July 15, 2025 // Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Psalm: Psalm 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34 Reflect on the Word //  My mind races as I turn right out of my driveway. I try to calculate how many errands I can possibly run in the two hours I have while my mother-in-law watches my three children. My to-do list is ambitious, and beyond that, the worries and anxieties of daily life swirl in the background of my brain. I receive a prompting from the Holy Spirit to stop at Adoration. But I don’t have time; I’ll never get everything accomplished, I spout back. In a moment of grace my heart softens, for experience has taught me better. I continue straight past my errands toward our parish adoration chapel. “Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live” (Psalm 69:33).  After falling to my knees before Him, I slowly approach our Eucharistic Lord. I’ve been waiting for you, I hear Jesus say in my heart. Spoken with such tenderness, I am overwhelmed by the generosity of a God Who so desires to be with me.  The actual Bread of Life was waiting for me, as He waits for each one of His beloved in the adoration chapels and tabernacles of our churches. I am struck once again that He never leaves us, that He is always available, most especially in this profound gift of the Eucharist. He knows everything we need, but He wants to hear from us, our every concern and care, every dream and desire. I feel unworthy, but He reminds me His presence is not earned. It is His joy to love us, to fill us, and to feed us. Let us turn to Him often in mind, heart, and Sacrament. Let’s prioritize time with Him in Eucharistic Adoration. The enemy will no doubt try to distract us, directing our focus towards technology, food, shopping, whatever it may be. But by grace, let us turn to Christ, for He gave His life that we, too, might live. “[Y]ou who seek God may your hearts revive” (Psalm 69:33). Amen.  Relate to the Lord // Make a visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament this week. He is waiting for you in every tabernacle, all over the world.  

April 2, 2025 // Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent // Optional Memorial Saint Francis of Paola, Hermit Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Isaiah 49:8-15 Reflect on the Word //  *trigger warning of pregnancy loss* We hung up the phone and stared at each other in shock. I started to cry and my husband tried to comfort me, though he, too, was filled with worry. Earlier that day our hearts overflowed with joy at the sight of our first baby at a six-week ultrasound. Later my OB called after seeing the results to inform us that our baby’s heart rate was quite low. We would need to have a repeat ultrasound in a week’s time to see whether our baby would survive.  The week that followed was one of the longest I can remember. I spent the majority of it on my knees. I researched prayers and wrote a litany of all the best Saints to intercede for us from Heaven. I begged the Lord to protect, to nourish, to—please, God, please—save our baby. I have never prayed so hard in all my life.  A week later we received the devastating news that our baby was no longer living inside my womb.  “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me” (Isaiah 49:14). In today’s First Reading the prophet Isaiah proclaims the Lord’s faithfulness in keeping, leading and guiding His people. The Lord makes a way where there isn’t one and comforts and shows mercy. Sometimes, our lived experience does not feel like it lines up with these promises. Sometimes, we feel like Zion: forsaken and forgotten.  Yet “in a time of favor” (Isaiah 49:8) the Lord always comes through for us. It may not look how we want or be on our desired timeline, yet we must believe the Lord when He says: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you” (Isaiah 49:15). As we continue our Lenten journey, we have the opportunity to grow in the hope this Scripture passage brings. We can return His tender love by placing our trust in Him once again, regardless of our feelings or circumstances. He is with you, sister. You are His beloved daughter, and you are always on His Heart.  Relate to the Lord // Declare this truth inspired by Scripture today: God has not forgotten me (see Isaiah 49:15).

