August 3, 2026 // Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 14:22-36 Reflect on the Word //  The smell of fresh rain began to fill the air as I watched the tall palm trees near my home sway to and fro, as gusts of wind began to increase. The sky was painted with thick, dark clouds, which reflected the darkness that was forming in my heart. Confusion and anguish were the relentless winds that refused to die down. This storm was crushing me and an even bigger blanket of darkness wrapped around my heart. I presumed that the Lord was distant from my agony and nowhere to be found. What deeply struck my heart in today’s Gospel was that when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they were terrified.“‘It is a ghost,’ they said, and they cried out in fear” (Matthew 14:26). I was confused. How could the disciples not recognize their Savior, the Man with Whom they spent so much time, Whom they knew so intimately? I came to realize that in my own storm, I wasn't able to recognize Jesus. Like Peter, how easy it was for me to take my eyes off of Him, and be engulfed by my fear—to give more attention to my coping mechanisms and doubts, instead of going to Him.  It’s been five years since that storm took place in my heart, and I still find myself grieving and doubting in certain areas—but  Jesus is still there. To be with me, to listen, to allow the areas of my heart that are still “stormy” to be vulnerably exposed. Not for Him to hurt, but to heal.  This is true for you too sister. Allow His voice saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:26), to penetrate your heart. It is He Who remains with you when the storms of life take place. And when the storm’s impact rises up in your heart unexpectedly, He’s still there. Keep going back to His gaze. Even if it takes a lifetime to shift into this rhythm of returning to Him, He remains. Always and forever.  Relate to the Lord // Spend five minutes turning your attention back to His gaze. Do not be afraid to look at Him–or let Him look at you.

July 1, 2026 // Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time // Optional Memorial of Saint Junipero Serra, Priest [In the Dioceses of the United States] Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 8:28-34 Reflect on the Word //  I sat anxiously in the wooden pew, gently swaying back and forth, taking deep breaths—anything to calm my nerves as I waited my turn for Confession. I was deeply overwhelmed by my sinfulness, my heart and thoughts swarming with discontent. I had begun to confess regularly, but my heart had yet to receive the truth of Love and Mercy Himself. The enemy’s taunts overcame my heart and mind, causing me to doubt and question. What if my sins are the exception to His compassion? What if my mistakes are too much for Him?   As I read today’s Gospel, I was struck by the words “he came” (Matthew 8:28). Jesus willingly entered the place where two demoniacs resided. It was a place to be avoided, as the demoniacs made it dangerous for anyone to pass. Jesus went where no one else was willing to go, and He entered into this area of darkness without any fear or hesitation.  As I ponder this in light of my Confession experience, I understand that His desire was never to condemn or hurt me, but to cast out the darkness that separates me from Him. He doesn’t enter into these places only to wipe away my sins, but also to give, to pour out His abundant love and mercy.  Dear sister, He’ll never tire of driving out the darkness from our hearts with His tender yet powerful healing. He’s never afraid to enter into the parts of our hearts that pain us, even the places where we don’t dare to go. We worship a King Whose mercy and loving pursuit remain inexhaustible for all eternity. There is no darkness, sin, or affliction that He isn’t willing to enter and redeem. May we allow this truth to sink deep into our souls, and continue to return to Him.  Relate to the Lord // Make time this week to receive the Sacrament of Confession. Jesus’ love and mercy are waiting for you.

