I’m not going to lie, friends. Prior to writing this post, I did not know much about St. Nicholas. Sure, I knew the familiar Christmas tunes, the heated debates of whether to introduce children to St. Nick vs. Santa Claus (mostly in Catholic circles), and vaguely remembered a story of him slapping a heretic courtesy of this meme. But overall, I did not really know who he was. So, when I was writing this blog post for his feast day, I took it as an excuse to learn more about another holy example in our beautiful tradition and to figure out why friends of mine were all about having their shoes filled with oranges and chocolate coins. To those of us who are only vaguely familiar with St. Nicholas separate from Santa, the treats in the shoes is likely the piece of the story we have heard of. A Semi-Hot Take That in mind, from an outsider’s perspective, celebrating St. Nicholas Day might seem like a faint attempt at “reclaiming” the Christmas season. We take secularized Santa Claus, Catholic him up a bit by returning to his saintly roots, and voila! Another day around the “holidays” where we give our children gifts. But this one is better because it goes against the mainstream culture of materialism surrounding Christmastime…because our gifts are simpler…maybe…right?... All sarcasm aside, I do think it is easy to fall into traditions and outward signs of celebrations without remembering why we have the traditions in the first place and what they are supposed to point to (hint hint: Jesus). What can make this feast day truly stand apart and call us to live out the Gospel message is not just the outward sign of traditional shoe-fillery, but rather the intentional learning about who St. Nicholas was and how this holy man’s example can lead us to Christ. Truthfully, this could be said about any holiday or Holy Day or day we celebrate. It is always worth taking a step back and asking what about it is pointing us to God. A Brief History of St. Nicholas St. Nicholas was born in the third century to a wealthy family who raised him devoutly in the Faith. His parents died when he was young. Nicholas used his inheritance to serve those on the margins, truly taking our Christian call to care for the most vulnerable to heart. At a young age he was made Bishop of Myra (modern day Turkey) and was well known for his continued generosity for those in need. He died on December 6, 343 AD in Myra, which is now the day we now celebrate in his honor. So Why the Shoes? St. Nicholas is literally legendary. There are multiple stories and legends surrounding this generous man and his heavenly intercession. One of the more recognized legends involved a poor man with three daughters who were in danger of being sold into prostitution because he could not afford to marry them off (which would have guaranteed protection in ancient days). It is said that on three separate occasions, gold appeared in their home. This helped them out of the financial situation they were desperately praying to get out of. This is the story that eventually lead to the tradition of leaving stockings or shoes out for St. Nicholas to fill with gifts. This is what ultimately created this idea of St. Nick as a gift-giver. A Larger Lesson But these gifts of chocolate coins and oranges (from versions of the story where the family finds gold balls in their home) represent so much more than just a present from a friend or family member. The original gifts shared by St. Nicholas were those that lifted the lowly and cared for those in need. Now I’m not saying that when you celebrate St. Nicholas Day with your family, you should sit your three-year-old down and explain that the chocolate coins she found in her shoes represent the dowry it took to guarantee a man would want to marry a woman on the edge of being sold into slavery (know your audience, friends. But it is certainly worth explaining the generosity of this amazing man, specifically in regards to those in need. It was not his wealth, but the way he used it, that made him a Saint. Similarly, we are called to use the resources we have been blessed with for the betterment of others. People of all ages can benefit from that message and that Christian call. Celebrating St. Nicholas Day Attending Mass on a beloved Saint’s feast day is always a fantastic way to celebrate their honor. But here are a few additional options for those interested in digging in a little deeper with St. Nick this year. Picture Books There are so many wonderful children’s books about St. Nicholas. These are great to leave by shoes and read together on the feast day. Serve Those in Need Another great way to celebrate this feast day would be serving those on the margins. Maybe you and your friends can share a meal with our neighbors experiencing homelessness. Perhaps consider donating to an organization committed to helping eradicate sex trafficking like Catholic Relief Services. Pray for the Most Vulnerable One more wonderful option is praying aloud with your family and including specific intentions for the most in need in our world on St. Nicholas Day. The Best Way to Celebrate St. Nicholas? Love God More. I am arguably the least “liturgical living” savvy, so please do not think these suggestions are anything more than just that: suggestions. Ultimately, the holy men and women we love in Heaven only want us to know the love of God more fully. So long as we are genuinely striving to know and love our amazing Creator, we are moving in the right direction. Candy-filled shoes and all. Do you celebrate St. Nicholas Day? What are some of your favorite traditions? [bctt tweet="Celebrating St. Nicholas Day #BISblog //" via="no"] Sarah Stanley is a small town Ohio girl who is mildly obsessed with all things Ignatian and is very passionate about faith, social justice, and the intersection of the two. She recently earned her Master of Divinity and now serves as the Director of Christian Service at a high school in New England. When she’s not working, she enjoys contagious laughter, travel, clever puns, and finding the good in all things. You can find out more about her here.

The Advent season is coming up. It's one of my favorite times of the year. I am beginning to contemplate how I can best meditate on the sacrificial journey Joseph and Mary made to Bethlehem along with the humble nativity of our Lord. One example that has recently encouraged me to look forward to Jesus’ birth with joy and expectant hope is the Apostle Andrew. When I reflect on the miracles he witnessed while spending time with his friend Jesus, I am struck by how Andrew, even after witnessing Jesus’ repeated goodness, was still continually learning to have greater trust in his friend. The Loaves and Fish In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 14, Jesus speaks of His Father’s Kingdom to a gathering of five-thousand people (not including the number of women and children also gathered there). The people were hungry. But the Apostles could only find a total of five loaves and two fish, given to them by a small boy in the crowd. The Apostle Andrew said to Jesus in regards to the young boy’s offering, “What is that between so many?” Andrew couldn’t see how such a small amount of food could have an impact on such a large number of people. It turns out, it was quite significant. Jesus took those five loaves and two fish, prayed to His Father in Heaven, and the food was multiplied. It was multiplied in such vast quantities that, after everyone had eaten their fill, the disciples gathered twelve baskets of bread. There wasn’t just enough food for everyone to keep from starving. They ate till they were full, and more bread was leftover! Be Brave in Your Asking St. Andrew may not have had great hope that Jesus would perform a miracle. But he at least asked Him the question, “What is that between so many?” Maybe we feel that way sometimes. Like what we are praying for is too small or insignificant for Jesus to pay attention. Or maybe, like Andrew, we think our problem is far too large for Jesus to intervene. Yet what I have learned from this story is that Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish. He shows that He cannot and will not be outdone in generosity. [bctt tweet="Jesus shows that He cannot and will not be outdone in generosity. #BISblog //" via="no"] Christ's Generosity Pope St. John Paul II gives the following reminder: “Place your lives in the hands of Jesus. He will accept you, and bless you, and He will make such use of your lives as will be beyond your greatest expectations!” Beyond our greatest expectations! Do not forget, Jesus not only provided for the hungry five-thousand, He provided them with food to spare! Let us reflect on this for a moment. Jesus is omniscient; He is all-knowing. He could have multiplied enough food simply to fill the basket, with no need of multiplying enough to have extra...but He did. I think He was trying to prove a point. He longs to fulfill our desires, even more than we expect Him to. Do we have the boldness to ask? What if we ask him intentionally, confidently and specifically this Advent season? The Christmas Novena of Andrew the Apostle Because St. Andrew’s feast day falls so close to the beginning of Advent, a prayer has developed called the Christmas Novena or St. Andrew’s Novena. Traditionally, it is recommended to be prayed 15 times each day, from the start of St. Andrew’s feast day (November 30th) to Christmas. Personally, I am not committing to pray the prayer 15 times each day. But I do intend to pray it slowly and meditatively at least one time each day to prepare for the moment of Jesus’ birth. Where to Find the Novena The prayer is as follows and a beautiful print can be downloaded for free in the Blessed is She Shop. Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. What do you ask of Him when the air gets cold and the wind starts blowing? [bctt tweet="What Do You Ask of Him? On the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle #BISblog //" via="no"]

