The last six months have been a liturgical whirlwind. Advent sprinted by and ran headlong into Christmas morning. After only five short weeks of Lent, we were thrust into the contemplative season of Lent. As always, those forty days, which always seem like an endless amount of time, abruptly plopped me at the threshold of Holy Week and finally of his triumphant conquering of the forces of death and sin with his Resurrection. Seven more weeks of Easter celebrations and beautiful feasts Goodness gracious, I’m sure what comes next is going to be even more magnificent! And then it hits me: Ordinary Time. Twenty-nine weeks of Ordinary Time. You’ve got to be kidding. What am I supposed to do with “ordinary” after everything I’ve been through in the past six months? I already put up with the hum-drum of ordinary in my everyday life. Now, I’m supposed to be ordinary in the life of the Church as well? Sheesh…how many more days until Advent? But this, my friends, is a magnificent season. In fact, one of the greatest saints of our time, St. Therese of Lisieux, became an extraordinary witness to the importance and sanctity of the ordinary. Speaking of her famous life practice, known as the Little Way, St. Therese remarks that “in [the] little way, there are only ordinary things.” Yeah, okay, but aren’t we called to do big things? To bring Jesus single-handedly to every single person on this earth? To save the world with our Catholic super powers? But St. Therese continues, “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.” Ah, there’s the key. In all of the grandiose liturgical seasons we just experienced, were we not given an example of Christ’s great love? And wasn’t this love also shown in small ways? Indeed, our savior, our God, was born in a poor little stable to make manifest for us his incomprehensible and immense love, which culminated in his total gift of self for us, out of that love, on the cross. What, then, is our true super power? It is love. It is practiced in the littleness of Ordinary Time just as much as in the grandness of Advent and Easter. As we transverse (for an extraordinary amount of time) into this new liturgical season, let’s commit to practicing St. Therese’s little way, which she says “is the way of spiritual childhood, the way of trust and absolute self-surrender.” It’s the way of letting that mom and her screaming child go in front of us in the check-out line. It’s the way of cheerfully interacting with that coworker. It’s the way of joyfully helping our friend finish that stressful project. It is a time to practice. Let’s use this Ordinary Time to practice love, the very virtue that God has displayed for us so magnificently since the first Sunday of Advent. Following St. Therese’s example, we have the ability to make this Ordinary Time truly extraordinary with little acts of love. [bctt tweet="We have the ability to make this Ordinary Time truly extraordinary with little acts of love."] St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us. Meghan Perks

Let’s get to know each other a bit more, as sisters in Christ. Feel free to share your answers to these questions in on our Instagram post and/or your own Instagram post, tagging #BISsisterhood. Olivia Spears lives in Kentucky, where sweet tea and bourbon flow like milk and honey. She’s a middle school religion teacher turned SAHM who is married to her high school best friend. She spends her time changing diapers, exploring the crunchy side of life, organizing anything she can get her hands on, and dancing in the moonlight. You can come along for the adventure at To the Heights. What is your favorite religious text or book? The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Do you have a special Saint that you feel a strong connection to? How so? Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati. How do I love him? Let me count the ways! He was a young saint from a wealthy family who had a strong desire to be with the poor. He was a normal young man, immersed in his studies at university and skiing and hiking with his buddies, but he always made intentional time to be with Jesus in the Eucharist and then to go out and meet Him in the distressing disguise of the poor. In fact, he lost his life at a young age after contracting polio from a sick person to whom he was bringing medicine. His passion for life, Jesus, fun, adventure, and his family makes him admirable enough. But the cool thing is that no one ever really noticed his holiness. In fact, his family had no idea that he daily served and visited the poor until the day of the funeral, when the streets of his town were packed with those for whom he had cared. Which virtue do you find yourself working on the most throughout your day? Oh mercy, just one? Humility. Always and forever humility. What part of your walk with Christ is the biggest struggle? Jesus has to teach me every single day to trust Him fully and surrender my worries and desires. Bless His Heart, He is so patient with me because I definitely should have learned this lesson by now. What keeps you Catholic? My life was void of depth until I discovered the richness of Catholicism. I have seen that the mission and sacraments of the Church is where I can get the closest to Jesus, and that's where I want to stay. Do you have a motto / quote / saying you live by? Verso l'alto (a saying of Pier Giorgio's). It means "To the Heights." What do you find yourself continually praying for? The healing and conversion of my family and friends. How do you "walk the walk"? I hope I do, but know I'm far from it. I do my best to see in every person the God who made them and loved them to the end. So maybe that means looking the gal bagging my groceries in the eye and asking her how her day is going. Maybe that means thinking and rephrasing before lashing out at my husband. Maybe that means abandoning discomfort and chatting with the homeless person on the corner of the road for a while. How does Christ call you to serve - is it prayer/contemplation/acts of service, etc.? Mostly in prayer, I feel a strong pull toward intercession for others. But as a wife and mom, the whole service-to-others thing kind of comes as a packaged deal. ;) Your turn! Answer this on Instagram or in the comments:

Jesus gives us so much hope in today's gospel. He tells the woman, "do not weep." (Luke 11:13) He tells her not to be sad before he tells the dead man to rise. You see there is life to come, we don't have to cry. How many times in my own life do I sit in despair crying over something because I cannot see the light. We cannot forget whose we are! We have so much to rejoice in and to wait for. You can download today's FREE wallpaper below made by Erica of Be A Heart. Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

Ordinary Time can often feel like the doldrums of the liturgical year. We aren't preparing for a major feast or in a celebratory season. Summer stretches out ahead of us, school is out of session, and work often seems to quiet down as people head out for vacation. Here on the Blessed is She blog, we are spending time with the women who inspire us in our most ordinary days. The saints who show us how to offer up our suffering and embrace our joys. The mothers who taught us our first prayers. The friend who first invited us to kneel in adoration together. Follow along on Tuesdays beginning in June to read about the extraordinary women who have formed our sisters in community, and share your own spiritual inspiration here.

We're just recovering from a wonderful Memorial Day (and Corpus Christi celebration!) We have a fresh new wallpaper for you from Katrina of Hatch Prints! You can download it for all your devices below! Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

Throughout the month of May, we will be sharing posts focused on journeying alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media using #praywithmary. The Church celebrates the Feast of the Visitation on May 31, bringing to a conclusion the month devoted to our Blessed Mother. The account of Mary's Visitation to Elizabeth from Luke's Gospel (Luke 1:39-56) is reflected upon by Catholics in the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, and I number it as one of my favorite scriptural accounts. Here are seven lessons the actions of Mary and Elizabeth in the Visitation have taught me. 1. Put a little pep in your step.  Luke's account of the Visitation opens with the following line: "During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste . . ." (Luke 1:39). The phrase that always jumps off the page for me is "in haste." Mary went in haste to be of service to her cousin, Elizabeth, whom she had just found out was pregnant in her old age. Let's consider a few things here: First, Mary is pregnant. Second, she didn't jump in her SUV, stop at Dunkin' Donuts for an iced coffee on the way, and arrive a few hours later. Most likely, she walked, over the hills, for hours, if not days. Third, Mary is pregnant. Oops, I said that already! Perhaps it is because I have never done anything in haste while pregnant. In actuality, I don't do much in haste when I am not pregnant. What is the lesson here? Mary was ready and willing to quickly provide service to someone in need. She hopped right to it. She didn't agonize over it, check her calendar, weigh the pros and cons, or pause to consider what might be in it for her. She simply he went in haste to help. It's a lesson that I, for one, am not learning in haste. Each time I hear this Scripture, I am more and more convicted that my attitude towards helping others needs to be far more like Mary's. And for that to happen, I need to ask the Lord to fill me with the Holy Spirit, just like Mary was. 2. Service requires sacrifice. We live in an instant-gratification culture. Watching the microwave tick down the last thirty seconds of cooking the four-minute frozen dinner often leaves me impatiently tapping my fingers on the counter. Yet, most things in life don't happen in an instant, and people's real needs are rarely met in the span of a twenty-minute sitcom. Saint Luke tells us that Mary's visit to Elizabeth lasted for three months (Luke 1:56). Mary was willing to make the sacrifice necessary to help meet Elizabeth's needs. True Christian service requires a heart open to sacrifice and an attitude of putting other's needs before our own. Becoming a mom for the first time drove home this lesson with me. The nine months of pregnancy required a self-sacrificing patience like few other experiences in my life— before or since—with the possible exception of potty-training. No matter how much I desired to rush the process, the child in my womb required my constant, day-in, day-out sacrifice in ways that I had never though possible. Like Elizabeth, my pregnancy also found me needing the service of others to assist me in performing the tasks that my growing belly left me unable to do on my own. This experience of both giving and receiving long-term, sacrificial service led me to see the blessings of a life lived for others, a life like Mary's. 3. The Holy Spirit helps us recognize Jesus. Scriptures tell us: "When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:41-43) Because Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, she was able to recognize the presence of Jesus in the womb of Mary and proclaim those beautiful words that we recite in every Hail Mary. Saint Paul tells us "No one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:3). It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to recognize the Lord Jesus, even when He is hidden from our senses, as He was from Elizabeth. We must daily ask the Holy Spirit to fill us, as He filled her, so that we too are able to recognize Jesus in those we meet. 4. There is joy in encountering the Lord. It is an unmistakable feeling when