February 10, 2025 // Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Genesis 1:1-19 Reflect on the Word // As I stepped out of the cabin into the cold night air, my heart skipped a beat. It was so dark I could not see my young children, whom I knew had come outside ahead of me. I followed the sound of their voices, still unable to see anyone. We were spending the weekend in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, far removed from any sizable civilization.  “Mommy! Mommy!” my daughter shouted as I caught up to her. “Look at all the stars!” To my amazement, I looked up to see what must have been hundreds, if not thousands, of stars sparkling in the clear night sky. I stood in awe. I could hardly take my eyes off of them, repeatedly craning my neck to take in their astonishing beauty. “Let there be light,” are the first words the Creator speaks in today’s First Reading from Genesis (1:3). Verses later, we read how He created “the two great lights [. . .] and he made the stars” (Genesis 1:16). Here, at the very beginning of the Bible, God reveals a truth: He will not leave us in darkness.  As I ponder the stars, my heart fills with wonder, and the Spirit illuminates for me the depth of this beauty. The Lord reminds me that the stars I gaze upon could very well be the same ones Abraham saw when He made His promise, the ones the Wise Men looked to in search of the newborn king. The stars always hang in the sky, yet we can only see them in darkness. The number of stars we are able to see greatly decreases when we are too near the things of this world. Man-made lights from cities wash out the night sky, and mask our ability to witness the fullness of His glory. How true is this also in our spiritual lives?  When we pray with the story of Creation and then lift our gaze towards Heaven where the Creator resides, we glimpse true Beauty; we learn His character. He reveals His generosity, kindness, and incredible thoughtfulness. What a gift to receive His marvelous Light, the source of the Christ-light shining within our hearts. Relate to the Lord // What stars is the Lord illuminating in your own personal darkness? Ask Him to shine His light in your circumstances.

December 20, 2024 // Friday of the Third Week of Advent Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 Reflect on the Word // The pit in my stomach pained me. He doesn’t believe in using contraception? I was in a serious relationship with a wonderful, handsome Catholic man, and we were discerning a call to marriage. This particular day, however, I wasn’t so sure about our future, because it felt like he had just dropped a bomb on me. How could he possibly think that is a practical idea? Is he expecting me to have seventeen children!? Though a faithfully practicing Catholic myself, somehow I had never fully realized the Church’s teaching regarding contraception within marriage, and I was shocked.  “How can this be?” (Luke 1:34)  As I came to learn, study, and pray with the Church’s vision for a husband and wife and their fertility, the Lord was ever so gentle and kind. I had been naive, and saw only through the lens of our modern culture. In time I understood the Church’s teachings were an invitation to true freedom and love, not a harsh set of rules from an out-of-touch patriarchy. I had desired control and my own will. The Lord asked me to trust Him.  By His grace and in His great generosity, the Lord not only softened my heart, but changed it. When I opened myself to Him as Mary did in today’s Gospel, the Holy Spirit filled me and showed me the beauty and wisdom in the Lord’s plan for a husband and wife. I admittedly still had some reservations and anxieties, but made the choice to surrender to His request. “Nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:37) —not even a change of heart on something so monumental and life-changing.  At some point in life, each of us will face moments where we feel like the Lord is asking something extraordinary of us. We may be afraid, confused, or hardhearted towards an invitation from Jesus and His Church. As we approach the Nativity in a few days, sister, let us be reminded of the precious fruit of Mary’s yes. Our dear Blessed Mother walks with us on our journey of faith, her courage and obedience the most beautiful encouragement.  Relate to the Lord // Where do you need the Lord’s grace to soften your heart? Ask Him. O Antiphon:  O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!

Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life. // Psalm 23:6 The sanctuary is darkened. Men, women, and some children fill the pews; some sit, some kneel. Many candles are lit on, around, and leading up to the altar, where shining most brightly sits the beautiful golden monstrance. In the center, Jesus is present to us in the Eucharist. We are there to spend time with Him in a special evening of Adoration—what a blessing.  Tonight I have the honor of helping to lead worship with my voice. That the Lord would give me such a gift of an opportunity humbles me.  As the evening draws closer to the end, we begin a song that has been a blessing for me in the years since I first heard it. It’s called “Goodness of God,” and the lyrics sing of the Lord’s faithfulness. The song builds to the bridge, and the melody rises up from the depths of my heart: “Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me.” This beautiful line repeats multiple times, and tonight I can’t help but smile as I lift my voice to the Father. I have sung this song before (most often in personal worship sessions with the Lord while driving in the car). There have been days when I admit the lyrics, closely tied to the verse from Psalm 23, do not feel true. I have struggled to see Him working in different seasons, and it is then when I have sung this bridge through tears, declaring truth over my life, proclaiming God’s goodness over my circumstances.  A powerful act of faith, worship through music has been a tremendous gift to my heart, one I pray also brings some small consolation to the Lord. When we lift our voices in worship, we show Him our love, we express our gratitude. Find some time this week to sing to Him in thanksgiving of all He has done for you, sister. His goodness and kindness know no bounds. Thank You, Jesus. 

Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. // 1 Corinthians 3:7 After bedtime prayers and tucking my children snugly into their beds, I step outside into the warm summer evening and walk back to my beloved garden. The dahlias are in full bloom, and the rows of cosmos sway gently in the breeze. Monarch butterflies dance among my zinnias and a bumblebee sleeps on a sunflower. I pick cherry tomatoes so sweet they taste like candy, and clip a cucumber or two from the rambling vine. September is my garden’s month of glory.  This didn’t happen overnight, of course. I planted my first round of seeds in my basement in the cold, dark winter days of late February. As springtime dawned I prepared my garden’s soil, amended it with fresh compost, and pulled up countless weeds. After the chance of frost had passed, I finally tucked my many seedlings into the earth for them to take root. All summer long I water and I fertilize and I weed. I chase away rabbits, watch for anything that might cause my plants stress, and weed and water some more. I tend and nurture, but this garden glory is not mine. It is all His, for God caused the growth.  The Lord has taught me so much about the spiritual life in my garden. He has met me there in every grace-filled moment I have opened myself to His presence. What a generous gift to be chosen by Him as His co-worker in bringing beauty to the world.  Each of us is called to co-creation with God, our Creator, and this begins in how we allow Him to tend to our souls. Spend some time today in the garden of your heart. Is the soil rocky, or rich and fertile? What seeds is the Holy Spirit planting? Are there any sins that keep sprouting up like those incessant weeds? Do you need more of the Living Water for your garden to flourish? What is blooming and bringing the Lord great joy? Ask the Lord to help you grow more like Him.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” // Matthew 5:13 I know the recipe by heart. For several years now, almost every Friday afternoon I make pizza dough from scratch. Yeast, warm water, a bit of brown sugar, then salt, oil, flour. The kneading, punching down, rolling out, simple work of my hands, is a source of comfort and joy for me and my family.  One Friday evening as we sat around the table eating our pizza (cheese for the kids, green pepper and onion for my husband and me), I thought to myself, something is off. The crust just didn’t taste like it normally did. I waited to see if anyone else would say something. No one did. But later I realized what happened: I had forgotten to add the oil and salt. I had gotten distracted in the midst of my dough-making routine, and had left out two key ingredients. The pizza was not nearly as good. In today’s Gospel passage Jesus tells His disciples that we are the salt of the earth (see Matthew 5:13-16). Have you ever thought about salt as a key ingredient for the recipe of our Christian life? If we lose the flavor of Christ and His ways, Jesus tells us we are no longer good for anything, so I am humbled to admit that lately I feel like I’ve lost some of mine.  I grow weary in showing up for prayer, my never-ending to-do list always calling. My daily habit of spending time in the Word slips away. The anxieties of this world distract my mind and heart until by grace I begin again: I am strengthened by His very Body and Blood in the Eucharist. I spend time in His true presence in Adoration. I receive His mercy in Reconciliation. I am salt once more. Lord, give us the strength and courage to be salt in a culture that lacks Your flavor, and may it preserve us for eternal life. Help us to find lasting nourishment in Your Sacraments. Amen.