Advent is, by its very nature, a season of waiting and anticipation, not a destination. But to me this year, it does have a sense of being a “grand finale.” It was after last Advent, after all, when a month of festive celebrations, a handful of extra “Christmas mornings” to accommodate different family travels, and Advent candles that were just as tall when we packed them up as they had been when we pulled them out of the box led to a post-December 25th burnout...and the conviction to spend the following year paying attention to the liturgical calendar. Advent was where it all went wrong for me last year, and this Advent, I’m anxious to find out if all we’ve been doing this year has been worth it. But even before Advent begins, I know deep in my heart that it has been. In the Rhythm of the Church Being mindful of the liturgical calendar, commemorating feast days, truly fasting and truly feasting, and digging into the rich history, legacy, and universality of our Faith has drawn me to Jesus this year in a way I never anticipated. As an adult, a wife, and a still-somewhat-new mother, I needed a path for my personal faith life that didn’t rely on my parents guiding me or my university providing the resources. This, the very calendar the Church has used for centuries, has been it. I hope and pray liturgical living will continue to be a lifelong adventure for my family (and for you, too). How to Live Liturgically During Advent Perhaps you’re nodding your head as you read this, heart filled with slightly nervous anticipation to celebrate a “real” Advent. One that doesn’t just look like Christmas arrived too early. Or perhaps you’re where I was last year, when I first heard the concept of saving Christmas traditions for actual Christmas...and that sounds anything but appealing. Wherever this Advent finds your heart, my invitation to you is to bring it to Jesus. Prayerfully ask Him what He is calling you to this Advent, in your specific season of life, and in this moment of your faith journey. Whatever traditions you end up adopting, setting aside, or rearranging, start with a simple surrender and the offering of your days to the Lord. Allow Him to guide you toward Him this Advent season, just as He guided the shepherds to the side of His manger. He longs for your presence and will never deny this request. Take Responsibility In my own family (and I know each is beautifully unique!), I’m the one who decorates our home. I’m the one who either fills our calendar or intentionally carves in blank space. With the full support and unbridled enthusiasm of my husband, I’m the one who has been leading our family’s celebrations of the liturgical year. It would be easy for me to, consciously or unconsciously, “blame” him if our Advent doesn’t look the way I hope it will. But right out of the gate, I’m refusing to do that. If your specific role in your family, your gifts and talents, your time availability, or whatever the case may be mean that guiding your family through Advent is largely your responsibility, take ownership of that and thank God for this opportunity! Trust that He will equip and use whatever you can offer Him. No matter how DIY-challenged you may be (hand raised over here). Adopt Advent-Specific Traditions Let’s resist the temptation to believe that observing Advent means we’re missing out on something. Time and time again, throughout our lives as Catholics, we are called to purposefully wait on something (even something as joyful, good, and beautiful as Christmas celebrations) in order to experience it in its fullness at the specific time God appoints. The waiting may not always be easy, but that doesn’t mean it is empty. On the contrary, the USCCB says “Advent is a period of devout and expectant delight” (source). Delight? Yes, that is something I desire more of. To set Advent apart from Christmas, it needs its own traditions, prayers, and sources of holy delight. Ones you look forward to in their own way, but that always orient your heart toward the celebration to come. Here are a few to consider: Join the Blessed is She community in praying through the 2018 Advent devotional, Bearing Light. Do your best to create a peaceful opportunity each day to use it, whether that means setting your alarm earlier (Advent is supposed to be a little bit penitential too, after all!), fasting from social media or TV until you’ve made the time to read and pray, or asking your husband to help you carve out time amidst your family’s busy schedule (don’t forget to return the favor for his devotional time, too). There’s also an Advent bundle available, which includes a beautiful candle and wristlet to serve as additional reminders to go to God in prayer. Don’t have the devotional? Don’t worry! Choose any other favorite devotional or spiritual book that feels appropriate for this season, and join us in prayer through that. Decorate your home in a special way. Especially if you’re a visual person, refreshed decor can serve as a powerful reminder of a new liturgical season. Don’t hesitate to “deck the halls,” but intentionally differentiate your decorations from what you’ll use for Christmas. This will look different for everyone. But for me, it means focusing on greenery, twinkling lights, and candles (while ornaments, stockings, and pretty much anything red stays packed up until Christmas Eve). Another easy twist: set up your Nativity, but leave the manger empty until the appropriate day. Include your family. If you have children, consider setting up a Jesse Tree, adding a few Advent-specific storybooks to your shelves, or letting your kids “earn” hay for baby Jesus’ manger in your nativity set by doing good deeds for one another. If you’re engaged or married, pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena out loud with your husband/fiance. If you’re single, invite family members or friends to attend extra daily Masses or Holy Hours, or to work on a service project with you. The Christian life is even more beautiful when we walk through it in community! Decide what to save for Christmas. Yes, this part is challenging in our culture and in our hearts that so longingly crave the joy of Christmas. But sisters, the wait will be so worth it. Prayerfully consider what you feel called to reserve for the specific season of Christmas and commit to waiting on those things. Maybe that means holding off on certain movies, not listening to Christmas music, respectfully declining invitations to Christmas parties during Advent, not baking cookies or special treats until Christmas Eve, etc. Note: I cannot emphasize enough that living Advent in such a counter-cultural way may not always be popular amongst loved ones. So we must approach delicate situations with charity and gentleness. This isn’t about a set of rules. It’s about prayerfully and appropriately anticipating the celebration of our Savior’s birth. Stirring up a family feud because you decline to attend the 20th annual Christmas cookie exchange probably won’t help cultivate your peaceful season of prayer. So use your best judgment and discernment when needed. Sisters, I would love to know: how do you make Advent a meaningful time for you and your family? Please share your tips, tricks, and traditions in the comments below so we can learn from one another. Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation: the great season of Advent. This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced at last to see. This is the season that the Church has always celebrated with special solemnity. We too should always observe it with faith and love, offering praise and thanksgiving to the Father for the mercy and love he has shown us in this mystery. - Saint Charles Borromeo [bctt tweet="Living Liturgically During Advent #BISblog //" username="lisajanelkirk"]

One of my favorite memories of our first home in Minnesota was going out on a cold night (which we had no business going out into). It was probably near ten-below-zero, and had been for quite some time. But, out we went for moonlit cross-country skiing. If you time it just right, the brightness of the moon reflecting off of the snow casts shadows in the forest in the dead of night. It is an experience you will not soon forget. The night was a dark. I was introducing my husband and a dear friend to this north woods magic, and it was off to a bumpy start. Cold fingers clipped boots into skis and we shivered as we covered all but our eyes. And we set off. Doubtful as they might have been in the parking lot, what I hoped we would experience was a startling beauty in the desolation. Peace, stillness, and light tucked into the silent forest. Finding the Light The woods were still and the air was clear. We had a beautiful view of the moon through the bare trees. It was too cold to snow. Imagine our surprise when we found a trail of lights laid out by some grizzled park ranger, or some nostalgic, seasoned skier who had gone before us. We never saw the person responsible—only the work of their hands. They had left luminaries in their wake along the length of the trail. Our entire trek through the snowy hills had been altered by these lights twinkling in the snow, on an otherwise barren landscape. It was a pure gift to the souls brave enough to endure the cold that night. Isn’t that true of our Advent experiences, too? Our entire journey is altered by the Light we find shining in the dark—the very place we expected not to find it. Our Advent Journey This practice of Advent journeying takes on a variety of shapes: Maybe a candle and some prayer time are your jam before you get ready for bed. Perhaps you incorporate a Jesse tree into your Advent walk. Or the cozy, dark, early morning hours for Advent reflection call to you. If daily Mass fits into your workday, this is another way of noticing those small glimmers of hope in a season often filled with cold, muted light. If your parish participates in a cold weather shelter service, you might get to offer hospitality in honor of the Holy Family who found no room at the inn. There is no "right" way to enter into the season of Advent. It remains an opportunity to be on the lookout for the shimmering light of Christ, like the Magi, even when it feels far-off. It is one of the few practices of waiting we afford ourselves at this point in time. Yet it can be cause for so much impatience when we look ahead to the celebration just around the corner. How do we contain ourselves? Seekers and Bringers of Light At the same time, I wonder if that hypothetical, old park ranger I imagined lighting candles in the dark, with no guarantee that anyone would notice, might be on to something. Perhaps this Advent season that is upon us is more than an invitation to be seekers of the light only. Perhaps Advent is simultaneously an invitation to be bringers of the Light (John 8:12). To have the wisdom to lavishly share what we know to be illuminating, if only for the sake of delighting the Lord—and an unsuspecting passerby. Because, if there is any one thing we know to be true of God, it is that God is Mystery and will use any and all circumstances to reveal the love He desires to lavish on us in a new way. Unexpected luminaries on a rural ski trail? Check. Physical presence in the Eucharist? Check. Infant born in a barn? Check. Our Prayer for Advent Whatever your visions for this Advent season, let’s pray that each of us be given the opportunity to become not only seekers of the Light of the World, but bringers, too. Here’s to bringing that Light to the world in a new and delightful way. Just as in the deep woods or in a dark passageway, someone carrying a flashlight can light the path, so Christ walks before you, shedding His light upon your way. -Helen Kingsbury Wallace [bctt tweet="Bringing the Light: Preparing for Advent #BISblog //" via="no"]

