July 3, 2025 // Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: John 20:24-29 Reflect on the Word //  I clutched the crispy crust of my gluten-free pizza like it was the answer. I held it with reverence and hope, praying that my small sacrifice would fill my belly with more than just the vegan cheese that was dripping onto my plate. Because the very instant my doctor suggested a dietary change, I sprung into action, believing that, surely, all of those years of pizza pockets were to blame for our infertility.  And so I worked . . . hard. I battled those endocrine disruptors like my life depended on it. I tossed out plastic, I ditched the phthalates, and I ate the cardboard-tasting pizza. I did everything within my power to control the circumstance. I did it all, except pray.  Whenever I read today’s Gospel, a tinge of guilt springs forth from within. I realize how akin I am to Saint Thomas the Apostle who said, “unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). His doubt in the risen Lord required tangible proof. It required a faith that was only made evident by something tactile. I think we all have this tendency to some degree. When uncertainty begins to brew and faith begins to wane, we seek the tangible aspects of our circumstance as a way to control the outcome. We opt for what we can physically touch or do to gain the advantage. Yet, all the while, the Lord is silently waiting to reveal Himself to us. We need only faith enough to ask.  I don’t know what sort of trial you’re going through or what tactile ways you are trying to control the outcome, but there is an intangible strength that is waiting to walk you through it. Put down your shield and take off your armor, dear sister, and trust in Him to guide.  Relate to the Lord // In what ways have you been trying to control the outcome? Confess the striving to Jesus and make an act of trust in Him.

July 2, 2025 // Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 8:28-34 Reflect on the Word //  I woke up with puffy eyes and a slight headache, yet there was a smile on my lips. I recalled how the night before I had fallen to my knees and wept, because my life had strayed so far from God, and I couldn’t live with the emptiness any longer. It was a turning point in my life and the beginning of my return to God and the deepening of my faith. As days passed, I started making changes and distancing myself from friends and situations that were keeping me from living my new life in Christ.  In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew, we witnessed two people who experienced the transforming power of Jesus. The Apostles must have felt fear as they approached the tombs knowing that people avoided this area, because the demoniacs were so fierce. Yet Jesus stood there unflinching. They had no hold on Him. Knowing this, the demons begged, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine" (Matthew 8:31). And Jesus did so.  The noise and chaos of the situation must have been incredible, but as the dust swirled and people yelled, the two persons rescued from the demons were processing what just happened to them. We can imagine how they looked to Jesus and saw His tender smile and felt the power of His mercy. When they saw the townspeople running toward Jesus, they must have been confused when the city pleaded with Jesus to leave, instead of rejoicing in their transformation. Unfortunately, the crowd was more concerned about the swine they lost than the two human persons healed.  Each day God is guiding us and forming us. This is especially true when He is doing great things or healing broken parts of our hearts. Our lives become different. It requires us to let go of things that we’ve become overly attached to or things that keep us away from fully embracing His love and His will. Healing takes sacrifice as we surrender everything to Him. But in the end, it is worth the battle, as we become transformed anew in Christ. Relate to the Lord // Pray on your knees today and ask for the grace to surrender everything to Him.

