Category Archives: Living on Grace

Inspiration for living the feminine genius.

The Presentation of the Lord: A Feast Spanning the Stages of Life

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by Theresa Cavicchio

“The presentation of Jesus in the temple shows him to be the firstborn Son who belongs to the Lord. With Simeon and Anna, all Israel awaits its encounter with the Savior … Jesus is recognized as the long-expected Messiah, the ‘light to the nations’ and the ‘glory of Israel,’ but also ‘a sign that is spoken against.’ The sword of sorrow predicted for Mary announces Christ’s perfect and unique oblation on the cross that will impart the salvation God had ‘prepared in the presence of all peoples’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 529).

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Miscarriage, Infertility and the Christmas Season

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by Margalita Poletunow, LPCMH

From the beginning of Advent and throughout the Christmas season, a woman facing infertility challenges or who has experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth may be filled with sadness and sorrow. At a time when all around her is brimming with excitement and joy, she may be bracing herself to swim against the waves of loneliness and a sense of emptiness. While family and friends may expect her to display the same seasonal euphoria as others around her, her heart may be aching over a desire that is unfulfilled or a baby that has died too soon.

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The Perfect Christmas Gift

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by Susan Tassone

It’s not too late to take a tip on Christmas gift-giving from two Doctors of the Church: St. Alphonsus Liguori and St. Teresa of Avila. Help a soul in purgatory reach heaven on December 25. And — marking the eight days of the Octave of Christmas — keep giving, keep helping, through January 1.

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Women and Miscarriage

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                                                                                                         Photo by Danie Franco on Unsplash

Margalita Poletunow, MA, LPC, LPCMH

From an early age, most women are dreaming of having a family one day. From the
time of their puberty, they have been told that God has designed their bodies to carry and birth a baby. Imagine years later when that woman is married, bubbling with excitement when she becomes pregnant, only to hear from her medical provider the most heartbreaking news: there is no heartbeat! You are having a miscarriage!

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Gathering Jewels: A Personal Testimony

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by Melissa

After listening to Johnnette Benkovic Williams speak about the power of testimonies on Women of Grace Live, one listener shared this personal testimony with us. Her childhood “treasure hunt” of collecting little pieces of smooth glass and keeping them in a jar foreshadowed something much deeper- where she would find her true treasure in the Catholic faith. She also wanted to thank Johnnette for being a spiritual mentor to her through her 30+ years of listening to the Women of Grace radio program.

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The Transitus of Saint Francis of Assisi: Prelude to Heavenly Glory

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by Theresa Cavicchio

The comprehensive Omnibus entitled St. Francis of Assisi: Writings and Early Biographies, published in 1973, is introduced with a statement which rings true still today, close to fifty years later: “There is something paradoxical about the fact that the Little Poor Man of Assisi, who sought only obscurity, should have become so widely known and universally loved as he is today.”

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Masses for the Living, Too!

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By Susan Tassone

Is a Mass offered for one who is still living more powerful than a Mass celebrated for that person after he or she has died? I often wondered about that, so I wrote to Father Edward McNamara, a noted Professor of Liturgy, at the Regina Apostolorum University in Rome. This is how he responded to my inquiry.

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