Dear Reader, In this Sunday's Gospel (Matthew 5:13-16), Jesus speaks words that are both simple and deeply reassuring: "You are the salt of the earth.... you are the light of the world." Jesus does not say you should be or you might become -- He says you are. Right where you are, in the midst of our ordinary days, God is already at work through us. Often, we think that faith has to be loud or extraordinary. But Jesus reminds us that his light shines through the small, faithful acts: the...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
DearReader, In this Sunday's Gospel, John the Baptist sees Jesus approaching and proclaims, "Behold, the Lamb of God" Many of us are in seasons filled with questions: about relationships, work, faith, and whether what I am doing is enough. This Sunday's Gospel reassures us that uncertainty does not mean absence. God often reveals Himself gradually, as we learn to notice where the Spirit is already at work For women and mothers, much of life is lived in the ordinary: caring for others,...
3 months ago • 5 min read
Hello Reader, This Sunday, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, bringing the Christmas season to a close and opening the door to ordinary time -- and to Jesus' public ministry. In the Gospel, Jesus steps into the waters with the people. He prays. Heaven opens. The Spirit descends. And the Father speaks: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." Before Jesus teaches, serves, or sacrifices, He is first claimed in love. As women, we often begin a new year...
3 months ago • 5 min read
Hello Reader, As we come to the close of 2025, we want to pause with grateful hearts to reflect on all that God has done in and through this ministry this year. We are deeply thankful for each person who prayed, served, participated, and said "yes" to building a community of women coming together to grow in Faith through hosting Encounter events, gathering groups to pray and study, retreats, and praying a rosary together. HIGHLIGHTS OF 2025 ... Added parishes hosting ENCOUNTER EVENTS from:...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, As we enter the final days of Advent, the Church invites us into a deeper longing through the ancient prayers known as the O Antiphons. These prayers are prayed each evening from December 17-23, the short invocations name the many titles of Christ and echo the cry of our hearts: Come, Lord Jesus. Each antiphon reveals who Christ is -- and who He longs to be for us right now. We will be highlighting these on our social media pages for you to follow along. ADVENT REFLECTIONS In...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, I hope you are having a peaceful week this Advent season. Enjoying all the Marian feast days that we get to celebrate: the Immaculate Conception (8), Our Lady of Loreto (10), and Our Lady of Guadalupe (12). Know that our prayers are going up for all of you and your families this week!! LOOKING AHEAD ... Lent is right around the corner, shortly after the Christmas season. The Lenten Encounter Event will be on Sunday night, February 15th. Mallory Smyth will be the virtual guest...
4 months ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, There are now only 36 days until Christmas. I just did a Google search because I got a text from my college-aged daughter with a Christmas wishlist app that I needed to download. I wanted to know how much time I have before I need to worry about shopping, shipping, and all the other things. Somehow, the anxiety of it all feels overwhelming. Not to mention all the December commitments that always seem to show up on the calendar. But don't worry, Advent is coming! In only 11 days,...
4 months ago • 6 min read
Hello Reader, "Thus, you will know them by their fruits" Matthew 7:20 Last spring, my husband and I headed to the greenhouse to gather the plants needed to fill the front flower pots and do some planning for our tiny garden box. My husband, who is in agriculture but is not in horticulture, saw an orange tree and was intrigued. He decided to purchase the tree, take it home, and see what came of it. At the time we lived in Iowa, I was not convinced that we would see an orange tree produce fruit...
5 months ago • 6 min read
Hello Reader, Happy feast day of St Elizabeth of the Visitation. I always love reflecting on the image of Mary running to Elizabeth to tell her the good news and Elizabeth greeting her with her own good news. And then, together, they rejoiced that God had heard their prayers. With every move or changing season of life, I ask God to grant me an "Elizabeth", a virtuous friend (or friends) with whom I can share life. Someone who, too, has a deep faith, and we can continue to grow in our faith...
5 months ago • 5 min read