As I’m writing this, I am 34 weeks pregnant. My to-do list feels a mile long, filled with tasks varying in importance from “hang pictures in the nursery” to “install car seat.” It wasn’t until I first flipped my planner to February to put some of those to-dos on the calendar that it hit me: baby girl’s due date is a few days before Ash Wednesday. Since that realization, I’ve been reflecting on how to prepare for Lent when facing an unpredictable season of life. You don’t need a newborn to feel like you’ll already be sacrificing enough. Maybe you or a loved one just received a serious medical diagnosis. Maybe you’re in the middle of packing and moving cross-country while trying to keep your little ones on their homeschool schedule. Maybe you’re weathering a painful breakup. Whatever the case may be, life can be as unpredictable as the weather this time of year. Our most challenging or demanding seasons don’t always wait for the peace and routine of Ordinary Time. Painting a Realistic Picture for Lent Here’s what I know I don’t want to do: plan for Lent as normal, knowing my life this Lent will be anything but. That said, I also don’t want to give in to the temptation to believe that having a new baby means a free pass to skip Lenten-specific sacrifices this year. God knows my circumstances, my motivations, and my heart. There’s no fooling Him; He knows I’m not giving up sleep as a sacrifice. I’m giving up sleep because my baby needs to be fed. Still a sacrifice, of course, but not the same one. I’ve found it helpful to start by listing out as much as I can predict of the unpredictable season ahead. With a big heap of permission to adjust this list as much as needed, my general expectations are that I will: Be physically healing from giving birth Be waking up every few hours Be stopping what I’m doing to feed the baby throughout the day Occasionally needing to scrap the day’s plans to tend to the baby or my three-year-old, as their little hearts need that specific day Be mostly in our own little world at home as we adjust to life as a family of four Be hosting my parents or in-laws in our home on and off throughout the season With this picture fresh in my mind, I feel more prepared to envision Lent in a realistic way. Working with the Realities of the Season My typical Lent includes a combination of material sacrifices, added time for prayer and reflection, and increased reception of the Sacraments. The good news is that all of that can still be a meaningful part of this season, even if it looks different than it may in years past or future. Am I going to give up coffee when I’m also about to give up hours of sleep? No—I don’t trust myself to function well, serve my family well, or attend to the demands of my home well if both caffeine and uninterrupted sleep are off the table. But, I could give up trips to the coffee shop, committing to making all my cups from home. I could trade my favorite almond milk creamer for black coffee so it feels like less of a treat. Am I going to carve out thirty extra minutes a day for uninterrupted prayer and journaling time? Most likely not. But, I could trade scrolling Instagram for praying the Rosary during one feeding session each day. I could reach for a devotional or spiritual book instead of turning on Netflix during nap time. Am I going to commit to attending daily Mass? Honestly, I’ll be happy if I make it to Mass on Sundays at least somewhat on time. Instead of attempting an ambitious weekday Mass attendance schedule, I could talk to my husband about helping me to get to two or three Saturday morning Masses on my own while he’s home with the kids. Considering Non-Negotiables I believe there is great value in giving ourselves plenty of grace during unpredictable seasons. The more loosely we hold our vision for Lent, the more we can remain present in what we accomplish, rather than being paralyzed by guilt for where we’ve fallen short, our fault or not. However, there are a few things about Lent that I consider non-negotiable. Even in a season when I can’t control much, I want to do everything in my power to make these specific things happen. Choose them very intentionally—what is the most impactful thing you do for Lent year after year? My personal non-negotiables are making it to Stations of the Cross at church at least once (though I can pray it at home as well) and attending the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday. With extra planning and forethought, days or even weeks in advance, I’m confident I can make at least these two things happen this Lent. Again, they make look a little different than usual, but I know that the additional effort will be more than worth it. Moving Forward Optimistically As easy as it is to feel discouraged at the brink of an unpredictable season, with so many unknowns at play, I’m hopeful. No matter what I do or don’t do this Lent, Our Lord cares most about the state of my heart. How often do we draw near to Him, this season and beyond? Do we lay down our hopes and desires at His feet? Do we run to Him with our burdens and heavy, heavy yokes? That is what He desires from us this Lent. And no matter the demands of our lives or circumstances, that is something we can always give Him...perhaps even in this season more than any other. Are you in a season of transition? How are you approaching Lent this year? [bctt tweet="Living Lent When Your Life is in Transition #BISblog //" username="lisajanelkirk"]

Am I the only one wondering how Lent has already arrived? It feels like just yesterday I was decorating my Christmas tree and enjoying White Christmas with a mug of cocoa. Yet here we are, ready to embark upon the most solemn, sacred time of the liturgical year. Are you ready to journey together as a community and with Jesus? Lent is Not a Spiritual Improvement Plan It is important to refrain from treating this liturgical season as just another spiritual improvement plan. When we do this (as I have), it can become all about trying to “do” more instead of asking Jesus what He wants these 40 days to look like for us as individuals. One thing that helps me loosen control over the season of Lent is to find spiritual reading that is deep yet challenging to my spirit. I often ask the Holy Spirit to help inspire and guide me. What do I need to learn right now in my life? What do I need to be reminded of in this season of life? Books to Read During Lent I want to suggest some spiritual reads for your Lenten journey that are both inspiring and challenging. I have read each of these at different Lenten seasons over recent years, and I hope you would enjoy any of these options as much as I do. Who Do You Say That I Am? There’s a question Jesus asked two thousand years ago that still moves hearts today: Who do you say that I am? This Lent, we invite you into a forty-day journey that goes beyond a spiritual checklist. This is a pilgrimage into the heart of Christ Himself. In Who Do You Say That I Am?, Debra Herbeck leads us through the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus, each one revealing not only who Christ is, but who you are in Him. This devotional isn’t another to-do. It’s a conversation with the the God-Man, Jesus Christ. The Return of the Prodigal Son Henri Nouwen is one of my all-time favorite spiritual writers. His books have taught me so much about myself and the nature of God. His writing is a great gift to the Church and modern culture, especially those who seek Truth, meaning, and purpose in their lives. The parable of the prodigal son is one of the most well-known of Jesus’ parables. Interestingly, in one of the cycles of readings for the liturgical year, it is a Gospel read during Lent. It is a story I believe each of us can find ourselves in, one we can all relate to from our own life story. Nouwen writes the book out his own deep prayer and reflection on the Rembrandt painting The Return of the Prodigal Son. In the book, Nouwen shares his prayer before the painting and develops chapters on the various characters in this parable of Jesus: the younger son, the elder son, and the Father. I first read this book during Lent three years ago. Since then, my copy is well-worn and dearly-loved. Be prepared to be stretched like a rubber band with this book, but in the best possible way! The Way of the Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues on His Way During Lent several years ago, I made my first retreat of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius. For this loud-mouthed extrovert, being silent for five days was a challenge, but such a needed break for my soul. The priest (who also happened to be a friend of mine) directing my retreat recommended this book. It is not a commonly-known spiritual classic, but the depth it offers readers is perfect for the season of Lent. The Way of the Pilgrim was written by an anonymous nineteenth-century Russian Orthodox peasant and depicts his examination of Saint Paul’s advice of how to “pray without ceasing.” This simple man travels far and wide seeking wisdom and answers to this question. Through his travels, he delves deeply into the value, mystery, and power of prayer. For me, this book greatly simplified but deepened my prayer life while opening me up to the beauty of the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner), a prayer common in the Eastern churches. As this nameless pilgrim becomes more open to the presence of God, the reader, too, is enlightened. If you are looking for something different this Lent, I would send this book to you in a heartbeat. What are some of your own favorite spiritual books to read during Lent? Which ones have most impacted you on your own walk with Jesus? [bctt tweet="Books to Read During Lent #BISblog //" username="amoderngrace"] This post contains affiliate links. Thanks so much for supporting the ministry of Blessed is She!

