Dig Deeper into this Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 9:30–37
This time of year is particularly rough for me, spiritually and emotionally.
As the calendar inches toward October, a season of holiday planning and preparation for many, I find myself bracing for the emotional challenges that lie ahead. [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 8:27–35
Every Sunday after Mass, my husband and I join my parents for breakfast at a Connecticut diner—the restaurant known for its giant cow on the roof. It's not our style of decor, but boy, do we love the eggs and coffee! [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read John 6:24–35
Hunger pangs. We’ve all felt them. At one point or another, we’ve all been that girl sitting in the middle of a meeting or a test, embarrassed and red-faced because those loud, obnoxious growling noises aren’t somebody’s pet chihuahua hiding under the table. [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read John 6:1–15
I don’t like to sit down, because I can’t control life if I am sitting. I can’t fold the laundry, make dinner, or write the next masterpiece. I can’t be praised for something well done because nothing has been done. [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 6:30–34
It’s summer! And so we must be sipping iced tea, having manicured nails in lovely shades of pink, achieving a perfect golden bronze tan. We must also be watching sunsets, anticipating our family vacation to the Cape, eating ice cream while maintaining the ideal figure, [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 6:7–13
Chances are I would not have been among the apostles sent on their first missionary trip that we read about in this Sunday’s gospel. And if I had, well, I probably would have taken Jesus aside for a quick follow-up conversation regarding His “know before you go” instructions. [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 4:35–41
Nothing inspires an instant response of gratitude in me more than immersing myself in God’s creation. Basking in His glory comes easy to me when wandering in a field of wildflowers, enjoying the shade of a tree, or savoring the radiant hues of a sunset. [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 4:26–34
I was a co-catechist for first graders twelve years ago with my friend Kathy. We had our boys in our class, and after that experience, I never taught my kid again. We can save that story for another blog—or family therapy. [...]
I’ve heard it said that the sentence “Do not fear” is found in the Bible 365 times. While I can’t quite narrow down a credible source for that, I can confidently say that it appears enough within Scripture to warrant the claim that God knows His children and the emphasis that we place on our fear. [...]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read John 20:19–31
In 2008, evangelical speaker and writer Angie Smith found out that her fourth baby would not survive more than a couple of hours outside of her womb. She began blogging about her experience, and two years later, amid my conversion, [...]
