WELCOME YOUR GUEST And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for… Continue reading Jesus is Coming: Welcome Your Guest
He was squirming in my arms. Typical for our time at Mass. Being three is tough and he just wanted church to be over. I held him in my arms and pulled him close, chest to chest. “What is my heart saying to your heart?” I whispered in his ear. He pulled back a bit… Continue reading A new kind of heart to heart
Life is hard. I mean rrreeeeeaaaaaallllyyyy hard at times. Would you agree? We live in a fast-paced, money-making, reputation-saving society and all this to “keep the peace” at any cost. We also live in the “culture of death” as the great St. Pope John Paul II rightfully deemed it. Broken homes, broken marriages, broken people.… Continue reading Striving for Sainthood
Loud voices echoed through the long hallway. A wail of agony heard from the front room where the congregation of residents gathered; laughter from another corner. She quickly darted across the room so as not to disturb their so-called peace. As she passed each wheelchair-bound person, she smiled and simply said, “Good morning”, ever so… Continue reading No Matter How Small
ill My heart can still feel the ache of singleness. My eyes well up with tears, and I feel the pain of what used to be. It was a long road of sadness, anger, uncertainty, and loneliness. It seemed like I was always discerning God’s will and discovering more about who I was becoming. There… Continue reading The Ache of Singleness
I love cookbooks. Cookbooks with lavish photography. Cookbooks from church or school fundraisers. Old cookbooks from Grandma Jane. Brand spanking new cookbooks. I love reading over the recipes, imagining the flavors of the foods, picturing myself testing out the new concoction, or sometimes laughing at the absurdity of serving the food to my large and… Continue reading Ditching Expectations
Having overcome a promiscuous past and knowing that I would soon be intimate with my husband for the very first time on our wedding night, I felt like I had attained success over sexual sin in my life. For the first time since becoming sexually active at the age of 13, I felt like I… Continue reading Healing My Marriage Through Natural Family Planning
Everyone has been through it…the necessity to forgive and the compulsion (or lack thereof) to ask for forgiveness. To be on either side of this spectrum is, at times, difficult. Someone does something that hurts another, one apologizes, the other forgives. Easy peasy, right? Well, what happens when one does not get an apology? What… Continue reading Strength in Forgiveness
Never Underestimate the Power of a Single Visit. Growing up with Elizabeth Ministry, I’ve heard and read those words countless times without much afterthought. It wasn’t until into my adulthood that I really started taking that sentiment to heart. After getting married, I moved 2 1/2 hours away from my hometown to join my husband… Continue reading The Power of a Single Visit
In 2006 my father-in-law, William F. Mongan, who was affectionately called Bill, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Despite being 82 years old, the family was devastated. It came on the coat-tails of Bill losing his beloved wife, Fran, who he adored. During her battle with ovarian cancer, Bill willingly took on the role… Continue reading Treasure the Moments