This month we celebrate the feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. This beautiful Saint—who was a real life princess—married at fourteen, was widowed at twenty, and died at the age of twenty-four. During her short time on earth she gave herself completely to Christ through serving the poor. She chose a life of penance instead of luxury and was often seen with her kingdom’s poor, bringing bread to them each day. St. Elizabeth of Hungary is a special Saint to me, and one that I thank often. She, along with four other men and women in Heaven, gave me a gift. A gift I prayed for each day for many years. One of the greatest blessings my mother bestowed upon me was a love for the Saints. When I was twelve years old, she handed me a prayer card of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. I took one look at the handsome man on the prayer card and told my mom, “I’m really happy we are Catholic.” She smiled and told me to recite the words on the back of the prayer card. As I prayed that prayer each day, I felt drawn to learn more about him. An Interesting Connection... One of the things that struck me when I read about Blessed Pier Giorgio’s life was the age of his death. He died at the age of twenty-four. How incredible that a man so young was declared a Blessed in Heaven! I remembered another beloved Saint, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, died at that age too. I began researching “Saints Who Died At Twenty-Four” and discovered a few more: Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, and Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. I began praying to these five men and women in Heaven each day. I was so inspired by their lives, that they were able to live out the Gospel in a profound way in such a short time. Their lives are witness to the reality of God’s grace–that God knows no time, that grace is found in the present moment, and that faith is pure gift. My Request in My Twenty-Fourth Year I felt called to pray for a gift from these five Saints during my twenty-fourth year. Every day, throughout each day, I asked for their intercession, for my gift. I told them that they received the best gift at the age of twenty-four: to enter into Christ’s kingdom. I asked that they might send me a gift just like they obtained during their twenty-fourth year. I prayed this prayer daily for years. As my twenty-fourth birthday approached, I decided to start a young adult group in Buffalo, New York. I had just moved to Buffalo and was attending nursing school. I didn’t know many people and I desired real community and authentic friendships with my entire heart. So I decided to create a young adult group in honor of Blessed Pier Giorgio. Our first meeting was held just as I turned twenty-four. The Best Gift I met the most beautiful people in that group, some of whom are my dearest friends. And I received my gift. I met Mike, my husband, my gift, in the group. I know it is through the intercession of these five Saints that I met the man I was going to marry, that I was led to my vocation. During our engagement, I collected images of these five Saints. I framed them and placed them on a small table beside the alter during our wedding Mass. The priest blessed them after we said our vows and they now hang in our home. These images are a powerful reminder of our wedding day, the vows Mike and I promised to one another, and the fidelity of the Saints towards us! Pray for Your Gift My sisters, pray for your gift. Ask these Saints–so active in Heaven–for your gift. Whether you are eighteen, twenty-four, forty-four, or one hundred and four, ask these Saints for a gift. They are ready to send us Christ’s love, guidance, and grace. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Patroness of bakers, countesses, death of children, falsely accused, the homeless, nursing services, tertiaries, widows, and young brides. Feast Day: November 17 St. Elizabeth of Hungary, I often turn away from Christ and desire a life of luxury, power, and greatness. Help me to be humble like you and desire instead to serve Christ in the poorest of the poor. Help me to always choose Heavenly poverty instead of earthly riches. Please send me my gift, the gift God has specifically ordained for me from the beginning of time. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Patroness of florists, missionaries, pilots, and priests. Feast Day: October 1 Sweet Little Thérèse, Doctor of Merciful Love, fill my heart with trust! Help me to imitate you! I pray that I may become so little that Christ may pick me up, that He may lift me safely into His arms and hold me close. Teach me to fall in love with Christ’s Merciful Heart. Please send me a rose, send me my gift, the gift God has specifically ordained for me from the beginning of time. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Patron of students, mountaineers, and World Youth Day. Feast Day: July 4 Blessed Pier Giorgio, I desire to live a life fully for Christ. I want a life full of adventure, a life full of love. I want to flourish. I know Christ is the answer. Help me find Him in the beauty – the beauty of a hike, the beauty of the Eucharist, the beauty of the Rosary, the beauty of a suffering heart. That is where you found Christ, and I ask you to lead me to the beauties here on earth so that I may fully and joyfully gaze upon His beauty in Heaven. Please send me my gift, the gift God has specifically ordained for me from the beginning of time. [bctt tweet="I want a life full of adventure, a life full of love. I want to flourish. I know Christ is the answer. #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows Patron of clergy, students, and the youth. Feast Day: February 27 St. Gabriel, you had a strong devotion to Mother Mary. Please lead me closer to her. You suffered greatly during your last days–please teach me to suffer gracefully just like Mother Mary, who suffered so courageously at the foot of her Son’s Cross. Please send me my gift, the gift God has specifically ordained for me from the beginning of time. Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Patroness of orphans, ecology, and the environment. Feast Day: July 14 St. Kateri, I desire a clean and pure heart. Please help me to always give my best time to Christ. You, who walked miles to receive the Eucharist, knew the secret that I so often forget–that Christ is my great Love, that He is my heart’s desire, that He is my joy. Please send me my gift, the gift God has specifically ordained for me from the beginning of time. What is the gift you will ask for, sisters? [bctt tweet="St. Elizabeth of Hungary and Four Other Saints Who Died at 24 #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]

One of the seven Corporal Works of Mercy is to “bury the dead.” While this certainly means grieving alongside families who have lost loved ones, it also means continuing to love and support the deceased after their death. Within the Church, November is an entire month during which we focus on those who have passed. Tomorrow, as we celebrate All Saints Day, we will honor all those men and women who have made it to Heaven before us. Some of them we know (the canonized Saints), but most of them, we don’t know. Many of our own ancestors are probably in the mix! The following day, we will celebrate All Souls Day and pray for all those persons in purgatory. For the remaining days of November, the Church encourages and assists us in praying for our deceased loved ones. It’s a beautiful tradition, full of heart and reverence… but sometimes comes across in a sad and somber manner. Death Does Not Have the Final Word In many Latin American countries—especially Mexico—honoring the deceased happens differently. In fact, All Saints Day and All Souls Day are known by a different name: “Dia de los Muertos” or “The Day of the Dead.” Within these cultures, November 1st-2nd are days spent celebrating the lives of those who have passed on. It’s not a somber feast, but a joyful one, fueled by an explosion of color! The day is seen as a big family reunion, when deceased loved ones are the guests of honor, present in a special, spiritual way. It is a celebration with the dead, not of the dead, acknowledging and celebrating that we remain united no matter where we find ourselves in the cycle of life. I admire this outlook, specifically that death is nothing to fear, as it is simply another stage of existence. As Christians, we all believe this, yet we often view our mortality and the absence of our loved ones with great sorrow. While there is certainly a place for sorrow during grief, I hope we can all reach a place of gratitude for that person's afterlife. Would it not be better to celebrate? Would this not fill our mind and senses with happy and hopeful emotions? Perhaps over time, our attitude towards death may stretch and grow. Perhaps we can come to a better understanding of the solidarity that exists between the Stages of the Church, the true union of Heaven, Purgatory, and Earth. How to Celebrate the Day of the Dead as a Catholic Though I am not of Latino descent, I’ve been trying to be more intentional in my quest to live liturgically. Admiring the life-affirming joy of the customs of Dia de los Muertos, I intend to incorporate a few Mexican traditions into my family’s celebration of All Saints and All Souls Day. Make an “Ofrenda,” an Altar of Offering We have a small prayer altar in our home, complete with a crucifix, an image of Our Lady, and photos of our deceased grandfathers. Tomorrow, I will add the picture of a family friend who died as an infant (as the first day of the celebration remembers “angelitos,” deceased children,) and the following day I will add pictures of other relatives, friends, and neighbors who have passed on. My husband and I will pray for all of them and enjoy a laid back evening with each other, sharing happy stories about each person. As our daughter grows and years pass, we will tell her (and any future siblings) these stories. In this way, our children will be able to know their great grandparents and all our family friends in a manner they never would have otherwise. Eat a Favorite Food Often, ofrendas also contain food for the deceased. The traditional reason being these guests of honor have just completed a long journey in order to visit us. During the celebration, the food is consumed by the living in remembrance of the departed. I don’t know what my grandpa’s favorite meal was; if I did, I’d make it for supper. Instead, I plan to set out some chocolate covered donuts in his honor, a special treat attached with a cherish memory of his last Christmas on this earth. Carry a Momento My husband has a claddagh ring that was worn daily by his Irish grandfather. It’s a cherished momento that is locked away for safekeeping. Still, he likes to bring it out for special occasions (dates that were important in their relationship) and wear it on a chain around his neck. All Souls Day is one of those days. Unlike in Mexico, the rest of your community will probably not be celebrating with you. Thus, praying for our dearly departed may not be at the forefront of your mind throughout the entirety of your day. However, if you carry something with you—an old note, a handkerchief, a piece of jewelry, etc.—you’ll have a tangible reminder to pray for your loved one, as well as all the souls in Purgatory. Visit Graves Sadly, we will be unable to do this for our own loved ones as we live states away from family. Still, it is part of the custom of Dia de los Muertos to tend to the grave of a loved one. Families visit cemeteries, clean the headstones, tend to any foliage, and pray. Some even have a party or a picnic! If we lived within driving distance, I know we would make the effort to make a stop and pray for our loved ones “on site.” Who knows, we might even find some marigolds to take with us and adorn their headstones. Decorate with Marigolds Mexicans believe that marigolds help guide their loved one’s soul back to the world of the living, and given that it only flowers during the rainy season, which precedes the Day of the Dead, it has now become heavily and primarily associated with the festivities. Thus, marigolds are also known as “flor de muerto” (the flower of the dead). I find this fitting, since marigolds are strong, protective flowers that often repel pests that live in the soil and can damage other plants. This is much like how those in Heaven and Purgatory can intercede for us and help us through our own spiritual warfare. Tonight, I am going to swing by my local farmers market and grab a bunch of these flowers to embellish my apartment and remind me of all my friends in Heaven. Love is the Point The main reason for the day is to help those in Purgatory to reach Heaven. Obviously, the absolute best thing we can do for them is to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Everything else is supplemental to this. Ultimately, it is love that rules this holiday, with any intentional action being seen by Heaven as a prayerful offering for the deceased. So whatever you do, big or small, let it be done with deliberate love for your deceased loved ones. [bctt tweet="Celebrating the Day of the Dead #BISblog //" username="graceswap"]