“Let go of the life you imagined for the life God has ready for you.” How many times have you heard, or read, some version of those words? It seems like there’s this image of simply letting go of the hopes, dreams, and visions you hold close to your heart, releasing them into the wind like balloons, and stepping serenely into a totally different reality. What happens when it feels impossible to trust that Jesus has something better in store? What happens when letting go doesn’t feel like gaining anything at all, but, simply, loss? Letting Go of the Life I Envisioned 2019 was a crash course for me in letting go of the life I envisioned for myself. That life included living close to my parents and my mom being available to help with my two young kids or do fun things together. Instead, although my parents’ address is just ten minutes away, they’ve spent most of their time over the past year living across the country in southern Arizona, caring for my dad’s aging parents. It has been a hard adjustment as I learn to mother and try to navigate all that being a mom to two young children (with one on the way!) entails without the support I thought I'd have from my mom. I also always imagined living near my brothers, who I expected would get married and have families of their own. I love to think about my kids growing up with cousins and having big family dinners every Sunday a la the Braverman clan in Parenthood. In reality, both of my brothers live on the west coast, and my older brother and I haven’t talked in a year-and-a-half, which is a blog post for another day. Neither one of them will likely ever move back to the Midwest. My husband and I chose to settle here, where we both grew up, in part because both our families are close by. I never imagined that mine would slowly, for all intents and purposes, move elsewhere. Accepting Reality Although my husband became a police officer in 2017 and started on night shift in November of that year (and stayed on night shift all throughout 2018), this past year was the year that I finally realized that this truly is our reality for the foreseeable future. A completely non-traditional schedule, never having him home the same day each week. Taking two rowdy kids to Mass by myself because he works every other Sunday, eating dinner by myself half the nights every month, rarely sleeping in the same bed because of the opposite sleep schedules night shift requires. 2019 was also marked by the rollercoaster of trying to conceive our third child, and feeling so deserted and ignored by God. Month after month of praying intently to get pregnant, being sure I was, then being devastated when I discovered I wasn’t. I had always envisioned our kids being two years apart. I had to mourn the loss of the family spacing I had planned, and accept that God’s timing was better than my own.     Reconciling Disappointment and Hope How do we, as Christian women, reconcile the desire to follow God’s will for our lives, while also feeling the very real grief of letting go of the life we envisioned for ourselves? Without a doubt, God has our best interests at heart, and wants nothing but good for us. We are His beloved daughters. And yet, sometimes the good He desires for us—the outcomes He is orchestrating for us—are entirely invisible from our human perspective. We’re left with our unrealized dreams or shattered hopes and nothing to cling to but the faith that He is who He says He is and that He will not leave us here. Mourning the life you envisioned for yourself—whether you find yourself far from family, facing a health crisis, in a struggling marriage, parenting a difficult child, longing for friendship or whatever it may be—is true grief and it is a hard season to walk through. He Knows the Plans He Has But take heart, sister. God truly is holding you in the palm of His hand. He meant what He said in Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'   We can rest in those words, knowing we are wholly and completely held in the arms of the One who keeps the whole universe intact. Practical Steps to Take in the Midst of Mourning But knowledge and behavior are two different things. So here are some concrete steps you can take if you find yourself in a season of mourning lost dreams or unrealized hopes as you cling to the faith that God will provide something better than you could have ever imagined. Feel your feelings. Feelings are real and valid, and stuffing them down or pretending they don’t exist isn’t going to help anything. There’s a fine line between letting yourself feel what you feel, and dwelling on those feelings or making decisions from an emotional place. It is okay to feel sad, angry or disappointed when things don’t turn out the way you hoped. It becomes dangerous to stay in that place of sadness, anger, or disappointment because it can quickly spiral into despair. Journal your feelings, talk to your spiritual director or counselor or a trusted friend, and let there be an outlet for how you’re feeling so you’re able to move on. Ask Jesus to open your eyes to the blessings that abound. Even in the midst of incredibly hard seasons, there is so much goodness to be found. Maybe it’s someone bringing you a meal that you didn’t expect, a handwritten note from a friend, someone sending you $5 on Venmo for a coffee. Maybe it’s a new relationship that’s able to grow stronger because an old one faded away. In my experience, when I pray that Jesus would open my eyes to specific ways He’s blessing me, even in the midst of my heartache, He always answers. For instance, my mother-in-law also lives just ten minutes away, and my relationship with her has grown so much with my own mom being far away a lot. I have had to rely on my mother-in-law so much more, and it has been such a blessing to see that relationship blossom in a way it might not have had my mom been here instead. Find solace in Scripture. There are so many verses in the Bible that speak to disappointment, despair, grief, and even anger at God. You are not the first person to feel this way, and God is not disappointed by your feelings. In His goodness and love, He gives us wisdom in His Word that we can turn to even in the hardest seasons. What a gift. Do a Google search for “verses when you’re disappointed” and meditate on a couple (or just one!) He Makes All Things New For so many of us, life does not look at all like we imagined. Maybe in minor ways, maybe in major ways. But we can all cling to the hope we have that God is in the business of making all things new, and that His will for us is better than anything we could have dreamt up ourselves, even (and especially) when it doesn’t seem like it. Have you ever had to mourn the life you envisioned? What helped you cling to hope in God's plan? [bctt tweet="Mourning the Life You Envisioned #BISblog //" via="no"] HIS WORD CHANGES LIVES God is speaking to you through His Word. In this personal study, you will learn to hear God's voice by reading slowly and praying deeply. BEGIN THE JOURNEY

