August 21, 2026 // Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14 Reflect on the Word //  Growing up in the Church as a “cradle Catholic,” I was exposed to a variety of prayer nights, styles of worship, devotions, etc. What I remember as I was growing in my faith was the distance I put between myself and the presence of the Holy Spirit. There were opportunities to invite the Holy Spirit into my life in prayer but I wanted no part. I believed the Holy Spirit was for those people—the crazy Christians. In today’s First Reading, the Lord sends out the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy over the dry bones. I can’t help but to think of the “dry bones” in my life that I’ve left for dead. Hopes, dreams, relationships, shortcomings that I’ve piled on to this graveyard—succumbing to the fact that there once was life, and now there is not. But I do not have the final say. The Lord invites me to revisit and speak life into these areas. I may not always have the answer and sometimes I accept defeat. But how I wish for the courage to speak life over those areas. The words in today’s Scripture bring me comfort: “I will [ . . .] put spirit in you so that you may come to life and know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:6). What a relief to come to the realization that it is not going to be by my efforts or my striving that life will come to these dead places. It is by the Spirit Himself, the One I was once afraid of getting to know, the One Who has befriended me and given me such hope in desolation, courage in difficult times, and a profound love for the God Who created me.  Sister, we don’t have to be afraid because we don’t have the last word. Even the graveyard we have occupied with our own disappointments over the years can begin to rattle with the new life the Lord has promised you and me.  Relate to the Lord // Today, invite the Spirit into your heart and explore those places where you need to prophecy over. May the Lord direct you and empower you with His Spirit.

March 14, 2026 // Saturday of the Third Week of Lent Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Hosea 6:1-6 Reflect on the Word // I find myself sleepless most nights, partly because of physical discomfort and partly because of the many thoughts floating around in my head. My daughter’s arrival is near. At thirty-nine weeks pregnant, I am familiar with this rhythm: I anticipate the aches, the load of to-do’s, the wonders and worries. I often ask myself: Have I done enough today?  Many of us ponder this question, don’t we? We begin to measure our value or productivity based on the day and what we were able to cross off of a list. At times, I feel so accomplished! I made it to Mass again today. I spent time in the Word. I read my book and drank water. I spent time outside with my children and husband. So it must be good then, right? It was enough for you, wasn’t it Lord? Today’s First Reading is the reset I often need—especially now. I’m comforted by the words in the first reading, “For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6). The Lord sees all the things, the productive moments, the sacrifices for my family, the opportunities I take for some “me” time. And yet, He loves me despite doing all the things or not. See, when we are occupied with taking time to complete tasks or goals, He is occupied with the matters of our heart. Nothing we do earns more love, yet everything we do should be done in response to His love.  At the end of the day, when we prepare to lay down our heads and examine our hearts, let us ask ourselves if we have loved well or if we’ve missed the opportunity to return and humble ourselves before the Lord—totally aware of the reality that we are actually so in need for Jesus to be everything. If we fail to run to Him in our need and let Him be present in our day, we take away the opportunity to receive His healing love and share it with others. When we humble ourselves, we come so low that our posture is simply to sit at His feet. There, “He will come to us like the rain” (Hosea 6:3), and make us whole again.  Relate to the Lord // Take some time to pray with this truth: “Nothing we do earns more love, yet everything we do should be done in response to His love.”

February 7, 2026 // Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Mark 6:30-34 Reflect on the Word //  I made my way through the house, sorting and cleaning as I walked from the kitchen to the living room and into the master bedroom. Finally, some peace. I looked over at my prayer corner, where there was an unavoidable mountain of laundry piled onto my prayer chair. Great. Another chore.  I recalled the desire I had that week to spend more time with Jesus in the Word. A desire for order and peace—a break from the chaos and busyness of daily life. If only I had time for that. There’s so much to get done and schedule out. Meals won’t cook themselves and my work is waiting for me.  The enemy knew the lies to whisper to me that would make me feel alone, unseen, and too busy to achieve what my heart really longed for.  In today’s Gospel, the Apostles were ready to give Jesus a report for what they were able to accomplish. He was ready to give them rest (see Mark 6:30-31). They were caught up in the doing and He invited them to simply be. Just as His heart was moved with pity for those following Him and hoping to be satisfied, His heart moves for you, too. He tends to you and simply asks you to “come away [. . .] and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). Do you also get caught up in doing all the things? Some are tedious and necessary. Other tasks are small victories or blessings from answered prayers. Like the Apostles, we can tell Jesus everything, giving Him a rundown of all we got through and what is left to come. His response—so tender and personal each time—is to come away from all of the doing.  Much like the pile of laundry that disappeared with slow and gentle sorting, Jesus wants to eliminate the burdens of your daily life. Your lists and chores will be there. Jesus will be with you as you get them done. There is no task greater than abiding with Him. Coming to the One Who truly gives us what our hearts desire—His presence, His rest, His peace. Relate to the Lord // Take some time to rest in and with the Lord today. What does that look like for you?