July 1, 2025 // Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time // Optional Memorial of Saint Junipero Serra, Priest [In the Dioceses of the United States] Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Genesis 19:15-29 Reflect on the Word // “Always forward, never back!” I hear it whispered in my ear whenever I begin to second guess a past decision that went awry, long past and forgotten by seemingly everyone else involved. The words resonate in my heart when I’m tempted to self-condemnation over a mistake or past sin. I imagine the phrase—the motto of today’s Saint, Junipero Serra—reverberating up the Pacific coast. A Franciscan Friar, Junipero Serra evangelized California, establishing a trail of now historic missions: Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, San Miguel, San Francisco.   In Junipero Serra we see the victory that comes from moving forward in freedom, not wallowing in mistakes or failures. The joy that comes from looking to God’s will, not looking to the past and longing to return to some comfort we once enjoyed.   Serra’s motto echoes the angels’ words spoken to Lot: “Flee for your life! Do not look back or stop anywhere on the Plain” (Genesis 19:17).   God looks upon Lot and his family and provides a place of refuge; they have only to flee to the appointed spot. Why does Lot resist? What does he fear? Yet even in his fear, the Lord provides. He consents, allowing Lot and his family to flee to a closer town promising to preserve it (see Genesis 19:20-21). Sadly, while Lot is saved, his wife turns back and is swept away, turned into a pillar of salt. Lot’s story, or really his wife’s, is a cautionary tale of what comes from turning back, looking to what once was, rather than persevering in faith, hope, and trust in the God Who loves us and knows our needs.  Our heavenly Father is good and loving. He seeks us out and provides a path for our freedom and salvation. He even deigns, at times, to allow us to direct the course, as He did for Lot. What more could we ask?   How often we look back! What will it take for us to remain firm in our resolve, living the motto of today’s Saint of “Always forward, never back!” each day of our lives, no matter what it is that the Lord asks of us?  Relate to the Lord // Have you been looking back in regret or self-condemnation? Make Saint Junipero Serra’s motto your own today. 

June 30, 2025 // Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 8:18-22 Reflect on the Word // Prickles dancing across my skin, I jumped in place one chilly morning waiting for the starting whistle. Cheers and whoops erupted around me as my fellow runners counted down the minutes until our pace group crossed the starting line. I had trained, I had prepared, and I was ready to tackle this half-marathon. The streets in the downtown area were cleared of traffic and blockades were propped up along intersections. Neighbors along the race route set up folding chairs and cheered on the runners with posters, music, and encouragement. I made my way through the race route with volunteers passing out water, police directing traffic, and spectators waving their signs.  As I ran through the course, I noted there were areas throughout the downtown route that remained uncleared. Tents, RVs, and makeshift shelters were dotted along the course. Multiple individuals experiencing homelessness were huddled trying to keep warm and appeared oblivious to the thousands of runners moving past their encampments. There were crowds celebrating this accomplishment but there was deep suffering too. Jesus had nowhere to rest His head and neither did these community members.  In today’s Gospel, Jesus told the scribe to follow Him (see Matthew 8:22). Our life as His disciples is like the race course I ran—marked, measured, and mapped, yet with obstacles throughout. There were hills that went straight up and there were bumps and holes. The road was tough, but I was not alone. I imagined the path ahead, with rough terrain, peaks and valleys, and exhaustion. Jesus gave His orders to “cross to the other side” (Matthew 8:18) and follow.  “The Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head” (Matthew 8:20), but that is not true of us. There are obstacles, evidence of our own mortality, and hills to climb. But alone and without rest, we are not. We are accompanied by Jesus and are asked to be His followers. Jesus does not tell us the road ahead is easy but we are told to follow anyway. Have faith that He will mark the path for you to travel and provide you the rest you need in His love.  Relate to the Lord // Where is Jesus calling you to follow Him?

Saturday, June 28, 2025 //  Happy Saturday, friend! We are so excited to share with you what's coming up this week as we all prepare our hearts by praying with readings for Sunday, the day of rest with our Lord. Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days Saturday, June 28 (today!)// Optional Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary // Optional Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr Sunday, June 29 // Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles  Tuesday, July 1 // Optional Memorial of Saint Junipero Serra, Priest [In the Dioceses of the United States] Thursday, July 3 // Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle Friday, July 4 // Independence Day [In the Dioceses of the United States] Letter from the Editor // Dear Sister, Tomorrow we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul instead of having the regular Sunday readings. In the Gospel, we hear when Peter became one of the “Pillars of the Church,” our first pope. Peter makes his confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and Jesus responds that it is His “heavenly father” that revealed this to Peter (Matthew 16:16-17). Jesus shows us that the only way for a mere human to lead the Church is for him to teach what is revealed by the Father. This is why we must follow the example in Acts when “prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on [Peter’s] behalf” (Acts 12:5). Being pope is not easy, and while we can trust that the “gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against” the Church (Matthew 16:18), our new pope, Leo XIV, needs our daily prayers to lead the Church in truth and charity. Saint Paul is the Pillar of the Church who was sent personally by Jesus (after His Ascension) to evangelize those who were not Jews—he helped the Church see that Jesus came to save the whole world. He wrote many of the letters that make up the New Testament, and, like Peter, relied on the Lord, Whom he says, “stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it” (2 Timothy 4:17). We can thank the Lord for the gift of His Apostles, pray for their successors who are our bishops, and trust that the “angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:8). In Christ’s Love, Susanna Read the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles (Mass during the Day):  First Reading // Acts 12:1-11 Responsorial Psalm // Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Second Reading // 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 Gospel // Matthew 16:13-19  

