Radiant with Joy

8 Awesome Things to Write in a Prayer Journal

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

You’re shopping and you find a beautiful notebook. You pick it up to check it out, and the cover has a cute design and a nice texture. You love how the pages feel as you flip through them, and it has the rule you like! The price is right, so you decide that this is your new prayer journal! You buy the notebook, and now comes the hard part, deciding how to use it. I started prayer journaling in college when I got a new notebook for Christmas. Now I’m probably on my fourth prayer journal, and I love to try new ways of using them.

1 Letters to God
When I went on my mission trip to Nicaragua, everyone on the team received small moleskin journals with the patron Saints of Nicaragua painted on them. I used mine to journal about what we did every day on mission and to write my prayers during Adoration every night. I found myself writing “letters to God.” I’d address them to my Heavenly Father and share what was on my heart with him. In simple prose, I’d offer my praises and intentions to him every evening. This correspondence strengthened my relationship with God and helped me feel his presence in Adoration.

2 Praises and Gratitude
It’s so important to thank God for what he blessed us with and for the prayers that he answered. Practicing gratitude will make you a more grateful person as you’ll be able to recognize God working in your life and the good things that he entrusts to you. Make gratitude lists in your prayer journal and list the things in your life that you’re thankful for. Write down prayers God has answered with what you wanted or with something better. Our Heavenly Father is never outdone in generosity, and practicing gratitude helps us remember this.

3 Prayer Intentions and Intercessory Prayers
I wrote a previous blog post about several ways to practice intercessory prayer. If you have a prayer journal, you can use it to write down and refer to specific prayer intentions. In addition to your own intentions, when someone else asks you to pray for them, you can write down their intentions to remind you to pray for them. Then you can flip through your journal and pray for those intentions by name during your time in prayer.

4 Bible Verses and Saint Quotes
If you come across a Bible verse or a Saint quote that you want to remember, you can write it down in your prayer journal. A prayer journal is good place to keep Bible verses and Saint quotes that resonate with you. They can give you something to meditate on during your time in prayer and you can keep your favorite verses and quotes all in one place. The Lord can speak to us through Scripture and his Saints, so hold on to the words that touch your heart.

Enjoying this post? Subscribe to Radiant with Joy!

5 Bible Study or Conference Notes
You can write down notes from the Bible Studies you attend in your prayer journal. When you attend Catholic conferences, it’s always a good idea to take notes. Write notes while you’re listening to talks at a conference so you can remember the points that a speaker discusses. I took so many notes when I went to SEEK 2019 and SLS 2020, and I’ll keep them forever. Keeping these notes in your prayer journal will be helpful when you want to look back on what you learned in Bible Study or at a conference. You can also take your notes into your time in prayer to thank the Lord for what you’ve learned and to ask him how to use and grow from this knowledge.

6 What you hear during Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina is a prayer form that involves reading scripture, meditating on it, and allowing God to speak to you through his word. As you pray Lectio Divina, you can write in your prayer journal what the Lord is telling you. Write what words and phrases stand out to you as you read, and then write down what God revealed to you through meditating on the passage. If you’ve never prayed Lectio Divina before, check out What is Lectio Divina? for an in-depth description and tutorial!

7 Prayers you want to remember
We take notes in school and write down plans in a planner because people generally remember things better when they write them down. If you just learned a prayer and you want to remember or memorize it, you can copy it into your prayer journal. There are some prayers that are just a little difficult to remember. For example, if you’re new to the rosary, it might take a while to memorize the Hail Holy Queen. Writing prayers like these in your prayer journal will help you remember them and give you a place to keep them.

8 Track your faith goals
Do you want to pray a rosary every day this month? Are you starting a novena or making your Marian Consecration? You can track these faith goals in your prayer journal to keep yourself accountable! Write down the novena prayer that you’re praying, write down the dates of the nine consecutive days, and check those dates off as you complete them. If you’re praying a rosary every day for a month, you can do something like I did in October. Number a list from one to thirty-one, and on each line, write an intention. This way, you not only have a way to track your daily rosary, but thirty-one intentions to motivate you to pray!

Which of these prayer journal prompts are you excited to try? Let me know in the comments below, and share this post with a friend who loves to prayer journal!