A mystic and reformer. St. Teresa of Avila’s heart, mind, and soul were absorbed in all that is Divine and she longed to be with her Spouse, Christ, in Heaven. This deep desire to be in union with her Spouse fueled her passion to be a living witness in the world and to urge others to live a life of greater perfection. In her words: I am bursting and cannot burst because of my desire for the renewal of holy Church, for God’s honour, and for everyone’s salvation. St. Teresa of Avila and Reformation Born in Avila, Spain in 1515, she entered the Carmelite convent of the Incarnation in Avila when she was twenty years old. She noticed that her community was failing to zealously live out the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. With her zealous heart, she, along with her good friend St. John of the Cross, initiated a reform. Despite the many oppositions she faced, her efforts bore fruit. Within her lifetime she founded seventeen convents which more faithfully lived out these counsels . She was canonized a Saint just forty years after her death. In 1970, she was proclaimed one of the first woman doctors of the Church. The Interior Castle St. Teresa’s most famous work is The Interior Castle. Her writings in this book give us a glimpse into her spiritual life. In it she uses the example of a castle with seven rooms to reflect seven stages of the spiritual journey. These stages bring us, at the end, to union with God. She writes: I thought of the soul as resembling a castle, formed of a single diamond or a very transparent crystal and containing many rooms, just as in Heaven there are many mansions. Some of us might consider ourselves perfectionists. But how are we doing in our call to the perfection of our Christian life? Long ago, many people believed that not all Christians were called to a life of perfection. They were under the impression that if one was not a consecrated religious, then one could not expect to have the life of prayer or perfection that St. Teresa of Avila spoke of. This kind of thinking can be dangerous, and it is this idea that tempts us to sell ourselves short as Christians. In the words of the famous football coach, Vince Lombardi, “...if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” The Way of Perfection St. Thomas Aquinas says that the perfection of the Christian life lies in charity. St. Teresa’s path to perfection focuses on the different levels of prayer. God wants to enlarge our heart so that he can more fully enter in to it. As we stay with God in prayer, and continue increasing our desire for Him, He cannot help but purge our heart and cleanse it in order to make room for Him to fill it to an even greater capacity. St. Teresa said: A beginner must look on himself as one setting out to make a garden for his Lord’s pleasure, on most unfruitful soil which abounds in weeds. His Majesty roots up the weeds and will put in good plants instead. Let us reckon that this is already done when the soul decides to practice prayer and has begun to do so. The Universal Call to Holiness All Christians are to orient their lives in such a way that it leads to perfection. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, “You, therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Jesus would not call us to something that he did not intend for us to attain. When we participate in the fullness of Christian life and learn to grow in perfect charity, we will better be able to be a leaven in the world. Lumen Gentium reads, “it is therefore quite clear that all Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love...the forms and tasks of life are many but holiness is one”. What form of life are you in? What task is God calling you to in your current state in life? [bctt tweet="St. Teresa of Avila: Mystic & Reformer #BISblog //" via="no"] This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase by clicking through one of these links, Blessed is She will receive a small percentage of your purchase at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting this ministry by using our affiliate links!

Today marks the much-celebrated feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Without him, our churches would be void of Crèches at Christmastime and our animal companions would go unblessed (for starters). Francis loved any reason to gather people together to give praise to God. If that meant sheep and a donkey in the church courtyard for a living nativity, so much the better! The heavens declare the glory of God. – Ps. 19: 2-5 Our God of Creation Because of the creative nature of God, the Church has long held the concept of two books of revelation: Scripture & creation, each illustrating and revealing to humanity who God is. Our divine imaginations are stirred in a variety of ways. This is why we can study the inspired Word of God and observe its Truth in the "book" of creation as well. St. Francis grasped this early, as written beautifully in his Canticle of Creation. Pope Francis grasped this inspiration early in his papacy as he penned the Encyclical letter, Laudato Si: I do not want to write this Encyclical without turning to that attractive and compelling figure, whose name I took as my guide and inspiration when I was elected Bishop of Rome. I believe that Saint Francis is the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically. He is the patron saint of all who study and work in the area of ecology, and he is also much loved by non-Christians. He was particularly concerned for God’s creation and for the poor and outcast. He loved, and was deeply loved for his joy, his generous self-giving, his openheartedness. He was a mystic and a pilgrim who lived in simplicity and in wonderful harmony with God, with others, with nature and with himself. He shows us just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace. Catholics and Creation Certainly there have been questions raised over the Church’s taking a position on matters of the environment as an issue of morality. But three themes stand out that suggest St. Francis and Pope Francis are each pointing us toward a more just and accountable role within our world as a people of faith. 1. Evaluating our identity as stewards of the gifts God has given. We are not God. The earth was here before us and it has been given to us. This allows us to respond to the charge that Judaeo-Christian thinking, on the basis of the Genesis account which grants man “dominion” over the earth (cf. Gen 1:28), has encouraged the unbridled exploitation of nature by painting him as domineering and destructive by nature. This is not a correct interpretation of the Bible as understood by the Church. -Laudato Si, 67 Simply put, our misguided interpretation of the word “dominion” has become a stumbling block. Rather than understanding humanity’s role as one of dominating the earth and its richness for a quick profit, we are challenged to cultivate it. Much like the farmer who chooses to plant cover crops, or rotate their crop is investing in the future health of their soil and its yield, we as stewards of creation are encouraged to take the long view as well. Where am I being invited to act as a steward? 2. Acknowledging our responsibility to God’s anawim, those who live on the margins. For example, changes in climate, to which animals and plants cannot adapt, lead them to migrate. This in turn affects the livelihood of the poor, who are then forced to leave their homes with great uncertainty for their future and that of their children. There has been a tragic rise in the number of migrants seeking to flee from the growing poverty caused by environmental degradation. They are not recognized by international conventions as refugees. They bear the loss of the lives they have left behind without enjoying any legal protection whatsoever. Sadly, there is widespread indifference to such suffering, which is even now taking place throughout our world. Our lack of response to these tragedies involving our brothers and sisters points to the loss of that sense of responsibility for our fellow men and women upon which all civil society is founded. The people of West Africa surrounding the Lake Chad basin, coastal Bangladesh, Puerto Rico, and parts of coastal Louisiana, and Alaska, are already experiencing this phenomenon. And yet, "climate refugees" do not receive refugee status. They are not fleeing violence or persecution as the term "refugee" has traditionally been defined. To create this new category of displaced refugees would further stretch the funds available to those who are fleeing violent circumstances. Perhaps this explains the "lack of response" that Pope Francis describes. But the problem is clear and growing. What is one habit I can learn that would benefit God’s anawim, those in greatest need? 3. Reverencing God as the Divine Creator, Author of creation. Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last two hundred years. Yet we are called to be instruments of God our Father so that our planet might be what he desired when he created it and correspond with his plan for peace, beauty, and fullness. -Laudato Si, 53 Air pollution from vehicles and industries. Unsustainable farming practices. Loss of rainforests. Waste so prevalent it has created an island twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean. These are certainly recent contributors to the problem before us. Many of humanity’s great advances and discoveries have come with a tremendous amount of convenience and disposability. We believe that creation itself is God’s self-revelation, and that we are made in the image and likeness of God. So this “throw away culture” that Pope Francis dubbed in 2013 remains as harmful for the environment as it is for the human person. It undermines the value of the good gifts we know to be from the Divine Creator. What is one new practice I can adopt to care for the gift that is our common home? St. Francis of Assisi, Lover of God in Creation As followers of Christ, we already know that the right way and the easy way are not synonymous. In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, may we too be remembered for our reverence of this divine gift that is our earthly home. St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us! [bctt tweet="St. Francis of Assisi and the God of Creation #BISblog //" via="no"]