June 27, 2025 // Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 15:3-7   Reflect on the Word // “He’s really cute.”    My heart twisted as I tried to picture the young nephew whom I had never seen and whose name I didn’t know. As my mom related to me all she had discovered, my brain was forced to swat away the suspicion that social media had undeniably confirmed: My estranged brother had welcomed a second child into the world more than a year before and had kept this little boy’s birth—and his life—from the rest of our family.  I didn’t let on, but the news gutted me, especially since I had been praying fervently for reconciliation with my older sibling for several years. Are my prayers even making a difference, Lord? I wondered. After all, didn’t this grievance point to only greater strain and disunity? As I placed my hurt in the Heart of Jesus, I imagined how much more hurt He must be when His beloved ones stray.  “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?” (Luke 15:3-4)   Jesus’ question from Luke’s Gospel reveals the attentiveness and intensity of love that encapsulates the Good Shepherd’s Heart, which we celebrate and adore today in our Lord. Any shepherd knows the flock is not complete unless every sheep is safe and accounted for. Jesus notices when one of His own is not close to Him, and the separation pains Him so much that He cannot rest until the one He seeks is found. Sister, we are precious and irreplaceable to the Lord, as are the friends and loved ones we pray will return to the fold. But we don’t have to rescue them. Christ, our Good Shepherd, lovingly pursues the lost with a Heart that is open and aching for reunion. Our part is simply to point the lost lambs to His Love, a Love that won’t give up the search until every wounded and wayward soul is nestled near His Heart.       For it is within this Most Sacred and Merciful Heart that we find our way home.   Relate to the Lord // Place your lost loved ones in the Sacred Heart of Jesus today. Trust Him to bring them home.

June 26, 2025 // Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 7:21-29 Reflect on the Word //  We were dead center in it, a ferocious summer storm. Something like a mini tornado whipped down our street, ripping up thick oak trees that were one hundred years old, crashing power lines, tipping over the fifty-foot evergreen in our front yard, toppling it like it was no more than a toothpick. A neighbor’s car was smashed when a tree fell on it. Hail battered our windows and roof and the wind and rain roared so violently, I stood in kind of an awestruck stupor in our living room, watching it all with my hands raised, praying that the Blood of Jesus would cover our home and property. Over the next days, as our street started to dig out, we all met up at a neighbor’s to pray and give thanks to the Lord that not a single person was injured. Many trees came down only damaging out-buildings and a chicken coop (the chickens went uninjured!), we lost power for days, several vehicles were damaged beyond repair, windows were broken and some had significant hail damage, but no human life was lost when it might have easily been otherwise. I love a good storm, even when, like this one, it scares me. It reminds me in a visceral way that I want to build the house of my soul on the solid rock that is Jesus Christ. No fury can stand against Him. It’s good to question myself from time to time: Is my heart set secure in God’s Word? Am I listening to His Word, allowing it to form me? Am I then acting on it as I am called to do (see Matthew 7:24)? Life brings fury. Violent and unexpected. If you live long enough, you’ll see it: disaster, illness, temptation beyond imagining, scandal, unfettered pride and greed and the corrosive culture they foster. The rain will fall, the flood will come, and the wind will blow (see Matthew 7:25). They will threaten to rip you from your roots and destroy you. But the house of your soul will not be damaged if you build it on His Word.  Relate to the Lord // In prayer, have a walk around the house of your soul with Jesus and ask Him what needs to be built up.

