August 13, 2026 // Memorial of Saint Pontian, Pope and Martyr, and Saint Hippolytus, Priest and Martyr Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Psalm: Psalm 124:2-3, 4-5, 7-8 Reflect on the Word //  On a recent afternoon, a visiting priest from the Archdiocese of Chicago was incredibly generous to me with his time in the cry-room confessional. He was very gentle, asked probing questions, and even shared a story with me. It was part Confession and part spiritual direction. I had a sense that time was going by, but because I was completely engrossed with what this man of God was sharing, I hadn't paid attention to the fact that the blinds to the windows of the cry room were pulled all the way up. Since father wasn’t hurried, I released my anxiety over the long line that I had just waited in and was fully present.  Once my Confession concluded, I felt light and renewed in God’s merciful love. As I turned the door knob to exit, a woman standing in front of the line frustratedly said, “That took a very long time.” I took a deep breath and walked into the church hall to pray with my penance. As I walked towards where my kids were sitting, both looked extremely deflated. Since my fellow parishioners could see me in the confessional, they had complained about the length of time I took to my children.  How could it be that within seconds of receiving absolution I had stepped into the fowler’s snare?   Today’s Psalm reminds us that God delivers us from moments that could damage us and destroy the good within us especially when we are trying to grow closer to Him. Although I was feeling swallowed alive by all of these judgments and was greatly troubled that these judgments were imposed upon my children, I prayed to not dwell on them but instead offer forgiveness as I was just forgiven (see Psalm 124:2-3, 4-5, 7-8). Sister, the things we say and do to each other can catapult us into the fowler’s snare, but God is there ready to safeguard our freedom and release us from harm. We lean into His mercy. Relate to the Lord // Whom do you need to forgive? Bring that person and situation to Jesus and ask for the grace of His mercy.

June 9, 2026 // Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time //  Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Psalm: 4:2–3, 4–5, 7b–8 Reflect on the Word //  During Lent, every Sunday before Mass I would begin prayer by looking at Jesus crucified. I wished I had blinders like the ones horses use during races so I could remove the swarm of distractions that provoked me. Even in this space of desiring silence, I couldn’t reach it. I had been here before spiritually. Wandering but anchored in the hope of the risen Lord. Putting one foot in front of the other even though I was anticipating the fall. Trusting but at the same time noticing that doubt was around the corner. I was running various scenarios of how things could have played out differently during the last seven months. I was trying so hard to make sense of God.  I had been so used to reducing my own cross as I accompanied so many in prayer that I forgot to let Him look at me. “Lord, let your face shine on us” in today’s Responsorial Psalm is the cry I was experiencing silently but didn’t know how to verbalize (Psalm 4:7a). Relationships that I thought were safe and resilient had broken, and the fragmentation had left me with feelings of betrayal, bitterness, and hurt—and so many questions. While I was trying to rewind each scenario and figure out what went wrong, I hid from God even though I was looking directly at Him. I was so busy with my shame, humiliation, and woundedness that my gaze was one of solution-based prayer rather than allowing Him to “put gladness into my heart” (Psalm 4:8).  What happens when we take our attention away from what we are doing and focus on what God wants to do in us? How does returning to the practices of Lent in Ordinary Time help us allow God  to let His face shine on us? We may experience rejection from people who were deeply rooted in our lives, but God doesn’t want us to live in that. His gaze of unlimited mercy pleads for us to know that He isn’t afraid of anything we have endured on this side of Heaven.  Relate to the Lord // Pray with a crucifix today. Meditate on Jesus’ loving sacrifice for you.