Lent starts February 14, and so does the RESCUED Blessed is She Lent devotional. This year, you’ll be receiving an excerpt from the Lent devotional every day in your inbox (in lieu of our regular daily devo). We want to pray with one heart and one mind as the BIS sisterhood. If you prefer to have the book, purchase the 2024 Blessed is She Lent devotional RESCUED right here. Right upon purchase, you’ll receive a link to come into the free Blessed is She app to walk through the Lenten season with us in daily live prayer, small groups, and more. Together let’s look to the Lamb of God who came to rescue each one of us.   “I have truly built you a princely house, a dwelling where you may abide forever.” // 1 Kings 8:13 “Did you pack the kids’ water bottles?” I shout to my husband, who is buckling our youngest into her carseat. The kids have had breakfast, all five of us are dressed in our Sunday best, everyone’s hair is brushed, my makeup is applied. I grab “the Mass bag” filled with a few religious picture books and activities, glance at the clock, and hurry out the door. We should make it a few minutes before Mass begins. Whew. This is our Sunday morning rush. My Sunday preparations have looked different in various seasons of my life. As a younger single woman in college, I was able to arrive as early as I wanted for Mass, centering myself in prayer before it began. Now, our family listens to a podcast on the readings of the day as preparation on the drive to our parish.  Today’s First Reading (see 1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13) describes the extraordinary efforts the Israelites took in preparing the temple as a dwelling place for the ark of the covenant. We see a reflection of this each time we are before the sanctuary of a Catholic Church, where our Lord dwells in His tabernacle. What a gift to be in His presence! But our Lord desires far more for us: in His profound humility and wild generosity, He comes to dwell in the temple of our bodies (see 1 Corinthians 3:16). As we receive Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, we become a physical dwelling place for Him. What preparations are we making to receive Him? What kind of a dwelling will He find within us?  What one thing can we change this week to more fully prepare ourselves to receive Jesus? Maybe He is inviting us to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Perhaps He is calling you to arrive even five minutes earlier for Mass to spend more time with Him before the liturgy begins or to read the readings before Mass. Whatever it is, let us pray that the Lord will find the temples of our hearts more beautiful for Him. May they be dwellings where He will abide forever. Amen.

“You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves [. . .] For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God.” // Exodus 20:3-4a, 5b Creak, silence, creak, creak. Despite my best attempt not to make even the slightest noise, the stairs under my feet groan, weary from years of life passing up and down them. My three children are miraculously still sleeping, and I practically hold my breath trying not to disturb their slumber. My feet step off the last carpeted stair to the cold floor below. I tiptoe to the kitchen. Mug, cream, sugar, hot coffee. I glance at the clock: 6:33 a.m. I walk into the living room, draw back the curtains, and cozy up on the couch with a blanket. A rare moment of quiet solitude.  I am jealous for you. Feeling a bit taken aback, I say good morning to the Lord. I thank Him for a new day, for the opportunity to begin it with Him. Again, I feel Him press upon my heart: I am jealous for you. There is no denying His closeness, His tender pursuit. Later that morning I head to Confession at my Parish. After waiting in line and receiving the Sacrament, I make my way to the chapel, sure to be busy with other Confession goers. As I step inside, I realize it is empty. How can this be? I think. My eyes welling with tears, I kneel deeply before the Blessed Sacrament, and He reveals His desire to be with me, personally and intimately.  We live in a world where the worship of idols is normal and celebrated. What idols have we carved—perhaps overuse of social media, our phones or other technology, food, relationships—what keeps us from relationship with and worship of God? How are we spending this one precious life we have been gifted?  Sister, the Lord is jealous for you. Today let us ask the Lover of our souls to, ever so gently, reveal what we need to let go of for love of Him. Grant us the grace, oh Lord. Amen. 

