June 1, 2026 // Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: 2 Peter 1:2-7 Reflect on the Word //  A few years after I was married, I bought a custom print for our home with an excerpt from the Second Reading from our wedding Mass. It was from Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans, where he encourages us to “[h]old fast to what is good; love one another . . . outdo one another in showing honor . . . Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:9–12). I love encouragement and lists like these, and the rhythm it seems to have when you read through it. It reminds me to live out these practices in the daily rhythms of my life—not necessarily like a box to check on my to-do list, but as something to consider, to always remember—as I go about my day.  We see this same rhythm in today’s First Reading from Saint Peter’s second letter, in which he offers an encouraging list of his own, urging us to “make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love” (2 Peter 1:5–7).  Peter was nearing the end of his life and wanted to encourage Christians that striving for holiness and faithfulness is worth it. I think he was specifically encouraging us to be intentional about it throughout our days—to make the fruits that he mentions something we intentionally plant in our lives, nurture, and continue to share with others. These things, like the most beautiful flowers in a garden, can’t grow accidentally, but only with care and devotion. Relate to the Lord // What fruit do you want to bear in your character and life? Make a list and consider how, by God’s grace, you can cultivate these virtues.

March 24, 2026 // Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: John 8:21-30 Reflect on the Word //  At the beginning of Lent, I imagined this wide and dusty desert that we were all collectively entering. And yet, I imagined some of us felt very much like we entered it alone. But we didn’t. We didn’t walk into this Lent on our own, and we don’t walk into any desert season alone. Rather, like Christ as He entered the desert and was accompanied by the Holy Spirit, we too are accompanied.  Christ in today’s Gospel passage said to the Pharisees, “The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone” (John 8:29). We too can say this with Him as we encounter the challenges of living the call the Father has given us. This short excerpt—this proclamation—I hope, can become an echo within our hearts throughout the rest of our time in this Lenten desert and throughout our lives. A reminder that we’re never alone. Something I’ve grown to enjoy over the last few years is how I’m more easily recalling the Gospel reading as it's being read. After going to Mass for decades now, the repetition has really cemented, or planted, the Word within my mind. It’s as though I’ve been listening to my grandparents’ stories of faith over and over again. The more I hear them, the more I learn, the better I recall.  In the same vein, if we read or hear Jesus’ prayer over and over again, it can become our own. The legacy of faith can be passed on. And when we enter the desert again—as we all likely will do, whether that’s next Lent or another season of our life that feels like Lent—then Jesus’ prayer can be what guides us, as God’s word was what guided Jesus in living out His mission from the Father.  Relate to the Lord // Have you been walking alone this Lent? Invite Jesus in again and ask Him to accompany you. 

December 30, 2025 // Sixth Day in Octave of Christmas Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: 1 John 2:12-17 I remember being mesmerized by the colorful twinkle lights on my family’s Christmas tree when I was a little girl. There’d be classic Christmas songs playing in the background, little silver bells ringing on our tree, and my mom making cookies. Meanwhile, I would lay underneath the tree and look up at all the lights and ornaments. Ever since then, there has always been something so beautiful to me about twinkle lights at Christmas time.  Sometimes, Advent (which we just finished) and Christmas are really some of the most wonderful times of the year. Other times, for many, it’s such a difficult season that might feel more like Lent, or even Holy Saturday, where you’re waiting and aching and praying, but still hurting. And that’s when I’m reminded that all the beauty in the decorations of this season isn’t for itself, looks, or just joy for joy’s sake, but it’s ultimately to console and bring lasting, true joy reminding us of the One Who came on Christmas Day.  Maybe this time of year brings up the nostalgia of a beautiful memory with your loved ones. In which case, it gives us a chance to thank God for them. Maybe it brings up a yearning for something that we hope will be fulfilled.  In which case, we have an opportunity to look back at the promises God has already fulfilled throughout history and be renewed with hope.  In either case, the “things of the world” that Saint John writes about in today’s First Reading (1 John 2:15) are all things that hopefully can lead us closer to the Lord if we see Him in them—rather than seeing them apart from Him. If we love Him more than them.  The One Who has come and is near right now created all these things that may bring you joy and consolation throughout this season. Let’s thank Him and enjoy them with His presence in mind. Relate to the Lord // How can you make thanksgiving a part of your Christmas season? Start today by making a list of God’s graces and blessings in your life.