May 15, 2026 // Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter // Optional Memorial of Saint Isidore [in the dioceses of the United States] Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: John 16:20-23  Reflect on the Word // As I walked, my pace matched the dreariness of the sky, reflecting the darkness that enveloped my heart. It was the first week of Lent, and the weight of my suffering felt unbearable. Yet, the Lord in His generosity would surprise me with glimmers of the Resurrection. Whether it was a rainbow, a blooming flower, laughter, etc., I was surprised to experience these bits of joy, during such a dark time in my life. Little did I know, joy doesn’t depend on my circumstances, but it deeply depends on Him.  In today’s Gospel, Jesus communicates the reality of suffering to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve” (John 16:20). However, Jesus isn’t inviting his disciples to fall into despair, but to hope. He continues, “Your grief will become joy” (John 16:20). Jesus isn’t promising His disciples that it’ll be easy, but He’s also promising that joy is to be experienced, which is what I received during that Lent. He didn’t create me to remain melancholic on this earthly pilgrimage, but to live into an abundant life with Him here on earth, and, one day, fully in Heaven. The joy He speaks of can only be provided by Him, and it doesn't depend on my circumstances or how I feel. Through His generosity, this gift of joy will never grow weary or become outdone. It’s a supernatural joy that will never be taken away (see John 16:22), and can shine though the darkest of places.  Sister, don’t be afraid to ask the Lord for an increase of joy this Easter. Jesus invites us to ask, “Whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give you” (John 16:23). We can’t produce this joy ourselves. True joy cannot be experienced or received without Him. It’s not scarce or restricted. The Lord Himself will provide it, and provide abundantly.  Relate to the Lord // Go on a joy treasure hunt today. Let Jesus surprise you with rainbows, flowers, or laughter–whatever delights your heart!

April 9, 2026 // Thursday in the Octave of Easter Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 24:35-48 Reflect on the Word //  It was the night of the Easter Vigil, and from the moment of walking into the church, you could sense the buzz of excitement. The scent of the Easter lilies rose through the air, spirits were high—yet my heart was heavy after an excruciating Lent. Throughout that Lent, my heart wrestled with the haunting thought: Is God even real, and does He care? That part of my heart was still stuck in Good Friday. I didn’t think Resurrection was a possibility.  In today’s Gospel, I was struck by the response of the disciples, as they failed to recognize Jesus within their space. Even after Jesus vulnerably shared His wounds—“Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see” (Luke 24:38-39)—the disciples were still “incredulous for joy” (Luke 24:41). Taking notice of how Jesus greets His disciples with, “Peace be with you” (Luke 24:36), it is clear that Jesus can and desires to pour out peace into the areas of their hearts still consumed by grief and held by hopelessness. The Resurrected Lord is not limited because of their sorrow. Their anguish is what produced their doubt. Jesus doesn’t question their disbelief to make them feel shameful, but instead, He reveals the truth of Who He is. He’s not condemning His disciples, but instead He’s patient and willing to touch the places of their hearts that have yet to be healed.  Sister, the Resurrected Jesus wants to bring you back to life. There’s nothing the Resurrected Jesus can’t do. There’s no place in your heart or story that He doesn’t desire to restore. The peaceful approach of Jesus towards His disciples, is the approach He takes towards your sorrowful places, the areas of your heart that are still in Good Friday. The Resurrection has the final say, and we will be “witnesses of these things”(Luke 24:48). Let us live into this miraculous reality. Relate to the Lord // Where do you desire to encounter the Resurrected Jesus in your heart or story? Tell Him about it.

March 11, 2026 // Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19 Reflect on the Word // As I came out of a season of deep anguish, I found it profoundly difficult to trust God again. The pain that I had experienced caused my heart to be suspicious of His voice and promises. I feared that He was out to take away everything I loved, which caused a whirlwind of self-reliance to take place within me. I kept my trust in Him at arm’s length. The assumptions that I created about Him, based on my pain, seemed easier to believe than the truth of Who He is. The depth of my wounds created a blockage around my heart. I wasn’t able to fully receive His Heart.  My suffering and confused heart created a fog, making it difficult for me to recognize His presence. In today’s Gospel, I was struck by Jesus’ words to His disciples: “I have come not to abolish but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). Jesus does not come to take away, but to fulfill, and give abundantly. In my pain, He is not out to destroy or harm me, but to draw near, to love me exactly where I am. Jesus has a history with me, a history of leading and loving, just as God (including the Son Who became Man) had with the ancestors of the disciples He was speaking to in the Gospel. Jesus speaks to His disciples of the importance of following and believing in the law, the law the Lord gave them to help them become holy (see Matthew 5:19). Through this I am reminded of the importance of coming into agreement with His Word and promises. His Word will forever stay the same. He will never change.  Sister, Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel are true: He will fulfill, not abolish (see Matthew 5:17). The flame of His Sacred Heart will never be dimmed, nor diminished. His Heart that burns for you will never change. The Heart, love, and providence of Jesus are not scarce, but abundant. May we not become fearful of destitution, but instead, little by little, grow in confidence toward His providential abundance. Let us believe in Who He says He is.  Relate to the Lord // Remind yourself of Who God is today. What do you know to be true and unchanging about Him?