You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek. // Psalm 110:4b For the priest who baptized me into the Catholic Church, let us pray to the Lord. For the priest who gave me my First Holy Communion, let us pray to the Lord. For the priest who provided college students a weekly opportunity to worship in Eucharistic Adoration, let us pray to the Lord. For the priest who patiently and joyfully welcomed me back to the Sacrament of Reconciliation after many long years away, let us pray to the Lord. For the priest who presided with such tenderness and love at my wedding Mass, let us pray to the Lord. For the priest who generously shepherded a small group of young families in New York City, let us pray to the Lord. For the priest who drove to our apartment with the Eucharist in the early days of the pandemic, let us pray to the Lord. For the priest whose openness to the Holy Spirit allows me to hear and know the Father’s love through his words and witness, let us pray to the Lord. For the priests who have hurt, confused and disappointed me, let us pray to the Lord. For the priests who lay down their lives for their sheep, in ways big and small, day after day, let us pray to the Lord. For men discerning a call to the priesthood, for their courage, perseverance, and spiritual protection, let us pray to the Lord. For every Catholic baptized priest, prophet and king that we might live into our anointing more boldly and bravely, let us pray to the Lord. For greater conviction in our hearts to pray faithfully for priests, let us pray to the Lord. Listen to today's audio devotion.

“Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” // Matthew 4:4b Last year, I experienced what felt like a season of desolation in my prayer life. I was not hearing from the Lord in the way I was used to hearing Him speak to my heart. Over time, I admittedly grew discouraged. Simultaneously, I was living a particularly full season in my vocation as a wife and mother, and I gradually fell away from a former habit: daily time spent with the Scriptures. As time passed, by God’s grace, my heart was open to hear the Holy Spirit remind me that if I wanted to hear from the Lord, I need only open my Bible. He tells us in Scripture that His word is living and effective (Hebrews 4:12), and promises that “[my word] shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). His Word is truly a gift sent for us, especially for you, sister. He longs for us to spend time with Him, the Word made flesh, that we might know and love Him more and be better equipped to share His love with the world. I have an invitation for you: will you join me in committing to spending time with the Lord in His Word each and every day? If this feels like an overwhelming commitment, ask the Lord to show you what He wills for you, and where more time with His Word might fit into your day. At times I have found it a great help (not to mention a joy and blessing!) to ask a friend or two to join me in reading a particular book of the Bible. Reading just a chapter a day, start a text message thread sharing one takeaway from that day’s verses. Sister, when we make the Word “our daily bread,” we allow God to feed our souls, to nourish our spirits, to comfort our hearts. We allow Him to speak. Will we make time to listen? Perhaps praying with the Mass readings of the day this week we can begin? [bctt tweet="Make time to listen. // Elise Howe" username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion

“A lamp to my feet is your word, a light to my path.” // Psalm 119:105 It happens most years by late January: I feel the darkness of the winter months in my bones. The Church settles back into Ordinary Time; the warmth of the holidays has come and gone. Michigan winters are gray, the air is bitterly cold, and the daylight hours are too few for my soul. I am longing for more light. Lamps are mentioned in two of the Scripture passages today. When I am reading the Word, sometimes this gets lost in translation to my modern ear. The lamp spoken of here is not the modern house fixture with a bulb and a shade that gets plugged into the wall. No, in Jesus’ days, lamps were lit with oil and involved a flame, burning and shining, bringing both heat and light to a person. Oh, how we need this lamp: His Word. The Word of the Lord is a gift for each one of us, meant to lead us as we journey in this world, desperate for more of the hope Christ brings. Rather than hours of sunlight in the day, what I truly desire is more of Him so that I might be equipped to then shine His Word, to brighten the world. It may sound cliché, but truly, when we share the light of God’s Word with others, we kindle the flames of His mercy, His love, His peace. In this new year, how might we allow His Word to go before us as a lamplight, to guide us? Light a candle today, sister. As you do, proclaim aloud, “A lamp to my feet is your word, a light to my path. Lead me, Lord, and grant me the grace to follow.” Amen. [bctt tweet="Share the light of God’s Word. // @inendlesssong" username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion

Last summer felt like a whirlwind. After months of navigating the wildly hot housing market in our area, the Lord blessed us with an accepted offer on our first house. Next came the countless details and planning that come with preparing to pack and move a family of four. After moving, the days and weeks of settling in were sometimes stressful, but mostly joyful and filled with deep gratitude. My to-do list, however, seemed to never end: house projects, boxes to unpack, exploring the new community. One thing I failed to put on my list? Daily prayer time. On a good morning, I managed to sit down with my Bible, but even then my mind raced with all that seemingly needed to be done. Of course, at this point in my life and faith journey, I know and have experienced that when you prioritize time with the Lord, everything about life is better. I don’t have a good reason to share as to why I didn’t change my course and do as my heart of hearts knew I should. One Sunday morning—thanks be to God—I hit my breaking point. After a meltdown to my husband, I cried to the Lord too, pouring out my heart to Him. Admittedly, a big part of me felt like I shouldn’t even bother Him since I hadn’t bothered to give Him the time of day He deserved. Why should He care? “With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption. . .” (Psalm 130:7). Jesus was so close in prayer, as I imagined Him looking into my eyes and smiling His warm, gentle smile. He put His hands on my shoulders and assured me everything, every detail would be okay. Where my heart felt heavy, His was light. I cried even harder at the tender, merciful love He showed me. The Lord wants us to give Him our whole heart. His mercy is always ours to receive if we only go to Him. When was the last time you really shared your heart with the Lord? Find some time to spend with Him. Receive His love. [bctt tweet="Find some time to spend with Him. // Elise Howe" username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion

Though I’ve never had a piece of land to call my own, I have grown to love gardening. In recent years, my apartment balcony container garden has been such a joyful place for me to be creative and nurture beauty. Last spring I purchased some bright, pink-orange snapdragons from my favorite local flower market. I planted them alongside some other varieties and couldn’t help but marvel at their confident elegance. After the blooms faded away, I realized some of them had left behind seed pods. Amazed by this unexpected surprise, I harvested as many as I could to sow later. What a gift. Saint Paul reminds us today that we reap what we sow in 2 Corinthians 9:6, and sometimes we reap what others have already sown for us! But this sowing and reaping, regardless of how much time and effort we put into it, is never done completely of our own accord. Let's read on: “God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). How truly awesome is that Word, sister? When we turn to the Lord, we always have all we need. Let that sink in for a moment. God promises grace in abundance! So often I catch myself striving to do something by my own strength, but I am only ever able to really give of myself by His grace, and it is this grace which allows us to maintain a cheerful heart (2 Corinthians 9:7). Where is the Lord inviting you to dig in the dirt, so to speak, to plant a seed? Where do you need the Lord’s gentle rain of grace to fall upon your life? Lord, open us to receive the gift of Your grace, that deeply rooted in peace, we might bear witness to joy springing up, to wonder at hope blooming. [bctt tweet="When we turn to the Lord, we always have all we need. // @inendlesssong" username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion  