Coming up with something to give up for Lent was easy as a child. I would give up my soda habit and tease my brother for his foolish lack of foresight in giving up all sweets. Didn’t he know Lent was 40 days? That was way too long to go without chocolate. Maturing in Lent As I grew up, the question became more complicated. I learned somewhere along the way about the idea of centering Lenten penances around prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, but those concepts were still hazy to me. Among my college friends, it was popular to set wildly demanding Lenten practices for ourselves. One friend had a list of about a dozen things she was giving up for Lent taped above her dorm room bed. Another year, my housemates and I did a communal penance bowl that we had to blindly pick from each morning. “No furniture for a day” was really more fun than penance, but woe betide the unlucky person who picked “Cold shower.” At other times, Lent became almost like a Catholic January 1st, with everyone setting “resolutions” rather than adopting spiritual practices. Yes, some of these were spiritually-minded, but often they had secondary goals like saving money by not going out to eat or losing weight by fasting from sugar. A Desire for Deeper As much as I probably grew in my relationship with God through all those Lenten practices—both the good Lents and the spectacular failures (deciding to give up bedding for Lent was deeply ill-advised and lasted only a few days)—something about the way I did Lent each year seemed scattered. Few of the practices seemed to have any effect past the end of the season. The more resolution-like ones lasted about as long as most New Year’s Resolutions once Easter had arrived, and the deeply penitential ones often seemed pointlessly hard with no clear direction. Lenten Clarity One year, as I browsed the typical Lenten reading materials that parishes distribute, I read a line about Lent being a time to focus on what is specifically preventing you from having the best possible relationship with God. This struck me as obvious enough in the moment, so I brushed past it. But over the next few days, something shifted into place. For Lent, I would identify the one thing that most hindered my relationship with God, and I would focus all of my attention on that. That very first year, I spent hours in the Adoration chapel, trying to discern what was the most persistent difficulty in my spiritual life. Finally, I settled on the idea of hunger. I’d been reading about the Saints desiring God so deeply that it felt like a physical need, and I wanted to feel that. So that Lent, I designed what I did around a theme of “Hungering for God.” Choosing a Theme for Lent This led to a practice I continue using today of theming my Lent around my biggest spiritual obstacle. It has taken many of the intervening years to refine the practice, but each and every one of those years has been a time of growth. I’ve had themes such as: Sorrow Discipline Entering the Desert Order Detachment For each, I chose practices for Lent that specifically addressed those spiritual needs. Narrowing the Focus After a few years, I decided to limit myself to exactly three practices, one for each of the traditional focus areas of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The year I picked “Order,” for example, I decided to read the Gospel for the day each morning and write a few lines about it as my prayer practice. For “Detachment,” I fasted from listening to the radio in my car to part myself with a small worldly comfort in favor of silence. When my focus was “Discipline,” anytime I was annoyed by someone, I committed to giving $5 to a charity that reminded me of something that person would care about. One particularly fruitful Lent, “Only Jesus” was my theme, and my form of fasting was requiring myself to take any significant events in my life before Jesus in the Adoration chapel before texting any of my friends for input. Sometimes my choices were specific and demanding, while other times they were intangible and difficult to define. But all were directed towards my one identified spiritual theme or battle for that year. Worth the Struggle There are some times when Lent still feels like a struggle, when I wonder if I’m ever really growing in relationship with God. And my practice, even when it is the most fruitful, is still, at its core, imperfect. But I think that’s part of the point of Lent. This Lent, identify what is most keeping you from God. Then, focus all your prayer and attention on fighting that obstacle. Go out into the desert for these forty days and wrestle with it. Use the unique grace and gifts of this penitential season to give you strength as you draw closer to the Lord through this time. Let this be the year that our Lenten practices don’t dwindle away and stop after Easter like the most well-intentioned New Year’s Resolutions. May they instead continue to bear fruit in our spiritual lives. Have you ever chosen a theme for Lent? Will you this year? Share your ideas in the comments below! [bctt tweet="Choosing a Theme for Lent #BISblog //" via="no"] Abigail Saffert is a grad student turned college writing instructor turned retail manager. Her Catholic Studies background, her M.A. in English, and the unnecessary amount of library cards crammed into her purse testify to her lifelong love of reading and writing. She appreciates that there’s a patron Saint for coffee houses because she thinks it justifies the amount of coffee she drinks in a day.

The Lord is kind and merciful. // Psalm 103:8a Download these beautiful free wallpapers from Abigail Katherine Rose from today's readings. Let His word dwell in us richly, sisters. Remember, Members, you get this 8x10 digital download for free! Head to the shop for your download. Download your F R E E wallpapers right here --->>> Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

It had been a “bleak midwinter” in West Michigan, to say the least. I did not experience the normal delight and fascination with the cold months as we muddled through over a dozen snow days. My cheer at seeing the white flakes descend and cover the earth with a bright and beautiful blanket waned as the temperatures dropped below zero. I experienced something foreign to me during that post-Christmas season, something akin to fear. Powerless We lost our power for 30 hours. My poor husband was stuck in the house, getting more frigid by the minute, attempting to entertain our four young children without electricity. Although the first day they had fun running all over the house with their flashlights and “camping,” by the second day they were bored and cold. Our thermostat dipped to 49 degrees. My closest family members were either without power themselves or had contagious illnesses. Without an alternative heat source, I felt powerless (no pun intended) and trapped. Father to the Rescue After 24 hours, my dad called to say he would pack up his extra generator and some gas and make the trek over to our house. A 35-minute drive took over an hour as my 73-year-old father traveled through snow-laden roads and icy conditions. He hot-wired our furnace and got the refrigerator plugged in, and 30 minutes later our power came back on. And since they call him “Mr. Lucky,” he even got a flat tire on the way home to thank him for his efforts. Fits of Fear A couple weeks later, we were up visiting my parents at their country acreage, the weather much like it had been that frozen day. My young boys with ceaseless energy are undaunted by the cold, so I went outside with my four-year-old. As I stood watching him play in the sandbox turned “snow box,” the 30+ mph winds howled through the pines. It was an eerie sound. That feeling of fear returned. Or was it insecurity? Will we lose power again? Will these bone-chilling days never end? Memories of my two-year-old’s beet-red, ice-cold hands came flooding back. He refuses to wear mittens because he’s two. What more can I do to keep my little ones warm? Feeling Cold The next day I rode to work and noticed how much brighter the sky was. The days were surely getting longer and the sun shone brightly already at 7:30 a.m. The promise of spring! It was getting closer. I continued to ponder what it meant to feel cold, or as if the wind could rip the skin right off your face. We lost power for a day-and-a-half and the wind whipped for another two days. But what about those who feel cold practically permanently? The homeless, those who cannot afford adequate heat, even those who endure cold-hearted people or suffer the hardness of their own hearts? The cold made me feel so insecure, so uncomfortable, so discontented. I just wanted to run to the nearest fireplace and drink a cup of hot chocolate. God's Warmth As I continued my musing I realized that my own relationship with God has, in many ways, grown cold. When do I talk to Him? Do I view Him as my friend, my love? I make so many excuses for myself. I’m so busy, I’m exhausted, my kids need me. Half the time we even forget to say grace before meals! I also realized I tend to make biting comments about coworkers or family members with the pretext that “I’m just joking.” My words and behavior toward others lack warmth. Perhaps I am even making them feel the same insecurity I felt. I am not one to quote Scripture or speak often of God’s unfailing love, but I can let His warm light shine through my kind words and loving actions. So as the change of seasons draws nigh, I also vow for a change of my own heart. [bctt tweet="Feeling Cold #BISblog //" via="no"] Tami Urcia is a Western Michigander who spent early adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied and quiet conversation with the hubby. She works at Diocesan, does Spanish/English translations, and guest blogs. You can find out more about her here.

