-
The First Mansion, Chapter One: 4-6
Today we are reading from the First Mansion, Chapter One: Numbers 4-6. The topics will be: 4. God dwells in the center of the soul. 5. Why all souls do not receive certain favors. 6. Reasons for speaking of these favors. Today’s Sponsor: Chrism Press. Shop below with coupon code “pilgrim15” for 15% off your first…
-
Daily Reflection: 1 March 2023
We know as believers that humans are composed of body and soul. The soul is what animates the body and makes you who you are—a unique, never to be duplicated person. When God made our first parents, He created them in His image. “Let us make human beings in Our image, in Our likeness.” Genesis…
-
Daily Reflection: 28 February 2023
Whenever I get attacked in a big way, usually for my pro-life stance or for my unwavering promotion of the goodness of children, I like to run a little experiment. I take just a moment to see where the irate people are living by quickly looking at their social media page. My theory always is…
-
The First Mansion, Chapter One: 1-3
Today we are reading from the First Mansion, Chapter One: Numbers 1-3. St. Teresa will cover: The plan of this book. The Interior Castle Our culpable self-ignorance. Today’s Sponsor: Chrism Press. Shop below with coupon code “pilgrim15” for 15% off your first order. https://chrismpress.com/the-catholic-pilgrim/ …
-
Daily Reflection: 24 February 2023
“God blew into the nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. The Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east and placed there the man whom He had formed.” Genesis 2:7-8 In that moment, when God breathed into Adam, man was given a soul, thereby making him a…
-
Daily Reflection: 23 February 2023
“Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust of the ground.” Genesis 2:7 Before Lent started, I explained that I was going to read through the Garden of Eden story in Genesis this year for Lent. There are some songs by the band Arcadian Wild that lyrically match the readings in the…
-
Daily Reflection: 22 February 2023
I’ve lived in the desert twice in my life, once in Las Vegas and once out in the middle of nowhere at Edwards AFB in the Mojave. Now, you may think I liked the big, happenin’ city more, but you’d be wrong. I preferred the desert far from civilization. Stuck out away from the modern…
-
Daily Reflection: 21 February 2023
n our day and age, the secular culture cares about only one virtue—anti-hypocrisy. Now, before we continue, realize that I am NOT saying that being a hypocrite is good. Please read that sentence again. Now you may say, “Well, Amy, it’s a good thing that the culture sees hypocrisy as a bad thing.” And I…
-
Daily Reflections: 20 February 2023
Okay, a bit of a business meeting for the start of this week, Catholic Pilgrims. Lol! 1. Season Three of my podcast dropped today! We are reading St. Teresa of Avila’s book, “The Interior Castle.” See post below if you want to listen on my website. Otherwise, you can find it pretty much anywhere you…
-
Introduction to St. Teresa of Avila’s “The Interior Castle.”
Welcome to Season Three of the “Journeying with the Saints” podcast. This season will be reading through St. Teresa of Avila’s book, “The Interior Castle.” Before we dive in, I want to take this episode to introduce you to St. Teresa, how the podcast will work this season, and the preface of her book. Our…
-
Daily Reflection: 17 February 2023
Recently, Chelsea Handler, the 47-year old, not-so-funny comedian, took to national television and social media extolling the supposed “joys” of purposefully being childless. And not because she wants to give her life for others like those in the religious life. She gets to do so many things, you see, that people with children can’t do.…
-
Daily Reflection: 16 February 2023
One of the things that has traditionally held people together throughout the centuries is the understanding that community was not only good, but necessary. And three communities in particular: Country, religion, and family. It was seen as good to love your country and be united to your countrymen. People were to strive to be good…
-
Daily Reflection: 14 February 2023
Happy Valentine’s Day, Catholic Pilgrims! I know many “boo hiss” on this day because “it’s commercialized” or because you’re “not going to be forced to celebrate love” or whatever. But, this day was the start of me and my man, so it will always mean something to me. Twenty-three years ago, we officially started dating.…
-
Week 59 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
Today, we finish Season Two with our last reading from Bishop Fulton Sheen’s book, “Way to Inner Peace.” Thank you, Catholic Pilgrims, for following along this year as we’ve explored the writings of Bishop Fulton Sheen. I think our last reading really encompasses all that we’ve learned. In a world that has, in many ways,…
-
Daily Reflection: 12 February 2023
In the world we live in, vice is glorified and true virtue is scorned. Today in our Gospel reading from Matthew, Christ speaks of the laws and takes them up a notch. He takes the well-known laws and fulfills them by attaching a virtue to it. Control your angry. Don’t lust. Be contrite and forgiving.…
