Devotions
Compassion that Overwhelms
Her hands trembled as she nervously gathered her hair away from her sweat-soaked neck. She was nineteen years old and pregnant. We were in my van, driving to a crisis...
The Transfiguration Wasn't on Instagram
For years, Instagram has been a space where I deposit my musings in prayer, and I have loved sharing the Lord’s faithfulness through every season. However, about a year ago,...
Law-Law-Land
As a teenager, I could not wrap my head around why my parents had (what felt like) a million rules. I was not allowed to ride in cars with other...
A Turn to the Stern
When I was very young, my family took a vacation on a lake. It was not something we had done before, and I was delighted to spend every minute I...
The Best Gift Giver
My fingers tapped the steering wheel distractedly as the traffic slowed and I struggled to focus in on prayer: The second Joyful Mystery is the Visitation . . . Our...
He Wants to Forgive
In the first couple of years after my reception into the Catholic Church, I struggled with trusting in the mercy of God, particularly in the Sacrament of Penance. I would...
Holy Is His Name
My insides cringed when he said it, but I didn't let my face betray my emotions. Sucking in a short, sharp breath, I realized that I would never grow accustomed...
Spending God's Mercy
I am rich, but there was a time when I was poor and had no faith. I am full, but there was a time when I was starving for truth....
Face to Face with Temptation
Every year I give the same thing up for Lent: soda. It's my weakness. An ice-cold Coke, preferably from McDonald’s, is usually the quick fix to a migraine. When I...
Rest or Run on the Sabbath
We return home after Sunday Mass. It’s time for lunch. As I stir a pot of macaroni and cheese, my mental to-do list races through my brain: there are meals...
Lord, I Am Poor
Calling home was heartbreaking during a particular season in my family’s life. Something had happened to a family member. The situation was stark in the foreground of our minds and...
Will We Deny Ourselves?
I cannot remember the last time I denied myself something. That doesn't sound very good, does it? Well, I did fast yesterday because of Ash Wednesday, so there’s that. But...
