual Bilingual Healing Retreat for Women at our Saint Mark parish in Huntersville, North Carolina. We had close to 140 women from all different ages and backgrounds join us for this important day. The Holy Spirit worked powerfully in all the speakers to bring the message of hope and healing to all the women present.  In many ways I am left amazed and in awe when witnessing how God is leading the mission of Healed and Restored in different ways as we support women in their healing journey. To be a part of God’s plan and to witness the enormous ripple effect that Healed and Restored is having in our communities makes my heart sing with joy.  Never could I have predicted that I would be where I am right now, dedicating so much of my time and energy to something that used to be my worst nightmare with such painful memories.  All of this has convinced me that there are times when God uses our deepest pain to propel us on the path to our greatest calling!  He only asks that we cooperate with Him by allowing Him to use our broken pieces so that He can make something beautiful out of it.  If you or someone you know could use the assistance of our highly trained and compassionate Catholic Therapists/Counselors and money is an issue, please do not hesitate to reach out to us by emailing info@healedandrestored.org for more information and guidance. Or if you feel called to be part of this mission by volunteering your time, talents, or treasures, we would love to hear from you. Together and guided by the Holy Spirit, we can make a difference in the life of those around us who are suffering. “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.”  // Matthew 11:28-29