October 28, 2025 // Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Psalm: Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5 Reflect on the Word //  My garden is currently presenting a long farewell until next year. Our roses—white and baby pink— just recently put out their last blooms. The white snowball hydrangeas have greened over the last few months, becoming dry and still. And the front yard is full of colorful, crunchy leaves. So much of it reminds me that its beauty is worth the wait of what's to come in the future winter season. It also encourages me to enjoy this aged beauty—this beauty that's been through the heat, that's past its peak, and that's changed. God’s creation is a place where we can learn about our Creator. The Psalmist writes, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:2). Each season in nature so clearly has a purpose, and declares God’s glory. Seasons of preparing, seasons of bearing. Sowing and reaping fruit. While it may not feel as black and white in our own lives, I imagine the Lord wants us to feel similarly about the seasons we find ourselves in—confident that there is a purpose for the present moment, and hopeful about what's to come. So much about gardening and planting is uncertain, but I can tell you from experience that when you plant something, even if you don't feel like it, it's like you're planting a seed of hope in your own heart. You can't help but hope when you plant! I wonder what the Lord wants you to plant this season. I wonder what part of the garden of your heart He plans to tend to today. I wonder what He plans to bring fruit from next year. In any case, look around with me today and see His glory in what's been, and in what's changed. And have hope for what’s to come. Relate to the Lord // Look around: Where can you see God’s glory in your life? What hope do you have for the next season? Share it with Him.  

August 18, 2025 // Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 19:16-22 Reflect on the Word // Several months before my husband and I became engaged, I was sitting at a dinner table with a group of friends and one of them was wearing a new sparkly ring. She had just recently gotten engaged herself  and she was one of the first people I knew who had, so I had all sorts of questions for her. Did she know this was coming? Did her boyfriend ask for her father's blessing? How did he know what ring size she was? I wanted to hear it all—especially the logistics and details. I was so curious—and, of course, while I was listening, I was thinking about my boyfriend and myself. This memory comes to mind today as I envision this young man who approached Jesus with great curiosity. One question and one answer didn't satisfy him. He asked for more—more details, more logistics. Perhaps he thought that's where he would find relief—in a certainty that he hoped he would reach in this discussion. But after his final question—which again, didn't satisfy—he walked away sadly.  Sometimes we might find ourselves asking questions to truly understand and uncover what God wants to share with us. Other times, I wonder: Are we asking questions only with the hope that the answer will be exactly what we want it to be, like this young man who was ultimately disappointed?  I'm grateful that Jesus welcomes our questions nonetheless. To be seeking Him and speaking to Him is always a good thing. And though we may not find the relief or certainty we hope for through our questions, we can keep coming back to the conversation—just to find Him.  He has shared His Word so that we can spend time with it every day, as He repeats to us what He said to this curious young man: "Come, follow me" (Matthew 19:21). And maybe, the young man found in himself what he needed in order to do what the Lord asked and did just that. Relate to the Lord // What question(s) do you have for the Lord? Bring them to Him—and then follow Him.

June 9, 2025 // Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church // Monday of the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Genesis 3:9-15, 20 Reflect on the Word //  It was a Sunday morning and I was outside walking to Mass when one of my closest friends approached me with so much glee as she took my hand in hers to look at my engagement ring, which I had just received the night before. “Tell me everything!” she said as she graciously shared in my joy. I think I had previously texted her some of the details already, but as one of my closest friends, she wanted to hear it all.  The beginning of today’s First Reading has struck me for years, as the Lord tenderly asks Adam, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) I’ve often chuckled while my mind has jumped to the thought, Don’t You know? Of course You know! But I know, too, that when you love someone and you want to be close to them, you still ask the questions. Even when you know the answers. You ask about how they’re doing, what led to the decisions they made, and all the other details involved. When you love them, you want to hear it all. It’s not too much at all. When you go through those big life moments—those once-in-a-lifetime moments, like getting engaged or hearing about that big job offer, I hope you have someone who loves you so tenderly that they want to hear every detail about it. Or perhaps in those moments where you failed, like Adam and Eve in Genesis, I hope you have someone who meets you in your brokenness. No matter who comes to your mind right now, I hope you know that God the Father wants to be that Person for you. Not in addition to anyone else, but first and foremost. It’s not a burden for Him to listen to you—even though He already knows the details. It’s how He loves you and it’s also how He wants you to love Him.  Relate to the Lord // In prayer, tell Jesus everything on your heart today.  