January 12, 2026 // Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: 1 Samuel 1:1-8 Reflect on the Word //  The silence in the room where I was praying was so strong that it gave me no other choice than to break open my heart to the Lord. For so long I tried to remain positive about a painful situation. I refused to bring my anguish to the Lord, because I assumed it meant that I was lacking faith in His promises. I assumed He was tired of hearing me talk about the same situation, the same issue, again and again. I was struck that shoving my pain down wasn’t helpful, but dangerous. It caused me more pain to pretend it didn’t hurt, than to allow it to hurt.  In today’s First Reading we see Hannah, being open and vulnerable as she weeps and refuses to eat,  grieving her barrenness. She was constantly brought down by her husband’s second wife, who “turned it into a constant reproach to her that the Lord ha[d] left her barren” (1 Samuel 1:6). Is this not what the enemy does to us? I was convinced and shut down by his lies, as I thought the Lord would receive my recurring pain with great annoyance. Tomorrow’s First Reading will show us how Hannah eventually does conceive a child. However, it was not Hannah’s pain and sadness that determined whether God would fulfill what He promised, but the truth that He is faithful. We are allowed to both have confidence in His providence and also grieve what hasn’t been fulfilled (or what we thought would be fulfilled). The Lord wasn’t asking me to put on a mask of happiness; He was prompting me to be honest with Him.  Sister, shoving your emotions down is not healthy, nor does it bear fruit in your personal relationship with Jesus. He’s not tired of your honesty or neediness. To be in intimacy with the Lord requires us to be vulnerable. Jesus doesn’t fear vulnerability; He receives it to the fullest. He receives you, and the entirety of your heart.   Relate to the Lord // Tell Jesus how you really are in this moment, for better or for worse. Practice talking to Him honestly and vulnerably.

December 3, 2025 // Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Psalm: Psalm 23:1-6 Reflect on the Word //  Grief swelled through my heart, as the weight of another closed door came upon me. The plan fell through—the plan that I thought would bring about the healing that I’d been desperate for. In my woundedness, I had been grasping and reaching for my own healing, and was devastated when my plan failed, after I was convinced that it would work. The hopelessness that began to weigh on my heart gave me no other option than to go to Him. After I poured out my raw emotions upon Him, I gently received in my heart an inclination to ask: Where to now, Good Shepherd?  Psalm 23, which we pray today, describes Jesus as our Shepherd. I’m more than familiar with this Psalm and Jesus’ title  in the Gospels that He gives Himself of the “Good Shepherd." There's nothing wrong with wanting an answer or guidance, especially in these painful situations, and He will always provide and lead His sheep down “right paths.” However, in this moment of heartbreak and pain, I forgot the “good” in Good Shepherd. Do I believe He desires to lead me to “verdant pastures” and give me “repose”? That He leads me to “restful waters” and “refreshes my soul”? That His “goodness and kindness” are pursuing me endlessly? My desperation and sorrow were not an invitation to despair, but an invitation into deeper intimacy with Him, as I shared my disappointment and frustration. Intimacy is at the forefront of His Heart.  Friend, we should not think of Jesus as a solution to our problems, but rather as our God after our hearts. As our Good Shepherd, He desires to bring us to Himself, where we will experience the true rest, peace, and deep intimacy we seek. More than what we think an immediate path or solution could provide. We might not always have an instant answer, but we will always have Him, and His goodness and kindness that pursue us all the days of our lives (see Psalm 23:6). Relate to the Lord // Today, make this prayer your own: Where to now, Good Shepherd? 