May 4, 2026 // Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: John 14:21-26  Reflect on the Word //  I was casually perusing Target and recognized a mom I had just recently met volunteering at the kids’ school. She mentioned having to leave Mass after Communion because of other plans: “We already go to the weekly school Mass so Sunday is extra. My son can’t sit still after forty minutes and I don’t want to push his limits.” I was stunned. The kind that leaves you bewildered and wondering if you will be able to speak coherently. When I did encourage her to help her son understand the Mass, she dismissed what I said, and the conversation ended there. It's easy for me to assume that every single baptized Catholic has an ardent faith and a burning desire to follow what the Church teaches. My ignorance isn’t from a high expectation of my neighbor but from a love for God and His Church. I am not a better person for attending Sunday Mass regularly as the Church directs us to do. Nor do I stand as a judge. My own personal relationship with Jesus beckons me to point others back to Christ out of love for Him (see John 14:21).   Bringing others to Christ isn’t a rescue mission that I can do on my own. I can quickly fall prey to discouragement that I don’t have the apologetics or theological expertise to explain that the lens through which the world views the Church will always be watered down. However, Christ promises that we have “[t]he Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father has sent in [His] name,” Who works through us to bring others back to the faith and keep it (John 14:26). My love for the living God makes me want to pray harder for those who have not allowed God to dwell within them yet.   Sister, as we continue to celebrate this season of Jesus' Resurrection, may our encounter with the Risen Lord burn in our hearts so deeply that we may reveal the truth of our faith to others. May the Lord give us the courage to be the witnesses He is asking us to be in this season.  Relate to the Lord // Look for an opportunity to share your faith and joy in Jesus with someone today.

February 20, 2026 // Friday after Ash Wednesday // Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Isaiah 58:1-9a  Reflect on the Word // The kids were in the midst of the great stuffed animal purge. Somehow these plushies had multiplied as they tend to do. The girls were struggling with what to keep and what to share. While they truly treasure every claw machine-, arcade-, or carnival prize-stuffed animal they have ever won or had been gifted to them, the downsizing was to help reorient their hearts. The youngest was satisfied with her offerings and even mentioned how proud of herself she was—as six-year-olds typically do.  After Sunday Mass that weekend, we walked over to a family we had just met a couple of weeks ago.  My daughter had chosen this particular family to give her stuffed friends to. There was so much smiling and hugging that the joy outweighed the actual value of what was in the bag. The mom lowered her body to meet her daughter’s eyes and whispered in her ear, "Tell your auntie thank you.” I was struck with my new title, felt the demonstration of affection deeply, and marveled at how easily this mother gave her love away.  In today’s First Reading, it is not the mere act of our fasting the Lord is interested in, but rather of how well we love others in our fasting, how responsive and willing we are to be Jesus in the flesh to our brother or sister in Christ. The Lord offers us His self-giving love, and in Lent we are called to offer that same love to others. Every Lent the opportunities for almsgiving are countless. The real work is giving of ourselves to the people next to us sitting in our pews.   We can begin exercising the corporal works of mercy within the walls of church, where we learn that generosity is an extension of a greater type of love. It can be something as simple as a stuffed animal, and then we can allow the Lord to work from there.  Relate to the Lord // How can you extend Jesus’ self-giving love today?

January 14, 2026 // Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20  Reflect on the Word // I called my son to come downstairs. We are in a new era of the pre-adolescent phase of parenting. I remember a time not too long ago when I would call his name and he would come down quickly. Recently, whenever I call his name to help watch the toddler, take his clean folded laundry upstairs, or remind him that it's trash day I am met with grumbling and multiple delays unless the aroma of freshly baked brownies fills the air and reaches his room.  In today’s First Reading Samuel runs to Eli and says, “Here I am. You called me” (1 Samuel 3:8). Oh how I would love to hear my children say that!  I’m tickled with delight just imagining it. The reality is that my kids would probably enjoy me verbalizing this too: “Here I am. It is me! Your mother!” Instead there are days I get overwhelmed at the volume and sheer number of times I have heard the word “mom” throughout the day.  I come to Jesus in a pre-adolescent mood at times too. I delay in responding to His voice. I delay in being confident in what He is calling me to do. In my own brokenness I often need an incentive to be obedient in prayer (brownies would be nice). In his wisdom Eli instructs Samuel to answer God, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9). I would like to think that I am coming ready to serve the Lord in prayer, but the demands of life turn me toward wanting merely to be served.   Samuel’s obedience reveals to us that strengthening our relationship with God begins with listening. It may seem too simple, but prayer is always drawing us back to listen to the voice of God whether it's through Scripture, a book on the life of a Saint, or a song that lifts our hearts to the truth of Who God is. The Lord wants us to come to Him with hearts open to His voice, wills ready to assent to His, and ready to receive the grace and inspiration He offers us. Relate to the Lord // As we continue to settle into the new year can we pray in humility, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” and mean it with the same eagerness Samuel did? 