-
Daily Reflection: 9 February 2023
When we lived in Turkey, my family experienced a 7.0 earthquake that lasted nearly 45 seconds, which in earthquake time is an eternity. It’s long enough to say an “Our Father,” I can tell you that. Once the shaking stopped, my kids and I ran barefoot out of our building, flying down the 15 floors…
-
Daily Reflection: 8 February 2023
In my freshman year of college, I reconnected with my childhood friend. We hadn’t seen each other since I was like seven, so we had some catching up to do. She was very steeped in her Christian Faith and I was not. However, she invited me to a Bible study at her house and I…
-
Daily Reflection: 7 February 2023
When your birthday is in the winter, you just have to brave the cold if you wanna do anything. Lol. Last week was my birthday, but my husband was gone for work and so we celebrated this past weekend. He took me to Cumberland, Maryland, a town we’ve breezed through several times on our long…
-
Daily Reflection: 6 February 2023
One of the hardest things for us to accept, as humans, is our fragility and mortality. Sickness is something that comes to us all in one form or another. It is a consequence of a fallen world. It is difficult sometimes to accept that our bodies age, they wear down, and at some point along…
-
Week 58 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This is our second to last reading! This week we are reading the 58th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Easter is the end-all and be-all of our Christian Faith. I have met a few people in my life who deny the Resurrection of Christ while calling themselves a Christian. But, to be a Christian,…
-
Daily Reflection: 5 February 2023
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” What does that mean exactly, to be the light of the world? I think a lot of us would answer, “Shine bright, like Jesus.” And, yes, that’s true…but give me more. I’ll probably then get, “Be a good person.” That is my least favorite answer. I…
-
Daily Reflection: 3 February 2023
In our Gospel reading today from Mark 6:14-29, you almost—almost—feel a bit sorry for King Herod. Why would I say that? Well, because he does something we’ve all done—he gives into peer pressure even when it’s not really what he wants to do. Herod, though, he was surely prideful, crude, immoral, and jealous, “liked to…
-
Daily Reflection: 2 February 2023
Any truly important gift comes at a price. If it means anything to us, it will cause us pain in someway. The pain of love sounds like a contradiction that we should want to avoid. If a special heirloom is lost or broken, we will desperately search for it or try to repair it. The…
-
Daily Reflection: 1 February 2023
One of my parent mottos when it comes to discipline is, “I will outlast you.” It sounds maybe harsh and competitive to some; maybe funny to others. I knew when my children were little that if I didn’t discipline them, it would set them up for failure later in life. In fact, I knew if…
-
Daily Reflection: 30 January 2023
One of the biggest fears plaguing people in our society is the fear of never being seen. People are desperate to make some kind of mark, anything really, in order to be known. Sadly, they will do just about anything to get attention. Much of this comes from not giving people faith in God or…
-
Week 57 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
Only two more readings after this one. This week we are reading the 57th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Today we are going to be talking about reason. Reason seems in short supply these days. Every once in awhile, someone shows up on my social media pages that struggles to accept truth and doesn’t…
-
Daily Reflection: 29 January 2023
Many years ago, my husband had a close family member pass away very unexpectedly. At one point, before the funeral, my husband met with the priest and he gave some amazing advice. He told my husband that whenever a loved one passes away, part of our grief comes from feeling like they aren’t close anymore.…
-
Daily Reflection: 27 January 2023
I’ve told this story before, but it begs a repeat. The summer before we moved from Turkey, my husband’s squadron chaplain hosted a mini-pilgrimage to Istanbul to see some of the Christian sites and to meet the Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church. It was an extremely memorable trip, but the most memorable part to…
-
Daily Reflection: 26 January 2023
A lot of people think that because I’m originally from Kansas, I’m naturally a good farmer. I once worked for some high-powered attorneys that had a farm. When they found out I was from Kansas, they decided that I should take a few days out of the week and go work their farm. When I…
-
Daily Reflection: 25 January 2023
It is common today to declare that one “is a mess.” I see this all the time with Christian writers. Time and time again, I see people extolling the supposed virtue of declaring oneself a “hot mess.” In fact, if someone tries to push back a bit from the messaging of “everyone’s a mess,” you’ll…
-