I remember a print that hung in my family’s kitchen when I was a little girl. You know the one. A little boy and little girl are happily traversing a broken bridge over raging waters while a very ethereal, smiling angel hovers over and behind them with arms outstretched. Man, I loved that print. I would stare at it over my bowl of cheerios in the morning, thinking how cool it was that little Hansel and Gretel there could just move about the world so blissfully oblivious to danger thanks to their sweet angel. See, because my mom had taught the guardian angel prayer to me as a tiny girl, I knew exactly what that angel was and why those kiddos were safe. She was their guardian angel. And as long as she was by their side to “light and guard, to rule and guide,” they would be A-OK. What About Our Guardian Angels? But what about me? And what about us, sisters? Now that we are adult women with our mature intellects and our skepticisms that have grown right along with our faith, do we still believe in the protection of guardian angels? Or have we been scarred and jaded by hardships and lost battles to the point that we doubt their existence? Angels Among Us So, where is the first place we should look when we have a question about our Faith? The Catechism, of course! From its beginning until death human life is surrounded by (the angels’) watchful care and intercession. "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life." Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God. -CCC 336 Wonderful! So we, as believers, have been given our very own angel to protect us as we go through our trials, tribulations, joys, triumphs in this life. But who, or rather, what is our guardian angel? Is it our dear friend that passed away? A loved one that we believe to be in heaven already with our Lord? I’m afraid not. What is an Angel? St. Augustine says: "Angel" is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is "spirit"; if you seek the name of their office, it is "angel"...” With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. -CCC 329 Let’s let that marinate for a minute. From our very beginning in our mother’s wombs, until the last breath we take, we are under the care of spirit given to us by God Himself. This angel, this completely spiritual and non-physical being, is ours for protection and guidance. By its very existence it bridges the gap for us between Heaven and earth. Wow. Send Me an Angel Can I just say how much I love both our Blessed is She sisterhood and the internet? As I was preparing to write this post, I wanted to hear what some of you had to say about guardian angels. You didn’t let me down! When I asked what vision came to mind when people thought of their personal guardian angel, it seemed like a mixed bag. Some people had the very flowery, traditional view of an angel, not unlike the one in that print I mentioned earlier. Others said that they saw their angel as similar to St. Michael to Archangel, a fierce and strong protector. Shannon said that she views her angel in that fierce way. "My angel has had to do some WORK!” she said. While Joan sees her angel as very large, but comforting and strong, as she often feels very much alone. Lee said that her image of guardian angels has changed as she’s gotten older. She's learned more about how they can protect us in the spiritual battles we face as well as the physical ones. And Alison says she imagines a large, fight-ready angel who stands as our protector from attack. Angel of Mine I also asked if anyone would be willing to share personal experiences. In what way had they felt their guardian angel’s presence in their life? Several people shared stories of how guardian angels protected them from being tragically hurt or even killed in car accidents. Some told stories of being lost as children and finding safety through the help of their angelic protector. Others credited their angels for working with and through police, friends, and even strangers to save them from dangerous situations. Some are in conversation with them as a natural part of their daily lives. But here’s what I think it comes down to on this Feast of Guardian Angels. Whether or not we have impressive stories about our angels, whether or not we feel their presence in our daily lives, we need to trust that they are there. They travel this road with us as we, like those sweet kids in the painting, blissfully and obliviously wander through dangerous territory. In His infinite wisdom and providence, our Heavenly Father loves each of us enough to grant us our very own spiritual BFF. Let's Chat with Our Angelic BFFs So today, I invite all of us to say the guardian angel prayer with a little extra love. To listen to that still, small voice in our hearts when faced with a situation we are unsure of. To ask our own personal guardian and friend to join its prayer with ours and, by doing so, move just a little farther along to our safe landing on the other side. Do you have a relationship with your guardian angel? How do you picture your guardian angel? [bctt tweet="Angel of God, My Guardian Dear #BISblog //" via="no"]

When I was young, my family owned an illustrated Lives of the Saints book. On the cover was a black and white picture of a young girl. I remember flipping through the book one night, trying to find the picture of the girl in the pages of the book so I could read her story. I found the image and read the emboldened name on top of the page: Thérèse of Lisieux. Is St. Thérèse Really that Special? After seeing more pictures of her, I realized this was the same girl who I saw statues of in churches. But she was older and usually wearing a habit and holding roses. It was my first time seeing images of her as a young girl and the first time I read her story. I am embarrassed to say now, but as I began reading, I quickly became annoyed. “Why was she a Saint? And what did she do to deserve that title?” I put down the book, but I was unable to stop thinking of her. Looking back at this memory, I see how erroneous I was in my thinking. Since reading her story, almost two decades ago, this beautiful Saint in heaven has interceded for me, guided me, and protected me. Through reading her autobiography, taking her on as my confirmation Saint, visiting her hometown of Lisieux, and experiencing a miracle through her intercession (more on that below), this little Saint clearly showed me not only why she was a Saint, but as Saint Pius X called her, “the greatest Saint of modern times.” St. Thérèse and Merciful Love This past year, my husband Mike and I read the book 33 Days to Merciful Love by Michael E. Gaitley, MIC. This book is a retreat that culminates in a consecration to Jesus’ Divine Mercy through the intercession of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. The retreat led us through the theology of Thérèse’s Offering to Merciful Love (something I never knew existed prior to reading Gaitley’s book!). This book changed our lives. It strengthened our relationship with Jesus, showed us the meaning of mercy, and taught us that Heaven is obtainable. Thérèse’s profound teachings of mercy and love echo Jesus’ teachings found within the Gospel. 3 Lessons I Learned From Thérèse’s Consecration To Merciful Love Thérèse is the youngest Doctor of our Church and considered to be the Doctor of Merciful Love. I don’t know about you, but prior to reading “33 Days to Merciful Love”, I never equated Saint Thérèse to mercy. I always thought of her doctrine of the “Little Way.” Yet after learning more, I discovered that Thérèse’s Little Way is in fact, a revelation of Jesus’ Divine Mercy. Here's what I learned: 1. I can become a Saint. Thérèse’s doctrine of the Little Way describes that the more humble we become, the smaller we become, the greater God becomes in our life. Thérèse placed her complete and total confidence in Jesus. She realized that true humility is the awareness of littleness. This complete awareness of her littleness, her awareness of her weaknesses and imperfections, gave her complete confidence in becoming a great Saint. 2. Purgatory can be avoided. For my entire life, I had the mindset of, “I hope I at least make it to purgatory.” After learning more about Thérèse’s Offering to Merciful Love, I discovered the profound reality that purgatory can be avoided. And more so, that talking about purgatory in the way that I did, actually hurt our Lord. Why? Saint Thérèse responds: You do a great injury to God in believing you’re going to purgatory. When we love, we can’t go there. With the hope of “just making it to purgatory,” I wasn’t fully trusting in God’s mercy. When a fellow novice told her she feared purgatory, Thérèse said: You do not have enough trust. You have too much fear before the good God. I can assure you that He is grieved over this. You should not fear purgatory because of the suffering there, but should instead ask that you not deserve to go there in order to please God, Who so reluctantly imposes this punishment. As soon as you try to please Him in everything and have an unshakeable trust He purifies you every moment in His love and He lets no sin remain. And then you can be sure that you will not have to go to purgatory. St. Thérèse believed that after consecrating her life to Jesus’ Merciful Love, after placing her complete and total confidence in God’s promise of mercy, she could go straight to Heaven. With this same confidence and trust, we can too. 3. Ask for the Mercy the world has rejected. Thérèse felt called to consecrate herself to Jesus’ Merciful Love. She wrote an eleven-paragraph prayer that offered herself to the Heart of Jesus by accepting all the Merciful Love that other souls rejected. Thérèse recited this prayer daily and knew that through the Offering, she was consoling Jesus by letting Him love her. She realized that Jesus’ love, His Merciful Love, was pouring into her heart through the act of her consecration and making her into a great Saint. Through reciting Thérèse’s prayer, and asking for the mercy that people in the world have rejected, I too am consoling Christ’s heart. My St. Thérèse Miracle I was blessed to study abroad in college. One weekend, three of my friends and I travelled to Lisieux, France to visit Saint Thérèse’s hometown. It was a beautiful little pilgrimage. I purchased some pictures of her (one of them being the same black and white image of young Thérèse I had first seen on the cover of the book when I was younger). My friends and I returned to our classes after our weekend in Lisieux with our hearts full of love for Thérèse. Yet sad news on the campus where we studied awaited us. One of our dear professors shared with us that his wife had miscarried. He stood in front of our class, at the podium, weeping as he told us the news, a place where just weeks prior he had announced with us the joyful news of her pregnancy. My heart was pierced with sorrow for this man, a man totally and completely in love with his wife and child in Heaven. I knew that nothing I could do would fully console their hearts. But I knew I had to do something. A Shower of Roses I said a little prayer, and the next day before class I decided to walk to the town’s local flower shop and bring some flowers to him to give to his wife. I looked around and saw yellow roses—the most beautiful bouquet I had ever seen. While I never choose yellow roses (I always go for the white!), I couldn’t leave the shop without them. Once back on campus, I found an envelope, and inside I placed the picture of Saint Thérèse as a young child I had purchased in Lisieux. I wrote a note to them, signing it Claire Frances. I never sign my middle name (Frances) when writing notes. But for some reason, I did that day. I got to class a little early, and walked up to the professor and handed him the yellow roses and the envelope. The classroom began filling up with my fellow students, and I saw the professor standing at a window in the front of the room with his back towards us, reading my card to him. I will never forget what happened next. I carry this memory in my heart, always. He slowly walked up to the podium with tears rolling down his face. He said he and his wife had been praying a novena to St. Thérèse and that today was the ninth day, the last day of the novena. In the novena, they had asked St. Thérèse for a yellow rose if the child was a girl, and that they had named her Faustina Claire Frances. 🌹 Pray with the Little Flower The St. Therese of Lisieux Rosary Beautifully made to last through years of prayer, and a meaningful gift for a confirmation, birthday, or any friend who loves the Little Flower or Our Lady. Shop the Rosary → Cling to His Merciful Love Sisters, Heaven is real, the Saints are real. They are continually interceding for us. They desire for us to be in Heaven with them. Become friends with St. Thérèse, this beautiful Doctor of Mercy. You will experience her powerful presence in your life as she teaches you the gospel message, the message of mercy and love. And in turn you will spread that message to the world. What areas of your life are in need of merciful love today? This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase by clicking through one of these links, Blessed is She will receive a small percentage of your purchase at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting this ministry by using our affiliate links!