December 18, 2025 // Thursday of the Third Week of Advent  Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25 to  Reflect on the Word // It was getting down to the wire and the nurse needed us to turn in the birth certificate form for our newborn daughter. Our list of baby girl names was lengthy and the stipulations we had for that name were even trickier. We needed a five letter name and a middle initial that matched the letter of our other two children. As I studied our daughter’s face none of the names on the list seemed to suit her. Even my husband agreed that the well-researched names we had in mind were no match for the new life in front of us.  In today's Gospel we read that the angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream saying, “She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Perhaps Joseph didn’t understand the magnitude behind the meaning of that name in that moment, but time would unfold its significance.  Unlike my daughter's name, the name of Jesus has an effect on the course of history: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23). God is here in the midst of our fragmented society. Here He comes as a baby to heal, save, and anoint us.  When the profound evil that has gripped our world this year has plunged me into depths of despair, repeating Jesus’ name has been the only way I can implore the Light to break through. Jesus’ name echoes into eternity.  When we say Jesus’ name we can be confident that He is still moving, changing, filling, lifting, strengthening, and healing just as He did two thousand years ago when He came to us as a baby and walked this earth. As we draw nearer to His Nativity, we can remember that He came to be with us and is still present in the world. Relate to the Lord // Accept this invitation to pray with the name of Jesus (God saves) and Emmanuel (God is with us). How does the effect of His name move you?

November 12, 2025 // Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 17:11-19 Reflect on the Word //  I loaded up my family's seven-foot Christmas tree, both boxes of ornaments, and all the other miscellaneous Christmas decorations I could find into my Jeep. I ended up laying the seats down in order to fit everything to drive them over to my then boyfriend’s (now husband) place. We thought it would be fun to host our first ugly sweater-themed Christmas party as a couple.  The meatballs were warming up, the cups were out for drinks, chips were ready in a bowl, and so were the other serving dishes that would be used for whatever everyone else brought. The Christmas classics kept me in step as I finished decorating while we waited for our college friends to arrive.   After the white elephant exchange began to wind down, I started picking up the trash and gathering the dishes. At first I thought it was sweet that everyone felt at home, so I didn’t mind having clean-up duty. Slowly that sentiment changed as I found myself alone. Was it possible that my boyfriend and I mistakenly found ourselves with a group of takers? In today’s Gospel only one of the nine lepers returned to thank Jesus for curing him. His humility didn’t leave him once he was cleansed and Jesus blessed him further (see Luke 17:19).  Jesus highlights the ingratitude of the other lepers because He knows ingratitude hurts both the giver and the receiver.  He reveals to us the selfish, fallen nature of our own hearts.   Gratitude cannot be forced upon anyone, but it has to be freely given. It can be incredibly discouraging to experience thanklessness in all the various relationships we have. But instead of complaining about them, maybe it is an opportunity to look at our own gratitude.  Do we value the ways our friends and families help us? How often do we say, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” (Luke 17:13) and offer nothing in return?  Is our prayer life so burdened with petitions that we miss giving God His rightful thanks and praise? The Lord wants us to be like the leper who came back.  Relate to the Lord // Look for an opportunity to give today.