your unborn child makes a sudden move in your womb. For me, it was just a delight to feel my babies flip, dance, and kick inside of me. I wondered what caused these movements. What were they thinking or sensing from me inside the darkness of the womb? Luke tells us that Saint John the Baptist "leaped for joy" in Elizabeth's womb at the sound of Mary's voice (Luke 1:44).Pope Saint John Paul II calls the mystery of the Visitation a "mystery of joy": But what is the mysterious, concealed source of such joy? It is Jesus. Mary had already conceived Him through the work of the Holy Spirit and He is now beginning to defeat what is at the root of fear, of anxiety, of sadness - sin, the most humiliating slavery for man." Let us pray with expectant faith that in all of our encounters with the Lord Jesus, whether in prayer, in the Sacraments, or in our love for one another, we many feel the joy that the unborn Saint John the Baptist felt. 5. Trust in the Lord bears fruit. Elizabeth honors Mary's trust in God with the following words: "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Luke 1:45). Mary bore Jesus, the fruit of her womb, because she radically trusted God. We, too, are called to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God in our lives, fruit which can only be borne if we live out Mary-like trust. Proverbs 3:5 challenges us to "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart; on your own intelligence do not rely." Like Mary, we may not know all the details of the mission the Lord is asking us to do. We may wonder what the future will hold for us if we follow God's ways and surrender fully to His will in our lives. It is in moments of questioning, or fighting off the temptation to "rely on our own intelligence" that we should call upon our Blessed Mother for her intercession, so that we too can "bear fruit that will last" (John 15:16). 6. The glory belongs to the Lord. How does Mary respond to Elizabeth's unconventional greeting? In humility, she directs all the glory to God. In the opening lines of the Magnificat, one of the most beautiful songs of praise and glory to God, she declares: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,my spirit rejoices in God my savior.For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.The Mighty One has done great things for me,and holy is his name" (Luke 1:46-49). Perhaps the greatest lesson of the mystery of the Visitation is that the glory for all the blessings and good things in our lives belongs rightfully to the Lord. It is a good practice, and one that I am slowly incorporating into my daily prayer life, to have a "gratitude journal," a notebook to log the many blessings the Lord showers upon us every day. Taking time to "proclaim the greatness of the Lord" shifts our focus off ourselves and off the less joyful moments of the day, and places our attention on the Lord and all the great things he has done for us. It is a way to live out the mystery of the Visitation each day. 7. The Visitation is ongoing. Like all the mysteries of the Rosary (indeed the whole of scriptures) there is an ongoing aspect to our meditations. We are not simply reflecting on an event of the past but rather entering into a living Word. Through our meditations, we pray for the grace to grow in imitation of what we are reading and to more and more fully incorporate the mystery into our daily lives. This is an on-going process, and one that will take our entire lives to unfold. photo credit This post was originally published by Debbie on Saints365.

Let’s get to know each other a bit more, as sisters in Christ. Feel free to share your answers to these questions in on our Instagram post and/or your own Instagram post, tagging #BISsisterhood. Anna Coyne is married to her best friend and mother to one miracle baby boy. She teaches piano and violin lessons as a side gig to being a full time stay-at-home mom along with gardening and knitting. As an adult convert to Catholicism, she continues to find new reasons to love the Catholic faith. She is proud to call Saint Paul home, and can be found blogging at The Heart’s Overflow. Are you a convert to Catholicism? How did that happen? I grew up a pretty charismatic Protestant. When I was in college I started dating a Catholic guy. I thought for sure that I could get him to "see the light" and join my church. But then I read about NFP and Catholic teaching on marriage and sexuality, and the truth of it was revealed to me. I thought, "If the Catholic church got it right on this one, what else am I missing out on?" A year later I married that Catholic guy and joined the Church. Do you have a special Saint that you feel a strong connection to? How so? I love Blessed Mother Teresa and am so excited about her canonization. I loved her even before I became Catholic because I spent time in India and developed a real heart for the people of that country. The way she pours herself out so selflessly to others has been so inspiring to me, both in my younger days of foreign mission trips, as well as in my current vocation of wife and mother. What part of your walk with Christ is the biggest struggle? Getting good prayer time in is a real struggle. It's hard to find a quiet space, both in my house and in my head. I'm very easily side tracked. Before I had children, I had a weekly holy hour. I'd like to pick one up again. Then I know I'll have one hour a week where I have to leave my house to go be with the Lord, and while I'm there I'll have no other obligations but to sit and talk with Him. Your turn! Answer this on Instagram or in the comments:

