Spiritual Motherhood Abounds at St. Rita’s!

St. Rita Catholic Church Lenten Women of Grace Commencement

St. Rita Catholic Church Lenten Women of Grace Commencement

On the evening of February 9, 2015, St. Rita Catholic Church in Alexandria, Louisiana gathered 110 women who have committed to the journey of a Lenten Women of Grace® study program. These women are inspired by the life of St. Rita, a woman who well interpreted the “feminine genius” espoused in the study, by living it intensely in day-to-day life and particularly in her gift of spiritual motherhood. The Women of Grace study program is their path to a deeper understanding of their God-given, unique feminine gifts, and the discovery of their particular role in bringing Jesus Christ to the world. Read the rest…

Remembering Helen Hull Hitchcock, ‘a true daughter of God’

HHHrgb1This week, the EWTN family pays tribute to Helen Hull Hitchcock, a true daughter of God and defender of Catholic faith and family.  She was a pioneer in the renewal of the sacred liturgy and reclaiming women’s authentic role in the Church.

In October of 2003,  I had the great privilege of interviewing her about Pope John Paul II’s then new encyclical Ecclesia Dei, which sought to correct many of the liturgical abuses that were taking place at that time.  You can watch our interview here. Read the rest…

Highlights from the Catholic Radio Conference

Being a part of Catholic Radio is a gift I could have never have imagined.  It is the fulfillment of a call that God placed on my heart many years ago.

headerOne of the highlights of my year is attending the Catholic Radio Conference, sponsored by EWTN and the Catholic Radio Association, and held each year in Birmingham, Alabama.  It is a beautiful time of fellowship with the men and women who have also been called to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ through the airways. Read the rest…

Women of Grace Takes Lafayette by Storm!

We are always thrilled to hear the many wonderful things happening with Women of Grace® across the country.

Recently, the region of Lafayette has come in like a hurricane.  Regional Coordinator, Brenda Dooley, invited us to give a Facilitator Training day during Johnnette’s recent participation in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of New Orleans, Holy Spirit Women’s Retreat. Read the rest…

Advent Week Four: A Time for Sharing, A Time for Caring

divine intimacyOne of my favorite books for Lectio-Divina (see Week One of the Advent Study) is Divine Intimacy, by Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene.

This book provides meditations on the interior life for every day of the liturgical year. I have found it to be very efficacious.

One of the meditations offered by Father Gabriel for the fourth week of Advent is entitled, The Call to the Apostolate.

In it, he offers an insightful perspective of the Christian call to evangelization based on the words of St. John the Baptist, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord” (Luke 3: 4). In the end, he tells us that “Jesus has need of us.” When I read these words, they infused me with zeal.

Because I found this meditation so spiritually benefiicial, today I’d like to share with you what Father Gabriel presents.  Read the rest…

Advent Week Three: A Time for Charity, A Time for Love, Part IV

stk99581corSt. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (St. Edith Stein) wrote, “On the question of relation to our fellow men — our neighbor’s spiritual need transcends every commandment. Everything else we do is a means to an end. But love is an end already, since God is love.”

These words express a great truth and they should be at the heart of every action we perform for another, especially as we seek to enter more deeply into the very heart of God given to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Read the rest…

Advent Week Three: A Time for Charity, A Time for Love, Part III

106540081St. Augustine wrote,

“Love has hands to help others. It has feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. This is what love looks like.” Read the rest…

Advent Week Three: A Time for Charity, A Time for Love, Part II

As we discovered yesterday, for our good deeds to become charitable acts, we must center our hearts, our souls, our minds, and all of our strength on love of God. Then, and only then, will our good deeds effect a change that reaches beyond the finite to touch the eternal. And when we do that, every thought, word, deed, and suffering can become an act of charity — even our daily labor. Read the rest…