Valley of Our Lady Monastery is a community of Cistercian nuns who live a life of contemplative prayer according to the Rule of St. Benedict and the traditions of the Cistercian Order. Consecrated to God for the sanctification of the Church and the redemption of the world, they dedicate their lives to a solemn liturgy prayed in Latin with Gregorian chant, private prayer, lectio divina, and manual labor within the silence and enclosure of the monastery. Nuns are women who commit themselves to seeking God in a radically pure and intense way through imitating Jesus Christ. Above all, we follow His way of obedience, humility, chastity, poverty, and prayer; and the motive for this life is both His love for us and our love for Him. The History of Contemplative Monastic Life Contemplative monastic life, a particular way of following the call to be a nun, has a long history among Christians. As the persecutions in the early Church subsided, many faithful longed to bear witness to Christ in a way as radical as the red martyrdom of blood. To fulfill this desire, they embraced what came to be known as the white martyrdom: a life dedicated to God through prayer and penance. Although this vocation has had different outward expressions through the centuries, it is most often lived according to vows, in community, under an established rule of life. The Cistercian Order The Cistercian Order is one way of living this contemplative monastic life. It began in 1098, when a small group of Benedictine monks in France decided to form a new community where they could live their vows more fervently. They built a new monastery at Citeaux (in Latin, Cistercium), and as they grew over time, founded many more monasteries all over Europe. The Order now has houses all over the world. With its Benedictine spirituality, the Cistercian Order has always embraced a simple but intense liturgy, hard manual labor, and a sincere search for God through humility, obedience, and deep personal, contemplative prayer. Our Way of Life Practically speaking, this way of life takes the form of a balanced alternation of prayer and work. Beginning at 3:30 each morning, our days alternate between times of communal liturgy (consisting of seven periods of chanting the Psalms and other prayers in Latin), private prayer and reading, work, and recreation, all flowing from and leading to the daily celebration of the Mass. To support ourselves, we make and sell altar bread for Holy Communion, which we ship to parishes across the country. We also engage in the daily work of maintaining our home. Following the Benedictine tradition, the vows we take are those of obedience, of stability (commitment to our monastic community), and of commitment to the monastic way of life (conversatio morum—often translated as "ongoing conversion"). Although we do not take a vow of silence, as people often think, we do live in silence, speaking only during specific times of recreation or as necessary to accomplish our work in the monastery. Our Community We currently number 22, ranging in age from 24 to 89. Our median age is 46. We have come to the monastery from all over the USA as well as a few other countries, including Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, and Canada. We all bring with us different backgrounds and talents. Some of us never graduated from college; others hold bachelor’s or master’s degrees in a wide range of subjects, such as nursing, chemistry, entomology, mathematics, art, and computer science. Many Gifts, the Same Spirit The Lord knows how best to use the gifts He gives His children, and nothing ever goes to waste when we follow His will. He has drawn us all together, with our different backgrounds and talents, for a reason. Sometimes He asks us to let go of a particular activity in order to purify our intentions and allow us to love Him for Himself instead of for His gifts. But He also uses the gifts He has given us in ways more rich and rewarding than we could ever have imagined, for our own good and that of our sisters and all His people. Although we do not often see or hear of the effects in the world of our sacrifices and prayer and relationship with God, we know by faith, and sometimes through the testimony of others, that our life of love truly does bear fruit, in graces of conversion and healing and growth in charity for all His people. Our Big Challenge We are blessed in this beautiful vocation, a vocation for which we cannot thank God enough. That said, however, we also face an enormous challenge. Our community, located near Madison, WI, was founded by Cistercian sisters from Switzerland, who came in 1957 at the request of the first Bishop of the Diocese of Madison and with the blessing of their Abbot General. They took up residence in the summer home of an early governor of Wisconsin. Since then, as our community has grown, we have done our best to maintain, expand, and creatively reconfigure our surroundings. Never intended to be a permanent monastery and showing the inevitable effects of time and the elements, however, our buildings are not simply worn out and ill-suited to contemplative monastic life. They are increasingly unsafe, unhealthy, and unable to accommodate further growth. The Reality of Human Needs Although we are devoted to prayer, we are real human beings with the real physical need of a safe and healthy environment, conducive to our way of life. Our current buildings do not and cannot sufficiently meet these requirements. Furthermore, precisely because we have been called to prayer, we have vowed to live in a way radically dependent upon God alone. We sustain ourselves by the work of our hands, but we do not accumulate wealth. We therefore trust in God and the generosity of those who, through their opportunities and work in the world, have greater material resources than we do, to help us build a much-needed new monastery. With all that in mind, we have embarked on the adventure of building a lasting Cistercian monastery here in Wisconsin. Since we remain the only nuns of our particular Order in the English-speaking world, we are excited by this opportunity to put our roots down more deeply here in this place to which we have been called. But we do find the challenge daunting. If you perceive God calling you to help us, we invite you to learn more about our project (and to see a video casting our vision for the new monastery) here. We Would Love to Pray for You! You are welcome to contact us with prayer requests by emailing us: prayers@valleyofourlady.org. We'd also love to answer any questions you have: nmfund@valleyofourlady.org. On our website, you can also find information about signing up to receive our newsletter. Please keep us in your prayers and know of ours for you. [bctt tweet="Living as a Cloistered Cistercian Nun #BISblog //" via="no"] Written by Sr. Mary Bede.

It was the first full week of January. My children were back in school, and life was slowly returning to normal after a fun, but unstructured, Christmas break. I expected to feel happy as I began anew—filling out my 2020 calendar, stocking up on seasonal produce and cleaner food choices, and revisiting routines that had been on hiatus since mid-December. But instead, I felt tired, isolated, and sad. There was an uneasiness in my heart, and I struggled with motivation. Finally, I remembered that I felt the same way last January. So I extended myself grace and allowed myself to feel the winter blues. The Winter Blues are Real The winter blues range from feeling temporarily gloomy to experiencing longer-lasting depression. Some people overcome the winter blues with simple home remedies, while others need professional intervention. No matter where someone falls on the spectrum, there is no shame when the weather takes a toll on our spirits. This winter, I eased my case of the winter blues by seeking refuge in my parish’s Adoration Chapel. The true presence of Jesus—along with the silence, colorful stained glass, and soft candlelight—calmed my restlessness and renewed my spirit. There is something very special about praying before the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration. But I realize this is not easily accessible to everyone. Thankfully, we can pray anywhere. In a chapel or our car. On the sofa or porch swing. Scripture Verses to Comfort and Console the Winter Blues Here are several Bible verses to pray during the winter, when light, warmth, and hope can feel lost. Light My Life Light is such a prevalent theme throughout Scripture, and of course, Jesus is referred to as Light of the World. Let us allow His light to permeate our souls this winter, especially as natural light is so scarce. // “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” -Psalm 80:19 // “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” -Psalm 119:130 // “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” -Isaiah 9:2 // “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly.” -Isaiah 58:8 // “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” -John 1:5 // “The morning star rises in your hearts.” -2 Peter 1:19 WRITE + PRAY We invite you to sit with the Word and unpack it in a uniquely personal way, finding your own story. Discover your story within His. GET WRITE AND PRAY Be My Comfort Our entire being—body, mind, and spirit—desires warmth and comfort during the winter months. Where better to seek comfort than in the One Who gives comfort like no other? // “Be still, and know that I am God!” -Psalm 46:10 // “Let your steadfast love become my comfort.” -Psalm 119:76 // “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.” -Isaiah 40:8 // “Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones.” -Isaiah 49:13 // “For the Lord will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places, and will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.” -Isaiah 51:3 Renew My Hope Winter can feel barren and desolate, and we can grow discouraged. But if we imagine all the work happening underground, for spring to actually emerge, we can have hope that God is always at work, even when we can’t see or feel it. // “For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” -Psalm 62:5-8 // “But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. -Isaiah 40:31 // “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.” -Lamentations 3:25 // “Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” -Romans 5:5 // “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” -Romans 15:13 Enflame My Heart It may be cold and gloomy outside, but the love of God can ignite our hearts and warm our souls. And when He sets our hearts on fire, we can share His love with others. // “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” -Psalm 9:1-2 // “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” -Psalm 37:4 // “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” -Proverbs 3:5 // “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you.” -Ezekiel 36:26 // “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” -Luke 24:32 // “My peace I give to you … Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” -John 14:27 // “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:6-7 What Scripture verses encourage you during the long, dark, and cold season of winter? HIS WORD CHANGES LIVES God is speaking to you through His Word. In this personal study, you will learn to hear God's voice by reading slowly and praying deeply. BEGIN THE JOURNEY