Throughout the month of May, we will be sharing posts focused on journeying alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media using #praywithmary. Hanging in my daughters’ room is one of my favorite depictions of the Visitation, Jump for Joy. Adolescent Mary and her cousin, Saint Elizabeth seem to be lost in the moment, both in reuniting and in the seemingly impossible ways that God has showed up and moved through their lives—and their bodies! We know the punchline of the story. That Saint John the Baptist, cousin of Jesus, leaped in Elizabeth’s womb at the very greeting of Mary, in whose womb Jesus is nurtured (see Luke 1: 39-56). And yet, a lot is left to the imagination about their encounter. Making Her Way . . . in Haste Mary travels (alone!) for many miles to care for her cousin when she hears that Elizabeth is expecting. How did she get there? What cultural faux pas would she encounter as a young, engaged, woman with child, traveling alone? How long did she stay? What did she understand about her role as the mother of Jesus, to which she had signed on at this point? Elizabeth and John certainly seem to have a sense of it. My Own Visitation With Friends I cannot help but think of my women friends on the Feast of the Visitation. Likely because I recently had the privilege of going on retreat with several of them. Probably because my one and only female cousin lives across the country, my heart goes straight to the women with whom life’s circumstances have encouraged me to share my soul—as was the case for Mary and Elizabeth. Our time together is always balm to my spirit—whether we swap a quick hello and childcare for one another, or if that entails wine, pizza, and set-aside time for deeper sharing. The time we set aside together for our annual retreat this year was noteworthy as we dedicated a morning to praying over one another and asking for the prayers we hold most deeply at our core—vulnerable prayers for healing, fullness, friendship, forgiveness, direction, and so on. Admittedly, I am not well-practiced at this. Yet the Holy Spirit settled heavily in our midst as we brought forth burdens deeply buried. This is the gift of accompaniment that Mary understood so well. This is the spirit with which we celebrate the Visitation. Walking With Each Other Certainly we cannot relate to Mary’s role in bringing Jesus to birth or Elizabeth in her advanced age carrying John the Baptist. Though in a similar way, each of us carry our most fragile hopes, desires, and hurts deep within in us, with the same posture of tenderness. As with all births, the transition from closed off carrying and open-sharing, is best accomplished by the accompaniment of these skilled midwives. In this Year of Mercy, who am I being invited to walk with? In doing so, am I attentive to another’s need like Mary, or do we see the ways (big and small) that the Spirit leaps in response with Elizabeth’s vision? Mary and Elizabeth, pray for us!

Throughout the month of May, we will be sharing posts focused on journeying alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media using #praywithmary. He said to His mother: "Woman, behold your Son." On Good Friday, I reflected on Jesus and the pain and suffering that His mother must have experienced alongside the cross with Jesus. We know the relationship between a mother and her child is strong, and it is one that even the bonds of death cannot break. We find it difficult to imagine the thoughts that were flowing through Mary’s mind and the intense hurt that pierced her heart. It is not simple imagery to picture Mary at the foot of the cross watching her son die, knowing that He chose to be nailed and placed up on that cross because it was the will of His father. There were few words exchanged between Jesus and His mother, but we know that their emotional bond as mother and son was so strong and powerful that there were not many words that needed to be said. A precious relationship between a mother and a child is so intimate in nature that it is difficult to even describe in such a way that captivates its true essence. As I spent the day in silence I thought about my relationship with my own mother, how it is true that the relationship between a mother and a child is so beautiful and at the same time mysterious. There are many times we say few words to one another, but we know how the other is feeling. It is this enigmatic bond between a mother and her child. When I first divulged my vocation to religious life to my mother, I found it very hard to choose the correct words. I didn't say too much that day to her in church, but she looked at me and we cried together. There were few words needed because as a mother and a daughter we understand how the other is feeling without saying too much at all. Sometimes words just cannot captivate the true emotion that radiates from our soul so we make a decision to remain silent. Mary waited patiently in silence as she hoped for the Spirit to appear to the apostles at Pentecost and for their hearts to become open in prayer as my mother and I hoped for our hearts to become open to one another. I think back to last year on this same day when I was working on a poem for my mother trying to include her experience as the mother of an almost thirty-year old woman preparing to enter religious life. I know it has not been easy for her, and she has had a difficult time hearing the words out loud. She had asked me to write a poem for her, and at first I was not sure how to even begin because again she has not expressed her feelings to me in such significant detail. But then I realized that as my mother even though she has not said these words to me to express her feelings, as her daughter I have simply known how she has felt this entire time. After finishing the poem, I was hesitant to show it to my mother because I did not want to upset her since majority of the time she had become uncomfortable whenever I brought up me entering into the monastery soon or talking about the Sisters. That night was different though because not only did she read it, but I think she was finally able to come to terms with how she felt. She knew that no words needed to be spoken because as her daughter I understand what she is going through, and her feelings were finally written out in black bold type. And I think my mother found peace in my decision because she wrote back to me "I'm going to be the mother of an amazing future nun." I'm Christina Sorrentino, a Benedictine Postulant of Saint Walburga Monastery in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She blogs at Called to Love - A Listening Heart.