September 4, 2025 // Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Colossians 1:9-14 Reflect on the Word // Her veil delicately rested on her head, meeting her elbows, her floor-length dress sat comfortably on the top of her shoes, her smile was wide, and her joy was complete as she prepared to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist for the first time. I looked over at her parents who were beaming with pride, her grandparents who were equally in awe, and the whole row of people relishing this long-awaited moment. I snapped a couple of photos from my vantage point and remembered praying for this beautiful girl when she was in the womb and then holding her as a newborn in awe of the gift of her life.  The sea of girls in white dresses and boys in their suits was brought here through prayer. Many had received their Baptisms at the same spot they were now receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. From their first Sacrament, when they were welcomed into the Church, these children have been loved through unceasing prayer by great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents. Their actions echo Saint Paul’s words: “From the day we heard about you, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9). The fruit of that prayer was now clothed in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.  Saint Paul reminds us that we draw closer to Jesus through the generosity of the unceasing prayers of so many that have gone before us and walk alongside us on this pilgrimage journey. The community gathering to celebrate Sacraments reminds us of those prayers that call out from the depths of our hearts for the salvation of our loved ones. In these celebrations we welcome a family member back to the Church, receive with joy the newly baptized, and witness the grace being given to those whom we love through the communion of the universal Church expressed in our local community. And we look forward to seeing the full effect of our prayers when we are all in communion together in the Kingdom of Heaven. Relate to the Lord // What community supports and celebrates you? Pray for them today.  

July 9, 2025 // Optional Memorial of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a Reflect on the Word //  The steady stream of tears had formed new lines on my face. The last couple of days felt like a thick fog had been cast over me. I looked up from my seat and quickly looked back down. Resentment and bitterness were attempting to creep in and corrupt my already vulnerable heart. Aunts and uncles, who had been out of my life for a long time, were suddenly all under one roof. These were the family members who had spoiled special gatherings and whose names had ruined countless conversations over dinner, and being with them was intensifying my sorrow. I couldn’t see their loss in the same vein as mine. They had lost their brother, but I had lost my father.   In today’s First Reading we read that Joseph was no stranger to severed family relationships. When he interacts with his brothers, who sold him into slavery, “he turned away from them and wept” (Genesis 42:24).  Grief is often poured out as a visceral response through tears and can empty us for a while. The places within us that once held affectionate love are sometimes filled with the unwelcome feelings of resentment in the face of betrayal. Our afflictions arise through situations we could never anticipate, and we might find them similar to what Joseph experienced.  Joseph’s weeping was probably as vast as the Nile river, but God didn’t allow his pain to remain. Instead his weeping became a source of deep healing and a path towards forgiveness as is seen in his reconciliation with his family (see Genesis 50:20).  I may not have had an opportunity to embrace those family members who caused division throughout my childhood; however, I forgive them and desire their utmost good even as the years have wedged distance between us.  Grief and sorrow are trials that invite us to deep trust and abandonment to the will of the Father. Joseph’s story shows us that even in unimaginable circumstances God can deliver good. No matter how much evil is inflicted upon us, He will not allow it to overcome us. The weeping is painful, but the restoration is greater.  Relate to the Lord // What sorrow will you share with the Lord today? Thank Him in advance for the restoration to come.  

