Category: Difficult Emotions

Tears in the Pews: The Grief We Carry Into Mass

September 10, 2026

If heaven truly joins earth at every Mass, if angels surround the altar, if the saints worship with us, and if Christ becomes truly present in the Holy Eucharist, then how could a grieving parent not be moved to tears? When our hearts ache for those we love most, the Mass becomes the closest place on earth to heaven. It is where longing and hope meet. Perhaps that is why so many of us find ourselves weeping in the pews. … More Tears in the Pews: The Grief We Carry Into Mass

An Easter People: Carrying the Joy and Hope of the Resurrection Through All of Life’s Challenges

July 9, 2026

For the Christian, there is no need to separate the grief from the joy. The same hands can hold both joy and grief simultaneously. That is what it means to be, as John Paul II said, “an Easter people”. But he didn’t say that famous line during Easter. He said it in a papal address in November. Easter is not limited to a day or even a Church season. There is no “this, then that,” or suffering then not suffering. But there is always hope in suffering because the Messiah suffered, too.  … More An Easter People: Carrying the Joy and Hope of the Resurrection Through All of Life’s Challenges

Nurturing Without Children: Finding Fulfillment in Caretaking

June 11, 2026

Sometimes, being childless just seems to come about by happenstance. While desiring to get married, many people have simply not found a soul mate to share the rest of their lives with; they thus live a life of celibacy in accordance with their moral and religious beliefs and are consequently childless. They still retain the ingrained instinct of nurturing which will need to be expressed in ways other than actual childrearing. … More Nurturing Without Children: Finding Fulfillment in Caretaking

Your Tears Are Precious to God: Weeping and the Comfort of Community

June 11, 2026

God appreciates our tearful prayers, because they mean we’re being honest with Him and with ourselves. Such prayers come from a passion deep within. Not only are they offerings of grief, like precious diamonds for God, but they are also an act of surrender. … More Your Tears Are Precious to God: Weeping and the Comfort of Community