Throughout the month of May, we will be sharing posts focused on journeying alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media using #praywithmary. It was an accident that Mary ended up in my kitchen window. My mother in law was helping us unpack at a new house and placed the little figurine I had since childhood in the kitchen window so I wouldn’t lose her. Mary stayed there, watching over me and inspiring me in my sometimes turbulent journey into motherhood. Throughout eight years of fertility treatment and adoption attempts, I always felt a unique consolation praying to Mary that no one else could give me. When our prayers were answered with two children through adoption, I knew we had been truly blessed but I was completely unprepared to be at home with two babies. The transition from Fortune 100 corporate executive to the oldest mom is preschool was tough. I was in a new state, new city and a new season in life. Ironically, one of the main reasons I wanted to become a mother was selfish: I wanted to break out of my own selfishness and really serve another soul. I just didn’t realize how hard that was going to be. There were many times I felt despair and isolation, wondering if I was truly on the right path. One day, I remember scrubbing the floor and grousing to myself,” Is this what my graduate degree was really for?” when I saw Mother Mary in the window. Immediately, I checked myself and my arrogance. I am fairly certain Mary did not have a housekeeper. If the Mother of God scrubbed floors, I could too. A new phase began for me. I started to ask myself “What would Mary do?” every time I became frustrated or despaired over the mundane tasks that were in front of me. They did have value. If nothing else, I was learning lessons of humility. The Beatles had it right: “When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comforts me. There will be an answer. Let it be.” Mary in the window also helped me recapture the love I had for her in childhood. I remember my elementary school May altars with this same figurine of Mary. I would come home from school, check and water the flowers at the little altar in my room and pray to Mary. Where had that girl gone? And more importantly, how could I give that experience to me daughter? We are in a different house now. Mary has moved from a window to a shelf with several other Marys and a St. Anne. These are my girls. They keep humble, grounded and sane, even if I still don’t like doing the floors. Anne is a work-from-home mom of two amazing kiddos in Houston, TX. She works as a legislative affairs consultant when she is not busy being an advocate for adoption and autism. With her best friend, Susan, she blogs at "Y'all Need Jesus,"yallneedjesusblog.wordpress.com

Throughout the month of May, we will be sharing posts focused on journeying alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media using #praywithmary. Pondering. What does it mean to ponder? The definition in the Merriam Webster dictionary describes "pondering" as: to think or consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeply. After the birth of Jesus we are told in the book of Luke that Mary "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19). That verse has always captured my attention. I love imagining our Lady as she quietly, intensely, and directly ponders these things in her heart. I have prayed with this verse, trying to enter into that sense of Mary's pondering. I imagine that for Our Lady, pondering was not just a one time experience, but rather, a posture of heart, a posture of prayer. It was the unpacking of God's work in her life; marveling in the salvation of mankind. We live in a culture that has stopped pondering. When we see a beautiful scene in nature, an art museum, or at an event, how many of us forget to take a moment to actually stop and look? To take the moment in deeply and let it ruminate in our heart? Most of the time we are whipping out our smart phones, frantic to capture a moment rather than letting it captivate us. I experienced this in a very vivid way when I went to visit the Uffizi Gallery this past fall in Florence, Italy. I was amazed and rather disheartened to see how many people did not even stop to look at the glorious paintings and sculptures, instead they would snap a photo with their smart phone and hurriedly move on to the next one. They missed the brush strokes; the exquisite lighting; the indescribable power of beauty in front of them. To ponder is to encounter beauty and truth and let it move our soul. It is taking the time to be silent and listen to the voice of God in the events of our daily life. It is to unpack our experiences and reflect on them through the lens of faith. Let us ask our Lady, especially in this month of May, to teach us what it means to ponder the mysteries of Christ, that we too may experience these treasures and keep them ever closer in our heart. Maria Koshute is a Librarian in Nashville, TN, who enjoys cooking, listening to live music, hiking, and sewing. She is passionate about her Catholic faith and seeing how God works in ordinary life.