Click the links below to visit Radiant with Joy’s social media and Etsy Shop!

A Model of Forgiveness: St. Maria Goretti’s Story

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Matthew 5:44

St. Maria Goretti is easily one of the most beloved Saints of our times. At just 11 years old, she wasn’t “too young” to be a Saint, setting an example for all of us to stay strong in our faith. If you know her story, you probably look up to her for her purity or chastity. While she expresses these virtues beautifully, I also admire her for her forgiveness. At the most difficult time in her life, she forgave someone who was seemingly impossible to forgive

Maria’s Life and Death
St. Maria Goretti lived near the end of the 19th century. She was a poor Italian girl whose faith was incredibly strong for her age. She lived in poverty and never received an education, but her trust in God was profound. She always had faith that God would provide for her, and she always followed his will.

When Maria was eleven, a boy named Alessandro Serenelli tried to rape her. She bravely fought back and exclaimed “God does not wish it!” Outraged, Alessandro stabbed Maria several times. She died about a day later, but before she passed away, she expressed her forgiveness towards Alessandro. Not only did she forgive him for assaulting and attacking her, but she hoped that he would repent and be in Heaven with her someday. “I want him with me in Heaven forever!” she said.

Alessandro’s Conversion
Alessandro was sentenced to 30 years in prison. While he was there, Maria appeared to him in a dream, which was the catalyst for his conversion. When he was released from prison, he implored Maria’s mother to forgive him, and they attended Mass together. Eventually, Alessandro joined the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, and when Maria Goretti was canonized in 1950, he was present at the ceremony.

Enjoying this post? Subscribe to Radiant with Joy!

Forgiving Our Enemies
Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Especially during the final moments of her life, St. Maria Goretti took this teaching to heart. How many times have we failed to forgive others? Sometimes because of the hardness of our hearts or the severity of the offense, forgiving can seem impossible. A year or two ago, someone hurt me so badly and I couldn’t get over it. I would be reminded of him and how he broke me, and I’d fall into despair, dwelling on pain that haunted me. Recently, I learned to look to St. Maria Goretti. In my brokenness, I’d pray “help me to forgive him for doing this to me,” and at least in my heart, I was able to reconcile with him. With her help, I was able to forgive him and I found peace.

It might seem trivial, but when we forgive others, we’re able to witness to them and help them encounter Jesus. Like Maria Goretti and Alessandro Serenelli, Our forgiveness can lead to radical conversions and changes of heart. My prayer is that we can soften our hearts towards those who hurt us and genuinely wish their good. No matter what someone does to hurt me, I would rather them be in Heaven than in Hell, and our actions can help them be with our Heavenly Father forever.

Check out this FREE printable with a prayer to St. Maria Goretti!

st.-maria-goretti-prayer Download

Click the links below to visit Radiant with Joy’s social media and Etsy Shop!

This Sunday’s Gospel: July 5, 2020

Mathew 11:25-30

At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Enjoying this post? Subscribe to Radiant with Joy!

In This Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus promises to give us rest. When we’re tired, overwhelmed, scared, or upset, he’s there and we can gladly rest in him. Interestingly, in the very next sentence, he asks us to take his yoke upon us. That doesn’t sound like rest to me. In fact, it sounds like more work. By taking up Jesus’ yoke, we have to get close to him. We depend on him and become like him, which is what he wants for us. Before you have second thoughts, remember that Jesus’ yoke is easier and lighter than any yoke that the world can give. Although our lives won’t be perfect when we’re yoked to Jesus, he’ll literally be right beside us. We’ll still struggle from time to time, but everything we endure will be lighter and more bearable when we allow Jesus to share our load.

Click the links below to visit Radiant with Joy’s social media and Etsy Shop!

God Bless America

There is a famine in America. Not a famine of food, but of love, truth, and life.
St. Teresa of Calcutta

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, which entails a day of cookouts, yard games, fireworks, and family fun to celebrate America’s independence. We often hear the cliches that America is the best country in the world. Although that’s not entirely true, those of us who are proud to be an American will defend it tooth and nail.

