Welcome to reads of the week! As interesting articles arise, I’ll share them with you in an effort to give you a peek into the Catholic news as I see it.
I find I am no longer content to point to the beauty in the wreckage. If I am going to continue as an artist, as a person of faith, I need to rebuild my imagination, or at least expand it significantly.
Jessica Mesman
This article on grief by Jessica Mesman is not new, but it is true and real and I couldn’t stop reading: C.S. Lewis helped me understand my grief — and reminded me why I write.
Charles Ray Finch was sentenced to death 43 years ago. This week he was found innocent of the crime and released due to the hard work of Duke Law School students. Cases like these are why Sr. Helen Prejean has committed her life to a Ministry Against the Death Penalty.
In related news, Jemar Tisby says, “And it’s really hard to love the Church when it’s steeped in racism” in Building a More Just Church.
Finally, we cannot let this week pass without remembering Oscar Alberto Martínez and his 23-month-old daughter, Angie Valeria. We are witnessing a time when families are risking their lives to flee danger and we cannot turn our backs on our neighbors anymore. Prayer means offering yourself up to do God’s work, which leads to action. Please pray for the migrants seeking a better life, and then respond to God’s call for you. Call your congresspeople or donate to Together Rising, Kino Border Initiative, or Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.
So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:17
Ponder, by Take up and Read helped me recapture my love of the Rosary and the stories we reflect on as we pray the mysteries. If you’re looking for a prayer to bring the stories of Jesus and Mary into your life in a simple yet meaningful way, pick this up as your guide.
Electronic calendars are great, but for work I need something that can keep my events and daily tasks on track. This planner from Blessed Is She is the most amazing Catholic planner I have found. Holy days and Saints days are marked, along with the liturgical color used at Mass. There are even prayers printed at the front for those days when you need a little help communicating with God. The mini size is my favorite. Perfect for toting yet large enough for notes.
As we do in all things, let us end with prayer.
Lectio Divina is one of my favorite ways to pray because it uses the word of God in a way that makes sense to me. This article from The Grotto Network gives a wonderful overview of how to pray with scripture and why it makes a difference.
Come Holy Spirit, Amen.
love, Holly
god forever tries 