Throughout the month of May, we will be sharing posts focused on journeying alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media using #praywithmary. "Sweep clean the floor of your soul," were the words that inspired Fra Angelico's painting, "The Annunciation" at the Convent of San Marco in Florence. We see that Mary's surroundings are simple and swept clean. Her inner room, symbolizing her soul, has a small window with light shining through, gently cascading on the crisp, clean floor. You get the feeling she was ready for the angel Gabriel's visit. She had so much room prepared for the Lord in her soul! She was ready to accept his plan, "Let it be done to me according to your will." I wish the rest of this devotional was a tidy step-by-step way to sweep your soul clean so you have as much room for the Lord as Mary. But it's not. It's about the phenomena of my kitchen floor getting spontaneously re-crumbed seemingly after every sweeping. See, with three littles running around, my kitchen's and soul's floors don't stay swept clean for long before third breakfast rolls around or I lose my peace over someone's mini-melt down. But I'm encouraged because Jesus implores me, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock." That's right, he wants to come into my little, crumby- floored soul! Making room for him is merely the act of opening the door to my soul to accept his love and mercy; not tensing up and getting numb when I see the crumbs of sin that spot my soul, but tenderly allowing his Divine Mercy to enter and meet me in the mess. It’s Jesus’ greatest desire to be with us in the mess of our kitchen floors and the mess of our souls. How do I know? Fast forward to nine months after the Annunciation to Mary in the midst of the Nativity scene: surrounded by livestock, hay and dirt. I know she was welcoming the Lord into the mess, trusting in his promises of love and mercy. And I know it was the Lord's greatest joy to join us all in it on that day, and every day. Can we accept his amazing gift of love and mercy, despite the re-crumbing phenomena of our souls? Yes, let’s pray for that acceptance now and everyday, “Let it be done to me according to your will." Danielle Turner is married to her college sweetheart and is enjoying the adventure of being a stay-at-home mom of four-under-six. As a former elementary school teacher, she's now pouring her creativity into making hand lettered and painted keepsakes to celebrate the sacraments which you can find in her shop.

Throughout the month of May, we will be sharing posts focused on journeying alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media using #praywithmary. In today's society, it's easy to compare. Every person’s picture perfect life is blasted on social media. It's hard to imagine the perfect woman ever having a bad day. People don't post the diaper blowout or threenager meltdown. They post surprise flowers, not struggles in their marriage. It's so easy to compare yourself to other women, other moms. How do we compare to the perfect woman and mother, Mary? Thankfully because she doesn't have a Facebook account, I've never thought of it that way. I've always looked to Mary as inspiration, the perfect role model. I've prayed for her intercession to help my colicky baby fall asleep. I've prayed for her intercession for guidance in gently disciplining my child. I've prayed for her intercession to accept God's will in my life. I connected the most to Mary during the struggles and difficult times in my life. When our infant son had open heart surgery, I found hope and strength in saying the rosary. When we saw our son in recovery for the first time, I immediately thought of Mary’s eyes looking at Jesus. Our son was in pain and I couldn’t do anything to help him. I felt strength in knowing that Mary also grieved and suffered and cried. I felt so much closer to her during that dark, painful time. Her answer to Gabriel inspired me to keep going and continue to put my faith and hope in her son, Jesus. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Mary's yes lead to judgement. Mary's yes lead to watching her son die on the cross. Mary's yes lead to our salvation. Big or small, we can look to Mary as a perfect example of how our “yes” can make an impact on the world. What a blessing it is to have such a perfect woman be so much like us. How do you look up to Mary and say “yes” to God’s will? Melanie Pizzino is a wife, mother of two, and defender of our beautiful, Catholic faith. As a type-A teacher turned stay at home Mom, she loves to keep herself busy, so during this Year of Mercy, she started blogging at https://themercifulmother.wordpress.com/.