Daily Reflection: 24 January 2023
Driving home from my dad’s after Christmas, my family stopped in St. Louis to stretch our legs and see some sights. As we were driving downtown, we stopped at a stoplight. I looked to my right and saw this mosaic over the door. It took a second to register, but as we drove off, I…
-
Daily Reflection: 23 January 2023
In ten years of writing on social media, I’ve encountered hateful comments. It’s to be expected, there’s a lot of lost, angry people in the world. The hateful comments never dissuade me, truth has to still be said. The most hate-filled comments I receive always come when I talk about my pro-life stance. Some of…
-
Week 56 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
Only four more readings from Bishop Sheen! This week we are reading the 56th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” One of my biggest faults is that I allow my moods to control me sometimes. I have gotten better, because I have learned from my husband to “fix my face.” If our kids are being…
-
Daily Reflection: 22 January 2023
We don’t get to make up our own version of Christianity. It’s not our right. I mean, people do it, obviously, but it’s not a prerogative that Jesus gave us. Mr. Christian over here says one thing about a matter of the faith and that “the Holy Spirit guided him.” Mrs. Christian over there contradicts…
-
Daily Reflection: 17 January 2023
I often see negative comments from people on marriage posts that say something like, “Ugh, being with the same person for life would be so boring.” I always wanna comment back, “Oh, so then you are boring, as well? Or are you the Dos Equis man?” In essence, what that person is saying is that…
-
Week 55 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading from the 55th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” We only have five more times together reading from Bishop Sheen’s book. I always get a little sad when we come to the end of our time with a book. But, it’s not the end yet. Our topic today is on…
-
Week 54 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 54th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” One of the questions I get asked pretty frequently on my social media pages is, “Why is God allowing us to go through all these dark times?” I know how they feel, because in my own life, in a very personal way,…
-
Week 53 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 53rd number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Our topic is inner nakedness. It seems that we spend more time focused on how we look externally than working on our interior. But, does the state of our soul manifest itself on the external? I think so and Bishop Sheen is…
-
Week 52 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 52nd number from “Way to Inner Peace.” There’s the famous story in the Bible about Martha and Mary. Well, I’m a Martha. I’m the one who can never sit still and just be at rest. What we see in that story is the blending of faith and works. In…
-
Week 51 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week, we are reading from the 51st number from “Way to Inner Peace.” This will be our last reading from the “You” section; next week we start the final section which is titled, “Faith.” Our readings this week are probably the hardest so far, at least I think so. Don’t let it scare you…
-
Week 50 with Venerable Bishop Sheen
This week we are reading the 50th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” I have learned a ton from Bishop Sheen and I’ve also learned a ton of vocabulary words from him. Do you know what the word palimpsests mean? I sure didn’t. But, Bishop Sheen uses it and I needed to understand its meaning…
-
Week 49 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 49th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” We only have ten more readings to go in our book. I share with you what is up for Season Three. This week’s topic, though, is on how character is made. Good and bad character is made by how we respond to…
-
Week 48 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading from the 48th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” I know I’ve said this before, but this week’s reading might be my favorite. The topic this week is on how the world scorns the virtues. I know what it’s like to look at virtue and look down on those that…
-
Week 47 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading from the 47th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” This is going to be a fun topic to read about and discuss. It’s all about the differences between men and women and how these differences are really complimentary. We live in a climate and culture that tells us that there…
-
Week 46 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 46th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” We are entering into the last section of the book which is titled, “You.” Our topic today is on pleasures. Think about what are your favorite pleasures. Some of my favorite pleasures are: Music, homemade desserts, spending time with my family, and…
-
Can You Define What a Table Is? Well, Can Ya?