The United States isn’t perfect. For every good thing that I can say about our nation, somebody will come back and say something negative. While America has come so far in its 240-some years of existence, I can’t deny that we still have a long way to go. I see our nation, still young compared to others, constantly growing. Despite our shortcomings, we’re still fighting to make ourselves the best nation we can be.

While the United States doesn’t have everything, it does have some great things. I’m thankful that I have clean water to drink and to shower in, and that my family and I never had to go to bed hungry. I’m thankful that I have clothes to wear, a home to go to, and a bed to sleep in. I’m thankful that I have a college education. I’m thankful that I can vote, drive a car, and speak my mind.

I know what you’re thinking, “Not everyone has access to all of these opportunities in the United States!” This is true, and this is heartbreaking. While everyone technically can have a house, an education, and more in the United States, not everyone is privileged enough to do so, which disappoints me. This is why we need to fix systems that put others at a disadvantage or leave others out altogether. Until then, it’s so important for us as everyday citizens share our wealth and change our hearts. When much has been given to us, the Lord expects us to give much to others. We set aside money to donate. We give of our time and volunteer. We use our voice to advocate and speak up whenever we see inequalities and injustices. We need to take a hard look at ourselves to see what conscious hatred or subconscious biases we hold. Once we recognize those, we need to mold our hearts to become more inclusive and loving. We follow the corporal and spiritual works of mercy to give our brothers and sisters in Christ a better quality of life and to remind them that they’re loved.

Enjoying this post? Subscribe to Radiant with Joy!

Imagine how different America would look if we all resembled Jesus Christ a little more. Our country would change for the better significantly if we were all more generous and merciful towards our neighbors. Think of what the United States would be like if we treated everyone we met as if they were Jesus. While “separation of Church and State” is a big deal for some people, I ask that you consider this. Instead of immediately rejecting Jesus in public or political settings, if we embraced him and his teachings a little more, our country would grow in virtue, we would improve our morals, and the United States would be a better place for everyone. I don’t mean saying “Jesus likes this!” or “Jesus thinks this is bad!” but emulating him and his Gospel that the Father loves all of his children, and there’s a place for all of us in his house. We would love our neighbors as ourselves and love our enemies. Because virtues like, faith, hope, and charity, are inherently good, we should strive to uphold these to make the America truly great.

If you’re feeling pessimistic or downright unpatriotic this Independence Day, I see you. I understand. Our country has been through a lot lately with the Coronavirus pandemic, police brutality, riots, and more. My heart is breaking for our nation too. I invite you not only find but be the positive changes that are coming from these trying times, and one of the best ways to make a change is through prayer. Please join me in praying for our country and those who lead it. God bless America.

Click the links below to visit Radiant with Joy’s social media and Etsy Shop!

When You Need Your Mom

What a joy it is to remember that she is our mother! Since she loves us and knows our weakness, what have we to fear?
St. Therese of Lisieux

I think everyone to some degree wants to be like their mom.

When I was growing up and even now that I’m an adult, I’m intrigued by what my mom does. I’m fascinated by her work inside and outside our home, and I appreciate the effort and charity that she puts into everything she does. I look at how my mom cuts hair not just for her clients, but for shut-ins that we know. Her generosity inspires me, and I’ve told her that she does this with beautiful mercy. I appreciate how she takes care of the house, making time to clean it, keep it looking beautiful, and making good dinners and brunches after Mass on Sunday. Through it all, she always finds time to pray. When I manage to wake up early, I can find her praying the rosary. We go to daily Mass together whenever we can. She reads her Bible and tons of books about the faith and I can only hope that I’m able to do as much as she does when I’m a mama.

Needless to say, I want to be like my mom.

Just like I want to be like my earthly mama, I also want to be like Mary. I always knew that she was my Heavenly Mother and that I should love her as my mother, but I didn’t wholeheartedly do this until college. As I deepened my faith with my friends from the Newman Center, I learned how to grow closer to Mary. Although it took me three tries to complete my Marian Consecration, I grew closer to Mary each time. Thanks to Fr. Michael E. Gaitley, I understood what it meant to embrace Mary as my mother. Preparing for and eventually making my Marian Consecration allowed me to depend on Mary and let her make me into a worthy disciple of her Son.

Click here to read A Glorious New Morning: My Marian Consecration Journey!

