The night is dominated by silence and my internal peace is fused with the surrounding tranquility. I have learned to appreciate the gifts of solitude: in it, I find the space for prayer. If light is the lack of darkness, also our internal peace is the absence of worldly distractions. Life is rich in experiences […]

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)When I was a child, I remember reading these words from Christ and being so confused.  Blessed are those who mourn…really?  I could easily understand how peacemakers and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness could be consider blessed, but mourning being equated to […]

Saints:  The Shining Stars Sr. Mary Marta Soza Last month I watched with delight the beatification Mass of a 15-year-old boy, Carlo Acutis, a lover of the Eucharist and a friend of the poor. Blessed Carlo, whose body was found incorrupt, called the Eucharist: “My highway to heaven.”  He died of leukemia in 2006.  His […]

A month ago, I participated in the annual retreat for women organized by Build the Faith. At the end of the retreat, I received a cross and a prayer: “The Cross in My Pocket.” The cross is a reminder that I am Christian, no matter where I am, and that Jesus, my Savior, had to […]

Growing up, Sunday was always about church and family.  After church, we’d head to my grandparents’ house for Sunday dinner.  Sunday dinners were an all-day affair, with aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered together for food and fun.  At the time, I didn’t know we were carrying on a long-held tradition that stemmed from Judaism and […]