December 31, 2025 // Optional Memorial of Saint Sylvester I, Pope Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: John 1:1-18 Reflect on the Word //  My family and I had just returned home from Christmas morning Mass and our annual Christmas Jack-in-the-Box food run. It was lunch time, but all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball. I quickly ate what I could and went to lay down while my husband and children sat at the table.  It was time.  My fourth child was giving all the signs of his arrival. I labored since the morning but convinced myself it would be long until it was time to meet him. After all, the finish line of pregnancy always seems so far away. But it was happening. The child we waited over forty weeks for was coming and all of the emotions rushed through me.  Within two hours from parking our car, we were holding our little Christmas boy. His arrival was nothing and everything like what we anticipated. Today’s Gospel shows how every new beginning is also an end of something else, which is fitting as we approach the new year. Maybe we are counting down the seconds until a difficult or painful year ends, or perhaps we are counting down in anticipation for something exciting that is taking place in the year to come. Regardless of whether we are focusing on the end or a new beginning, God is there and He has always been there. It is time. The God of the universe—the Alpha and Omega— the One Who holds time in His hands, allows us to know Him. He came into the world so He could call us His children. Whatever this year looked like for you, sister, may we be reminded of the perpetual pursuit that God has for us. He goes before us. He sets a place for us. He promised to return for us and take us to this place Himself.  God holds time in His hands, but He also holds you. He holds your desires and your dreams. He carries your burdens and your fears. He is the light in your darkness, and you will not be overcome.  Relate to the Lord // What are you holding? Prayerfully imagine placing all that you hold dear in the Father’s steady, gentle Hands.

April 23, 2025 // Wednesday in the Octave of Easter Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 24:13-35 Reflect on the Word // Was not my heart burning, Lord? I have known You. I have experienced Your goodness. I have seen You move in my life. And yet, I find myself at times feeling so disconnected from You. I grew up in Catholic School, attended religious education classes and youth ministry nights. I served in ministry (and still do) and yet, I have moments in my life where the burning love for the Lord in my heart is not there.  Have you had this experience, sister? Where the Lord is so near, taking each step right next to you and yet, you feel an emptiness where there was once overflow of His love and presence? The two men on the road to Emmaus were accompanied by Jesus. Yet they did not recognize Him. They received His interpretation of everything that has come to be through the will of the Father. They desired to hear more, to be fed with knowledge of this Messiah.  And I find myself doing the same. I try to fill this hole with another podcast, conference, or inspiring talk at my parish. We try to satisfy ourselves only to realize we have not received fullness, rather a fix.  I began to replace an audio of a talk with the sound of His voice in the silence of my heart. I began to learn how He speaks to me directly and learned His language of love for me. He has opened my eyes to see the intimacy He holds for me, uniquely and personally. Only after I know His voice, can the other things draw me deeper. The desire of these men was not bad and neither is our desire to hear more about Him. However, the Lord wants our eyes to be opened to His true presence. He has given us access to Himself directly,  freely given at every second of every day dwelling within us from Baptism. He is ever present in “the breaking of the Bread” (Luke 24:35), which is the Eucharist. Today He invites you and me to meet Him there. There, where our hearts will burn for Him once again. Relate to the Lord // Spend five minutes in silence, listening for the voice of the Lord in your heart.

February 19, 2025 // Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Mark 8:22-26 Reflect on the Word // I find myself, quite often, checking the clock. If I make it to x time, I can do the next thing. Only x more hours, then it’s naptime and I can go pray. Just a few more minutes and my husband should be home, so I can get some rest. My maps app says I’ll arrive at my next destination soon. The deadline urges that there are x many days left to complete my tasks. I live at a pace with similar urgency as the people who brought the blind man to Jesus in today’s Gospel, desperate for something to change. I just have to make it to the next thing. The Lord, in all of His goodness, loves me much more than just helping me get things done. I can imagine myself in the place of the blind man in the Gospel. Jesus takes me by the hand and pulls me lovingly away from it all. I am removed instantly from the expectations, the tasks, and ongoing lists I make for myself. He draws me to intimacy with Him. He invites me into conversation, not a mere transaction. Not only did He give the blind man sight, He gave Him a restored vision, one that comes from a divine encounter.  Sister, may we be reminded that the love Jesus has for us is not reserved to one act or one moment. He is the God of abundance; always having so much more for us. He does not tire of revisiting the area He has already touched in our lives. He desires to lay His healing hands where we desire to see distinctly.  It makes a difference to step outside of the moment you are currently in, fix your eyes on Jesus, and to take a deep breath in His presence. He instructs us to go home, to the place where He dwells with us. We do not have to return to our day in haste. He wants us to sit with Him long enough so that He may restore any and every area of our lives that needs His healing touch.  Relate to the Lord // What healing have you received? Even if Christ has already worked on it before, allow Him again to restore you completely. 