Chiaroscuro is a term used to describe the contrast of light and dark in a painting. The artform was made famous by Italian painter Caravaggio in the painting “The Calling of St. Matthew.” This painting is found in San Luigi dei Francesi, a church in Rome, Italy. This contrast between light and dark is also an appropriate analogy for what this painting portrays, by giving us a glimpse into what was happening in the heart, mind, and soul of St. Matthew. When called by Jesus, Matthew was called from a life of darkness and into the light of truth. Jesus’ divine light poured into the darkness of his sin. Matthew’s calling is our calling too. The Calling of St. Matthew Caravaggio brings a deeply spiritual theme to earth for us in this painting. He brings divinity into our everyday life through the story he portrays via his work of art. In this painting we meet a group of regal, well-dressed men who are counting money. They are in what looks like the corner of a dark tavern. On the right side of the painting we see two men. An older man, the Apostle Peter. Behind him stands Jesus. What captures the eye in this image is Jesus’ hand below the cross of the window, pointing towards the tax-collector Matthew sitting at the table. Jesus has just spoken the words found in Matthew 9:9, “Follow me.” Light floods into the painting from above Jesus’ hand. It falls on St. Matthew, who responds by pointing to himself, as if to ask “Me?” In the very next sentence we learn that Matthew said "yes" to Jesus’ call and he “got up and followed him.” St. Matthew's Call is Our Call Art historians have caught a unique and important detail in this portrayal of Jesus coming to meet us in our humanity. The hand of Christ which Caravaggio painted is a likeness of Adam’s hand which was painted by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel’s “The Creation of Adam”, a masterpiece where we witness Adam encountering God. As Adam reaches out to God in hope of his great mercy, we are reminded of his fall in to original sin. Yet despite his great sin, he continues to reach out. Caravaggio reminds us through the painting that Christ is the second Adam, and he willingly walks into the darkness of the tavern to redeem Matthew. This painting portrays not only Matthew’s redemption, it also portrays our own. Are We Counting Money? Perhaps we are “counting money” in our own homes and are sucked into the short-term happiness which material goods may buy us. Are we looking down at our money like Matthew’s friends in the tavern, or are we looking up and responding to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him? Maybe we hear God calling out to us, feel Him reaching out to us, and we are tempted to ask, “Are you sure you want me? Don’t you see where you are meeting me, here in my weakness?” He is sure. Jesus sees you, and He wants you, right there in your weakness. He is calling you to be recreated and resurrected with Him. Let us take His hand, look up to His face, and, together with St. Matthew, reach out to Heaven. A Scripture Meditation Study Seek His Kingdom Pray with Scripture through the Gospel of Matthew. With guided reflections, prayer prompts, and space to journal, this study helps you respond to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him more closely. Explore the Matthew Study → How will you celebrate the feast of St. Matthew by leaving the darkness and walking into the light of Christ?

How romantic, I remember thinking. Getting engaged on the heels of a charity bike ride, in front of the chapel where we’d walked on our first date... How memorable. And it was each of these things. The truth is I had begun to get a little, ahem, antsy for what I hoped would be a proposal several Septembers ago. I imagined it was coming. But after a few milestone dates passed, it was anyone’s guess when this might occur. I had become suspicious of any and all happenings. So, when he did pop the question, I was thinking of very little else. As we talked, he shared that he’d waited until this day so that we might begin planning for our life together as a married couple. We wanted to be always mindful of those who are poor and marginalized, in the spirit of this great Saint we both had come to admire—John Chrysostom—whose feast we celebrate today. St. John Chrysostom, Our Patron Saint I might have known there would have been someone sitting outside the restaurant where we’d gone to celebrate our engagement that night, quietly asking for leftovers outside of the brightly-colored benches and front doors. As I handed him my box of leftover alfredo, I had an inclination that more than a meaningful proposal, this Saint meant to begin a lifetime of walking with us. It was going to begin today. Lovely. Who couldn’t use a devoted intercessor? The Golden Mouth Except, if you were to take a survey of his peers, by and large, most folks didn’t care for St. John Chrysostom. Or maybe they liked him in theory, but he wasn’t the type of person you might think of as an obvious addition to a casual gathering of friends. He was wordy, fiery, frank, and Gospel-centered. John was compelled by God Incarnate and the call to serve the poor with Jesus’ humanity in mind. He was dubbed “the golden mouth” because of the very pretty, very many words he’d use to make his points at the pulpit. Do You Fast? Do you fast? Give me proof of it by your works. If you see a poor man, take pity on him. If you see a friend being honored, do not envy him. Do not let only your mouth fast, but also the eye and the ear and the feet and the hands and all the members of our bodies. Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice. Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin. Let the eyes fast, by disciplining them not to glare at that which is sinful. Let the ear fast, by not listening to evil talk and gossip. Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism. For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our brothers and sisters? May He who came to the world to save sinners strengthen us to complete the fast with humility, have mercy on us and save us. -St. John Chrysostom A Constant Call to Holiness There are days I wonder if this John Chrysostom engagement vision wasn’t such a good idea. After all, who wants to have a justice-minded, truth-talker constantly encouraging you to re-evaluate the decisions you have to make in terms of the most vulnerable? Not I. The truth is, I don’t really want to be dogged by conscience about everything from who harvested my coffee, to the size of my carbon footprint, to whose hands stitched my clothing. But I need to be. As a couple, we need it. We need it to keep us close to our original vision of this shared life. We need it to put flesh on those invitations we hear throughout the Gospels to follow Him. Though his influence has been the source of a fair amount of consternation (because it has pushed us beyond our comfort zones for the sake of the Kingdom), it has also led us to people, places, and organizations that help us stay true to our vision. We often struggle to live lives of such intentionality, to even have the energy to think about it. But that place of struggle and the accompanying tension has provided me almost a tangible assurance that our efforts are put to some use. Even in the daily practice of dying to my own desires. Keeping Priorities Straight Our patron, St. John Chrysostom, has a habit of making us ask ourselves often if our priorities are in order. As hard as that is to hear, it is also vitally important. And we keep on listening. If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice. [bctt tweet="St. John Chrysostom: The Best and Worst Idea #BISblog //" via="no"]

In August we celebrated the Assumption of Mary—her entrance into heaven. That occurance is so monumental that it’s a holy day of obligation. Entering eternal life is certainly a bigger deal than being born on this earth; yet tomorrow, the Church celebrates Mary’s earthly birthday. In light of all Our Lady's great feasts, it begs the question, why do we celebrate this “lesser” feast? Why Do We Celebrate the Birth of Mary? According to St. Augustine, human nature is restored to its intended form (free from sin) in the conception and birth of Our Lady. It’s not anything she did herself to accomplish this, it’s all what God has done through her. It’s not even something He did to specifically benefit her; it was something He did to benefit all of humanity. Because Mary’s pure human nature is then what is handed down to her Son—and it is through His Passion and the Sacraments that the nature of all mankind is redeemed—Mary’s birthday really is a very big deal. It is the dawning of God’s new creation: our redemption. Ways to Celebrate Our Lady's Birthday What better way to show your gratitude for this great gift than to celebrate Mary’s birthday within your own day? Here are ten ways to start the party in your home or “on-the-go.” 1. Incorporate Family Traditions Growing up, my family had a special “celebration” plate which was only used on special occasions. For our birthdays, it could always be found set at our place at the family table. For Christmas, we would use the plate to set an extra place at the table for Baby Jesus. This tradition could easily be carried over to Mary’s birthday as well. Now, within my “adult” home, we have a handmade fabric “Happy Birthday” banner which adorns our walls for any family birthdays. Tomorrow, it will hang in honor of our Heavenly Mother. 2. Dress in Blue During my undergraduate career, I was required to read a book about the philosophy of beauty. In one of the passages, I read about the color blue and how the only resources artists within a particular region had to create paint in this specific color was to crush precious gems. Thus, blue pant was expensive and scarce. It was only used in the most important of circumstances. Use of the color was a tactic used by the artist to draw specific attention to that item or person. As a Catholic, I couldn’t help but think of Our Lady and how she is often depicted wearing blue within sacred art. Did this practice start within this said particular region? Were these artists responsible for Mary’s traditional depiction in a blue mantel? Probably not. However, this piece of history definitely helps me meditate on the importance of the the Blessed Virgin, and thus I enjoy wearing something blue on all of her feast days. 3. Bake a Cake You don’t have to be super creative to celebrate Our Lady's birthday. Be traditional! Bake a cake and eat it with family and friends in her honor. Make it as simple or complicated as you’d like! 4. Make a Donation Find a trusted Marian organization (ie: Mary’s Meals, a Carmelite order, etc.) and make a monetary donation in her honor as a birthday gift. 5. Go to Mass Mary says very little within the Gospels. Everything she does say directs all the glory and attention to her Son. She wants us to know and love Him. Thus, what better birthday gift to give to Our Lady than to go to Mass and receive her Son in the Eucharist? 6. Pray a Flying Novena Typically a novena is said over the course of nine days. In the case of a flying novena, the Memorare is said nine times in a row calling on the intercession of Our Lady. Since Mary asks us often to pray for the conversion of sinners, pray a flying novena with this as your intention as a gift for her on her birthday. She would surely be grateful for this act of service. 7. Consecrate Yourself to Mary If you haven’t done so already, consider consecrating yourself to the Blessed Virgin. There are numerous resources to help you explore your options and decide whether you’d like to be her devoted servant. The Saints all declare there is no surer way to holiness. 8. Wear a Marian Medal Being a cradle Catholic, I own a plethora of religious medals, as they are often given to me as gifts. If I was to wear every single medal I own daily, I might develop neck problems from the extreme weight of the chain around my neck. Thus, I keep the majority of my medals in my jewelry box and switch them out from time to time. Something that I wasn’t expecting when I began this practice was how aware I would become of my own spiritual needs as well as the liturgical calendar. Some days I make my choice based on which Saint I feel as though I need to intercede for me. Other days I base my choice solely on the feast day. Tomorrow, I’ll don one of my Marian medals. 9. Make a Pilgrimage Most churches have a grotto on their grounds dedicated to Our Lady. Take time during your day to stop and visit her there (remembering that a pilgrimage is never convenient and often comes with obstacles). If there is no grotto, there is sure to be a Marian statue within the church itself. Spend some quality time in prayer with your mother. Pray a rosary or write her a letter in your prayer journal as a type of birthday card. 10. Buy Some Roses In almost every Marian apparition, Our Lady appears with roses. She’s also revealed within numerous private revelations that her Heavenly crown is made of roses. In fact that’s where the “Rosary” got its name. Buy a dozen roses in her honor and gift them to someone who could use a reminder of Heaven’s love. Or take them with you on your “pilgrimage” and leave them at her feet. We shouldn’t feel silly for celebrating Mary’s birthday—she’s our Momma! Take some time tomorrow to show Our Lady some love. How do you celebrate Our Lady's Birthday? Share your ideas below! [bctt tweet="Ways to Celebrate Our Lady's Birthday #BISblog //" via="no"] MARY SHOWS US THE WAY Just as a mother might pass on a beloved family tradition to her daughters, Mary shares the recipe for growing in virtue with us. This study on Mary's Virtues will breathe new life into your everyday, beginning right in Mary's home. GET HOME STUDY

