• Personal Spirituality,  Prayer

    Showered With Roses

    “I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth. I will let fall from heaven a shower of roses.” St. Thérèse of Lisieux My love for St. Thérèse of Lisieux goes back to middle school. I heard a cool story about her in the 6th grade and immediately decided she was my girl. I chose her as my confirmation saint and the rest is history!  I read tons about her, prayed novenas, and placed in her hands so many different intentions over the years.  Since today is her feast day, I just wanted to share a quick story about a powerful role she has played in my vocation. I spent…

  • Living Abundantly,  Personal Spirituality

    New Beginnings

    See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:19 I can vividly remember the anticipation of the first day of school each year.  Even in grade school I can remember the excitement of seeing friends and classmates after a long absence. I can remember the desire to look a little different than the year before. Since I grew up going to school in polos and plaids, looking fresh meant a new haircut, fun shoes, a cool backpack, or the most awesome Lisa Frank folder (do they still make those?!), or maybe if you were lucky, growing an inch or two over the…

  • Personal Spirituality,  Prayer

    10 Reasons You Need to do a Marian Consecration

    Happy Solemnity of the Annunciation! This is the day I have done a consecration to Mary for the past several years. But what exactly is Marian consecration? It starts with Mary’s special mission.  When Jesus gave us the gift of Mary as our mother when he was on the cross, she also received a special mission to lead and form us, her spiritual children, into saints. So when you consecrate yourself to Mary, you give yourself to her in order to help her lead you closer to her son, Jesus, and thus in holiness. Fr. Michael Gaitley, author of the “33 Days to Morning Glory,” which is one version of…