May 16, 2025 // Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel:  John 14:1-6 Reflect on the Word //  I rolled into the school’s car lane for pick-up and turned off the engine. I looked forward to these moments in the afternoon. Alone in the car without any distraction. Free to read, respond to messages, or sift through my thoughts, which contained dinner ideas or whatever else was pressing at the moment. In that moment of decompressing I realized a lot of what I was thinking about were things that I couldn’t control. Sitting in the silence, though, calmed my frustration and defeatist attitude. The pressure in me was deflating like a bike tire with a slow leak, and it was a leak that I didn’t need to patch. In this moment of recollection, I further scanned for the inner “repairs” I needed and realized I hadn’t asked Jesus to take over as my “mechanic.” However, not once in His Word has He ever declared, “You need to have it figured out,” or “You need to know where all the parts go.”  Instead, very patiently He says in today’s Gospel, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me” (John 14:1).  Rather than let our thoughts hold us captive in a continuous cycle of motion, we can accept the “interior tune-up” that the Lord offers us. Thomas felt a similar need when he asked, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” (John 14:5) He had the humility to recognize that he needed the Lord’s directions. We also can learn to rely on Jesus, Who says to us, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Sister, when we allow Him to lead, our freedom increases and our momentum is no longer stagnant. He is the truth that we seek and the way that leads to a life filled with hope.  Relate to the Lord // In what ways does your heart need a tune-up today? Share it with Jesus.

April 4, 2025 // Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent // Optional Memorial of Saint Isidore, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 6:43-55 (from optional Readings for Saint Isidore, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)  Reflect on the Word // The sun was toasty and its shining rays led us to where the ripest fruit was. My son quickly found that using the fruit picker to shake the branches was the fastest way to remove the ripe fruit. We laughed as it toppled over our heads, and it seemed as if it was a joyful welcome from the tree itself.  Recently, our old neighbor’s fruitful and good apricot trees were delivered into the hands of indifferent tenants. Every time we would open the garage door my kids would look across the way and voice their frustration that these new neighbors were not kind to these trees. They remembered the care the previous owners had offered the ground, the elderly man crouching over and watering the roots everyday, using the hose to balance his stance, gazing up in satisfaction at the harmonious work between man and nature.   Seeing the trees droop and the life going out before them, my oldest son and daughter commanded us to do something. One day we saw the new owners walking by and kindly asked if we could pick the fruit off the trees. With the green light we went to work. We took the last of what it would ever grow that summer. The love that had been given, poured out, and received ceased completely.  We hear in the Gospel that, “A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). We can understand the fragility of nature and the work it takes to grow good fruit. This is reflective of our own interior life. When we allow Jesus to scatter the seeds of our prayer we can see God’s abundance in our lives. The opposite is true when we stop praying all together.  Sister, the harvest reaped by God in us is always good. We have a Father Who cares for us like a gardener, Who desires to cultivate the goodness of our souls with the most gentle, loving hands. Relate to the Lord // What fruit is God the Gardener cultivating in you in this season? What needs pruning?  

March 10, 2025 // Monday of the First Week of Lent Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18 Reflect on the Word //  We were walking to the ballpark when my phone chimed. It was another hot desert day in July. My pregnant belly was starting to affect my stride, and I had traded my usual flip flops for tennis shoes. We stopped at the crosswalk and I looked at the message. It was our turn to cross. I tried to push through the unfortunate timing of the news, but the loud music and fan enthusiasm for the Savannah Bananas wasn’t enough to keep my head in the game. I even waddled over to take a picture with a banana cardboard cutout with the kids. The joy that radiated from kids of all ages was no match for the anger and betrayal that was muffling the excitement around me. Why couldn’t she have said this to me in person? We had been walking closely on our spiritual journey, and I felt betrayed by her actions. “You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him” (Leviticus 19:17). Help me, Lord, to take this grievance and leave it at the altar. “Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:18). The Lord shows me that I may not have the power to restore this severed relationship; however, I can allow forgiveness to seal the cracks of my heart to love, and hope that when I have wronged someone they will do it for me too. That’s not to say that the hurt isn't there, but God knows my desire isn’t to grow hatred.   This is the life of a Christian: to love and continue loving and learning to love our neighbor over and over again. Love is bigger than my human hurt and I know that because I see it when I look at Jesus crucified. He loves me and my neighbor, and He speaks this message of love to me straight to my heart and through the best kind of text message: Holy Scripture.  Relate to the Lord // If the Lord were to send you a loving text from Scripture today, what would it say?  