Has a saint ever chased after you? Everywhere you turn, there there are, seemingly waiting for you. It’s like they’re trying to tell you something that you don’t want to hear, so you keep trying to avoid them. But you can’t. That was me and Mama T, or St. Teresa of Calcutta. Memorable Missions In the summer of 2014 my brother announced that he had been selected to go on a mission trip to Calcutta. Our whole family was so excited for him. What a blessing. What an opportunity. Cut to me. Drowning in babies. I had two boys, ages one and two, and a baby girl due in December. I was elated for my brother. And also a little “Catholic jealous” (oh, come on now, we know that’s a thing). I knew in my mind that my work as a mother was holy and important. However, the yearning in my heart to drop everything and serve the Lord in some far away country was present. There was no denying it. My brother returned from Calcutta with amazing stories of mercy and miracles (and also some heat sickness on his part). While baby girl did track starts off my bladder and two little boys begged for snacks, my brother recounted his journey. I was so proud of him in that moment. And at the same time, I had to distance myself from what he was saying. It almost hurt too much to hear him talk about touching the tomb of Mother Teresa and his newfound love for this Saint. A Study on the Works of Mercy Misericordia Walk with the saints, including Saint Teresa of Calcutta, and discover practical ways to live the Works of Mercy. Explore Misericordia → Memorable Motherhood? Two years later, my sister went on the same mission trip to Calcutta. Things played out in a similar matter. I listened to her stories and I looked at the pictures. But I felt disconnected from her experience. We now had four kids, and my prayer life consisted of simply saying/crying, “Help me, Lord!” throughout the day. It was at this time, though, that I began to feel St. Teresa of Calcutta tugging at my heart. I quickly ignored that prompting. How could I, who can't even make it to my local soup kitchen, possibly connect with this Saint who served the poor without any reservation? How could I connect with a Saint who trusted the Lord to provide, while I literally have three to-do lists going at all times? No, it simply wasn’t possible. Finally Found By St. Teresa of Calcutta Around that same time, my brother gave me a book called Mother Teresa of Calcutta, A Personal Portrait by Fr. Leo Maasburg. I thanked him and put the book on the shelf. I promised to give it a read once all the kids were in college and I actually had time again. Mama T was not buying that. Somehow, this book was always the one the kids pulled off the shelf. It was always showing up on the kitchen counter. No matter how often I’d put it away, it would simply just be out. We even moved! I packed it. Unpacked it. Only to have the whole process start again. Finally, in the summer of 2017 (after another move), I picked it up and opened it. While most books took me a year to read in their entirety, I finished this one in four days. St. Teresa of Calcutta finally found me, and she wasn’t going to let go. Mother Teresa Knew What It Was to Be a Mother Fr. Leo’s portrait of Mother Teresa showed me why she had been waiting for me. It showed me why I needed her so much. I saw that, right here in my life, I could live out what she was revealing to me. Though I wouldn’t be in the streets of Calcutta, I could show love and compassion to those around me and in my community. There is more hunger in the world for love and appreciation than for bread. She showed me that working hard and writing to-do lists is great. But at the end of the day, everything belongs to the Lord. Doesn’t our life belong entirely to God? ... We just have to let Him work. The only thing that we have to do is pray that we don’t spoil His work! It’s His work. Mother Teresa showed me that my prayer life need not be complicated but simply heart to heart with God. God speaks in the silence of our heart, and we listen. Then out of the fullness of our heart we speak and He listens. And this is prayer. Mama T whispered a reminder into my heart that my dreams and desires for my life are good. But it’s not worldly success that I must seek. It's a sweet and fruitful faithfulness. God didn’t call me to be successful. God called me to be faithful. Small Things, Great Love My devotion to Mother Teresa is still growing. She comes to me in the littlest moments of my day, when I am feeling small and defeated. I feel her pick me up and dust me off. She tells me to keep going. To keep running the race. To keep doing small things with great love. St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us! Do you have a devotion to St. Teresa of Calcutta? How has she influenced your life? Let's celebrate her feast day and swap stories in the comments below! [bctt tweet="Finding Calcutta #BISblog //" via="no"] Susana Starbuck is wife of a youth minister and mother to four littles five and under. She lives in Phoenix, AZ and enjoys reading a good book, posting her highlight reel on Instagram, and drinking wine. You can connect with her here. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase by clicking through one of these links, Blessed is She will receive a small percentage of your purchase at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting this ministry by using our affiliate links!

I woke up in a sweat. Once again I was dreaming about a particular situation that was causing grief and turmoil in my life and for others around me. As I lay there I wondered, why did I care so much? The people I was dreaming about were grown adults. They could make decisions for themselves. I could not change their actions or thoughts. I could not control them. Yet my heart ached for just that. I wanted to take hold of them and "knock some sense into them." Let them know how much I cared. How much I was willing to work to make their path clearer and smoother for them. But I was not them. Handing Over My Desire to Control Once again, I needed to remind myself that I could not control them, their choices, or their situation. So I prayed. "Please Lord, help them. Help me to speak up if needed and give me the right words. Otherwise, help me to just love them and be there for them. Give me peace and them as well." It always takes me a while to get back to sleep after an abrupt waking. But it helps to pray. If, after a short prayer, I am still restless, I usually start praying the Rosary. Something about the monotonous way of saying the Hail Marys helps my heart become peace-filled. St. Monica Put God in Control When I think about the many things in my life that I can worry about, I am brought back to St. Monica. I think of her diligent act of praying for her husband, mother-in-law, and son. What a woman of faith! She was faced with many hardships. Yet she never lost faith that the Lord would take care of her and the ones she loved. I think about how she must have felt disheartened seeing the people she loved disregard God's laws. How she must have worried, as any person who cares does. Yet she took those worries and brought them to the only One who could sustain her and give her peace... God Almighty. Believing that we have the Saints in Heaven praying for us, I ask for St. Monica's intercession often. Along with other Saints, I ask her to pray for me and the different situations I encounter. Especially the ones that involve caring for people so much that it hurts. The situations that make my mind spin with stress. When I unconsciously dream about these situations and can't stop thinking about them, that is when I need to turn to the Lord in prayer. From past experiences, if I don't do this I become obsessed and this is unhealthy. Turning to our Lord is one way to help ease this worry. Seeking Safe Listening Ears Another way I have found peace is by talking with other trustworthy people who will not judge me or the other people in the situation. These people have included my parents, family members, my spouse, friends, and spiritual directors. They listen and give wise advice if I ask. These people allow me to be myself. To openly and honestly discuss what is happening. It helps to have people like this in my life. Ones who can help me work through my thought process and guide my heart. I know the Lord has placed these people in my life for a reason. They are the ones who make sense of a situation for me when I cannot make sense of it for myself. They help me sort through my thoughts and support me. I have found this extremely helpful because there are times when I have become too emotionally attached to a particular situation and need an outside perspective. We Pray. Let Christ Act. It is hard for me to not worry. I'm prone to this since I do want the best for people and care for them wholeheartedly. I have always been a person to wear my heart on my sleeve and know that this causes more trouble for me at times. Yet I would not have it any other way. Giving my whole-self to others is who I am. When I get into worrying too much, the Lord seems to gently remind me that He will take care of me and all of His children. It may not look how I want it to look, but He never leaves those that I care about. He puts people in their lives to help them, and I'm in their life for a reason too. Even if all I'm supposed to do is pray for them or be an example of Christ's love to them. All I can do is be open to the Holy Spirit and if I'm prompted to take action, then that is what I need to do. Otherwise, I need to pray. Pray for them, pray for our world. Everyone of us needs help. Remember St. Monica Will there be more brain-spins in the middle of the night or days filled with my thoughts being consumed about a particular situation? Yes. Yes there will. I'm human and the Lord has given me a heart to care for others. He has given us all the capacity to love freely and care deeply. What matters is what we do with this powerful gift of caring so much. May we all work through times of worry and fall back into the open arms of our Lord. St. Monica, pray for us. Are you someone who worries about others to an extreme? How do you turn it over to Christ? [bctt tweet="When Caring Turns Into Worrying #BISblog //" via="no"] Ann Marshal is a licensed elementary teacher who is currently a stay-at-home mom. She teaches the Billings Ovulation Method (NFP) her free time. Being with her husband, four boys, and Jesus is her favorite pastime. You can find out more about her here.

