It's so easy in this world to become jaded and think that everything is going to the dogs. The news makes us think that people are becoming worse and worse. Then you read about someone like March's featured lady, Laura, and you feel renewed in your faith in humanity. Laura runs the website Healing Heart of Jesus and she's a good woman out there doing good things. Her website is all about spreading the beautiful message about Christ's Most Sacred Heart. Laura wants people to understand Christ's mercy and His healing love. I highly encourage you to check her out through all the social media platforms. You can find her on X, Instagram, and Pinterest. Laura lives in Texas with her husband, John. She is a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, which is a beautiful witness to her devotion to Christ. I'm so happy to share her answers with you.

‍1. Are you a cradle Catholic or convert? If a convert, where did you convert from?

‍I am a cradle Catholic. I am very grateful to have grown up in the Church. While there was a time in my life when I stopped practicing my Catholic faith, I believe it was the foundation the Church laid for me as a child which played a key role in bringing me back to my faith in God. It was the sacraments, specifically the Eucharist and Reconciliation, which allowed me to fully reunite myself with Jesus.

‍2. Who is one of your favorite saints and why?

‍It’s difficult to pick just one, but if I’d have to pick, it would be Saint Margaret Mary of Alacoque. She was an apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and worked to prove the genuineness of Jesus’ visions to her regarding the Sacred Heart. She stayed obedient to Jesus in working to spread this devotion, even after she met with much resistance. This devotion has transformed my life, as well as the lives of countless others. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is my refuge. It is where I rest when I’m fearful or anxious, when I’ve sinned and seek forgiveness, and when I am grateful and desire to praise my Lord and Savior. Saint Margaret Mary, pray for us!

‍3. Besides the Eucharist, what is your favorite part of Mass?

‍Besides the Eucharist, my favorite part of Mass is the Penitential Act, where all His children at Mass express their sorrow for their sins and trust in His great mercy that He will forgive us. I love that we express in both words and actions (when we strike our chest three times as we say, “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault”). It is a moment of acknowledgment before God and before everyone around me that I am a sinner, and I express with complete trust in His mercy that He will forgive me and make me whole again, allowing me to prepare myself to receive the Eucharist.

‍4. What is the best Catholic place you’ve visited? Where do you hope to visit?

‍One of my favorite Catholic places I’ve been to is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower in San Antonio, Texas. As a Secular Carmelite, this is of special significance to me as St. Therese of the Lisieux is one of many beloved Carmelite saints! A Catholic place which I hope to visit one day is the Vatican and attend Mass. Truth be told, however, any Catholic place where Jesus is present is my preferred and favorite place to be! I am very grateful for the Eucharistic Chapel, which is available 24/7 at the Catholic Church I attend, because I get to be at my favorite place, or my “heavenly home on earth” (as I like to call it), pretty much every day!

‍5. What’s a myth or misconception that you hear about the Catholic Faith? What’s the truth of it?

‍The main misconception which saddens me with regards to the Catholic faith is that the Catholic Church is somehow “anti-woman.” It saddens me because of how untrue this is. One should just look at the esteem and honor with which Jesus and the Church hold for Mary, the mother of God, as well as many other Doctors of the Church who are women. However, I do understand what it is like to believe this false idea, as I too once did not understand the Church’s stances on birth control, the priesthood, and other related areas, when I was not a practicing Catholic. When I came back to the faith I decided I was no longer going to rely on what other people around me were saying who hadn’t completely studied the actual teachings of the Catholic Church and would seek the truth for myself. I also constantly brought my questions and lack of understanding to prayer and asked Jesus to reveal the truth to me. He always did, although sometimes it took a while, as I wasn’t always ready at first to hear and accept the truth. What I found over time, and after completely surrendering myself to Jesus, was a compassionate, merciful Savior and a loving Church which desires to keep all of God’s children close to Jesus and guide them toward their heavenly home.

‍6. Why do you love being Catholic?

‍There are so many reasons I love being Catholic. I love that I can go to Mass anywhere in the world, participate (whether it’s being celebrated in a language I understand or not), and receive the Eucharist. I love the healing and restorative power of the Sacraments. I love the rich tradition which spans throughout the Church’s history. I love how we celebrate the saints and their devotion to Christ and ask for their prayers and intercession. I love that we honor Mary, our Blessed Mother, and she is a mother who is always there for us, we can always ask for her prayers, and she is always ready to embrace us with her love. I love how there are different holy orders with their own unique apostolates. I love how the teachings of the Church hold me accountable to living out my life as God desires (always with our eyes on Jesus and discerning how He desires we serve Him and others), and I love the many ways in which I can be reconciled to God through the Sacraments. I love that Catholicism celebrates how God created each of us in His image, lovingly and wonderfully made with a special, unique purpose in how we are to live out our love for Him. Praise God for His great love for us and may we all experience the infinite love Jesus wishes to embrace us with when we surrender all to Him and abandon ourselves into His Most Sacred Heart!