January 8, 2025 // Wednesday after Epiphany Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Mark 6: 45-52 Reflect on the Word//  It was one of those nights where I just couldn’t turn off the mental noise. I wasn’t tossing and turning but mostly aware that I wasn’t fully asleep either.  My mind felt like a food processor chopping, crumbling, and kneading through a day’s worth of unpleasant conversations. Suddenly it felt as though someone had cranked the machine to the high setting as I pictured the unsettling social media post, the results of my blood work confirming the anemia that had left me depleted for the last several months, and all of my broken relationships which were mixed in there too.  I had been proud of myself for limiting my screen time, but even my well intentioned efforts weren’t able to shield me. It probably didn’t help that the baby had just woken up at 1 a.m. Further, I had been consistent in prayer, following through on my spiritual disciplines.  Yet there was something I was missing: God’s command to take courage. Jesus wanted me to insert His words—“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” (Mark 6:51)—in everything that was plaguing me. The tossing of waves and gusts of wind in our lives can only be remedied through Him. Take courage with severed friendships. Take courage with broken relationships. Take courage with ailments. Take courage in all of the worry. I may not have ever experienced literally being tossed around in a boat like the disciples, but I have felt the wind gusts pushing me, impairing my ability to see, and their force uprooting what I perceived to be unshakable.  The disciples who had just seen Jesus perform the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand perceived Jesus as a ghost when they saw Him walking in the sea. Jesus not only commands them to take courage, but He goes further by telling them to not be afraid. There is no trust without courage. Our relationship with Jesus is only strengthened by the courage we exercise as we trust Him. The tossing will come, and when it does, may we accept His grace to heed His command to take courage and not be afraid.  Relate to the Lord // Where do you need to take courage? Write your own litany today and allow Jesus to speak into your storms.

“For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” // Mark 12:44 We would barely arrive and already my cousins would crowd the car and empty everything out of the trunk. Every inch of the car was stuffed, the only space being where we were sitting. This trip always felt like part mission and part fun.  My mom would spend the whole year saving items to take to family in her hometown of Magdalena, Sonora, Mexico. Toiletries (she would collect my toothbrushes from when I would go the dentist), clothes that I outgrew (yes, she would pass them on to my aunt), goodies from Christmas baskets people would give to our family (yup, she would make sure to share that as well). Nothing was out of the question—one year she took a refrigerator because the one my grandparents had broke.  As my grandparents have passed and my mother has aged, she doesn’t personally deliver as frequently anymore. My frustration of always having to give away my clothes and seeing my aunt wear them has turned into a point of humility and gratitude rather than embarrassment. I understand the heart behind the giving. I understand that my mom would have taken everything to her family, because—although separated by a border—her love has no bounds.  Now as a widow of seventeen years, she continues this work with her neighbors. If there's something that my kids have outgrown, she remembers the grandmothers from her old barrio whose grandkids could use the clothes, gently worn shoes, or extra school supplies. She packs up her car and takes the time to distribute the items accordingly. Every time, she shares how much she loves seeing the faces of gratitude. She feels like Santa Claus—but on a smaller scale—because while it's not anything new, it's given with a lot of love.  Sister, do you give love away easily? Do you find creative ways to give without counting the cost? Let's open our hearts to a greater type of love. One that knows no bounds and doesn’t want anything in return.