The other day, I saw a meme created by Young America’s Foundation that quoted Ben Shapiro. It said, “Men cannot become women. Women cannot become men. Men who believe they are women are not real women.” I commented, “Still baffling that this has to be underscored.” Cue the dissenter. A man showed up that was…
-
Week 45 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 45th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” This is our last reading in the “Wisdom” section. Next week we move into the “You” section. The topic is on silence. We don’t like to think too much about silence or talk about it. It makes us very uncomfortable. Bishop Sheen…
-
Week 44 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading from the 44th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Do you have an open mind? I think most people would say that they do and that other people don’t. Bishop Sheen teaches us that there is a good way to have an open mind and there is a bad way…
-
Week 43 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading from the 43rd number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Do you want to know how to deal with people that differ from you? It’s so difficult to deal with people that aren’t in line with our way of thinking. Our society feels very contentious with all the divisions in politics…
-
Week 42 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading from the 42nd number from “Way to Inner Peace.” We get to talk about one of my favorite topics to discuss. It causes a lot of controversy when I bring it up on my social media platforms. It’s the topic of judgment. It’s such an interesting topic to talk about…
-
Halloween: To Celebrate or Not? That Is the Question.
When I was a kid, October was one of my favorite times of year. My dad incorporated all kinds of fun traditions for me and my siblings. He would hand-draw a Halloween calendar for me to mark off each day. Together, we scoured the Sunday newspaper TV guide looking for Halloween shows to watch like…
-
Week 41 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading from the 41st number from “Way to Inner Peace.” This week’s reading is dense. As we read through it together, we are just going to talk about it on the other end. I would encourage you to give it a second reading as I think it will give you a…
-
Is A Good Prayer Life Just a Pipe Dream?
“How do you have a good prayer life?” I’ve been asked this question numerous times over the years. To be clear, I’m not a perfect prayer life guru. I’ve had moments in my life where I never prayed, moments where I’ve been hitting on all cylinders, and everywhere in between. I know I’m not alone.…
-
Week 40 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 40th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Our topic is patience and I’m not sure I’m the best gal for reflections on this topic as I’m fairly certain I’m one of the most impatient people on the planet. I thought I’d give a funny story–funny story now–on a time…
-
How To Have A Good Relationship With Your Teen
I was asked a few weeks ago to blog on the topic of having a good relationship with your teenager. I’m certainly no expert, but I’ve given this topic a lot of brain activity over the past few weeks. I currently have a 21-year old, a 17-year old and an eight-year old. I would say–and…
-
Week 39 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading from the 39th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Our topic is the sensitiveness of the innocent. I think a lot of times when we hear the word innocent we think of children or happy little lambs. It has a negative connotation when the word is attached to an adult.…
-
Week 38 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading from the 38th number in “Way to Inner Peace.” We are leaving the learning section and moving into the wisdom section. Today’s topic is called, “Stick Out Your Tongue.” You may be wondering what in this world this may be about. It’s all about our voice and the way we…
-
A Catholic Pilgrim Traveling to the Franciscan Monastery in Washington DC
Any Catholic Pilgrim visiting the DC area should make time to tour the Franciscan Monastery located there. Take time to enjoy the expansive grounds and the church is worth a self-guided or guided tour.…
-
Week 37 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 37th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” This is the last section on learning and next week we move into the wisdom section. Our topic is on memory–a favorite topic of mine. I’m one of those people that likes to think back to the past, draw up old memories;…
-
Why We Aren’t All Like St. Mother Teresa
When Mother Teresa died, I was not Catholic. In fact, I was a Protestant on life-support, meaning that I was barely, and I mean barely, eeking out a faith life. I remember, though, exactly where I was the day she died. I was in my college dorm room just starting out on my freshman year.…
-
Week 36 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading from the 36th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” There are two kinds of truth: Speculative and Practical. Speculative truth is not exceptionally hard for us to accept, e.g. the ocean is salty. Though this kind of truth is increasingly being denied. Practical truth is harder for us to accept…
-
Week 35 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 35th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” When I was younger, I wanted to be like Cinderella. She was always so kind, gentle, and humble. I knew that I tended to be snarky and prideful. I tried so hard to be more like her and I lasted about a…
-
Week 34 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 34th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” We will be discussing age. I find it a very interesting topic because no matter what age you are, everybody seems a little worried about growing older. What will our lives look like at 90? I think most people kind of think…
-
Week 33 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 33rd number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Bishop Sheen says people don’t really have an inferiority complex. “An inferiority complex would be more properly called a superiority complex.” Bishop Sheen is going to talk about how there “is a right and a wrong kind of superiority.” Sainthood and moral…
