Bearing Fruit

Bearing Fruit

Today’s Gospel of Matthew really draws me in to recognize the truth our Lord and Savior has placed in the scriptures for us to seek out. A line that really stood out to me is “Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down.” Mt 7:15-20 Trimming, Pruning, Cutting Every year during…

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Living in True Peace

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. As I am blessed to write today’s reflection, one word stood out to me. The word is “peace.” Peace is something that we ask for in our prayers, but how often do we…

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Daily Revelations

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

The end of Holy Week always leaves me with great pause on my life. It’s like a surge of energy that fuels me and ignites the fire I need to go deep and pick out the areas of my life where I need to let Jesus in more fully. As I read over today’s readings…

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Seventy-Seven Times

Headshot of Jesus crucified on the wooden cross

A few Lenten seasons ago, our church handed out a book by Allen Hunt called, “Everybody Needs to Forgive Somebody.” I remembered staring at the teal blue book on my shelf for a long time, afraid to open it because I knew it would call out the inner grudge-holder in me. However, the title and…

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The Chair of Peter

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

Today marks the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter. Growing up, I thought it was kind of silly that we chose to celebrate a chair! It wasn’t until a priest in college took the time to explain this to his students that I finally understood the true importance and meaning of today’s feast. What…

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Advocate for the Unborn

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

As you may know already, January 22nd is the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. Today’s readings really hit home for me, as my wife and I have very a special soul of ours in Heaven due to a miscarriage. Our precious Zelie, who we named after Saint Zelie Martin, was…

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A Season of Sorrow and A Season of Joy

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

I remember waking up Christmas morning last year with an empty feeling; a feeling of something missing from my life. As we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus, it hit me. I should have been preparing to welcome a baby just a few weeks later, but instead I looked down at my flat belly that served…

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Two Small Coins

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

Have you ever received a gift that wasn’t necessarily great because of the price tag, but because of the meaning behind it? When my husband and I went on our first date, I happened to be in the same town as him for the weekend celebrating my 23rd birthday with friends. Before catching up with…

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A Pope of the Times

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

Today marks one of my favorite saints’ feast day, Pope Saint John Paul II. Four years ago, I had the opportunity to travel throughout Poland and follow the life of this great saint. By the end of the trip, I had heard one phrase most used to describe him, “he was a Pope of the…

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Leading Even If No One Follows

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

As I spent time in prayerful reflection writing this, I felt convicted. Everyone always talks about counting your blessings, but how often do we actually sit down and realize everything that God has done for each and every one of us? With all that is going on given the current status of the world, it…

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