“Thus it will be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.” // Luke 12:21 Stores are always finding reasons for sales. Even if I try to avoid them, the consumption somehow finds me. I’m reminded in my inbox and on social media sites. Then I’m offered complete lists of favorite products categorized into family, home, kitchen, outdoor, fitness, and toys. Somehow I end up feeling a sense of urgency that maybe I’m missing something if I don't partake.  I convince myself that taking the time to look for deals is important because it will save our family some money in the long run. While there is merit to that, there is also a temptation to add more than what we actually need.  This happens in our spiritual life too. I can inundate myself with all of the abundant Catholic resources that are available via podcasts, videos, apps, online courses, books, etc. I get immersed in the video of the homily I am watching and then switch to the podcast I was listening to. My intention to pursue holiness becomes a spiritual buffet that is too much for my simplicity-desiring heart.  In today’s Gospel we see the rich man storing up his bountiful harvest (Luke 12:16-21). But Jesus shows us through His example of self-giving love on the Cross that we aren’t meant to hold on to what we have been given. Our life and everything we are blessed with are gifts to us, meant to be given back to the Father.  The world will always encourage us to store and continue adding to our carts, but excess counters the goodness of God. Overconsumption leads to a loss of self-control that distracts us from holiness. Sister, we will be bombarded with deals once again before we even sit down to enjoy our Thanksgiving meals. Will we continue to operate out of a false hunger towards worldly goods each time these sales repeat? Will we commit to more spiritual resources than we could ever read or listen to? Ask the Lord to help you practice obedience to “what matters to God” (Luke 12:21).  Let’s add items to our cart that will take us Heaven bound.

Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet. // Psalm 119:105 I was experiencing an extremely long season of burnout (not that kind that ends with the changing of the weather, either). The things I normally looked forward to were of little consequence to me as I was being challenged in every facet of my life. In my mind I thought I was handling life as if I were on a unicycle while juggling whatever was thrown my way—be it bowling pins, balls, or glass milk jugs. I humbly watched these objects fall: some days one by one and sometimes all at once. There was no way I could catch them all.  I wasn’t defeated as much as I realized that everything I had ever done up until this point had worked out a certain way because I was in a different place.  Each day I resolved in prayer to begin anew even though my circumstances weren’t changing. It was a shift for my recovering type A+ personality, former perfectionist, and people pleaser. I didn’t feel the need to take things into my own hands and try to change the course. Instead I accepted what I couldn't control, which was everything.  I would love to say that this acceptance brought me a greater sense of calm, but it didn’t. Instead it offered me a greater desire to be rooted in God’s Word, in His promises, in who He says I am, and Who He says He is.  I would go to prayer and open my Blessed Is She journaling Bible and be immediately overcome by the peacefulness of the soft delicate pages against my fingers as I turned to the Book of Psalms, eager to receive the Word the Holy Spirit would illuminate for me.  Sister, spending time in God’s Word may not always help us make sense of what we are experiencing at a certain time, but it offers us strength to persevere in trusting God to guide our steps even when the next step is unknown to us.

Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her a reward of her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates. // Proverbs 31:30-31 (from Readings for Memorial of Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, religious) I had scooped out everything I could from the empty container that promised to give me long-lasting hydration and dewy skin. Washing my face with cold water and following up with my favorite skincare routine made me feel more ready to take on the day than a face full of makeup. The empty jar stared at me, forcing me to make a decision to either buy a new one or ditch it altogether. I accepted the challenge to forgo it. Afterall, Lent was approaching and I really wanted to offer something that was deeply personal to me.  It was bleak not to see my favorite skin care products waiting for me in my medicine cabinet every morning. I knew these items held empty promises; however, I missed opening the pretty containers, smelling the familiar scent of the creamy moisturizer, and applying it to my face.  Reaching for a pump of regular body lotion wasn’t the same feeling as my boutique apothecary glass jar. The layers of smooth silky cream made me feel complete, and, while I never considered myself a vain person, having a nice skin care regimen gave me great joy. Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, whose feast we remember today, once wrote: “To be faithful, we must live simply. Then being free from attachments, we are possessed by nothing. We live in such absolute openness to Divine Love that whatever pleases God becomes our heart's desire” (source).  Eliminating my pricey skincare routine was a muscle I needed to exercise, as futile as it may seem. Our interior lives may be marked by many tiny insignificant workouts like this with the hope that we may live out the words of Saint Jane Frances de Chantal.  Sister, how can you live more simply in the pursuit of holiness? Is there something small that you can start with? Today in prayer ask Saint Jane Frances de Chantal to intercede for you to do this very thing.