June 25, 2025 // Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading:  Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Reflect on the Word // We traipsed across the grassy quadrangle, drenched in sunshine. It was springtime on our college campus, and I could hardly imagine paradise being any more beautiful. And yet, when my friend asked how I was doing, I told her that I was sad. Despite the bright hope of that spring day, I found myself mourning missed opportunities. I wondered if I had made the right choices that year, and I dwelt upon what could or should have been—just as I have done when friendships faded, when jobs fell through, when relationships broke up. In those seasons, I have told Jesus over and over, I was just trying to do Your will. I don’t know why things ended this way, but I was just trying to be faithful to You.  Far more than I did at nineteen, Abraham, too, must have grieved lost time and opportunities. He, too, must have been confused by where his faithfulness led him. Here he was, in the evening of his life, facing the prospect of death without ever living the life for which he had hoped. Had he really come this far into the land the Lord had promised to him, doing as the Lord had told him to do, only to die without descendants to inherit it? He wondered, “O Lord God, what good will your gifts be, if I keep on being childless?” (Genesis 15:2) He expected to have a child by now, grandchildren even, maybe great-grandchildren—a glorious fulfillment of the Lord’s promises to him. Like Abraham in today’s First Reading, I have yet to see the final fulfillment of the Lord’s plan for my life. I don’t understand why sometimes my attempts at faithful obedience have led to misunderstanding, disappointment, and grief. But I take consolation in His promise to each of us. For He promises us, just as He promised Abraham, that He will honor our faithfulness. We may not see it in the moment, but we can trust that He will be faithful to us when, like Abraham, we put our faith in Him.  Relate to the Lord // Bring to mind today ways in which the Lord has been faithful to you in your life, and ask Him to renew your trust in Him.  

June 24, 2025 // Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Isaiah 49:1-6 Reflect on the Word //  I stood by the window, sunlight pouring in and casting a golden glow across the room. Yet that radiant light felt distant, obscured by the weight of my frustrations and disappointments. Did my efforts matter? Would I ever see the fruits of my labor? These questions clouded my mind, dimming my hope. I could no longer see the beauty in my labors, only the endless cycle of tasks.  Then, in that moment of struggle, a shift occurred. My eyes, once clouded with frustration, opened to a powerful truth: it was not about the visibility of my work, it was about the love that motivated it. God forged us to be sharp-edged swords and polished arrows, destined to reflect His glory. I felt the peace of the Holy Spirit flood my heart, a reminder that I am not alone. We often feel hidden, as if God has tucked us away. However, perhaps He is protecting and preparing us as He shows us in today’s First Reading from Isaiah. Like arrows in His quiver, we are being crafted for a greater mission, shaped in the shadows to shine brightly when the time is right. In those moments of doubt, we must remember that our reward is with the Lord. Though we may not see the immediate impact of our labor, in His eyes, we are cherished. Our service, however small, carries eternal worth. When we feel unnoticed, let us embrace the truth that we are God’s polished arrows, each with a unique purpose. Even in our quiet moments, God is at work. We are being sculpted for greatness, destined to be lights in the darkness, and called from the womb like today’s Saint of John the Baptist. Together, we are called to shine, reflecting His truth and drawing others to Him. No matter how concealed our light may feel, we radiate His glory. In His quiver, He is preparing us for something extraordinary. Relate to the Lord // Have you been measuring your efforts by results or by love? Ask the Lord for His perspective.

