Holiness has a history of hiding in stones, In children and stars And fiery bushes turned sacred ground. Great graces disguised In plain clothes So that we might not forget His nearness. That we might remember Even in the expanse Of His seeming stillness, His mercies are a constellation Surrounding us And piercing us with light.

Mary and Jesus by Bernadette Carstensen

Proceeds go to Little Flower Showers, a ministry supporting women in crisis pregnancies.  

If we are His body Of course our muscles will Ache in our holy pursuits. We will suffer fatigue and strain But we will also glory in cooperation, Triumph in our living and moving as one— All limbs and systems in fluid rhythm, A murmuration of starlings Rising and falling together.

"People walked into a downtown bar, down a flight of steps, and into the heartbeat of the Church.”

I wrote a piece for Blessed Is She about how sharing in others' suffering and grief expands our capacity for love. I hope it's an encouraging thought for those confronting heavy hurt.

A favorite verse and quote from Pope Saint John Paul II for reflection

To reform. Every day a little. This has to be your constant task if you really want to become a saint.⠀

—Saint Josemaría Escrivá⠀

                                                                                                  Blessed Is She

I will leave behind the ninety-nine Oh that you’d be mine.

“Because there’s no place that celebrates and honors women more beautifully than the Church! Thanking God today for the incredible beauty of the crown of His creation: woman. And asking for the intercession from these powerhouse women in heaven! May they help us reach our heavenly home!” —Finding Philothea

You came running down my prodigal road. You came running with a ring and a robe. Grace is the collision on the way back home,  With the arms of a Father who won’t let go.

Jonathan David and Melissa Helser, “Abba”

The vocation of woman is to establish sanctuaries of love and life amidst the shattering reverberations of the world’s darker inclinations.

Saint Pope John Paul II

Mary Oliver

The one perfectly divine thing, the one glimpse of God's paradise given on earth, is to fight a losing battle–and not lose it.

G. K. Chesterton

Father Kyle Schnippel told parishioners, “I’m going away for an important evangelization project.”

Watch Fr. Schnippel compete when season three of The Great American Baking Show premieres tonight!

From Mary we learn to surrender to God's Will in all things. From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone. From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the Son of God! ⠀ ⠀ // Pope Saint John Paul II⠀

blessedisshe

Madonna in prayer by Sassoferrato, 1652 (detail)