This absolute beauty of a wallpaper made by Tara of Frameworthy Designs just for us on the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity! HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. (Romans 5:5) Yes. Yes. Yes. This is our message as we continue as Easter people. You can download this for free below for your tech devices to never forget this message of hope. Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

Throughout the month of May, we will be sharing posts focused on journeying alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media using #praywithmary. I had been a mom for just over a year, and as wonderful and beautiful as the year had been I still felt like I hadn’t found my mom sea legs. I was still catching my bearings and finding balance in this new season of life. Anna and I were making the 40 minute drive home after a stressful week of work. A 70-hour week that culminated in having to ask a friend to babysit my daughter at work on a Saturday. I was utterly exhausted. Anna fell asleep in the car and for once I let the car be still, turning off the typical noises from a radio, podcast, or cd. The car was silent. In that moment, I could feel the neediness of my heart. As I tried to form a prayer, my brain seemed to fail. So I retreated to the words that I prayed before in the company of friends, but never felt like was "my style." In the silence of my car on this crazy day, week, month, and year, the rosary was comfort like never before. It was one of the first times the rosary was the perfect comfort, devotion, and prayer for the moment. It clicked. The words rolled off my tongue with ease, and suddenly there was peace. I used my fingers on the steering wheel to count the prayers. I felt like I was joining an ancient league of brave soldiers, all marching in unison while learning about holiness in the trenches and mountain tops of their vocation. Our faith is a community. The trinity is God three-in-one, and we are encouraged to pray and know the love and mercy of God with our community here on earth, and with the community alive in heaven. It was like sitting across a table that death could not divide. I was chatting with the mother of Jesus, hearing the scriptural stories of her son growing, his ministry, and his ultimate sacrifice. I felt Mother Mary holding my hands and nodding in solidarity like a mother only could, pointing me toward all that is good and where rest could be found, her son. Ancient and ritual prayers do not have to be stale, with your heart in the correct place, a prayer like the rosary, should be a truly contemplative prayer activated by our heart and body. There are many days where this prayer fills me with peace and there are days it feels like work. But I have faith that the power of prayer is not tied to what I feel in the moment. Maybe this prayer doesn’t click with you right now, that is okay. Just give it a chance. Heed the words of Jesus on the cross, “behold your mother.” (John 19:27). Let yourself find comfort and peace in the habit of this prayer. One day it might just click. “The ways of God are entirely different from our ways. To us it seems necessary to employ powerful means in order to produce great effects. This is not God’s method; quite the contrary. He likes to choose the weakest instruments that He may confound the strong: ‘God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong’ (1 Cor 1:27).” -Dom Columba Marmion “You always leave the Rosary for later, and you end up not saying it at all because you are sleepy. If there is no other time, say it in the street without letting anybody notice it. It will, moreover, help you to have presence of God.” – St. Josemaria Escriva Amy is one part adventurer, one part working mama and wife, and one part cookies. She writes about finding truth and joy in the everyday. This post originally appeared on The Salt Stories.

