Category: Christian Living

  • Who Do We Need to Welcome Into Our Inn?

    Our pastor shared this story at Mass on Sunday: As many parishes do at Christmas time, a parish in New York was having a pageant acting out the Nativity story. A little boy named Tom was taking part. He was mentally disabled, but was very excited to be in the pageant. He was playing an […]

  • What is the Thorn in Your Flesh?

    That I, Paul, might not become too elated, because of the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to […]

  • Book Review: My Other Self

    My Other Self: Conversations with Christ on Living Your Faith by Clarence J. Enzler Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2010 “My Other Self: Conversations with Christ on Living Your Faith” was originally published in 1957. It has been reprinted as part of Ave Maria Press’ Christian Classics line. The author, Clarence J. Enzler was a […]

  • What is True Love?

    This week a lot of tokens of affection will be exchanged. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. I’m not going to begrudge anyone their cards, candy, and flowers. There’s even a time and place for diamonds. I’m quite fond of gifts that involve chocolate myself! But, it is important to realize that love, true […]

  • Time to Simplify . . . Again!

    Two years ago during Lent, I embarked on a forty bags in forty days project. The idea, which came from Faith and Family, was to rid one’s house of forty bags of excess material goods – ideally through giving items away, although some items definitely deserve a place in the trash. I’ve decided it’s time […]

  • Finding God in the Everyday

    Time has gone by quickly, but it has been eight years since I started The Spiritual Woman website. While my blog has largely supplanted the website, my mission has remained the same – I have always wanted to help women find God in the everyday busyness of their lives. I walk in those shoes. I […]

  • More Than 100 Reasons to Be Thankful, Even in Hard Times

    by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur Two years ago, I asked many people, both young and old, what they were thankful for in order to compile a list of 100 reasons to be thankful, even in hard times. While some time has passed since I put together that list, times are definitely still hard and the list is […]

  • Reconciliation: Maintenance for the Soul

    How do you think of the Sacrament of Reconciliation? If you are like most Catholics, you probably think of it as little as possible! Or, perhaps, you think of it as something good to have available in the event you do something really, really wrong, but not something you need to concern yourself with otherwise. […]

  • Is Making Sacrifices “Stupid?”

    I’m really not one to talk about voluntary sacrifices I make – the whole “do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing” thing. It’s something between me and God. But, I happened to casually mention to a friend that I was basically doing another Lent for 40 Days for Life, […]

  • Lessons from Rosh Hashanah

    The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: On the first day of the seventh month you shall keep a Sabbath rest, with a sacred assembly and with the trumpet blasts as a reminder; you shall then do no sort of work, and you shall offer the oblation to the Lord.” (Leviticus 23:23-25) I’m embarrassed […]