The Seven Sorrows: A Model of Suffering that 2020 Needs

Suffering refines us, as we endure it, and it refines all of humanity, as we leave it at the foot of the cross, our own small pebble added to a cairn the size of the whole world.

On Loan, On Layover [Guest Post by Annamarie Adkins]

As we raise our children, we try to remember that we are their stewards for the time being. This practice is a little more intensified when your child nears the brink of death, and is brought back to life again.

What your grandma meant by “offer it up,” and how to make your life a gift to the world

You've probably heard the phrase "offer it up" as a super-Catholic, sometimes flippant response to life's problems. If you've ever wondered what it actually means, this is the post for you.

How to manage your special needs grief (without letting it own you)

A couple months ago an unexpected wave of special needs grief hit me like a ton of bricks during Mass. Here's why, and here's what I did about it.

To love these days like any other

Staring into the abyss without clinging tightly to the hand of God is a dangerous game. He's calling me back to his side now. Take my hand, dear daughter. It's time to cling again.

And so, we deepen

I believe now, in my bones, that God is in control and will order all these scary moments into a beautiful whole, someday.

Don't I? I think I do. Right?

Immunity

In asking us to willingly choose a cross and do work, God does not promise us any immunity from failure or from other suffering. 

Emotional suffering requires love

Emotional suffering is the true epidemic of our times. A hospital in Bronx offers a revolutionary, simple solution: love.

To my brothers and sisters in the trenches

Welcome, new readers! This blog has grown a lot in the last two weeks, and I am really, really grateful that you are here, however you found your way. Many of you have chimed in with wonderful, supportive comments, and I am so glad to know that you have identified pieces of yourself in pieces…