Throughout the month of May, we will be sharing posts focused on journeying alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media using #praywithmary. I’ve sometimes wondered if selecting Mary for my Confirmation name was too “mainstream.” Maybe I should have gone the Catholic hipster route and selected a more unknown saint from the extensive packet of names I’d been given to review before making this monumental decision. Despite the disappointment I’ve been met with in others upon telling them this (“The whole wide world of saint names out there and you picked Mary?”), I’ve always stood by my choice. My grandmother, whose name was Mary Jane, passed away from ovarian cancer shortly before my Confirmation, and her namesake was one whom she turned to frequently in prayer during her last few months for peace and strength. I hoped that picking this name for myself would endow me with a similar resilience, especially considering how the Virgin Mary herself certainly faced her own set of hardships in life while trusting in God all the while. In the months since graduating from college last May, I’ve struggled with determining what my purpose is and who I’m to become in this life. I know I’m meant to serve the Lord and others in my career and in my relationships, but the “how” of that is still frustratingly fuzzy. I currently work in retail, where my dreams of using my English and Creative Writing degree to work in publishing, marketing, or communications are tempered by simple interactions with customers. I consider the reality of my situation and wonder how — or even, if — God is using me to do His will in such ordinary circumstances. And then I think of Mary. Mary, an ordinary girl from Nazareth who was tasked with the extraordinary: becoming the mother of God. Mary, who stood shaking in the face of fear and uncertainty and the unknown, and still said, “Yes.” What if, in every time I say, “Yes,” by showing up to another day of this ordinary life, God is offering me, too, infinite chances to change the world? What if the compliment I offer a customer on her sweater, and the conversation we share as I’m ringing up her items, become the salve she needs to soothe her after a long day at work? What if the patience and the helping hand I lend the handicapped man in personally seeking out each item on his list and bringing them to him are the reminders he needs to show him he’s loved? What if the sincerity in my smile and the small act of the holding the door for an elderly gentleman prove to him that he’s not invisible? What if the extraordinary can make its way into the ordinary for me, too? And what if I say a bold “Yes” to the things that scare me, to the people and the opportunities God daily plants in my path as a means of having me reach my God-given potential? And what if each time I say, “Yes,” on the way to that growth, I’m guided by a goal that has less to do with me, with an intent to fulfill my dreams, and more to do with how I can bring God’s love to others? What then? It’s been seven years since my Confirmation, but I don’t think the name I chose for the adult phase of my Catholic faith has ever held more resonance for me than it does now. I’m waiting for so much. And I’m sure you’re waiting for something too, sister. Whatever it is, I pray that Mary’s “yes” gives you the courage to do likewise, to say “yes” to every opportunity this ordinary life gives to bring God into it, and see where it leads you. Sarah is a recent graduate of the University of San Diego who has been missing the beach and palm trees since moving to Colorado. Her hobbies include car karaoke, reading any books she can get her hands on, and eating copious amounts of chocolate.

Throughout the month of May, we will be sharing posts focused on journeying alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media using #praywithmary. Throughout my life I have been blessed with many good friends, but my senior year of college was when I found a true kindred spirit in my classmate Danielle. She was funny, energetic, caring, talented, and passionately pursuing God. I had never had such a good friend who was such an involved Catholic and I enjoyed every moment with her. We quickly became best friends and our love for one another was deep and solidly founded on Christ. And then she became a nun. I mourned the loss of her like she had died. It was really very hard. But through her loss and my new job at a Catholic student center I became much better friends with our former campus minister, Beth. Beth and Danielle had always been close but now I was hurting in a way few could understand and I was in need of a mentor. Beth opened her heart and (on several tear-filled nights) her home to me, and through phone calls, dinners, holy hours, and road trips our friendship grew into something quite extraordinary. God had blessed me with a woman who was a perfect combination of older sister and best friend. And then she became a nun. Another loss to mourn. Despite all my joy for my friends' beautiful vocations, I was incredibly sad. The Fall of 2005 was a very lonely time for me. No one wanted the title "Bonnie's Best Friend" out of fear they'd end up in a convent. Kidding! (Not kidding.) Also, God revealed to me that the next person I'd describe as my best friend would be the man I'd marry. That information gave me long term relief but meant I was still lonely in the meantime. Then one day I got a letter from Danielle, who had a new nun name by this time. I went into the chapel of the Newman Center I worked at, sitting in the pew in front of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I read the letter. In it she said that we were both wrapped in Mary's mantel. I closed my eyes, leaned back against the pew, and imagined Mary sitting in between Danielle and I, her robe wrapped around all three of us, keeping us warm. It may seem silly, or sensational, or cheesy, or crazy, but I truly did sense Mary at that moment. It felt like she was sitting right next to me. And I felt certain that down in Nashville, Danielle was sitting in her chapel, right next to Mary, wrapped in her robes, just on the other side of me. I felt so close to my friend in that moment. It was a precious gift, and it happened more than once. I used that imagery repeatedly and it helped me feel physically, emotionally, and spiritually close to both Danielle and Beth, often at times when I was quite lonely or scared or unsure of myself. Mother Mary gave me the gift of sitting in the presence of friends who knew me quite well but loved me nonetheless. She gave me the gift of the joyful peace of true friendship. While Mary wrapped us in her mantle she was showing me her love, treating me to something special, helping me feel encouraged - exactly like a mother would. Bonnie is a writer, baker, speaker, and homemaker. She, her husband, and five children live in central Illinois, and her son’s alleged miraculous healing through the intercession of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen was submitted to the Vatican for Sheen’s beatification. Bonnie bakes a fantastic chocolate chip cookie, co-hosts The Visitation Project radio show, contributes to Blessed Is She devotionals, and blogs at A Knotted Life.