Don’t Get Too Comfortable

Last Sunday, the visiting priest at my parish said something simple yet profound that changed the way I look at my life. He said that Jesus lives outside of our comfort zone and if we want to follow Him, we have to leave the safety net we've created for ourselves. As a comfort zone lover and…

Stop Trying to Be Perfect

I have a dangerous obsession with self-improvement. My go-to reading material is self-help books and articles that teach me how to eat better, pray better, feel better, and live better. I'm on a constant quest to be my best self, and while that's important for personal growth and achievement, it has never allowed me to…

You’re Not Wasting Your Best Years

I have a lot of existential crises--like, way too many. My most recent emotionally-charged mental breakdown was triggered when I saw the new sequel to "Mamma Mia!" this past weekend. I'm not even kidding. Mamma Mia, guys. In between jamming out to my all-time favorite ABBA songs (best feel-good music in the history of ever),…

Coffee Dates with Jesus

Every time I heard the phrase "dating Jesus," I would die a little inside, cringing with discomfort as my mind flashed back to outdated Confirmation retreat videos where turtle-necked women with feathered hair realized the mysterious stranger across from them at the dinner table was actually the risen Lord. Yikes. Dating Jesus? Is that even allowed? Well…

Let Your Light Shine

The end of every campus ministry retreat at my college is the same: everyone who attended and facilitated the retreat sits in a big circle in a dimly lit room and each person takes a turn sharing about the graces they received during the retreat and then lighting a candle. This may sound like a…

Am I Made for Greatness?

I’ve always harbored this feeling deep in my soul that I was made to do something great with this life of mine. I have no idea what this "great thing" might be--heck, I have no idea what I want to eat for breakfast--but I can't shake this insatiable craving to make an impact. Eager to…

Finding God in the Silence

I am a person who gets bored easily--with clothes, coffee flavors, people & places, stages of my life. I leave rooms too soon when nothing interesting is happening instead of waiting out the quiet for a shared moment to emerge. I flip channels like a cheetah and throw half-read books back on the shelf without…

That Sin You Can’t Shake

You know that one sin that always catches you in your best moments and causes you to fall again? That one that keeps showing up in every confession, or maybe that one you know you need to confess but you're too embarrassed to admit it? That one that makes you feel like you're not a…

Praying for Your Future Husband

As a lover of cheesy rom-coms, tear-jerking "how we met" stories, and corny love song lyrics, I have always been excited by the idea that God has designed a man who is meant to marry and cherish me. Over the past few years, I've been bringing my romantic notions before the Lord, channeling the desires…

10 Female Saints for Your Feminist Heart

When I started CCD in the first grade, my mom gave me an illustrated book of the main saints of the Catholic Church, and it immediately became my favorite leisure read for years. I would spend hours sitting on my bedroom floor flipping through the pages, completely sucked into the gorgeous painted portraits and courageous…