A sister in my community and I recently went to a special dinner hosted by the Archdiocese of San Antonio for young women considering consecrated life. I am often reminded at functions like this of the vital importance of Saint Peter's encouragement, "always be ready to offer a reason for your hope." I take it to mean, "be ready to use simple language to tell people why you are so happy." When conversing at any length with people (even "practicing Catholics") about religious life, we are almost ...

I have always loved the readings of the Liturgy in the last couple weeks of November and the end of the liturgical year, particularly the book of Revelation. Just yesterday we began proclaiming the prophetic messages to the seven Churches. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life!  We too want to stand one day robed in white, singing the song of the Lamb. In today's Strength for the Week, Pope Francis offers us some personal spiritual guidance on our journey. In the digital ma...

Way back in 1959, St. Paul Editions, as our publishing house was then called, compiled and printed a marvelous book: the Queen of Apostles Manual of Prayer. It wasn’t just another prayer book—at that time there were hundreds of those on the market—but literally a manual, a how-to, of conversation with God, learned by…praying. It was reprinted and revised more than once. By the time it received a new title, Queen of Apostles Prayer Book, it contained over 400 prayers and novenas. At least tha...

A friend just called me to ask for prayers for a sister who is having problems with her teenage son. We talked about many things including the challenge of being there as family members struggle through issues and challenges in today’s society.  The fabric of our relationships stretch and strain to absorb so many challenges today—big and small! The good news of the Gospel is that being born into a family is being born into a community.Particularly as Catholics we have an inescapable connection...

Are there days when the problems and the pain are so great you just “check out”? Maybe you go through the motions, even with a smile on your face, but inside you are numb? Perhaps you think, “I don’t want to be (a mother, a doctor, a nurse,  a teacher…) anymore. I could walk out on my job or my family or my friends today and not feel anything…. I’ll stay because I care, but I just don’t have anything left in me to give.” These moments, if we’re honest, have probably come to all of us. ...

May is a great time for thinking about decisions and futures. We celebrate ordinations, graduations, weddings…. We honor what has been achieved in people’s lives or our own, and we turn our eyes toward the next stage of our journey in life, whatever it may be.It is a wonderful blessing to us all that in the month of May we reflect on Mary, a woman who had to make a very important decision when she was probably just in her teenage years. She shows us the courageous spirit that makes decision-ma...

A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by God to give grace. That’s the definition I memorized as a little girl. As a child I knew of seven sacraments of the Church. As I matured I learned that you and I could be “sacraments” to others in as much as we allow Jesus to work in and through us. The more we empty ourselves of our self, the more we allow Jesus to work in us. This coming out of ourselves or self-emptying allows us to be signs of God’s love and presence to those around us. I want...