For the past two years, I did Fiat in varying capacities. This year, I embarked on Fiat 90, and the Lent before, I did Fiat 40. These 90 and 40 day retreats respectively helped me to become more like Mary. Through her intercession, I learned how to detach myself from the world a little more each day. The little sacrifices that I made were little ways of saying yes to God and his will, like Mary consistently and perfectly let God’s will be done. Although I failed several times, I don’t consider my Fiat attempts complete failures. Mary always gently guided me in the right direction. When I did sacrifice and when I grew in detachment, I felt myself become more like her as I did my best to submit to God’s will for me.

In other words, I improved my relationship with my mom and slowly but surely became more like her.

Because of this, I find myself actively needing Mama Mary and asking for her help. When I’m stressed or overwhelmed, I ask her to help me calm down and to guide me. When I’m sad, I ask her to take the mess that I’m in and make it perfect for her Son. I see her in the little things that I do and the little sacrifices that I make. I do the dishes and fold the laundry because it’s pleasing to my earthly mother and my Heavenly Mother. I’m patient with my friends and family and I listen as best as I can during our conversations. I try to emulate Mary’s love by caring for people and keeping their prayer intentions close to my heart.

Enjoying this post? Subscribe to Radiant with Joy!

Until I move to Washington DC to start volunteering with Franciscan Mission Service, I got a summer job at a childcare center. I spend a couple days a week playing with children, making sure they eat, keeping them safe, changing their diapers, and making sure they take naps. It’s a lot of fun and very rewarding, but of course there are times when I get overwhelmed. Sometimes a baby won’t eat, kids will take toys from each other, toddlers won’t fall asleep, and a diaper will stink so badly I dry heave. When work, and even life in general, becomes to much to handle, I turn to Mama Mary. When things get out of control and I don’t know what to do, I say a Hail Mary. Actually, I say several Hail Marys super slowly to remind me that she’s here to help me.

If you need your mom and you long to grow closer to her, start by praying the rosary. Pray this beautiful and powerful prayer every day to love and understand our Mother and her Son more and to deepen your faith. While you pray, imagine yourself wrapped in her mantle and holding her hands. Ask her to keep you in her most Immaculate Heart and show you how to love and follow Jesus as closely and perfectly as she does.

Click the links below to visit Radiant with Joy’s social media and Etsy Shop!

This Sunday’s Gospel: June 28, 2020

Matthew 10:37-42

Jesus said to his apostles:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

Enjoying this post? Subscribe to Radiant with Joy!

Jesus gives us a lot of hard teachings. As much as I long to follow him closely, I sometimes struggle with embracing what he encourages us to do. When he gives us instructions like he does in this Sunday’s Gospel, I find myself lovingly challenged to be a better disciple. We might thing Jesus is bold to say that if we love anyone more than him we don’t deserve him. Jesus is reminding us that to follow him, he has to be our first priority. We have to love him more than anyone or anything else in our lives. Although it might come off as harsh, he knows we can do it and he constantly encourages us. He always reminds us that we’re called to holiness. Sometimes we have to ask ourselves the tough questions. Is there anyone I love more than Jesus? Am I willing to take up my cross? We might have to wrestle with these questions and figure out what needs to be limited or eliminated from our lives. We can’t let anything prevent us from following him. We can emulate Jesus’ sacrificial love by putting our own wants aside to be a closer disciple of his.

Click the links below to visit Radiant with Joy’s social media and Etsy Shop!

5 Intentional Ways to Create Community

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Acts 2:47-48

In my last post, I talked about how we’re made for community. I shared what my faith community looked like and meant to me in college, and why community is crucial when we want to grow deeper in our faith. You might be thinking, “Okay, I get it, but how do I create a community?” When you don’t have a youth or young adult group or a Newman Center to go to, you might find yourself tasked with creating a community of your own. Fortunately, it’s not that hard to foster a faith community. We can’t deepen our faith on our own, and we shouldn’t have to. There are so many ways to bring people together to grow in holiness. Be intentional and open, and use these five ways to create community wherever you go.