-
Week 32 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 32nd number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Bishop Sheen says that we “carry our faults in sacks behind our backs and the faults of of our neighbors in open baskets in front of us.” You’re going to hear an incredible story from Bishop Sheen during this episode. It demonstrates…
-
Week 31 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 31st number from “Way to Inner Peace.” This week’s topic is probably going to be one of the most fun topics to discuss, as far as I can tell. I have loved reading since I was a little girl. My mom would often take me to the library and…
-
Week 30 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 30th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” This is probably my favorite reading so far. It covers a topic I have written about many times–facing ourselves and who we have become. Nobody likes to look at themselves and face their spiritual mirror but it is vitally important to do…
-
Week 29 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading from the 29th number in “Way to Inner Peace.” We are talking about the obtrusiveness of evil from the learning section. You may be wondering what evil has to do with learning. We have to learn that we truly are in a spiritual battle between good and evil. We have…
-
Week 28 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 28th number in our new section on learning. I think this is the longest section. The topic this week is on pride and humility and it’s so awesome that it’s hitting right now at this particular time in my life. I’ve been recently been posting about hot-button topics on…
-
GUEST POST: Public Policy and Catholic Principles in a Post-Roe World
This is a guest post from a friend of mine who is a lawyer and a devout Catholic. He wrote this awhile back with the hopes of helping Catholics explain why abortion should be prohibited. He mentioned to me that the key to ultimately winning the culture over with regards to abortion is to first…
-
Week 27 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 27th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” This is the last reading from our section on virtue. Our topic is on wars–internal and external. This is a very dense reading this week. I encourage you to take some time and read it through on your own and meditate on…
-
Week 26 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This is the half-way point in the year! Congratulations! So, today, we are going to be talking about how religion is not popular. We must remember that this was written in the 1950s when most people would identify themselves as Christians. We just got a new study out that shows that belief in God has…
-
Week 25 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 25th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Can you believe that we only have one more week to go before we are at the half-way point? We are covering this week when good people do wrong. We will also be talking about when evil people do evil. If you…
-
Week 24 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 24th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Insincerity is our topic and as I was going through the readings there were parts where I literally laughed out loud. He’s so spot on. It’s funny when he talks about the “lighter” times when we are being insincere. I think married…
-
Week 23 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 23rd number from “Way to Inner Peace.” We are entering into the section on virtues and the first virtue we are going to discuss is selflessness. I think all human beings can say that they have struggled with the opposite of this virtue. I don’t think there is any…
-
Week 22 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 22nd number from “Way to Inner Peace.” This is the last reading from the section on external influences. We will move into a section on virtues. The reading is a little different this week and I wasn’t quite sure to approach it. I think I came up with a…
-
Week 21 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 21st number from “Way to Inner Peace. Bishop Sheen will be talking about passion. As a person who gets told that I am a very passionate, I appreciate this reading. It’s not bad to be passionate about things, as long as it’s ordered correctly. It’s okay to be passionate about…
-
Week 20 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 20th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” The topic is very interesting this week and when I first saw it, I was very curious as to what exactly we would be learning about. It’s called “Bread and Kings” and at first you may wonder what in the world those…
-
Week 19 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 19th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” We enter into a new section this week, one that covers external influences. Our readings this week cover the conscious and unconscious influences. Typically, conscious influence is when one deliberately seeks to mould someone else. It rarely works because it often comes…
-
Week 18 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 18th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” This is the last reading in the happiness section. Bishop Sheen is going to show us how many of us react when we are faced with the reality that we are to blame, many times, if our life isn’t going well. Often…
-
Week 17 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 17th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Melancholy is the topic we will focus on and it’s important that we understand what it means exactly. It’s more than just a little sadness; it’s actually a deep, prolonged depression. Bishop Sheen is going to throw out some names from the…
-
Week 16 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 16th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Bishop Sheen is going to talk about the reasons why mental cases are increasing in our modern world. Though he wrote this some 60+ years ago, it is as pertinent today as it ever was. It is important that we ask questions…