April 28, 2025 // Monday of the Second Week of Easter // Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Chanel; Priest and Martyr, Optional Memorial of Saint Louis Mary de Montfort, Priest Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Acts 4:23-31 Reflect on the Word // My husband and I were on a retreat together with other couples when it was our turn to share a prayer that we could all say together. We chose the Memorare. It was sentimental to us—it was really one of the first prayers we ever prayed together as a couple. Praying together is intimate and vulnerable, and we loved the words of this prayer that encouraged and comforted us to entrust our prayer intentions to our mother in Heaven, as it begins: Remember, O Most Gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, we fly unto thee . . . Before this instance in the First Reading of Peter and John “raising their voices to God with one accord” with their community (Acts 4:24), they each learned to raise their voices to God alone. Maybe in the quiet break of dawn, amidst their life’s uncertainties and worries. In that instance of turning to the Lord—with or without words—their prayer life began. An interior world opened up for them with a relationship with the Lord. And in time, they began to pray with one another, then with their families, in a group, with their community, and with Jesus. Imagine the vulnerabilities they shared with one another. What Scripture verses, which hymns did they turn to out of familiarity and comfort? Was it uncomfortable for them at first—to share their interior world of prayer with others?  In today’s First Reading, Peter and John began their prayer with knowledge of the Lord—a fruit of time spent in prayer of knowing Who He is and who they were in return. We can follow their example in prayer today, speaking God’s Word with boldness, and praying for and with those closest to us. Relate to the Lord // What well-loved prayer or Scripture can you lift up today?

February 7, 2025 // Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Hebrews 13:1-8 Reflect on the Word //  My mother and father-in-law often host Sunday brunch after Mass, inviting family, friends—and sometimes, someone they just happened to meet at Mass—into their home. We usually bring the donuts. Sitting at the dining table, we’ve met people from all around the country. Our parish isn’t too big, but it’s big enough that we might not have ever known them had my in-laws not invited them over. It reminds me of how meaningful it is to be noticed, and to be invited. We all crave to be seen and to be included. My in-laws are a model of the opening of the First Reading: “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels” (Hebrews 13:1). And it brings to mind my reading of a story many years ago about Saint Isidore, the patron Saint of farmers, and his wife—also a Saint—Saint Maria. I read that he would often invite people over for meals in their home without letting Maria know, and that she would somehow have enough food to share among everyone, although this was a humble and poor family (so this wasn’t an extravagant meal by any stretch of the imagination). But I do imagine it was a warm, inviting space to share a meal. They knew that the Lord was their help, and they need not be afraid to serve Him (see Hebrews 13:6). Now, I don’t know if this story is really true, but it seems like something a saintly couple would do.  And at the very least it’s a good story to try to live up to ourselves, for the Lord calls us all to extend “brotherly love.” Are we willing to invite someone in, and to share with them what we have—even if it’s not much? Imagine the warmth and the joy that can be shared with someone—who might really need it—if we do.  Relate to the Lord // Who around you might be waiting to be invited in, to be noticed, to be cared for? Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight them today.

December 27, 2024 // Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: John 20:1a and 2-8 Sometimes, my prayer has been to see and believe the Word. The Word that my loved ones speak over my life. The Word that He is faithful, that He is near—and not far off—and that He has a plan for good. When I cannot see it myself, my loved ones hold its light and remind me of its truth.  In today’s Gospel, when Mary Magdalene approaches Simon Peter and the other disciple,“whom Jesus loved” (John 20:2), and shares the news with them that Jesus is gone from the tomb, their response is not unreasonable. I can imagine what it’s like to hear something unbelievable and to want to see it for yourself. So they rush looking for it—looking for Him. And soon, they see what Mary Magdalene saw, and something particular about the state of the burial cloth causes the beloved disciple to believe: “Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed” (John 20:8). Sometimes, this happens in my prayer too.  My loved ones speak a word to me, I look for what they’re saying, and I find a detail that maybe I had overlooked before—something that speaks to my experience, to my specific prayer intention. And it’s a moment of consolation, to see God’s hand in my life. I’m so grateful for those moments and for my loved ones who share the Word with me in my life, inviting me to seek Him. If you don’t have a loved one who does this for you, consider Saint Mary Magdalene as a spiritual friend. Her faithfulness and sight of the Lord can inspire us to see Him better for ourselves, like she did for Saint John the Evangelist, whose feast we celebrate today.  You, too, are a beloved disciple with whom she wishes to share the Word. Relate to the Lord // Who are your heavenly friends? Consider adopting a Saint as your patron for the new year.