[T]urn and become like children. // Matthew 18:3 “LUNCH TIME!!” my little one blurted out as the bells rang during the time of consecration at Mass. I was shocked and a bit embarrassed that my son’s silly gesture was heard by those around us at such a special part of the Mass. My husband and I nervously locked eyes and couldn’t help but chuckle. I grew up surrounded by my faith. I attended parochial school, lived across the street from a church, and spent my summer in Catholic youth centers and camps. I remember the fun that came with being a follower of Christ, and was confident in it during my elementary school years. This is what I recognized in my son that day—obviously after some gentle shushing and explanation.  I sometimes wish I could recall the innocence that I had when I began to form my prayer life, the trust I had in this omnipotent God Who created everything—and Who wanted me to be a part of His creation. If I could experience this lightness in my faith once again, where I knew God loved me and I could talk to Him no matter what . . . Sister, there are many areas in our lives where we find ourselves in control or having more responsibility than we can handle at times. Juggling many obligations while trying to pretend that multitasking is an actual art. What it would be like to be little as we once were. In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to remember our childlike dependency on Him (see Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14). He encourages us to be humble and turn from our ways of complicating our relationship with Him to become little again. This requires a change of direction if we trust Him enough to follow His invitation.  Our God takes delight in receiving us and finding us after we’ve gone astray. Take a deep breath and release the pressures of your relationship with Him. Be assured that He delights in your littleness, not in your ability to perform. At the end of it all, your truest identity is being His daughter. Allow yourself to turn and become like a child, once again.

"Do not be afraid; just have faith." // Mark 5:36 The night of prayer began and I found myself juggling checking on my kids in childcare and having some much-needed prayer time.  And then it happened. We transitioned into a Holy Hour after some time of praise. Jesus was coming to sit before us, loving us while we adored Him. Little did I know, I was about to experience moments similar to those of today’s Gospel (see Mark 5:21-43). A heavy weight smushed my heart as I felt the responsibility of interceding strongly for a friend. But the Lord first gave me a glimpse of the pain and healing He led me through for the past couple of years. I was reminded of His faithfulness. Jairus and the hemorrhaging woman both desired healing. Jairus pleaded on behalf of his twelve-year-old daughter while the hemorrhaging woman wanted healing from a twelve-year condition which made her ritually unclean to her own people. Jairus was reputable and “worthy” of approaching Jesus. The woman was not. She was ostracized and unworthy.  Often, I find myself in both roles. There have been moments I have felt comfortable and responsible bringing petitions to the Lord. However, there have also been times (and plenty of them) where I have felt unworthy, desperate, and in haste for Jesus to save me. Sister, I invite you to give yourself the same grace that you give those who desperately need our intercession. Your healing matters to Jesus as much as the healing of your loved ones you default to in prayer. He asks only one thing of us: “Just have faith” (Mark 5:36).  The love for the daughter was not reserved for the little girl. Jesus sees the woman and calls her “daughter” after she acted in faith (see Mark 5:34). Meanwhile, Jairus was next to Jesus, listening to this woman testify about what had occurred.  In the same way, the love of the Lord is unreserved, waiting for you. He sees you, His beautiful daughter, and He is ready for you to arise. Just have faith.

Lent starts February 14, and so does the RESCUED Blessed is She Lent devotional. This year, you’ll be receiving an excerpt from the Lent devotional every day in your inbox (in lieu of our regular daily devo). We want to pray with one heart and one mind as the BIS sisterhood. If you prefer to have the book, purchase the 2024 Blessed is She Lent devotional RESCUED right here. Right upon purchase, you’ll receive a link to come into the free Blessed is She app to walk through the Lenten season with us in daily live prayer, small groups, and more. Together let’s look to the Lamb of God who came to rescue each one of us.   “Hear me, all of you, and understand.” // Mark 7:14 Months after our wedding day, my husband and I found ourselves joyfully anticipating our first child! It was the most surreal experience I’ve probably ever had (and I have had the blessing of experiencing it three more times). This idea that a child was growing inside of me while I was her safe haven was equally beautiful and terrifying. As a first-time mom, I was fixated on reading all the pregnant-mom blogs and following social media accounts of what I had to do, eat, listen to, etc. Cue the unsolicited advice from pretty much everyone around me and I had enough intel to keep me up at night thinking about the hot sauce I added to my dinner and what that would do to my baby . . .   We’ve all stressed over advice about things that can harm us or ways we should actually do something. The Gospel today demonstrates this when the Pharisees and scribes question Jesus about the way His disciples ate with unclean hands (see Mark 7:14-23). Jesus shifts the focus to matters of the heart. What do we allow to flow from our hearts? How do these ideas/standards shape who we are? The Lord invites us to live from a well-formed conscience and with the heart that He gave us, rather than merely living our lives following rules and restrictions without regard for His love for us.  If you notice yourself looking at others for the way you should be living more than you are looking to the Lord, I invite you to pause and seek His voice. (His voice does not pressure you like that perfectly curated social media account, lifestyle blog, or TV persona . . . ) When we focus on allowing Him to guide our discernment, we will be able to live as our authentic selves. Saint Irenaeus reminds us that, “For the glory of God is a living man; and the life of man consists in beholding God” (source). Today, I invite you to ask the Lord to show you how to be fully alive, without distractions and pressures from the world. Your life brings Him glory when you live the way He created you to live.