The Works of Mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God. -CCC 2447   When I asked a friend of mine the names of all her kids, they rolled off her tongue. They were short, sweet, and simple. A few weeks later, I asked how a certain one was doing, and with a smile she told me, “She was a foster child for us. She’s returned to her family. Meet Molly*.” And just like that, we talked about this precious child who would be joining their family for an indeterminate amount of time. Another friend, who I love very much, introduced me to her “bonus daughter” during a gathering on the Fourth of July. With being close in age to her other daughter, they can be mistaken for twins. Fostering a child is not easy, but it is worth it. You Don't Have to Be Perfect to Be a Foster Parent It's easy to believe we have to be perfect or have everything together to be a foster parent, or to advocate for children in the courtroom like a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Those kids don’t need perfect. They need us as we are. When we look at the Catechism and the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy, there is not a caveat that this is only for the perfect man or woman. It is lined out for everyone who has ears to hear. It is a work of justice to be present to and available for these kids. We know that St. Thérèse of Lisieux was a whiny, tantrum-prone child. Still, however, she became a Saint through her Little Way. St. Catherine of Siena was bold. St. Thomas the Apostle doubted. These are humans, doing the extraordinary in the ordinary by listening to the calling that God and God alone has placed on them. How to Support Foster Families There are many ways that we can be involved, whether our call leads us to fostering and adopting, advocating, or just being good friends to those in our community who do these things. Supporting each individual foster family can look very different, depending on our relationships. I bring coffee to these wonderful women. I pray over their children and their various appointments, meetings, and struggles. I try to visit them as they are, realizing that sometimes, mess happens, and there is a grace that is indescribable in accepting scruffy, bumpy, slightly sticky hospitality. After all, it is sometimes a much larger struggle to displace your biological children and your foster children into someone else’s house due to the unspoken fear that they will be left here in this strange place again. Please, with this in mind, realize that it is going to be easier and better to uproot your family into their environment for a visit than meet outside of their home. Donating to Them First Many foster children have unspeakable baggage in their own heart, and little physical baggage. Things get lost, broken, or forgotten. When you are going through your own items and considering donating, please reach out to your friends who foster and offer them first dibs. You never know when someone will get the call at 4 a.m. on a Sunday morning in the dead of winter to bring in a new child and discover all of the clothes they own are a size too small and two seasons behind. Being There for the Ones Who are There It will never be easy. It will never result in accolades. What it will result in, ultimately, is the phrase one of my friends who advocated for 15 years once told me her child told her: “You were there for me when no one else was. When I changed schools, or I moved some place new, you were there for me. You believed in me, and you gave me a familiar face. I always knew that I could count on you.” That is what being heroic and being the face of Christ can be in our world today. You don’t have to be a superhero; you just have to care. How do you support the foster families in your community? If you are a foster family, what other ways are helpful in receiving support from others? *name has been changed [bctt tweet="How to Support Foster Families #BISblog //" via="no"] Breanna Scott is a mother of two daughters on earth and three children in Heaven. Military spouse, theology major, and lover of all things winter, she resides in Indiana. You can find out more about her here.

If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live. // Sirach 15:15 Download these beautiful free wallpapers from Michelle Slough from today's readings. Let His word dwell in us richly, sisters. Remember, Members, you get this 8x10 digital download for free! Head to the shop for your download. Download your F R E E wallpapers right here --->>> Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

The feast of St. Claude de la Colombiere is very timely, as it lands on the day after Valentine’s Day. A day marked with hearts galore. Up until this year, all I knew about the man is that he was the confessor to the mystic, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, and played a big role in promoting devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. These are two very important responsibilities, and yet there is still so much more to know and admire about him! St. Claude de la Colombiere's Early Life Claude was born in France on February 2nd, 1641. His family eventually moved to Vienne where he began his early education and later he studied rhetoric and philosophy in Lyon. He loved the arts, literature, and was considered a social butterfly. While he was studying in Lyon, he felt a call to religious life, specifically to the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, a religious order founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola. He entered the Jesuit Novitiate at Avignon when he was just seventeen years old. Here he made his first vows with the order and became a professor of both grammar and literature. He eventually traveled to Paris to study theology and returned to Lyon as a priest. A Passion for Preaching Claude dedicated himself to meditating on the life of Jesus, so as to belong to Him fully. He wrote in his journal, “I see that I absolutely must belong to him...I have a free heart.” He accepted trials with the mindset “that God only expects these things of us out of friendship.” It was Claude’s friendship with Christ which gave him joy and perseverance to passionately and effectively preach the Gospel. A man of confidence and conviction, he was known for his great homiletics. He knew his target audience, enabling him to speak directly and in a way which caught people’s attention. His published sermons continue to bear fruit today. A Friend and Supporter On his 34th birthday he was appointed rector of the Jesuit community at Paray-le-Monial as well as the spiritual director of the Monastery next door, the Monastery of the Visitation Sisters. Margaret Mary Alacoque was at this Monastery, and was waiting for the Lord to provide her a friend who would help to promote the message which Jesus was revealing to her, the message to promote devotion to His Sacred Heart. Upon meeting Father Colombiere, it became apparent that he was the friend she was looking for. Father Colombiere believed that the apparitions which she was receiving were authentic and he strongly encouraged her to write down everything she could about the messages the Lord was giving to her. Father Colombiere was devoted to helping Margaret Mary in her mission to bring others into the love of Jesus’ Most Sacred Heart and played a big part in making this devotion more well known. Travels and Tribulation Claude spent less than two years in Paray, and in 1676 he was sent to be the preacher to the Duchess of York and moved to St. James Palace in London. During his time there, he witnessed many people become reconciled with the Church, writing, “I could write a book about the mercy of God I’ve seen Him exercise since I arrived here!” He worked vigorously in London, but before long he showed signs of a serious pulmonary disease. His health continued to decline when in 1678 he spent three weeks in prison due to being falsely accused of being involved in a plot to kill the King. The allegations were made by Anglican clergyman Titus Oates and this conspiracy is known as the “Popish Plot.” This plot claimed that the Jesuits were planning to kill King Charles II in order to bring his Catholic brother James to the throne. Fortunately, one of Claude’s assignments included tutoring the sons of the finance minister to King Louis XI, and so Louis was able to negotiate his release. While this saved him from martyrdom, he was still expelled from England and returned to France where his health deteriorated quickly. On February 15th of 1682, the first Sunday of Lent, he died of a hemorrhage at the age of forty-two. Pope John Paul II canonized him a Saint in 1992. His relics are venerated near the Monastery of the Visitation in Paray-le-Monial. Tender Care and a Wild Run I pray that we heed the prompting of JPII in his closing homily for the canonization Mass of St. Claude, and remember that the canonization of this man is meant to “be for the whole Church an appeal to live the consecration to the Heart of Christ, a consecration which is a self-giving that allows the charity of Christ to inspire us, pardon us and lead us in his ardent desire to open the ways of truth and life to all our brothers and sister!” In the words of Laura Kelly Fanucci: The Sacred Heart...loves foolishly by the world’s standards. It cares tenderly for the small and sick that the world ignores. It runs wildly after one lost sheep. It rejoices lavishly over a single repentant sinner. It rescues each of us from where we were scattered when it was cloudy and dark.   [bctt tweet="On the Feast of St. Claude de la Colombière #BISblog //" via="no"] This post contains affiliate links. Thanks so much for supporting Blessed is She!

