O most holy Angel of God, appointed by Him to be my guardian, I give thee thanks for all the benefits which thou hast ever bestowed on me in body and in soul. … More Prayer to Our Guardian Angel
For me, taking part in seasonal traditions—from celebrating Halloween with my grandchildren to freshening the flowers on our family tombs—reminds me that joy and grief can coexist in my life. … More When the North Wind Blows
That’s what the evil one wants.
Despair.
He wants you to think where you went wrong.
Blame yourself – what a bad parent you are.
He wants you to think there is nothing else, no way out.
Remember he is the father of lies and the accuser.
Don’t listen to him. … More When You Lose Children to the World
After Nancy left, the silence was deafening. I sharply felt the absence of Ralph in every silent moment. I turned on the television or music to stop from hearing the silence. To this day, more than two years since God took Ralph, I still haven’t fully recovered the joy of silence. … More When the Silence is Deafening, How Can You Pray?
In writing about this experience, I realized that I was also being taught about the absolute perfection of God’s timing. Even in grief, we can still have peace that there is perfection in His timing and perfection in His purpose for each human being, whether they go to Him before they are born or sometime afterward. … More Unexpected Grace: Lessons I Learned in Miscarriage
A flower. A levee. A stable full of straw. God does not require elaborate settings or polished prayers. He requires only an open heart — and sometimes, He sends someone to help us open it. … More She Caught Up With Me: A Guided Meditation on Grief, Mary, and the God Who Waits
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me. … More Anima Christi Prayer
But after that moment of surrender, something changed. My prayer life became something new, something deeper and more meaningful. In the past, when I heard people say they had a devotion to Our Lady, I secretly wished I also did. … More The Dance of Surrender: Finding Christ in Eucharistic Prayer After Loss
This experience of praying for indulgences for my mom brought me closer to God and to the souls in purgatory. … More My Mother, My Intercessor
Say not: Why disclose all my wants to God, since He already sees and knows them better than I do? Yes, He knows them; but He acts as if He did not know the needs about which you do not speak to Him and for which you do not seek His aid. … More A Method of Conversing Continually and Lovingly with God