Memento Mori - Always remember you will die. I do not have any tattoos (and do not plan on ever getting one), BUT I’ve decided that if I were to get something permanently imprinted upon my body it would be this phrase. Dramatic? Perhaps a little. Morbid? Far from it. In fact, I find it [...]
“The woman’s soul is fashioned as a shelter in which other souls may unfold” (St. Edith Stein) About 1 in 5 Americans, ages 18 and older, bear the cross of a diagnosable mental illness. I am one of the adults who makes up that statistic. I have experienced first hand the weight of the cross that [...]
As a young girl (and to this day), I loved the movie The Sound of Music. I had great aspirations of being a spunky, joyful, faithful, romantic Maria, swinging my carpet bag and guitar whilst belting out “I have confidence in sunshine!” All of the songs brought me great joy, but there were some that [...]
Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.St. Catherine of Siena Imagine the scandal that would arise if Pope Francis decided, on a whim, to move the papacy from Rome to another country (say, France) and begin to indulge in a life of luxury and avarice. Then suppose that the next six popes followed suit. [...]
Saint Gemma Galgani and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton devoted their entire lives to Jesus. They show us that we must run to His mercy and unite ourselves wholly to Him.
In the words of Claire Swinarski, author of “Girl, Arise!,” “I’m a feminist for the same reason I’m bold and honest and sometimes ragey: because Jesus was all of those things. In a time when women were some of the lowest of the low, Jesus embraced them with open arms.” I could not agree more. Yet, as I sat in my English class, I was wary of the next unit we were entering into: feminist literary criticism.
The hardest part of working out for me (no matter how many times I do it) is always just getting off the couch. Once I've started the workout, I don't look back, and when it's finished I'm energized and rejuvenated. In many ways, this parallels my relationship with Confession: I desire it, I know it's [...]
When I think of Jesus, anger is the last word that comes to my mind. I’m much more comfortable talking about him in terms of love, humility, mercy, and forgiveness — but rage? That’s why I find today’s Gospel, in which John recalls the moment in the temple when Jesus becomes enraged, so unsettling. This [...]
Holy women are an incarnation of the feminine ideal; they are also a model for all Christians. Mulieris Dignitatem, No. 27 Do differences unite us or divide us? When we encounter situations and ideas that are new or unfamiliar, do we respond with openness and curiosity, or are we guarded, uncomfortable and dismissive? These are important questions [...]
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a 40-day pilgrimage toward the joy of the Resurrection. On this day, millions of Christians around the world will hear the words, “Remember that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return,” as they are marked with the dust of ashes. Ashes are a sign of pride—we are [...]