June 23, 2025 // Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Genesis 12:1-9 Reflect on the Word //  In most classic novels I read, I encounter at least one character who possesses the virtue of magnanimity. Magnanimity is defined as greatness of soul. These characters are layered in their potential, and the story always hinges upon their ability and decision to direct that natural greatness of soul in a supernatural direction.  How will they use their greatness? Will they give it away to build others up, or will they hoard it and thus self-destruct? When coupled with the virtue of humility, magnanimity has the power to change the story of the world (both in fictional novels and in reality). When greatness of soul understands its place before God, it can be put to mission for the Kingdom, winning other souls for Christ. In today’s First Reading, God promises Abram, “I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2).  The Lord will make Abram’s name great. Abram possesses the potential for massive magnanimity. He had already left all he had known in order to follow the Lord’s call. It was a move that required bravery and radical trust.  But that’s not the end of God’s declaration. He finishes with the promise that “all the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you” (Genesis 12:3). Abram’s name will not be great so that he will be honored; rather, it is so he can honor God and others in love and service. His greatness directly corresponds to his willingness to use it to bless others.  Whatever magnanimity we possess, then, must be infused with humility and guided toward selfless giving. God has given you a great soul. You have vast potential. Like Abram and the great protagonists, use it to be a blessing.  Relate to the Lord // Ask the Lord to show you your greatness of soul. How will you be a blessing today?  

Saturday, June 21, 2025 //  Happy Saturday, friend! We are so excited to share with you what's coming up this week as we all prepare our hearts by praying with readings for Sunday, the day of rest with our Lord. Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days Saturday,  June 21 (today!) // Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious Sunday, June 22 // The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Tuesday, June 24 // Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Friday, June 27 // Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Letter from the Editor //  Dear Sister, On tomorrow’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ we hear in the First Reading  about the man Melchizedek who is both a priest and king of Salem, which is the ancient site of Jerusalem. Melchizedek prefigures the Eucharist with his celebratory offering of bread and wine. In response, Abraham “gave him a tenth of everything” (Genesis 14:20). Sister, the gift of the Eucharist is God’s gift of Himself, His offering of His Body and Blood so that we can be united to Him. At our Baptism, we are given the character of priest, prophet, and king. When the Psalmist writes, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4), he is talking to both Jesus and us.  A priest’s role is to offer sacrifice. At every Mass, the priest offers the same Sacrifice that Jesus offered on the Cross. This is what Saint Paul means when he writes, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). We share in this sacrifice by offering “a tenth of everything,” through our monetary contribution to the collection, our daily commitment to prayer, and our offering of our will so that we may always do as the Lord wishes.  Our offering may seem as small as “five loaves and two fish” and not nearly enough (Luke 9:13), but we do not need to worry. He wants us to just give Him what we have, for the Lord can multiply even the most meager offering that comes from the heart. In Christ’s Love, Susanna Read the Readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ:  First Reading // Genesis 14:18-20 Responsorial Psalm // Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4 Second Reading // 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Gospel // Luke 9:11b-17  

June 20, 2025 // Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: 2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30  Reflect on the Word // I recently experienced an invasion of grace in the Sacrament of Confession. A flash of courage helped me tell the priest something that I had been too ashamed to admit. I had tried to make this Confession a few times before, and finally, on that day, in that moment, I uttered my sin out loud.  My shame left me almost immediately. The feeling of freedom and joy stayed with me and I found myself wishing I could share with the world what God had done for me.  I have been set free, I wanted to shout, my sins are forgiven! But of course, we can’t brag about our sins, these weaknesses we can barely admit in the quiet of the confessional. Who wants to boast about that? In today’s First Reading, Paul tells the Corinthians that while many boast to show their strength, he will boast of something else. “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness,” he writes (2 Corinthians 11:30).  What I wanted to do after my liberating Confession was exactly what Paul wrote about. He saw that the Lord was present in all of his weakness, and that anything good in him came from the Lord. There was beauty in admitting my weakness because God’s strength and healing were undeniable in that moment. He gave me beauty for ashes; here in my weakness, He found me.  The Lord wants us to boast in Him, not because we are proud of our sins but because we are grateful for His saving grace and everlasting mercy and love. The Lord does for us the thing we cannot do for ourselves, and in our weakness He makes Himself undeniably present.  Relate to the Lord // How has the Lord made Himself known in your weakness?  