November 4, 2025 // Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Romans 12:5-16  Reflect on the Word //  I timidly walked through the courtyard where the retreat was being held. Arriving at the table I desired to sit at, I couldn’t help but notice that diagonally from my table, was a wall that had a floral themed photo-op. On top of the green-grassy-textured wall, was a sign that said “You Belong Here.” A familiar and doubtful feeling engulfed my heart, as I allowed a lie to take over. No, I don’t belong here, I told myself. Throughout my teenage years and leading into adulthood, I’ve experienced the “worldly” pressure of competing with other women, whether it’s about talents, popularity, vocation, holiness, etc. The poison of comparison has been following me for a long time.  Convicted by today’s First Reading, I want to cling to Saint Paul’s bold statement: “Brothers and sisters: We, though many, are one Body in Christ and individually parts of one another” (Romans 12:5). Comparison does not build up the Church; conversely, it divides the one Body that God desires us for me to be a part of. He intentionally and uniquely created my heart. Not to compare, but to love. To “[r]ejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Comparison has a strong, and sometimes painful grip. Especially when you’re watching others receive what you desire, what you’ve been waiting for. The Lord invites me to grow and flourish in this season that He’s placed me in, even if it looks different from those around me, but to also be honest about my disappointment and fears. He’s shown me that comparing myself doesn't invite me to grow, or love those around me.  We cannot shine Christ’s love to others when we’re stuck comparing ourselves. We each bear our own God-given uniqueness, gifts, heart, and vocation. “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them” (Romans 12:6).  These differences aren’t meant to divide us, but to bring each other closer to our Creator and His Bride, the Church.  Relate to the Lord // Do you struggle with comparison? Ask the Lord to show you your own gifts and thank Him for others’ gifts. 

September 23, 2025 // Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Psalm: Psalm 122:1-5 Reflect on the Word // I uncomfortably fidgeted in my pew as the retreat speaker’s invitation pierced my heart: “Let Him look at You.” Locking eyes with the Eucharistic Jesus upon the altar never seemed intimidating until this moment. I feared what He would think if I really let Him into my heart, if I really allowed Him to look at me.  “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1), is what’s echoed through today’s Psalm. Not only can we find Jesus at home in the tabernacle or monstrance within a physical building, like a church or chapel, but He also makes His home in our hearts. He chose to make His dwelling place within us at our Baptisms. Going back into that moment at the retreat, I was not rejoicing to go into the Lord’s home, my heart. There were many parts of my heart that I desired to protect and hide from Him, and only expose the “good parts” of me.  Friend, yes, He appreciates our riches, but He’s far more attracted to our weakness and poverty—which is completely the opposite of what we would assume. The Lord is a Lord of abundance. When we allow Him further into our hearts, His chosen dwelling place, He brings His abundance into the areas where we’re lacking, bringing His riches into our poverty.  The Psalm describes the house of the Lord “built as a city with compact unity” (Psalm 122:3). Unity is the desire of the Lord’s Heart; likewise, our hearts thirst for unity with Him. He doesn’t long to be invited into our hearts to criticize or shame us, but to be intimately and deeply united with us, and provide what we can’t provide for ourselves. His utmost desire is to be intimately united to your heart and He wants to rejoice with you there. Relate to the Lord // What would it look like to rejoice with the Lord today?  