Take a deep breath, I think as I try to regain some peace after realizing my friend and I are simply not on the same page about something. My spirit cringes as I read yet another hateful comment from one person to another on social media. I exhale my overwhelm as I scroll through the news headlines which highlight yet again the discord of our society. But perhaps there is one thing on which we might agree: our world is desperate for greater unity. Disunity seems to be everywhere, and I can only begin to imagine how Our Lord’s heart aches at the brokenness He witnesses in our world, even—especially—within His Church. “That they may all be one, as you Father are in me, and I in You . . .” (John 17:12). Today’s Gospel is a tender-hearted outpouring from Jesus to the Father, in which He prays for you and for me, sister (John 17:20-26). Indeed, what an amazing gift we have in His Word to hear Him pray for us! As we read, we remember His desire for us is unity. How have we strayed so far, Lord? I begin to wonder. What can we do? "I set the Lord ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed" (Psalm 16:8). When we keep our eyes upon the Lord and remain close to Him throughout our days, we grow in holiness by His freely given grace. The fruits of this personal relationship bless not only us, but our communities, our neighbors, our families, and our friends with the unifying love of the Lord. Unity in the world starts with me and with you, sister. Let’s pray together: Father, You are so good. Thank You for Your love. Would You align my heart with Yours? Grant me the grace to keep my eyes lifted towards Your gaze today. Unite our world and Your Church, Lord, in the name of Your Beloved Son, Jesus. Amen. [bctt tweet="Thank You for Your love. // @inendlesssong" username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion We ask all this in Your Sacred Name, Jesus.  

Happy Easter, dear sister. Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed. Alleluia! What a privilege for us to proclaim this Good News today from where we stand in history. I find myself so grateful for the last line of today’s Gospel, at the response of two of Jesus’ most beloved friends after finding Jesus was no longer in the tomb. “They did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9). Haven’t we all been there? Maybe you even find yourself there today. Sometimes it is difficult to understand or see what the Lord is doing in our lives. We hope, we dream, we pray, we seek the Lord’s will, and yet at times we feel unheard. Of course, we know it isn’t so: the Lord is ever with us, He always hears us. Our struggle to understand is because we lack His vision. We can’t see beyond the present moment; we only see what is happening from our earthly perspective. Saint Paul reminds us today to “[s]eek what is above . . . think of what is above, not of what is on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). Yes, this is our call! What an encouragement in those moments of confusion, what a good word for each of us as we celebrate our precious Lord’s resurrection over death not only this joyful day, but for the next fifty days of the Easter season. Christ is risen. Let us seek Him. Ask Jesus to fill you with His hope today. You may not see what He’s doing, but place your trust in Him. Renew your desire to experience the full glory of Easter in Heaven with Jesus. Lord, we love You and we praise You. Amen. Alleluia! listen to today’s devotion [bctt tweet="Christ is risen. Let us seek Him. // @inendlesssong" username="blessedisshe__"] Increase my desire for You, God.  

I have a confession to make: my relationship with Mary has never been as great as I would like it to be. I think part of the reason for my struggle can be illustrated in the event we celebrate today, on the Feast of the Annunciation. Mary has a truly awe-inspiring encounter with the angel Gabriel. As I enter into prayer with this Gospel (Luke 1:26-38), I am filled with a variety of emotions: amazement, wonder, curiosity . . . and the feeling that this is highly unrelatable. I ask the Lord about it, and the Holy Spirit invites me to take another look: the Feast of the Annunciation is, in part, a celebration of Mary’s yes to God. She lays down her hopes, her dreams, her plans, in total submission to the Lord’s will. Did she have an understanding of how this would change her life? I ponder. And not only hers, but the lives of countless people for generations—for eternity! While I have never had an angel appear to me with a life-altering proclamation, I can still consider my own response to the Lord’s call on my life. How do my yeses—the big ones and the tiny, everyday ones—proclaim the Lord’s goodness and all He has done for me? The Holy Spirit invites me and you to live more fully the present moment, and to open our hearts to His inspiration. Share a gentle word with someone who is driving you crazy. Offer hope to someone despairing. Welcome an outsider into relationship and community. Be kind. Choose love. While it may be hard to see in the moment, each little yes we offer just might make an impact that lasts generations, too. God, would You grant us the grace to truly delight in saying yes to doing Your will? Mary, most beautiful mother, pray for us, that we may have hearts ever more like yours. In the humble smallness of our lives, help us to know you are near. listen to today’s devotion [bctt tweet="Be kind. Choose love. // @inendlesssong" username="blessedisshe__"] Struggling to know Mary more? Follow our guide on praying the Rosary.