I was in my car when the 1985 song, “The Search is Over,” by Surrender came on the radio. I had not heard it in years, and for a moment it reminded me of being a 13-year old girl pining over some boy or another who refused to acknowledge my existence in a reasonable way like a bouquet of flowers, box of chocolates, or a boom box blaring a romantic song outside my bedroom window. (Then I remembered it was my Whitney Houston album I played at such somber times of adolescent angst—not Surrender.) Looking for Love... Lost in thought about those days when I would cocoon myself within my four lavender bedroom walls and lament my imperfect body, wardrobe, and life’s entirety, I had a most random thought of a certain guy. He was never my crush, or who I fixated on when I drowned myself in pity, or of whom I even had a fleeting thought when I sat idly and listened to sad songs about people who once knew love. I heard the lyrics, “The search is over. You were with me all the while,” and I thought of God. I was surprised at how my brain went from unrequited teenage infatuation to the essence of the total and complete love that is God. Yet it made sense to me because—in the time since record albums were replaced with cassette tapes, and cassette tapes were replaced with CDs, and CDs were replaced with music subscriptions, and music itself degraded into some sort of homage to one’s booty—I’ve searched for many things. I have searched for the perfect man, house, job, couch, school, church, outfit, plants, publisher, vacation, vocation, doctor, and dog. I have spent so very much time on a search of some sort. Nothing Compares What I found is that none of it compares to my relationship with God. In all of the searching that so often felt paramount to my satisfaction, to any chance of happiness, all I really needed was what I already had. An abiding God, who faithfully stands at my side, humoring my distractions, patiently awaits my many detours, and holds me upright despite wayward falls. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. // 1 Corinthians 15:58   [bctt tweet="In all of the searching that so often felt paramount to my satisfaction, to any chance of happiness, all I really needed was what I already had: an abiding God. #BISblog //" via="no"] With Us All the While So much of our world’s searching can be done in vain when we look to other people, things, accolades, and acceptance for value. Meanwhile, the love that God has for us is priceless, unconditional, unwavering, and inexhaustible. Anything else you are looking for is just a distracting spin on a turntable. It may take you round and round and fill your head with noise, yet the only thing I know that stops this pesky search innate to our humanity is God. I may not have realized it when I was thirteen, but He’s so much better than a boom box blaring outside my bedroom window. Besides, if you think about it, you’ll see He’s been with you all the while. [bctt tweet="The Search is Over #BISblog //" via="no"] Lara Patangan is a freelance writer and mother of two boys. She is currently working on publishing her first book about her mid-life mission to do works of mercy. You can find out more about her here.

Last fall, there was a terrible commotion down the street from me—firetrucks and police cars were everywhere, blocking the road. Only later did we come to find out that one home had caught on fire and the fire had spread to the house to its west. Firefighters arrived quickly and saved both houses, though there are still visible reminders of that afternoon in the ongoing repair work to fix the structural damage. More than being a teaching opportunity for my children, who were frightened to see the damage and hear the sirens, it was a wakeup call for me upon realizing I did not know the names or telephone numbers of either of the households involved. Not the Neighborhood We Envisioned I’ll be the first to admit that I have fallen short of my own lofty vision when it comes to creating a neighborhood feel as we settled into our new abode. I had hoped that it would include cookouts and progressive dinners, splitting perennials, neighborhood babysitters, graduation parties, and watching fireworks together with gaggles of neighborhood children running around. First, that is not the neighborhood we found. Second, six years later, that is not the neighborhood vibe we’ve cultivated. What we found was a working class neighborhood with high rates of turnover and scarcely any children. I’ve often thought to myself: If I brought the proverbial jello mold to every new neighbor we get, it could be a full-time job! This isn’t unusual, of course. It’s a near archetype of suburban America. And, though it is not unusual, it is unfortunate. This disconnect begins to hit close to home when we hear St. Mark describe the Greatest Commandment (which is actually two-fold): Loving the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength; and loving your neighbor as yourself. The Ministry of Ordinary Places This mission humbly asks that we devote ourselves to the overlooked spiritual practice of paying attention to wherever God has placed us. That's where we begin, and, though it's not terribly complicated, it will ask more of us than we ever imagined. - Shannan Martin   It was about this time that my unfamiliarity with my neighbors began to get the better of me, and providentially the time when I got my hands on Shannan Martin’s Ministry of Ordinary Places. Shannan is hobby-farm blogger turned city-dwelling writer in the industrial Midwest. She has been captivated by getting to be a part of her neighbors' lives and is compelled to be a part of theirs. She is an old soul, and the experiences and relationships she shares in her book invite readers to imagine the possibilities in our own lives if we sought to meet the needs of our own neighbors. To live as though God intended our loving ______ (insert neighbor’s name, here), next to loving Jesus, as the most important thing a Christ-follower might do. No Better Time to Start February often gets a bad rap. It is stuck between the newness of the new year and mired in the grey skies and chill of mid-winter. What better time is there to begin to reach out to a new neighbor, or someone who could use a hand shoveling their driveway? But where to begin? Will I come on too strong if I suddenly start taking an interest in folks I have never spoken to before? How to Reach Out to Your Neighbors Here are eight simple points I’ve taken from Shannan’s playbook that serve as a springboard for fostering neighborliness in a season where I am earnestly seeking concrete suggestions. Maybe you are, too. More than that, winter, when we are shut up behind closed doors and windows for a season, is an isolating experience for all of us. Now is the time to spread some unexpected caritas. Ask for help // Let neighbors teach you, lend things out, offer insights, and come alongside you in times of need. Do the same for them. Cook + share // Make big pots of soup, or kettles of tea, cookies, lasagna—and share! Walk your neighborhood // This will nearly force you to run into folks and introduce yourself/check in with them. Keep an eye out for one another // Houses and children, alike. Offer a ride // Be a resource for someone who doesn’t drive/missed their bus/relies on public transit. Dig into local issues // At the neighborhood school, in the local paper, etc. Answer the door! Be the neighborhood kid hangout // And be prepared to feed them. Monumental in Simplicity As Christ-followers, we are called to be long-haul neighbors committed to authenticity and willing to take some risks. Our vocation is to invest deeply in the lives of those around us, devoted to one another, physically close to each other as we breathe the same air and walk the same blocks. Our purpose is not so mysterious after all. We get to love and be deeply loved right where we’re planted, by whomever happens to be near. We will inevitably encounter brokenness we cannot fix, solve, or understand, and we’ll feel as small, uncertain, and outpaced as we have ever felt. But we’ll find our very lives in this calling, to be among people as Jesus was, and it will change everything. -Shannan Martin   Nothing in this book is monumental. In fact, had it been published sixty years earlier, I wonder who would have read it. They wouldn’t have needed a guide to being neighborly; it was already built-in. Our mobile, ever-extending lives have morphed into something so transient that we often do not know the names—much less the needs—of the ones who live right next door to us. Admittedly, this vision of neighborliness is my New Year’s resolution. It does not have to be yours, too. The good news is, it can take as much or little time as you have. You do not have to be wealthy/single/married/empty-nesting/young/old to do this and do it well. Imagine how the dynamic of a neighborhood—of our own lives—might change by inviting one new person into it? After all, through hospitality “some have unknowingly entertained angels” (Hebrews 13: 1-2). Have you read this book? How are you trying to reach out to your physical neighbors? [bctt tweet="BIS Reads: Ministry of Ordinary Places #BISblog //" via="no"] This post contains affiliate links. Thanks so much for supporting Blessed is She!