July 24, 2025 // Optional Memorial of Saint Sharbel Makhlūf, Priest Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 13:10-17 Reflect on the Word //  When I first began to develop a relationship with the Lord, talking to Him wasn’t something that was intimidating or difficult for me. What scared me was the possibility of what His response might be. I had heard about His tenderness and kindness, but I was still skeptical. At the time, whenever I read Scripture, I usually found the Lord’s words to be harsh and intense. I had yet to recognize His Heart toward me.  In today’s Gospel, we read that it was difficult for the crowds to receive Jesus’ voice, because of their hardened hearts and their closed minds (see Matthew 13:15). Jesus spoke to them in parables, which was a way of speaking that would only allow those with faith to understand. Jesus’ quoting of the Scripture from Isaiah might sound intimidating, but it is to remind us that we need to open our hearts to Him: “You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes” (Matthew 13:15).  Jesus’ desire with His words is not to shame us, but to open our hearts to His Heart in faith. When we allow ourselves to be consumed by the Heart of Jesus, we then begin to understand the flame of delight that burns in His Heart for us. If His Heart burns for us, then His words have to be an outward expression of that love. His words come to bring us life, not destruction, and He says to us when we have faith, “But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear” (Matthew 13:16).  When we listen to His words with faith in His tenderness and love, little by little, we will be able to recognize exactly how He speaks to our hearts. Your soul is unique, and He has a unique way of speaking to your heart. He knows that shame doesn’t win our hearts. He doesn’t desire to win your heart with harshness, but with a pure, everlasting, and burning love.  Relate to the Lord // Open your spiritual ears to Jesus now. What is He saying in your heart?  

June 13, 2025 // Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 Reflect on the Word //  I anxiously rocked myself back and forth, attempting to calm my uneasy heart, as I was consumed with what I liked to call pre-Confession “jitters.” Intrusive thoughts circulated in my mind as I nervously waited in line. This time, as had happened oftentimes, I already felt defeated. What’s the point if I'm going to commit the same sins all over again? Yet this is exactly what the enemy wants: for me, for you, to give up. But the Lord does not want us to give up. We can read Saint Paul’s words in the First Reading through the idea that, in the spiritual life, we are like babies learning to walk under the watchful care of the Lord: “We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).  When a baby attempts to take their first steps, the steps are wobbly and short, and if the baby falls down, the parents will immediately help the baby back up. The baby isn’t any less lovable if he or she falls down. The baby isn’t hopeless. They are still showered with love, tenderness, and encouragement, no matter how many times they fall.  Like a human parent’s care for a baby, we can trust that God, as our tender and loving Father, is always with us. He’s with us when we make progress, and He's there to lovingly lift us back up when we fall. We are not promised to not fall, but we are promised that He will never abandon us and He won’t leave us to destruction (see 2 Corinthians 4:9).  The Father does not see you as a failure, He sees you as His beloved daughter. Our strength and progress does not come from self-reliance, but it comes from Him (see 2 Corinthians 4:7). In the same way that Jesus was raised from the dead into His Resurrection, so will we be uplifted into our personal resurrections by the Father, both in this life and the next (see 2 Corinthians 4:14).  Relate to the Lord // Make a plan to go to Confession this week and receive the Father’s love.  

May 1, 2025 // Thursday of the Second Week of Easter // Optional Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Psalm: Psalm 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20 Reflect on the Word //  Strong waves of anguish and confusion consumed me as I searched for the comfort that my soul was craving. I cried out, yet I couldn’t grasp a response or solution to ease my pain. A deep sense of abandonment began to settle within my heart. I was drowning in the flood of my emotions, as the Lord was more silent than I had ever experienced.  It’s been three years since I had experienced that moment of pain. Looking back, I can see that in that moment an answer to my heartbreak wasn’t going to satisfy me or bring me peace, but it was His very presence that would ultimately give me all I desired. Today’s Psalm is a reminder that He doesn’t abandon us in our pain. He chooses to draw closer to us than we can ever imagine (see Psalm 34:19).  “When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them” (Psalm 34:18). Friend, He is close to us in our suffering (see Psalm 34:19). He will rescue us from our distress and save us as we ache in our crushed spirit (see Psalm 34:18-19). He will take care of everything.   But first, He just wants to be with us. To comfort us. To listen. To allow our cries to enter into the open doors of His Heart, where He holds us so dearly. He wants to be with us. We can trust that the One Who hears and holds our cry is also the One Who holds our redemption. He might not give a solution right away, but He will always give the gift of Himself.  Relate to the Lord // When you are tempted to turn to your phone, food, or a friend today for comfort, instead ask the Holy Spirit to be your Comforter.   