-
Week 15 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 15th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” This week is all about our moods and dispositions. Do you have a pessimistic attitude or an optimistic one? I tend towards pessimism and it’s something that I have to constantly check myself on. As Bishop Sheens teaches, too often our moods…
-
Week 14 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 14th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” We will be talking about the mystery of suffering and it’s probably one of the central reasons why people leave the faith or never come into the faith. People can’t understand why God would allow any kind of suffering and we have…
-
Week 13 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 13th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” We are moving out the section titled: Goodness. We are now moving into the section titled: Happiness. Our topic for this week covers joy and sadness. As I read through this week’s reading, I felt it was describing a very dark time…
-
Week 12 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 12th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Our topic for this week is on hospitality. This week gave me all the feels because it made me reminisce on my time in Turkey. In Turkey, I experienced hospitality like I’ve never known and it’s something that I greatly miss from…
-
Week 11 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 11th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Our topic for this week is about restoring stolen goods and Bishop Sheen is going to tell us the great story of Zacchaeus. It’s very easy to look at rich people and judge them for having too much and being greedy. However,…
-
Week 10 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 10th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” This week we will focus on the parable of the Prodigal Son from the Gospel of Luke. The focus will be on the elder son in the story. While he did everything right, yet he had no joy in his heart. He…
-
Week 9 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 9th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Bishop Sheen is going to talk about one of our most beloved parables from the Gospel of Luke–the Good Samaritan. As a kid, I had a Little Golden Book about the Good Samaritan. It was a story I could understand, even as…
-
Week 8 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 8th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” This week’s topic is all about how perfection is not automatic. There’s no pill we can take; no quick fix that will produce perfection within us. No, it takes a willingness to attain the ideal us–the person God created us to be.…
-
When They Seek To Divide Us
Yesterday, I went to the post office to mail a few packages. My local post office is tiny and always blazing hot, so if there is a line most people wait outside. When I walked up, an older man was standing there waiting his turn. After waiting for awhile, he turned to me and said,…
-
Week 7 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 7th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” We are moving into a new section entitled “Goodness.” Today, Bishop Sheen is going to explain why we don’t really hear goodness publicized. It’s part of the human condition to gravitate towards hearing about the bad things that happen in people’s lives. …
-
The Humble Beginnings of a Married Life
I was married at twenty-two which for many, in this day and age, seems wildly young. Not only did I marry young, but when my husband and I married, we were already parents. It basically went something like this: I graduated from college, took off my cap and gown, got into a hospital gown to…
-
Week 6 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 6th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” We are going to be talking about desire and more specifically, contentment. Bishop Sheen is going to dive into what contentment really is and what it isn’t. Understanding this is very key to gaining inner peace. Three things to keep in mind:…
-
It’s Okay to Examine Our Country
For anything to be truly healthy, it must be “checked” over from time-to-time. As we learn from science, “things tend towards disorder” and, therefore, need constant maintenance and evaluation. For our souls to be healthy, we need to examine our consciences in order to confess our sins and be forgiven of them. For our bodies…
-
Week 5 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the 5th number from “Way to Inner Peace.” The focus is on humility. We have to be honest with ourselves about who we truly are. We can’t fool ourselves in thinking that we have barely any faults or that it’s everyone else that needs to change. We cannot have inner…
-
Are We More Than Just Clumps of Cells?
Years ago, an atheist friend of mine was arguing with me over the existence of God. Our discussion covered many branches of the topic. At one point, she stated that human beings are nothing more than a collection of cells and chemical reactions. “We love only because of dopamine hormones.” “We do things only to…
-
Week 4 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the fourth number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Bishop Sheen talks about how there is more access to knowledge than ever before but there is a denial of truth. We must be seekers of truth in order to have unity in our lives. When we deny the truth, chaos and…
-
Take Things Back Little by Little
Within the past 10 years, I’ve heard a lot of people comment, “How did we get to this point?” We all look around and things look…well…bleak. Nothing seems healthy or thriving–not people, not families, not institutions, not countries. To be fair, we all can have a bit of a romantic view of the past seeing…
-
Week 3 with Venerable Fulton Sheen
This week we are reading the third number from “Way to Inner Peace.” Bishop Sheen talks about having faithfulness in the little things of life. For in all honesty, our lives are made of little moments, little details with a few big moments thrown in. We may be apt to think that little things are…