“This too shall pass,” my mother says to me, her anxious daughter, for the thousandth time in my life. I know that I am not alone in my dislike (perhaps even fear) of change, my desire to always have a plan, the comfort of having control over situations. I suppose that is, in part, where [...]
Weathering the Storm
The past two weeks have been full of changes, and yet through it all, the my school community remains positive, hopeful, trusting - not in a naive way, but with eyes of faith. Questions that teens often ask include, "where is God in the midst of suffering?" and "why does God allow bad things to [...]
Making Space for the Virtue of Hospitality
It was a hot August day. In a few days, I’d be moving over an hour away from the town I grew up in so as to begin a new teaching job. Trying to eke out every last minute of summer and the close proximity to my friends, I texted Julia, “hey, are you around?” [...]
Service During COVID-19
A tweet recently went viral that said, “Honestly hadn’t planned on giving up quite this much for Lent.” It’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately, the timing of COVID-19, right in the middle of Lent, in which millions of people suddenly find themselves giving things up — whether they wanted to or not. [...]
Saying Sorry 101
We’re all called to forgive people, regardless of whether or not they’ve apologized sincerely, or even at all. When someone hurts me, a sincere apology goes a long way. It tends to melt my heart quickly, expeditating my ability to forgive that person. And yet *sigh,* when it comes time for me to apologize to [...]
What’s Wrong With Saying “Too Blessed to be Stressed” & Other Thoughts on Anxiety
Anxiety can be a heavy subject. But somehow, GIFs make everything feel a little more light. So here’s a serious article about anxiety and some tips on how to manage it, with a lot of GIFs to make it a little happier. The phrase ‘Too Blessed to Be Stressed” honestly makes me want to punch [...]
5 New Saints for Our Church
Have you heard? The Church has five new Saints, four of whom are women (#FeminineGenius, amiright?)! On October 13, 2019, in St. Peter’s Square, at a Mass with over 50,000 attendees, Pope Francis declared Sister Dulce Lopes Pontes, Mariam Thresia Chiramel Mankidiyan, Cardinal John Henry Newman, Margurite Bays, and Giuseppina Vannini saints. Ok but before [...]
Who’s the Gospel Really For?
If someone were to ask me, “who is the Gospel for,” I’d tell you the Gospel is for the skeptic, the orphan, the lonely; I’d tell you the Gospel is for the people who are stumbling, running, or limping, down the road to Heaven; it’s for the young, the old, it’s for sinful people who [...]
Privilege in the Body of Christ
What I’m about to write about is hard, for many reasons. Many people will have varying ideas about what privilege is, what privileges do or do not exist, what I should or should not mention in this article. Some of you will read this and be left unsatisfied, perhaps even angry. I know that even [...]
St. Augustine’s Analogy for Understanding the Trinity
“Do you have any questions I can answer for you before your Confirmation?” This is the standard question I ask my sophomores in high school to conclude their Confirmation interview. Typically, I get a quick “Nope, I don’t think so,” or “What time is rehearsal again?” But the young man sitting before me looked up [...]