March 18, 2025 // Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent // Optional Memorial of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 Reflect on the Word //  As a teenager, slowly and humbly crawling back into her faith, there was a part of my heart where I desired to rebel against any “rules” in our faith. I didn’t want to feel chained to what felt like a checklist of all the things I needed to do in order to be holy, such as what the prophet Isaiah writes in today’s First Reading: “Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged” (Isaiah 1:16-17). I saw the strictures and commands of our faith as a set of unrealistic expectations placed upon myself.  It was easy for me to get caught in the trap of comparison, especially when looking at the lives of other Catholic women on social media.  Why is it so easy for her, but not for me?  I could never be holy.  I assumed that it was up to me to become holy, that I had to grasp and control a story that isn’t even mine to control. For my story belongs to the Lord. Friend, we cannot become holy without Him and without realizing His desire to transform our hearts. You don’t have to grasp or control. You can allow Him to do the heavy lifting and submit to the practices He asks of us through the Church. Sister Miriam James Heidland from the SOLT community spoke at a Blessed is She retreat that I attended in  2023, and I remember her words, “We are not shamed into a conversion, but we are loved into one.”  Sister, He will never shame you into transformation, but He will love you into it. Not that we shouldn’t put in any effort or ignore our shortcomings, but we should know that our littleness is where He wants to reveal His goodness, mercy, and redemption. His love purifies our hearts, and only by His love will our hearts be transformed.  Relate to the Lord // Notice the Lord’s gentle and reassuring tone, imagine His loving and pure gaze upon you as He says, “Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).   

February 21, 2025 // Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Mark 8:34-9:1 Reflect on the Word //  I anxiously paced up and down on our wooden deck. The sky was blue and the wind was strong, reflecting the violent storm that was building up in my heart. The storm inside me hardened my heart towards my current cross and stirred up all that I had believed about the Lord. The only thing that remained still were the lies that the enemy had slowly rooted into my heart.  He doesn’t care that your brother is suffering. He doesn't care about your pain. He’s not faithful.  “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34). I had always viewed Jesus’ words, “Take up [your] cross,” as a catch-phrase or something flippant and ignorant towards my suffering. It was so hard for me to grasp Jesus’ gentle invitation last year in that season of suffering. I had assumed that carrying my cross would mean that I would be isolated and would have to cling to my own self-reliance. I knew that I would lose my life (see Mark 8:35), but I didn’t know that would lead me to Him. I didn’t know that He would be carrying my cross with me.  Some of the sufferings from last year still remain in my life now. Inviting Jesus into it doesn't necessarily make the suffering go away, but now I know Who I’m following. Friend, Jesus walks with you as you carry your cross. He allows Himself to be moved by your suffering. He’s not afraid of your pain. In union with Him, our cross is His Cross, and He willingly carries it with us.  Jesus means it when He says, “[W]hoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35). He came to save, not to hurt.  Just as the Resurrection was the fruit of Jesus’ suffering, so will your suffering with Jesus will bring resurrection into your life. Friend, He will bring new life into you. His desire for resurrection in your life and heart is real, and it’s a promise.  Relate to the Lord // How can you deny yourself today and take up your cross? Consider offering a simple sacrifice for love of Him.