1 Make intentional invitations.
Sending a mass email, making a Facebook post, or posting on your Instagram story is generally a great way to get the word out about something. This form of reaching out to people might bring some people to Bible Study or small group with you, but it comes off as impersonal. While general invitations are good, making intentional invitations is better. To make an intentional invitation means to reach out to someone personally, whether it be through a face-to-face conversation, a phone call, or a nice text. For example, you can reach out to your friend, roommate, or whoever sits next to you in class to let them know about your Bible Study. Tell them what you’ll be doing, why you love it, and that you think they’d love it as well. Especially when you let them know that you’d love for them to be there, people will feel more welcome and wanted at your event when you’re intentional about the invite.

Enjoying this post? Subscribe to Radiant with Joy!

2 Host small gatherings of your own.
Whether you’re leading a Bible Study or small group or you want to have some friends over for dinner or coffee, don’t be afraid to initiate a little get-together. It doesn’t have to be anything grandiose. We’re called to do little things with great love, so we can be simple yet intentional in our hospitality. I always loved when my girl friends and I would get together in one of our apartments for tea and Lectio Divina or the rosary, and we would stay to talk for hours. Praying, talking, and sharing meals is a great way to create community. These little gatherings allow us to meet new people and strengthen preexisting relationships. If there are any new faces, be sure that they’re being seen and heard and that they feel welcome.

Read more about Lectio Divina in What is Lectio Divina?

3 Make people feel welcome wherever you go.
FOCUS’s mission involves investing the few to reach the many. This method of spiritual multiplication is great because we can form disciples who will become disciple makers of their own. While it’s good to invest deeply in a few, it’s still important to meet new people. We can create community with people as soon as we meet them if we’re open, and having a friendly, welcoming demeanor is key. If you run into someone new at Mass, in small group, or even at the store, smile, introduce yourself, and ask for their name. If you’re not the best with names, try repeating your new friend’s name during your conversation. It’ll help you remember it, and people love hearing their name. Maintain friendly eye contact and offer a handshake or a hug. All of these things will open the door to holding a meaningful conversation. Once you’ve gotten to know your new friend, you can give them your phone number or invite them to go to Mass or get coffee with you!

4 Hold meaningful conversations.
People like to talk about themselves, and they’ll usually share a lot about themselves if you give them the opportunity and show that you’re really listening. If you’ve exhausted the “What do you do?” and “What’s your major?” questions, dive a little deeper by asking how they chose their major, who their favorite professor is, and what their favorite thing about their major is. It can be fun to ask something completely random, like “If you were a kitchen appliance, what would you be and why?” As crazy as it sounds, you learn a lot about a person this way, and I’ve heard it spark some great conversations. Finally, don’t be afraid to bring up faith. I know that along with politics, religion can be a taboo subject, but people are generally down to talk about it and share their experiences. You never know until you ask, and you never know who’d be willing to go to Bible Study with you until you invite them.

5 Offer to pray with and for people.
You’re faith community will plateau if you don’t pray together regularly. Facilitating prayer can take many different forms. You could do a sunrise Lectio Divina or Liturgy of the Hours session, commit to going to daily Mass together on Wednesdays, or invite your girls over for tea and rosary. While having these structured, tangible ways to pray is great, impromptu prayers are just as powerful. If someone tells you about something they’re struggling with, let them know that you’ll pray for them. When you remember them and their intentions in your prayers, you can text them to let them you know you’re prayed for them. If you’re comfortable, you can offer to pray with them or over them. When my friends prayed with me like this, I felt Jesus in them. I grew so much closer to my friends and God this way. When you pray with your faith community, you’ll be inspired and inspire others to delve deeper into their prayer life by helping them encounter the Lord.

Read more about praying for others in 5 Fruitful Ways to Practice Intercessory Prayer!

There are lots of other ways to build community, but hopefully these five can get you started. Whether you’re just getting started on your faith community or if it’s flourishing and you want it to grow, following these tips will help. No matter what, keep praying for yourself, for the people who you’ll encounter, and for the people in your community. No matter what you do within your community, keep your sights on Heaven and our Father and don’t stop striving for Sainthood!

How do you build community in your life? Let me know in the comments below!

Click the links below to visit Radiant with Joy’s social media and Etsy Shop!

