for the modern catholic woman

The Blessed is She Blog

Finding and Fighting for Freedom from Addiction - Blessed Is She

Finding and Fighting for Freedom from Addiction

Every year, the Holy Father puts forth a specific intention for each month. During the month of April 2020, Pope Francis is asking people worldwide to pray for those who...
How to Pray the Rosary // A Step-by-Step Guide - Blessed Is She

How to Pray the Rosary // A Step-by-Step Guide

I remember the first time I prayed an entire Rosary. I was twelve-and-a-half years old, and I had no idea what I was doing. My baby sister was just born...
BIS Reads: A Newman Reader - Blessed Is She

BIS Reads: A Newman Reader

I appreciate the challenge Dr. Muller met in culling through the numerous writings of the recently canonized John Henry Newman to produce such a reader. Along with biographical information, for...
The Gymnasium of Virtue - Blessed Is She

The Gymnasium of Virtue

“Dear Jesus, help me to grow in the virtues of mercy and trust. Amen.” Little did I know that such a simple prayer would have such drastic results. Truly, it...
Breaking the Binge - Blessed Is She

Breaking the Binge

I recently got a Netflix account. I know, it’s been around a while. But I have been trying to avoid it, as I have heard so many people talk about...
How to Set Spiritual Resolutions for the New Year - Blessed Is She

How to Set Spiritual Resolutions for the New Year

For many years, “grow in my relationship with God” was the first resolution I set after ringing in a new year. Want to hear a little confession? I don’t make...
Are We Really Special? - Blessed Is She

Are We Really Special?

We toured colleges with our son last spring. In every tour, in every talk, we heard a similar spiel: “We want to get to know you—get a sense of who...
How Counseling Has Transformed My (Spiritual) Life - Blessed Is She

How Counseling Has Transformed My (Spiritual) Life

I slipped into a quiet and empty chapel near my apartment at my absolute wits end. I’ve written about my struggles with severe PMS, endometriosis, and NFP before. But at...
St. Perpetua: An Early Model for Modern Women - Blessed Is She

St. Perpetua: An Early Model for Modern Women

The first time I heard her story, I had to lift my jaw from the floor. I had asked for an example of a holy woman of God who was...
Love of Poverty and Love of the Poor - Blessed Is She

Love of Poverty and Love of the Poor

It is not filth and hunger that make saints, nor even poverty itself, but love of poverty and love of the poor. -Thomas Merton   It is really possible to...
The Practice of Counting Daily Gratefuls - Blessed Is She

The Practice of Counting Daily Gratefuls

I was driving home from Mass one Sunday this summer. A friend suddenly was unable to attend our plans for a concert at a local church. She had double booked...
Charity is Theology - Blessed Is She

Charity is Theology

During a conversation with a soon-to-be ordained priest, he told me that he looks forward to writing homilies now that he will no longer be giving reflections in class but...