I am sure many of you have special relationships with different saints for a variety of reasons. Maybe you feel they are a spiritual big brother or sister, or perhaps they show up and “help” you at important life transitions or times of need. That is exactly how I feel about St. Maximilian Kolbe. To me he is known simply as Max. While he was actually our family patron saint growing up, it wasn’t until years later when my friendship with Max became so personal to me in a whole new way. Forgiveness When It Feels Impossible St. Max has taken me deeper in the understanding of it means to truly to forgive someone who has hurt you. Specifically, Max has helped me forgive my former husband. Seven months after I got married, I learned that my husband was addicted to pornography and sexual addictive behaviors. I was devastated. As I scrambled for resources, I learned one of St. Maximilian’s patronages was those who battle addictions, but specifically sexual addiction. This information changed my relationship with Max from a face on a holy card to a dear companion for the darkest hour I have lived through. I talked to Max constantly every day. I was always praying a novena to him, begging his prayers and intercession for the healing of my husband and the restoration of my marriage. Eventually, I realized this was not a safe relationship to stay in, and I had to leave. But I still had a deep connection to St. Max. St. Maximilian Kolbe's Forgiveness In 2016, I led my fourth World Youth Day pilgrimage with teens and young adults; this one was in Krakow, Poland. We saw all the beautiful, sacred holy sites of Catholic Poland. We visited places associated with heroic men and women like Pope St. John Paul II, St. Faustina, and St. Maximilian Kolbe. Shortly before leaving for Poland, I had my second Unbound prayer session. I was deeply convicted that the Lord was calling to forgive my former husband. He was calling me to a deeper and richer understanding of what it means to forgive. The day we visited Auschwitz, it was unusually bright and sunny, such an eerie way to experience a place that was filled with such evil and hatred. Our guide slowly led us through the camp and explained what we were seeing. As we turned a corner, she point out cell block 11, the starvation bunker where St. Maximilian Kolbe met his martyrdom. Forgiving Like Christ Stepping away from the group, I walked up to the red exterior building and put my hand on the brick wall. Bowing my head, eyes closed, I simply began to talk to my dear friend, Max. I started to weep, and the tears just kept coming. I asked Max to help to forgive as he forgave, to help heal my heart, that I would not be full of hate and resentment. But that my heart would be soft and learn to trust a man again. I even gave my former husband to Max saying, “Here Max, you take care of him now and watch over him spiritually. I do not have to carry this any longer, it is not my responsibility.” My prayer shifted to the man I may meet someday and fall in love with, that these hurts and wounds I experienced before would not be repeated. The power of those few minutes was real. I knew St. Maximilian was with me. It almost took my breath away. It was not as if this was magic and all of sudden poof, I was able to forgive instantaneously. But I walked away and left Auschwitz with a deeper understanding of why we as Christians need to take those words of Jesus seriously, “...forgive us our tresspassors, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” To forgive as Jesus did, as St. Max did, we need faith and desire. Faith and Desire to Forgive We need faith because we cannot forgive on our own ability, we can't muster it up on our own effort. We need the grace of Jesus Christ, God Himself, to help us forgive. And we grow in the faith to forgive when we reach out to Jesus and beg Him to help us. Wait, then where does the desire come in? We ask Jesus for the desire to forgive because, often, we don’t have the desire to forgive. Pray earnestly for the desire and He will grow it in you. Coming home from WYD, after that experience in Auschwitz, I began to beg Jesus to give me the desire to forgive my former husband. In time, that desire grew and flourished. It led me to choose to forgive because I did not want to be bound in anger and resentment. Who are You Struggling to Forgive? Sisters, is there a person in your life you struggle to forgive? I encourage you to ask St. Maximilian Kolbe to help you. I know he has helped me greatly in this area. And daily begin to ask Jesus to give you a true desire to forgive that person. It will not be easy, but I promise you it will be worth it in the end. St. Maximilian Kolbe, please pray for us! Teach us to forgive as you forgave. [bctt tweet="What St. Maximilian Kolbe Taught Me About Forgiveness #BISblog //" via="no"] Patty Breen is a full-time lay minister who finds joy in running, strong cups of coffee, and all things Ignatian spirituality. A Midwestern gal from the mitten state, she is constantly learning to find grace in all things. She is passionate about ministry to divorced Catholics and women whose relationships have been impacted by sexual addiction. You can find out more about her here.

There was a time after I finished school that I lived in a community of volunteers. We talked a lot about the potential for conflict, the importance of ‘I’ statements, and going directly to the source of the conflict rather than “triangulating” (gossiping with those who didn’t need to hear about it and thus creating the awful middleman). This all made perfect sense to me. I was sure I’d lean hard on these suggestions on the off chance that in our super-cool group, there might be any… conflict. As it turned out, conflict isn’t especially hard to come by, even amongst this super-cool group of volunteers (you could insert siblings, spouse, vowed religious, or roommates here). We had varying expectations on everything from bathroom cleanliness, to dibs on leftovers, carpooling, and prayer times. This would have been an ideal time to employ those tools for communication and conflict. But I didn’t. Counterparts Help us Grow Fortunately none of the issues that arose were big enough to do significant damage. But, for my own sake, I mourn the lost opportunities to have built confidence in my ability to articulate what really mattered to me, especially when that task is difficult. Because the counter-intuitive truth is that having hard conversations with one another is evidence of a deeply-valued friendship. Not its demise, as we might fear. I’m still guilty of surrounding myself with those who help me to stay comfortable. After all, it can be vulnerable and even frustrating to feel the need to articulate—or worse, defend—my opinions and beliefs to another. And yet, it is so vitally important to be able to forge and maintain friendships with another. It must be, for communication it is the fabric of our relationships. This is not to undermine the value of the relationships that do stem from a common experience or belief. These friendships can moor us in ways that few others things can. So it seems this is a case of “both and” instead of “either or.” Who models this well? One of the striking characteristics I notice about many of the Saints that I have come to deeply admire are the intimate friendships they maintained. The kind of friendships I observe are those letter-writing, spiritual-directing, counsel-seeking sorts of soul friendships that were maintained by occasional visits and exhausting conversation. These are the kind of friendships we all yearn for, I think. But perhaps we aren’t groomed to maintain them. Add to that the fact that these friendships each existed between men and women and you’ll quickly note what a treasure they are. These relationships were not (necessarily) built on the convenience of the same convent/monastery, religious order or gender, but a common vision. St. Scholastica and St. Benedict These twin siblings belonging to different monasteries, maintained a solid friendship and profound respect for one another. They frequently sought counsel and camaraderie from one another. St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal These Saints influenced one another significantly—specifically through the role of spiritual direction. They attended the parish where St. Vincent de Paul presided (does that make you think twice about who could be attending your parish?). St. Louis Martin and St. Zelie Martin They are most remembered for their holy marriage and forming children who lived vowed, religious, saintly lives. St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila These counterparts were both mystics, writers, and reformers within their Carmelite order. St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac These visionaries and innovators worked among the rich and poor of Paris in an effort to best serve those existing on the margins. St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare Co-founders of the Franciscan order, these two recognized the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They pursued simplicity and poverty in a way that attracted the people of their time (and ours). The Feast of St. Clare of Assisi Clare as a cloistered woman, and Francis as a mendicant preacher, exhibited two very distinct approaches to the Gospel Rule. Their distinct approaches send a clear message that they complemented one another and were likely able to speak words of wisdom and encouragement that the other would have needed to hear. As a dear Franciscan friend of mine put it, Clare was as much a support to Francis’ work as he was a support to Clare’s. Maybe we hear less of her because her abilities to communicate beyond her community would have been quite limited. From the beginning, Clare admired the simplicity of Francis’ call to live the Gospel with one’s life, and received Francis’ encouragement to do so. Yet as she began putting together her own Rule for the women in her community, she received little support for her simplistic idea from Rome. Clare maintained her devotion to the charism and vision that Francis had put forth in her own life. Rather than take up the charism of a previously-established order as she had been advised, Clare was adamant that her Rule be the Gospel. Through her wisdom and guidance, the Poor Clares integrated Francis’ Rule into their own practice—a rule that received papal approval days before her death. Saintly Besties Francis and Clare’s was a friendship that withstood the sands of time. When Francis died, Clare continued the vision he had put forth. Pope Francis’ grasp on the life of Francis from its emphasis on simplicity, reaching the marginalized, and caring for creation have brought renewed attention to the Franciscan tradition. It changed and continues to change the hearts or ordinary observers simply because it is the Gospel—the good news of Jesus. St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us! [bctt tweet="Counterparts: On the Feast of St. Clare of Assisi #BISblog //" via="no"]