June 19, 2025 // Optional Memorial of Saint Romuald, Abbot Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15 Reflect on the Word // It was a small need, but combined with so many others, it felt like a colossal weight. The old, oppressive lie began hounding me: If we just had more money, it could solve these problems.  Yet for months, my husband and I had intentionally prayed, “give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11, emphasis mine)—seeking to trust the Father’s provision and timing more than our self-reliant solutions.  How often had we exhausted our own means only to have the Father lavish us with His miraculous provision?  There were the farm-fresh eggs from a friend and countless other gifts from family and community. There were sudden surges in my husband’s small business and my ministry work that came at the perfect moment. We had come so far in surrendering our own self-reliance in this area to embrace childlike dependence on God the Father. We had learned that our solutions paled in comparison to God’s far more humbling and creative ways. In this moment, it was as if the Lord was reminding me: You can’t solve it all yourself, daughter . . . ask Me!  Your way is too narrow.  Seek Mine! It encompasses so much more. Entreat Me to provide for every big and little thing. I want better for you than you want for yourself.  Human worry and anxiety spring from an underlying fear that things will not turn out the way we think they should. The solutions we seek are usually rooted in a desire for good things—security, health, comfort, connection, and love. Yet when these desires aren’t fulfilled immediately or they don’t happen in the way we imagine, we lose patience and hope. We glimpse others’ seemingly fulfilled lives and think God has forgotten us.  Thus, we become anxious and controlling, stepping outside God’s will and sometimes even His commandments to try to make things happen on our own terms, instead of waiting on the Father’s healthier, holier, more lasting provision. The waiting is hard—sometimes brutal—but it’s never without reward.  Our Father is always ready to provide His divine daily bread for our true needs when we allow Him, when we surrender our way for His more loving way.  Relate to the Lord // What do you need? Pray the Our Father and ask in faith for your daily bread. 

June 18, 2025 // Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Reflect on the Word //  I found myself crying in a coffee shop, moved to tears by a story of hope. The bustling sounds of the crowd disappeared into the background as I read a gripping account of an atomic bomb survivor and blurted out impressive facts about him to my sister as she worked across the table. “This guy was a radiologist in Japan, a convert from atheism to Catholicism, and lost his wife in the Nagasaki bombing.” I continued, “He already had leukemia, and spent the rest of his life serving the victims of the bombings and writing about God’s providence and forgiveness.”  His name was Takashi Nagai, a man who managed to harvest an abundance of faith, hope, and peace from seeds sown into the lifeless ashes covering his hometown, including the burned body of his beloved wife.  I doubt he could imagine anything bountiful coming from the horrendous catastrophe that destroyed the lives of 8,000 people instantaneously. You see, when he walked through the sea of his deceased neighbors and friends he chose to forgive, he chose to keep loving, and he ultimately chose to turn his suffering into a sacrifice of praise. He spent the rest of his life helping bomb victims as a physician, writing and speaking about the importance of forgiveness, sowing lasting peace and healing into the hearts of a severely wounded country.  Yet, in today’s First Reading, Saint Paul reminds us that those who sow seeds bountifully “will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). The Lord calls us all to a generosity with the gifts He has given us, especially in the face of trials. It may be hard to see or believe at times, but God can and will make something beautiful out of the seeds we choose to bravely offer Him. Seeds like humility and faith when we’re tempted to believe that our ways are better than God’s. Seeds of peace and mercy when we would rather hold on to bitterness and anger.  Is this not the vocation of every Christian? To lay down our life, one seed at a time, until God masterfully redeems each one, harvesting beauty for ashes. Relate to the Lord // What seeds is the Lord calling you to sow in this season? Entrust them to Him.  