The humanity of St. Peter has always captivated me—from his declaration at the Transfiguration that building tents is the best idea, to his fearless (albeit short-lived) walk across the sea, to his desperation with Jesus’ repeated interrogation on the beach after the Resurrection. Recently, though, I heard my new favorite story of St. Peter. A Lesser-Known Story of St. Peter In the years following Jesus’ Resurrection, the Roman officials became increasingly upset by the rapid growth of the Christian Faith and particularly the influence of St. Peter. So, Peter and some other early Christians decided that it would be best if he left Rome and continued his work elsewhere so that he would escape the threat of persecution. As Peter was fleeing Rome, feeling confident that he was doing what was best for him and the early Church, he had a life-altering encounter with Christ. Walking along the Aventine Hill, Peter had a vision of Jesus walking back toward the city. In pure shock and confusion, Peter asked, “Quo vadis, Domine?” which means, “Where are you going, Lord?” Jesus answered him, “I am going back to Rome to be crucified a second time.” Peter immediately understood what Jesus meant: he needed to turn around, continue his work in Rome, and offer his life for Christ. Peter did just that, and he was put to death shortly after his return to the city. Jesus' Will Above All Peter’s decision to leave Rome was not motivated solely by fear; he earnestly believed that he needed to proclaim the Gospel elsewhere. However, he didn’t consider the fact that giving his life for Christ was the ultimate witness to the Gospel. After learning this from his encounter with Christ, his perspective changed and so too did the course of his life. He suffered crucifixion, just as Jesus did, and he willingly endured the pain and torture because he knew that if Christ willed it, then it was worthwhile and holy. I Am Like Peter Often, I find myself embodying many of St. Peter’s characteristics, whether that be wanting to pitch a tent and never leave a retreat or taking my eyes off Christ when I feel confident in my own ability only to quickly falter. The experiences of my own faith life seem to mirror those of St. Peter in many of these human ways. As I consider where God is calling me to go next, I have been reflecting quite a bit on St. Peter, specifically the story of Quo Vadis. Right now, I am in a state of great unknown and immense transition during my senior year of college. There seem to be countless paths that I could embark on in a few months. And I am entirely unsure which one is right because they are all sincerely good and holy options. Relying on my own judgment and perception, however, will not suffice. With so many possibilities during this season of transition, I know I have to continually turn to God and allow Him to reveal how I can best witness to the Gospel. Where are YOU Going, Lord? Like St. Peter, my own human understanding is limited, and I need God to speak to my heart and show me how I am called to serve Him in new ways. This is much easier said than done. In any decision I am faced with, I am often quick to make my decision based on what I think will best serve me immediately. Sometimes my intentions are good—Peter thought that he was doing what was best for himself and the early Christian community by leaving Rome. But when I make a decision without prayerfully discerning if it aligns with the will of God for me, even a well-meaning choice can lead me from the path God desires me to walk. If Peter had not submitted to the call to martyrdom, we wouldn’t have his incredible witness to Christ and his commitment to the Gospel, not to mention the beautiful Basilica of St. Peter as the heart of the Church in Rome. How Do We Know? Knowing the will of God for our lives requires patience and listening, two areas that are not my strengths. Talking to God comes much more naturally than quietly listening for His voice and patiently waiting for His movements in my life. I often find myself struggling to persevere in doing so. Like St. Peter at the Transfiguration, I always want to be doing something rather than quietly and attentively listening to what God has to say to me. It’s often much easier for me to keep busy than to take a step back and discern where God is leading me to witness to Him. I have learned so much about what it means to follow God’s will in my life by reflecting on the story of St. Peter and Quo Vadis. If I am only attuned to my own ideas and desires, I could be missing the way that God is calling me to serve Him. God’s call isn’t always easy to carry out, but it will bear abundant fruit not only in my own life but also in the lives of those around me. Ultimately, following God’s will for my life is the surest way to joy, fulfillment, and salvation. So I know that it is in my best interest to humbly follow where He leads, even if I don’t fully understand it or even if it is uncomfortable. “Quo vadis, Domine?” Where are you going, Lord? Because I want to follow wherever you lead me. [bctt tweet="Quo Vadis?: On the Humanity of St. Peter #BISblog //" via="no"] Katie Eilerman is a St. Louis transplant to Kansas City, where she attends Rockhurst University, a small Jesuit university, to study Secondary Education, English, and Theology. She finds God’s love in iced vanilla lattes, walks around the park, and genuine conversation with friends, and shares it through liturgical music, contagious laughter, and letters sent via snail mail.

I get into bed after a long day. My feet ache from chasing my three-year-old, preparing meals for the weekend, and running errands. I feel the sharp twinge of pain in my lower left abdomen as I lay down and am reminded of the shot I took earlier in the day for infertility. My heart breaks anew. I can feel myself turning inward, focusing on the aches and the pangs. I open up my phone and see the article I saved to read earlier that day. The first paragraph makes all my little pains seem so insignificant. I am reminded that thinking of others instead of ourselves is often the greatest cure for pain: On Good Friday 1940, the Nazi SS Guards of Dachau Concentration Camp found pretext to punish sixty-some priest-prisoners with an hour on “the tree.” One former Dachau prisoner describes the torture saying, ‘They tie a man’s hands together behind his back, palms facing out and fingers pointing backward. Then they turn his hands inwards, tie a chain around his wrists and hoist him up by it. His own weight twists his joints and pulls them apart.’ The barbaric aptitude of the guards of Dachau incarnated the demonic for the some 2500 priests condemned to incarceration in the camp during the years 1933–1945. Priests were crowned with crowns of barbed wire while groups of Jewish prisoners were forced to hail them as kings. Guards mocked, spat upon, and forced priests to carry railroad ties, all in imitation of the crucified Lord. -Br. Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P The Brave Priests I think of those brave priests, uniting their horrific suffering to Jesus’ Passion in such a literal way. I reflect on what their thoughts must have been, or if they were even able to think. I wonder what prayers and petitions they must have offered up. What if their prayers, their holy courage, and their martyrs' blood was for me? For us? What if they offered it up for the Church—for you and for me? May their blood and cries to God not be in vain. Taking Up Our Cross Why is there so much suffering in the world if God is good? It’s a question most of us have asked. It’s a question I asked after reading about the sixty priest-prisoners hanging on the tree. I opened up the Catechism for an answer, and this is what I found in paragraph 618: Christ calls His disciples to ‘take up their cross and follow Him’, for ‘Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example so that we should follow in His steps.’ This is achieved supremely in the case of His mother, who was associated more intimately than any other person in the mystery of His redemptive suffering. Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.   [bctt tweet="Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven. -CCC 618 #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] What Our Lady’s Suffering Teaches Us “Achieved supremely in the case of His Mother.” That sentence penetrated my heart. Mother Mary teaches us how to suffer because she followed Jesus’ example of redemptive suffering the most perfectly. Not only did she suffer greatly at the foot of the Cross, she suffers with us, her children. St. Teresa of Calcutta, one of the greatest Saints of modernity, wrote that, “Our Lady’s role is to bring you face to face with the love in the Heart of Jesus crucified.” There is Merit in Suffering Our Lady, in perfect imitation of her Son, teaches us that there is merit in our suffering. From the cross comes our salvation. After the Passion, there is the joy of the Resurrection. One day, we too will share in her Glorious Mysteries and be with Him body and soul in Heaven and crowned in glory. Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Bernadette Today, on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, I am reminded of a young French girl who was accustomed to suffering, St. Bernadette Soubirous. Mother Mary appeared to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France eighteen times between February 11th and July 16th, 1858. Our Lady, who always began and ended the apparitions with the recitation of the Rosary, communicated to Bernadette, “You must pray to God for sinners.” The Message of Lourdes The message of Lourdes is a call to penance and prayer, for the conversion of sinners and in reparation to God. St. Bernadette spent the remainder of her life doing just as Our Lady asked. Because of her own “fiat” there are countless miracles still occurring today at the healing spring and baths of Lourdes. St. Bernadette’s suffering—the humiliation and mockery she experienced, her physical pains, and the deep longing to see Our Lady’s heavenly beauty again—was united with Christ’s suffering, redeeming both her soul and ours. Christ in His Mercy Gave Us A Loving Mother Yes, Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection is enough. As one of the greatest Marian Saints, St. Louis de Montfort reminds us that Mary is, “less than an atom” in comparison with the infinite majesty of Christ. Yet, he continues to say, “God having willed to commence and complete His greatest works by the most Holy Virgin ever since He created her, we may well think He will not change His conduct in the eternal ages.” New Meaning to Suffering At Lourdes with Bernadette, just as she did at Calvary with John, Mother Mary teaches us to unite everything to her Immaculate Heart so that she may perfect our offering and present it to her Son. She invites us to give her our pain, sorrow, joys, frustrations, and anxiety. Our suffering has merit, for our own souls and for others. “By His passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to Him and unite us with His redemptive passion” (CCC 1505). Tangible Ways to Unite Our Suffering To Christ Through Our Lady How do we unite ourselves and our suffering to Mother Mary for our own souls and the souls of others? Some beautiful ways are through the recitation of the Rosary just as Mary gave as an example in Lourdes, or through Marian consecration. Wearing a scapular or reciting a Hail Mary are powerful ways, too. Yet, my favorite way is just a simple prayer St. Teresa of Calcutta would pray throughout each day, “Mary, lend me your heart and keep me in your most pure heart.” Our Lady of Lourdes, give us your heart so full of love for your Son, Jesus, and for sinners, that we may always see the face of Christ in all we meet. Keep us safely within your most pure heart, so that when we meet Christ in Heaven, He may see only your deep, indescribable love for Him—the love you had as you held Him, as you first gazed at Him in Bethlehem, and as you beheld Him at the foot of the Cross. Amen. How has Our Lady impacted your view on suffering? [bctt tweet="Our Lady of Lourdes and Redemptive Suffering #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]