December 13, 2024 // Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Isaiah 48:17-19 Reflect on the Word //  I once saw my faith as a burden, as opposed to seeing it as a gift. I was too fixated on the “rules,” instead of focusing on the intentions of the Lord’s Heart. I knew about His Heart, but I didn’t know His Heart personally. From past hurt and pain, all I could think of were the ways that I thought He was attempting to “destroy my life.” He gently and lovingly spoke to my heart, I’ve come to redeem, not destroy.  The “your” in “your redeemer,” from Isaiah 48:17,  is personal. He has a unique story of redemption for your life—a story that is a part of His redemption of Israel. His story for your life is good. You don’t have to fear the path that He’s leading you down, for He “leads you on the way you should go” (Isaiah 48:17). You don’t have to prepare for the worst-case scenario. You don’t have to prepare yourself to be disappointed. Following and believing Him and what He speaks to your heart is meant to be life-giving, not life-threatening.  We’re created to be in relationship with Him, not with our fear or our doubts. He wants us to communicate our fears, pains, worries, and wounds to Him. All of that is a gift to Him. He wants to reveal the Truth to you, and speak new life into your heart.  Friend, I know how difficult it can be, but the slow work of His redemption in your life is worth it. He’s not here to only redeem a bit of you, but to redeem all of you, even the places where you feel that redemption seems impossible and even if you feel you are too far gone. Nothing is impossible for Him, and there’s not a soul that He isn’t willing and ready to restore. “Hearken to [His] commandments” (Isaiah 48:18) and you can joyfully expect redemption. The fruits of your life with Him will “be like a river” and your name will be “never cut off” from His presence (see Isaiah 48:19). Relate to the Lord // What life-giving words has Jesus spoken to your heart recently? Cherish them all over again.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” // Mark 13:31 I walked around in my teenage years with insecurities that made their way into my heart, and slowly but surely, I began to recognize the burden of them. However, I attempted to alleviate this burden on my own terms, with my own strength. Which eventually led to pride in my heart, as I dug for compliments and made self-deprecating comments, trying to relieve my burden through the affirmations of my peers. However, even when my friends provided me with reassurance, it still wasn’t enough to heal or satisfy my heart.  There was a shift in my heart as I began to invite the Lord into those dark places, the places where I couldn’t love myself, and allow Him to shine the light of His truth and love upon them. This wasn’t a one-and-done experience; this is something that I have to ask Him to consistently do when these insecurities arise.  In today's Gospel, we hear, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mark 13:31). Sister, what the Lord says about you is true. He is not a liar. His words are healing, and they invite us into deeper intimacy. His words about you do not pass away. Friend, ask Him today. Ask Him how He sees you. He wants to bring you to life. Welcome Him into the dwelling place of your heart to bring light into those places of darkness. He doesn’t come to your heart to condemn or punish, but He comes to heal and to love you with a compassionate love. Allow His tender love to engulf your heart and bring about new life in you with His truth.  Lord, we love You. Tell us who we are. Show us who we are to You. May our hearts be opened to receive the truth, reality, and beauty of our identity in You. Amen. 

When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles. // Luke 6:13 When transitioning into a new school, I had high hopes about maintaining the friendships I had at my previous school. I was excited to begin a new chapter of my life—alongside them. Some time had passed and an ache in my heart began to develop as I watched my previous friends choose other people besides me, which eventually led to the parting of our ways. My heart was deeply confused. Did I do something wrong? Am I not cool enough for them? Why didn’t they choose me?  In today’s Gospel, we hear of when Jesus called His disciples: “When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles” (Luke 6:13). Despite their weaknesses and unworthiness, Jesus still invited them to follow Him.  As Jesus chose the Twelve, He also chooses you. He calls you by name. You belong to Him, and He will never move on from your friendship with Him. No matter what you do, He will always desire your love and attention. It’s easy to be conflicted inside over this truth, especially when the lies of the enemy take deep root in our hearts. But Jesus calls you to Himself, to draw near to His Most Sacred Heart that burns for you.  Sister, I want to gently invite you to stay close to His Sacred Heart in prayer and throughout your day. His Heart is where you’ll discover the truth about yourself. You don’t have to “fix” yourself in order to approach His Heart. He doesn’t want another version of you. His Heart desires to embrace you exactly where you are. Allow His burning love to reveal to you that you are chosen by Him. He chooses you every day.  Jesus, we love You. Thank You for choosing us every day of our lives. Help us to bask in the warmth of Your love that burns from Your Most Sacred Heart. May we have the courage and grace to choose You every day, just as You choose us. Amen.