“For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” // Luke 13:30 I don’t know when it began, but there was a time when so many of us started to look at our lives like a timeline where we hoped we could check off certain boxes by certain dates. Discerning a career. Getting a job. Then getting married and having a family. So much striving—and for good and beautiful things—but it can be exhausting. And I think a large part of that is because you can all too easily feel behind on the timeline when it doesn’t look like what you had hoped. Or when it looks differently than those of your peers.   But you’re not the only one who feels like that, and I hope that in time you’ll be able to see that God’s timeline for you is good and worth trusting and pursuing. His timeline may be confusing at times, but one of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard and like to re-share is to look at all things through the lens of eternity. Eternity has a way of sorting out what really matters and giving consolation in times of disappointment and loss.  Saint Claire of Assisi wrote something similar in one of her letters. She said, “Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! Place your heart in the figure of the divine substance and through contemplation, transform your entire being into the image of the Godhead itself.” (source) Your vocation and your prayers matter so much to God. He’s using each day to bring you further into the fulfillment of His plan for you. The timeline may not easily add up, and the things you hoped may not happen at the times you would have liked, but trust in the Lord Who fed the five thousand with a few loaves of bread and fish. Trust in the Lord’s timeline, which is based on the logic of today’s Gospel, which says, “[S]ome are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (Luke 13:30). What matters is seeking and following Him.

“Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?” // Matthew 13:55 When we’re growing up, we’re often referred to with qualifiers like these: “That’s so and so’s sister. Her dad works down the street. She’s always lived here.” And these small qualifiers follow us for some time. Even after you leave home, even after you start a new career or get married, and even after you have children. To those who knew you when you were younger, you remain the same person they knew. In today’s Gospel reading, the people Jesus was teaching in the synagogue knew Him, or at least they thought they did (see Matthew 13:54-58). They were familiar with Him—they likely knew Him growing up, and they probably knew funny anecdotes about His family life. And rather than putting them more at ease and in a position to believe what He shared, this familiarity caused them to question and doubt Him. To some extent, because they knew Him, they didn’t believe He could be Who He said He was. They would think, How could He be? We’ve known Him all this time. He’s probably Who He has always been. But a faithful Christian life is a transformed life, filled with conversions—once and again, where each of us becomes more of who God created us to be as we grow closer to Him. Unfortunately, though, not everyone will appreciate us trying to live a transformed life, walking closer to Christ. But Jesus knows what that’s like, and as He walks alongside you, I believe He offers you comfort and peace in the face of any rejection or experience of being misunderstood. And through being misunderstood, He invites you into a place of intimacy with Him—and a place where you can begin to better understand those around you who are also walking this path of Faith.  Dear Lord, help me to forgive those who misunderstand my desire to be like You, and transform me more and more each day to humbly walk by Your side. Amen.

"Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to Jesus [ . . . ]" // Luke 20:27 The days have been getting shorter, the nights longer, and the colorful leaves have been collecting on the ground. This is the way to new life next spring. It begins with an ending. Everything outside seems to be ushering us towards the end of this liturgical year. And at the same time, the readings focus more and more on the end times. And with the end in mind, we're about to begin a season that ultimately gives us hope for that end. Jesus has come—and is coming, and with Him, the hope of resurrection and life everlasting. So Advent is a beautiful time where we can renew our faith and hope in Him. The Sadducees in today's Gospel reading give us an example of one way we can do that, and that's by bringing our questions to Jesus (see Luke 20:27-40). We see in this exchange that Jesus heard their question and responded—even though their question may have been asked with bad intentions and to discredit Him. He went to the heart of their question about the resurrection and assured them that God is not God of the dead, but of the living. He tells them the resurrection is real. When it comes to prayer, you can bring your questions to Jesus. He, of course, already knows your thoughts, but if you enter into a conversation with Him about it, you give Him the chance to listen and respond. To get to the heart of your question. To remind you of the hope of the resurrection.

Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go . . . // Matthew 18:27 I was moved while watching the news clip, a video of a long string of farmers driving their equipment down the street. One after the other. They were responding to another farmer in their area who was sick and not able to work. So many others in the community came together to volunteer their time and their equipment to help work his land. It was inspiring to watch. They must have been working those hours after their own very long days, sacrificing what they had to offer help, and in a way entering into this other farmer's suffering. It was a beautiful effort. Their hearts were moved with compassion, and they acted on it. In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us this parable about the master who had compassion for the servant. It reminds me of another passage Matthew wrote about where Jesus' Heart was similarly moved with compassion for a crowd because they were "like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). Jesus' Heart was moved for what this crowd needed at that time, and He likewise responded. Jesus is tender and moved by what we need—by what you need—and our hearts were made in His image. So this week, let’s try to be tender and loving as He is. Let’s respond with compassion to those closest to us. Let us turn to the Lord our compassionate Father, in prayer, asking for our hearts to be made like His own, and remember that He cares about what we need too.