I am always amazed by the economy of a good short story. Authors like Flannery O'Connor, for example, teach us more about grace and the human condition in a mere couple of pages than some theologians manage in a lifetime of work. I don't normally consider Tolkien, however, to be particularly conservative when it comes to word count. But I recently re-read his short story, "Leaf by Niggle," and I was struck for the first time by the succinctness and compactness of Tolkien's writing. He beautifully sums up some of the most fundamental truths of our Faith in a simple little story about a man called Niggle. If you haven't had a chance to read it, I highly recommend it. Our Desire to Create The story starts by introducing us to an ordinary painter, Niggle, who has a journey coming up but has not yet prepared for it. He's trying to finish his painting, and he longs to dedicate his time to his art, in particular, to his painting of a certain Tree. You might find some commentary suggesting that Niggle's art is completely self-indulgent, but assuming Tolkien's writing was at least somewhat autobiographical, I don't think that really was his intention. I don't think Tolkien would have viewed his creation of Middle Earth as a selfish endeavor, just as I don't think any one of us should feel guilty about taking time to pursue our creative passions. The desire to make something, to leave something behind, is a natural part of being human. If we are made in the image and likeness of God, who is Creator, then our own small creations are a reflection of Him. Anytime we focus our attention on creating something, whether it be knitting a pair of baby booties or setting a table or composing a symphony or painting a masterpiece—no matter how simple or grandiose the outcome—we are seeking something beautiful. We are looking toward Heaven, and that is a good thing. Our Need for Community As we near the part of the story that we, as readers, might interpret as Niggle's arrival to "Heaven," we see that, at the gateway to Paradise, Niggle finds himself within his own painting. But not necessarily as he painted it. Rather, he is immersed in the perfection he was always seeking as an artist. His Tree was "finished." But then Niggle, amidst the goodness of his now-perfect picture, realizes something is missing. He needs his neighbor, Parish. In Niggle's life, Parish is a constant source of interruption, frustration, and inconvenience. Quite frankly, he is annoying and self-absorbed. Time and again Niggle must put down his paintbrush to his assist his neighbor, even though the tasks are not always necessary or important. Parish is the very reason why Niggle cannot complete his painting. Holiness in Reliance on Others And yet, when they meet again in the afterlife, Parish and Niggle's conversation leads us to the most profound truth. Even though they are surrounded by the beauty that Niggle spent his life striving for, it was not due to his own art that he arrived there. They owe their sanctification to each other, and to the Intercessor who interceded on their behalf. They needed one another, not the other's strengths but rather their weaknesses, to give the opportunity to sacrifice, to do good deeds, to grow in virtue. There's nothing wrong with sitting down with our pen or picking up our guitar or returning to our paintbrush and finding joy in those moments of creation. Art, in as much as it seeks to capture a bit of Beauty and Truth does fulfill a part of us. But it’s incomplete. We are made to love, both as lover and beloved, so it requires someone else. Real happiness is only to be found in family and community life, through those who teach us to put the tools of our trade down, so we can pick up our crying child or the hand of our troubled sister. Those inconvenient, troublesome moments are where we will find true purpose, love and happiness. And, it's where we find our opportunity for holiness. Imperfect for Each Other We don't come together as families and communities so that we can be more efficient with our creation. None of us are "perfect for each other"; it's the opposite. We are imperfect for each other. What would we know about St. Monica if not for Augustine's failures? What would Story of a Soul be without the annoying sisters St. Therese encountered in the convent? When your baby is upset for no obvious reason, yet you pick her up anyway? Sanctification. When your friend calls on a busy evening, and you stop to talk her through a rough situation? Sanctification. It can't be done our own. It's easy to be grateful for the time we have to work, uninterrupted, on our "Leaf," whatever that might be. And we should! It's a gift to participate in the creative work of God. But we should be even more grateful for the opportunity to pause, to bear one another's burdens. And, harder still, to be grateful for the times when we ourselves are burdensome to those around us, allowing others the chance at holiness. Because we all are, at some point. If we weren't, how would we help each other get to Heaven? Our creations are never going to be sufficient for our salvation, no matter how great or lasting they are. Our Faith is not simply creative, but rather incarnational. The Creator of the cosmos Himself paused and took the most inconvenient form: an unplanned pregnancy, a helpless infant, who would bear all our sins, burdens, and infirmities. And it's in the messiness and inefficacies and annoyances of human interaction where we get to participate, albeit imperfectly and inadequately, in the work of salvation. That's where we find our hope and our redemption. Leaf by Niggle is Beautifully Human Tolkien's story of Niggle is ultimately one of optimism and reassurance. Like Niggle, most of us are pretty average. We aren't Michelangelo or Mozart...or even Tolkien. It's quite likely we won't leave any masterpiece behind. And even if we did, it would eventually turn to dust like Niggle’s earthly painting…like every other created thing. But no matter our wealth or status, whether our contributions are celebrated or overlooked, we all face interruptions and requests. We are all surrounded by needy people. We all have opportunities every day to make sacrifices for others. We all have a powerful intercessor, Our Mother, to intercede for us. We can all pray for the grace to say "yes" to our neighbor. Niggle’s finest hour was a simple act of service. It might be hard sometimes, but we can all do that. The journey to salvation is open to us all. [bctt tweet="BIS Reads: Leaf by Niggle #BISblog //" via="no"] Cheryl Witty-Castillo is a mother, freelance writer, and director of the Writing and Language Center at St. Mary’s Seminary. You can find out more about her here.

You are the light of the world. // Matthew 5:14 Download these beautiful free wallpapers from Zelie and Lou from today's readings. Let His word dwell in us richly, sisters. Remember, Members, you get this 8x10 digital download for free! Head to the shop for your download. Download your F R E E wallpapers right here --->>> Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper