"Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope"- 1 Peter 3:15
On March 5th, Fr. James Martin shared six stories he referred to as parables. He quoted biblical scholar C. H. Dodd, saying “a parable was a story designed to ‘tease the mind into active thought.’” Fr. Martin went on to explain that he hoped these “parables” would “tease [our] mind[s] into active thought.” While I …
I teach first-grade faith formation, and I love teaching my students about different aspects of the Catholic faith. Lately, we have been talking about the gospel message, but I could tell that the idea of Christ dying for us was one they (understandably) couldn’t really grasp. I was very excited to find The Stations of …
The summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college, one of my co-workers would frequently ask me questions about Catholicism. Though raised Catholic, he made the personal decision to convert to Islam. I’ll be honest: I dreaded those questions. This co-worker wasn’t a very friendly person to begin with, and his questions were often …
I started reading – well, actually, listening – to Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas based on a recommendation from my husband. He had seen the title in our library’s audiobook lending program, and knowing about my love for Christianity and the strong women who defend it, he recommended this book. …
Shortly after a tragedy occurs, there is frequently condemnation of prayer. People complain that “thoughts and prayers” do nothing, or they even lash out at the faithful. To a certain extent, I understand the frustration: we are a nation that values action. We believe that actions speak louder than words. We implore people to “practice …
Shadows of Hope by Georgiana Daniels is one book you should definitely NOT judge by the cover! Though the cover and the description make it seem like this book will be an overly dramatic novel with a cliche ending, this book is actually an engaging and very well-written novel. A story of hope in the …
Fasting is a touchy subject for me. As a devout Catholic, I can see the fruit of fasting. I know it is good for spiritual growth, a strong form of prayer, and is pleasing to God. At the same time, it can be a challenge for me because what I eat is extremely important for …
When I was a freshman in college, one of the women in my dorm invited me to a Bible study. It was the first time I had ever participated in a Bible study. What I remember most is feeling completely inadequate. There I sat in the grass with my “Extreme Faith” Bible and essentially zero knowledge …
February 2021 Update: It has come to my attention that Abby Johnson’s pro-life conversion story has come into question. There are some serious concerns about the validity of her story. When considering that and her recent, disturbing and racist remarks, I am no longer comfortable recommending this book. I first heard about Abby Johnson {“type”:”block”,”srcClientIds”:[“11188fe6-9519-426d-a4bb-76aa555987a4″],”srcRootClientId”:””}at …
On paper, our friendship seems fairly improbable. They are queer witches. I’m a Catholic who fully embraces Church teaching. There are obvious differences in what we believe, and several of our beliefs and identities would put us at odds with each other. After spending hours talking with them during a visit, my heart was so …