Enter through the narrow gate . . . How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few. // Matthew 7:13-14 When I read this verse in today’s Gospel, this saying of Saint Jane Frances de Chantal came to mind: “Hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to Him. That is all the doing you have to worry about.” Saint Jane was a wife and mother, as well as a nun and founder of a religious community later in her life. She lived through and persevered through a lot of suffering. She lived in the 1500s, was mentored by Saint Francis de Sales, and is known for experiencing spiritual dryness and anguish in her prayer life. And yet, in all of this she kept her eyes on God and the narrow gate leading to eternal life.  When we consider that the gate is narrow and the road is constricted, we might get caught up thinking of our own limitations and weaknesses—the things we know make it difficult for us to enter. But I think a more helpful way to pray with this verse would be to move our gaze from ourselves to God—and to invite Him to work through these things within us, striving to trust that He will. Striving to trust that He wants this for us (He does), and if we seek it, He can make it attainable. Sister, we can’t become saints on our own, just looking to ourselves. We have to look towards the Lord, like Saint Jane recommended and did herself. We have to rely on God and know that it’s Him who strengthens us, and it will be Him and His graces that may allow us to enter that narrow gate. So today, let’s turn our focus towards the Lord who can do all things.

Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. // Hebrews 11:1 It has been said that Saint Francis de Sales wrote that you learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, and to love by loving. By his logic, we also learn to have greater faith by putting that faith into practice. It's a thing we have to do—to live out, for it to grow (source). A beautiful way to put that into practice is to pray, to enter into a conversation with Our Father in Heaven, to trust that He is listening and wanting our good, and to look for how He already is responding and working in the details of our lives. He did it for the disciples, and He does it for you. You can pray the Rosary and learn about Jesus' life with each mystery. You can spend time with Him in silence at Adoration. You can be united to Him at Mass. You can begin your day with a Morning Offering and end your day with a prayer of thanksgiving. Each of these practices offers a space where your faith can grow in any season of life and with any set of prayer intentions you bring. As we work on our faith, let's remember, too, that when the Apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith, the Lord replied that they only needed to have faith the size of a mustard seed (see Luke 17:5-6). So let's ask Him to increase our faith now, and let's put it into practice and let it grow. Little by little. Listen to today's audio devotion.

What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. // John 1:3 Someone in my family told me a few years ago that she goes to Mass on the last day of the year every year, and she thanks God for her life and for all that happened that year. Certainly, not everything that happens throughout any year is all good and easy, but she still shows up and begins one year by finishing the last one—all with a "thank you." Whether it was a good year or a more difficult one, His light shines, and she reaches out for it. Hearing this made me want to reach out too. I even felt like her sharing this with me was a way of Jesus’ light reaching out for me, just how Easter Vigil Mass usually begins in darkness. From there, one person holding a lit candle lights the candle of the person next to them, lighting the next—a succession until the entire church is shining brightly. I don't know what kind of year it has been for you. Maybe you've had some of your best days this year or maybe you've had some really challenging ones. Maybe you're finally enjoying what you hoped for and worked towards for years, or maybe you're starting over again. In any case, the light of Christ is here for you—and your circumstances, and your hopes, and your worries. "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:3). Keep coming back to this. Let's reach out for His light in this New Year, and let’s share that light with those around us. [bctt tweet="Let's reach out for His light in this New Year. // Annie Deddens " username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion

When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him. // Luke 5:11 Over the years, I’ve encountered a handful of people who have this desire on their hearts to “leave everything and follow Him,” particularly to leave their current life and current responsibilities to serve the Lord in another grand way in another distant, foreign place. It’s a beautiful thing, but it’s also a very certain calling for some and not for all. For many people—maybe for most of us, our calling to “leave everything and follow Him” means remaining right where we are and following Him here—even when we’d like to leave and start anew somewhere else. I moved a lot growing up, every couple of years, and I loved that with every new place we moved, it felt like I got a new chance to start again. It felt like such a freeing opportunity—to be the person I wanted to be in this new place. All these years later, I’ve now lived in the same town for almost nine years, and it has felt harder to “leave everything and follow Him” when it doesn’t mean getting that chance to start again, anew. But that’s the calling for me right now—maybe for you too? To follow Him today here, in my home, for my family, for my coworkers, for my community. Maybe some day the calling will really change and it’ll mean leaving, starting anew somewhere else, but the graces the Lord gives us are in this present moment. Today we’re being asked to leave our wishes and desire for things to be different and to accept His will in our circumstances as they are. How are you following Him today right where you are? [bctt tweet="The graces the Lord gives us are in this present moment. // Annie Deddens" username="blessedisshe__"] listen to today’s devotion