June 17, 2025 // Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48 Reflect on the Word //  I felt the tender, formerly wounded part of my heart make its appearance for the first time in years. It was the part of my heart that had been deeply hurt by female friendship. A place within myself that for many years, I'd buried deep under the surface. I'd sworn off the intimacy and goodness that female friendship could bring to my life and remained suspicious of friendliness. By God's grace and intentional internal work, I'd come away from those wounds—healed and excited about the friendships that God desired to place in my life. So in this moment, as I stood there in the kitchen of a new acquaintance surrounded by numerous women I had only just met, I felt deeply raw all over again and surprised to be feeling the way I did. Didn't we already work through all of this, Lord? The fears began to rise before friendship even began: Who will betray my friendship in this room? In today's Gospel reading, Jesus encourages us to love everyone He places in our lives without pre-judgment or preconceived notions of who they are or what hurt might come in the future. He is not asking us to be without boundaries in relationships, but reminds us to remain in the grace of the present moment without allowing our former or current woundedness to cloud the way. He tells us, "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father" (Matthew 5:44-45). Perhaps the scars left behind by former relationships may make an appearance from time to time in our lives. But we need not be afraid of those feelings or close ourselves off from the relationships God has planned for our present and future. He promises continual restoration and healing as we choose to pray for those who've hurt us and for those we've also hurt. He promises to give us the grace we need to perfect our love for the other just as His love remains perfect for us. He will help you. Do not be afraid! Relate to the Lord // How do you need the Lord’s help today? Open your heart to Him.  

June 16, 2025 // Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 5:38-42 Reflect on the Word //  Silverware clanged against the plates, and leftovers were scraped into the kitchen’s tupperware. Dinner had just finished. The resident first grader was recounting tales of his school day to me in the dining room when his mom called out to him to clear his place at the table. As she began the third reminder, his younger sister wobbled to him and put her hand over his mouth. His face turned red in rage. He reached out to cover her mouth, hitting her cheek instead. A cacophony of screams began to resound through the house, and his father ran over. Separating the two children from one other, he shouted, “What is going on here?!” The child yelled, “She hit me, so I hit her!”  Society’s norms declare that “an eye for an eye” (Matthew.5:38) is the right response to injustice. Jesus even begins today’s Gospel reading with an affirmation that these rules of retribution have been oft-repeated as the law of the land. However, He goes on to proclaim, “But, I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil” (Matthew 5:39). This saying provokes a visceral response: How could any reasonable person let one get away with such an offense?! It seems unfair that someone who intentionally seeks to harm should not be met with resistance or penalty. And then, we remember that Jesus knows what it is to be unjustly treated, having been the One Who gave His tunic, walked the extra mile, and gave all the Father asked on His Way of the Cross, all so that we could be forgiven.  In our fallen nature, relationships are ruptured and offenses occur. We, who when left to our own devices constantly strike one another’s cheeks, maintain the dignity of being the Father’s beloved daughters. And so, Jesus saves us. He invites us to acknowledge the hurts and make space for forgiveness within our hearts. He desires that we repair our relationships and return to the family of God. He reminds us that it really is possible that all things are made new.   Relate to the Lord // Where do you need Jesus to make all things new? Ask Him to come.  

Saturday, June 14, 2025  Happy Saturday, friend! We are so excited to share with you what's coming up this week as we all prepare our hearts by praying with readings for Sunday, the day of rest with our Lord. Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days Sunday, June  15 // The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Thursday, June 19 // Optional Memorial of Saint Romuald, Abbot Letter from the Editor //  Dear Sister,God created the earth so that we might have a relationship with Him, that His creatures may say yes to Him and love Him in return. This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. We contemplate the reality that our God is three Divine Persons in one. The Father is eternally pouring Himself into the Son and the Son eternally pouring Himself out in love in return, and from this endless love the Holy Spirit proceeds. The love is so excessive that our God wanted to create us and share this love with us. The Psalmist asks in wonder, “What is man that you should be mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:5)  Before anything was created, His Wisdom was there ready to find “delight in the human race” (Proverbs 8:31).  God created us in His image—to have the likeness of the Trinity, “the love of God has been poured out into our hearts” (Romans 5:5). And as the love is poured into us, we are meant to pour His love into others. The Holy Spirit will help us, showing us how to love others as He loves others. The Spirit “will guide [us] in all truth” (John 16:13), doing so from Pentecost until now and beyond. Jesus has given us all that the Father has given Him (see John 16:14-15). Let us dwell on that truth—let us be covered in God’s love and let it transform us more and more into His likeness, so that we may be crowned “with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:6). In Christ’s Love, Susanna Read the Readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity:  First Reading // Proverbs 8:22-31 Responsorial Psalm // Psalm 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Second Reading // Romans 5:1-5 Gospel // John 16:12-15