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Here are this week’s must-reads:
+ As beloved sons and daughters of God, we only have one true sovereign over our lives, one true king of our hearts: Jesus Christ. And because we know that this world is passing away, there is a promise that is associated with honoring our one true King – when everything in this world is gone, we will still have a place to call home: Heaven. And that is the reality that we are called to live out of. The Lord is reminding us of that today. When things get crazy here in our country, when uncertainty and chaos abound, we can rest in peace knowing that God is in control, that He is with us and that He will always be faithful to His promise.” — Fr. Tom Pringle
+ One of my favorite messages: “Maybe you need to be reminded of this as well: you are a gift to someone.” 
+ “If God is self-forgetting love even to the point of death, then we must be such love. The cross, in short, must become the very structure of the Christian life. This is just what Jesus shows on his terrible cross. And this is just what we, his followers, must imitate. Taking up the cross means not just being willing to suffer but being willing to suffer as he did, absorbing violence and hatred through our forgiveness and nonviolence.” — Bishop Barron
+ Forgiving deep wounds caused by family
+ Diversity of the Saints podcast episode
+ “For some of us, we need to be found. We need to just put ourselves in a position to be found by God.” — Heather Khym
+ “I look at this photo and see a girl who is fearless, filled with joy and not concerned in the least for how that ride will end. I miss that girl who was so free. I look at her joy and wonder if I will ever be that free again. Life brings with it burdens and hardships that weigh us down, stealing our peace and our joy if we allow it. The world feels heavy right now with so much turmoil and unrest. People I love are struggling with illness and depression, some even facing possible death. It’s a lot to wade through. But God wants me to hold onto Him like I held unto my little brothers bike, like my life depends on it. Because it does friend. Today I choose to hang on with all I’ve got and trust Him with the ending. It’s gonna be a good one. He promised.” — Mary Lenaburg
“One of the reasons we celebrate All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day one day after the other is a reminder that all souls are called to be saints.” — Fr. Dwight Longenecker
+ (Recent instagram post) Hi friends, I lived through weeks of very painful, dark unknowns last winter, and I thought I might share what helped me get through it — because I know that’s what this time feels like for so many right now too. So here’s that shortlist, in any case that it would be helpful for you:
1) I facetimed with family daily and constantly kept in touch with my close friends. We *did* talk about what I was so worried about (briefly), but we also talked about completely unrelated things too — and that mattered A LOT. Talking about normal everyday things like what’s for dinner, what book are you reading right now, what tv shows or movies are you watching, what fabrics did you buy for this project or that. The little ordinary, mundane details of life matter so much and can ground us when we focus on them & share them with one another.
2) I let myself have moments of grieving what was, what is, what could be. But I had to cap that — give it a time limit, and then do something else. Like a task for work. Or tidying a small area of the house. Like doing the dishes or folding laundry. It helped as a transition from sitting in the uncomfortable to moving on to something else.
3) I would move my body if I was able to — walking, a small workout. I just did one now and I feel so much better than I did earlier this morning.
4) Spending time doing a little hobby. I got into baking. I put on my favorite pandora channel (do people still listen to Pandora?) and made some of my favorite childhood cookie recipes. Now I make us something special every Saturday, so I like to spend time looking up recipes and making our weekend treat plans. Same goes for looking up movies for us to watch on our movie nights (which are Fridays).
Anyhow, that’s just a short list of things I can quickly think of that helped me last Winter. Of course I didn’t mention prayer & the Sacraments, which were (always are) life-giving. But these were other practical things that seriously, noticeably helped me get through each day. Sometimes we need a reminder of how to do these things too, you know? 💜💜 Here’s to our peace. ☕️ I hope something of what I’ve shared here helps you have a little more of it this week.
As always, here are a few pictures of what’s included in this week’s
Catholic Wife, Catholic Life Newsletter!
I share this newsletter every Monday and it always includes two gluten-free recipes, a reflection & prayer based on Sunday’s Mass Readings, and links to budget-friendly fashion & home decor.
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