We’re Made for Community

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

When I was in college, I learned from the Newman Center and our FOCUS missionaries the importance of community. Looking back on my time at Slippery Rock, I always had something to do at the Newman Center, and someone who I loved was always there. We had Mass on Sunday and Wednesday evenings, and because so many friends were always there, no one ever went to Mass alone or sat by themselves. the Newman Center is where we had our Wednesday night meetings, Bible Studies, and the oh-so-important meal of coffee and doughnuts after Mass.

Aside from these faith-based things, we were still always together. We did homework together in the lounge and the St. Anthony room. We would get dinner together, go to Starbucks, and have game nights and movie nights. Whether we prayed, studied, ate, talked, or laughed together, everything that my community did led me closer to our Heavenly Father, whether we knew it or not.

Enjoying this post? Subscribe to Radiant with Joy!

Could I have stayed Catholic throughout college without this community? Probably. Would my faith have flourished if I was always by myself? Absolutely not. We learn from God in Genesis that man shouldn’t be alone. While we can pray, live, and work by ourselves, that doesn’t mean we should. After Jesus ascended into Heaven, the disciples were always together to pray and share meals. If we never surround ourselves with community, we’ll fall into despair. We’re meant to abide with each other, and we see that in our families and our friend groups. We’re designed to depend on each other and “do life” together, meaning we spend time together, eat together, live together, and share the highs and lows of our life.

Read more in My Second Home, the Newman Center!

I heard the “iron sharpens iron” proverb a lot throughout my time in Rock Catholic, especially when we went to Catholic conferences like SEEK 2019 and SLS 2020. It reminds us that we have to support each other because we make each other strong. Holy people become holier when they stay together. The friendships that we forge in community give us ways to help each other grow in our faith and fall more in love with God. Receiving the Sacraments, praying, going to Bible Studies, and even just getting coffee together sharpens us. We strengthen each other’s faith so that we become holier when we’re with each other than when we’re alone.

Read more about SLS 20 in Made for Mission and Surrender: A Reflection on My SLS 20 Experience!

You’ve probably heard the “hot coals” analogy that has a similar meaning. Coals stay hot and burn brighter when they’re close together. If you take a coal and put it by itself, it quickly cools down. The coal that’s separated no longer has coals to surround it and keep it hot, so it loses its heat and glow. The coals are us and their heat is our faith. We stay on fire for the Lord when we have a thriving faith community. When we surround ourselves with friends who are strong in their faith, we’ll find ourselves becoming like them. We’ll find our prayer life improving, we’ll receive the Sacraments more often, we’ll grow in virtue, and not to mention, we’ll become closer with our friends. If we go off on our own, we’ll find our faith dwindling because when we’re alone, we don’t have anyone to keep us company and hold us accountable.

The constant, intentional togetherness of community draws closer to God. If you’re desiring holiness and striving for Sainthood (which we all should), rely on your core group of friends who are rooted in their faith. It’s so important for your community to spend time in prayer and fellowship often and to call each other to holiness. They’ll be your brothers and sisters in Christ and your accountability buddies who’ll remind you to pray, go to Mass, and keep growing in virtue. There are so many times when my Newman Center friends have been like Christ to me, inviting me to go to Mass, pray a rosary, or get dinner with them. We’ve been together through our faith highs and lows, always managing to remind us of our identity in Jesus Christ.

When I was a freshman, my faith wasn’t nearly as strong as the other girls I met in the Newman Center. Because of this, I felt intimidated and discouraged, because I spent so much time with them anyway, my faith has grown immensely. We all need a faith community to join us on our faith journey and to help us keep up with it. By staying close to our hot coals, we’ll reach holiness and find ourselves on our way to Heaven together.

My next blog post will share ways to create intentional community. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it!

Click the links below to visit Radiant with Joy’s social media and Etsy Shop!

This Sunday’s Gospel: June 21, 2020

Matthew 10:26-33

Jesus said to the Twelve:
“Fear no one.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

Enjoying this post? Subscribe to Radiant with Joy!

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus encourages the Twelve to share the Gospel. A beautiful thing about Jesus is he’s honest about the hard and scary stuff, but he always encourages us to persevere and follow him. He stresses its urgency and explains that it must be spread. It’s a secret that’ll eventually be widely known and a light that’ll illuminate the whole world. In other words, the Gospel isn’t a little secret that we keep to ourselves. He sternly tells us the importance of sharing the Gospel, but he lovingly reminds us that we’re capable to do it. When Jesus says all of the hairs on our heads are counted, he means that the Father knows us so intimately. I don’t know about you, but I have no idea how many individual hairs are on my head, but God knows the exact number. He knows us better than we know ourselves. We’re so precious to him that he goes to great lengths to protect his children, especially those who acknowledge him and share the good new. As you share the Gospel according to where the Lord has placed you, take comfort in knowing that he knows you and protects you as his missionary disciple.

Click the links below to visit Radiant with Joy’s social media and Etsy Shop!

The Power of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

There is in the Sacred Heart the symbol and express image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love in return.
Pope Leo XIII

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been surrounded by images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At home and in my little Catholic Elementary Schools, I always managed to find this image. Sitting at the kitchen table or at my desk in class, I’d look up to find a picture of Jesus showing his most Sacred Heart with a gentle gaze. I recognized the thorny branches that surrounded it as the Crown of Thorns. I noticed that it was on fire, but not destroyed by the flame. I have memories of beholding this image, awestruck by its beauty and contemplating what it meant.

Before I understood that I was looking at Jesus’ Sacred Heart, I thought it was beautiful. From a young age, the Sacred Heart reminded me of Jesus’ love for me and helped me to love him more.

Enjoying this post? Subscribe to Radiant with Joy!

We associate hearts with love, so Jesus’ heart is a visual, understandable way of depicting his love for us. It’s surrounded by the Crown of Thorns to remind us of his Passion. Often, it’s also depicted with blood dripping from a wound and his cross. These three images from the Passion appear with his heart to show that Jesus suffered, died, and rose again out of love for us. His heart contains such infinite love that it burns for us, which is why it’s surrounded by fire.

Through a series of visions in the 1670s, Jesus revealed his Sacred Heart to a French nun named St. Margaret Mary. He explained that he wanted to be honored through the image of his Sacred Heart, and he attached 12 promises to its devotion. One of these promises involves displaying and honoring images of the Sacred Heart. Jesus blesses every place that exposes his Sacred Heart, which is why so many homes, schools, and more hang pictures of Jesus and his Heart. It’s a staple in anyone’s Catholic art collection, and a perfect example of transcendental beauty.

The final promise gives the faithful a renewed love for the Eucharist and a way to deepen their devotion to the Sacred Heart. Jesus said that whoever goes to Mass and receives the Eucharist every month for nine consecutive months will not die without receiving the Sacraments. “My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment,” he promises.

The image and promises of the Sacred Heart gives the faithful a renewed love for the Eucharist. Jesus and his Sacred Heart inspired St. Margaret Mary to share not only the First Friday devotion, but also an increase in Eucharistic Adoration. Jesus requested that St. Margaret Mary spend an hour adoring the Eucharist once a week, which is where today’s Holy Hour comes from. You might recall Jesus urging Peter, James, and John to stay awake and pray with him in the garden of Gethsemane, (Matthew 26:40) and he still invites us as his disciples to pray with him. He asks us to spend an hour adoring his True Presence to know him and love him more.

Click here to read Holy Hour How-To’s for some tips to get the most out of your Holy Hour!

What strikes me the most about Jesus’ most Sacred Heart is that it’s on fire. I often find myself beholding his Heart and contemplating the fire that engulfs it. These intense flames remind us that Jesus’ heart burns with love for us. When I reflect on this truth, I understand that it isn’t enough to just know of his love. We should be on fire for Jesus, too. Our hearts should burn for Jesus like his burns for us. We come to know Jesus and feel his love deeper through his Heart, and his Heart leads us to the Eucharist where we receive his true presence. In Luke 12:49, Jesus announces that he wishes that the world was burning. We can set the world on fire by sharing our burning love for Jesus, and the best place to begin is with our own hearts.

Celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus today by going to Mass and Adoration if you can! If not, there are some great Adoration live streams online. Spend at least an hour today as close to Jesus as possible to grow closer to his Most Sacred Heart.

Click the links below to visit Radiant with Joy’s social media and Etsy Shop!