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The Psalm we pray today on St. Monica's feast whispers the thing she must have clung to for decades: where can I flee from your presence? If I sink to the nether world, you are present there. St. Monica knew the nether world. She watched her son Augustine sink into it, the Manichees, the concubines, the restless wandering, and she followed him, not to rescue him, because she couldn't, but because she refused to pray from a distance. She followed him from North Africa to Rome

After watching two dear friends pass away this year from painful illnesses, I am eager for the extreme joy of the Assumption of Mary! It is only the perfect Mary, Mother of God, who is granted the Grace of being spared the [potential] agony of death, and she is just Assumed into Heaven. My friends and their loved ones, also very dear friends (and the doctors, nurses, therapists, extended family, and community of friends) did everything they could to take care of these specia

Jesus’ human nature is often overshadowed by his divine nature; Jesus is the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the Savior of the World. What makes him remarkable, however, is not his ability to turn water into wine, to calm a storm, to multiply fish and loaves, or even to raise someone from the dead. Jesus truly shines in the encounters he has with humanity which highlight his emotions, relationships, and connection. We are most human in community, when we support and care for

A beautiful, young Saint who experienced sickness, family conflicts, rumors, and even the slander of her name trials that remain so prevalent in our world today. “Her faith and fervor for Jesus were evident, as she died shortly before her 24th birthday, with her final words being, “Jesos Konoronkwa” (“Jesus, I love you”).” Her motto throughout life, according to her “biographer, Father Claude Chauchetière, S.J., was: “Who will teach me the best things about God so I may follo

The first reading places us in the middle of ordinary worship, people fasting, praying, going about the rhythms of community life, when the Holy Spirit interrupts with a name. Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Not a thunderclap. Just a voice, rising out of silence, claiming two particular people for a particular work. St. Catherine of Siena knew something about that kind of interruption. She didn't seek power. She sought only to disa

The story of the Annunciation is familiar to all of us - the moment of Mary’s great YES, a visit from the angel Gabriel, the prediction of Jesus’ name Emmanuel. We take from this Scripture passage songs and prayers that shape our understanding of who Mary and Christ are. In many ways, the Annunciation is Mary’s commissioning. It is the first time we acknowledge her as the Mother of God, and the first known time she responds to God’s call for her life. "Mary of the Annunciati

One of the people I most admired growing up was my great-aunt, a Benedictine sister. She had the warmth, joy, and no-nonsense directness I have come to associate with Benedictine sisters, many of whom are or have been teachers or nurses. It’s a specific kind of aura that grows from a life of hospitality, disciplined prayer, community living, and teaching littles their times tables. This is how I imagine the original Benedictine sister, Scholastica, to be. Less known than her

When I was 13, Cecilia was a pretty popular saint to choose as a patron when Confirmation came around in the spring of eighth grade. I chose St. Cecilia because she is the patron saint of music and honestly, I did not look into her life beyond that fact. Traditionally, confirmation names are meant to inspire us to emulate the good works of the saint we choose to adopt in this way. I cannot exactly remember what I felt I wanted to imitate in the life of Cecilia, but I can only

All Saints Day is a bittersweet day for me. It is a yearly reminder of the ache that forever sits in the middle of my heart by those who...

As I crane my neck, attempting to fully take in the history and beauty around me, the light dances off the stones of Avila’s Cathedral to...

Even in her own time, I cannot imagine St. Teresa of Kolkata could fathom the tragedy of poverty in 2025. St. Teresa of Kolkata, known...

It is interesting to note that the Peruvian St. Rose was the first saint born in the Americas to be canonized, and now the first North...

Back in 2017, as my 30th birthday drew near, I remember people asking, “How do you feel ? Are you nervous about ‘getting old’?” First of...

How long did it take Mary to run to the disciples? Did she walk? What was going through her mind the whole time? I wonder if the shock of...

My family’s trip through the South Dakota Badlands and Yellowstone National Park was the first experience I had of not being proud to be...

Today’s gospel reading shows Mary’s traveling “in haste” to Judea to see her cousin, Elizabeth. I love that detail. I picture Mary, so...

In the sixth month, Gabriel (the angel) was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man called...

Saint Valentine’s Day did not begin as a Hallmark card with flowers, chocolates, long-stemmed roses, conversation hearts, and romantic...

As we reflect and remember the Feast Day of St. Lucy, I had to go back and do some research. I have always thought of St. Lucy because...

I’m writing this reflection after a recent conversation with my brother who’s left the Catholic Church. Hearing more about his personal...