St. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart was once a picky eater. She’d only eat what she liked and leave the rest, not complaining about the meal, but simply not finishing it. Once in Carmel, when she was sick and was having trouble eating, her mistress admonished her for not eating and walked away to attend to another duty. When her mistress returned, St. Teresa Margaret’s plate was empty– she had eaten every bite out of obedience and love, even... Read more
I turned 10 smack dab in the middle of summer. It was hot and sunny and I was happy. A friend gave me a set of nail polish for my birthday– pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, like a modified rainbow. I wore them that way, too. Pink on my little toes, then orange, yellow, and green on each of the next, and then I’d split the blue and purple in half on each of my big toes. I... Read more
Something fun today! I wrote a quiz on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Head over to EpicPew to check it out. Read more
St. Mary of Egypt Mary was a hermitess who lived alone in the desert of Egypt for forty-seven years as penance for her previously sinful life. In a chance meeting approximately one year before her death, she encountered St. Zosimas and recounted her life story to him. She told him that she had run away to Alexandria as a child and had lived a lascivious lifestyle completely taken over by her sexual passions. After many years of that lifestyle, she... Read more
A game we used to like to play back in Catholic college was “Which Mary is your mother?” Everyone seemed to have a certain title or apparition of Mary that they felt closest to or held a special devotion to. But I didn’t. I struggled with Mary more than any other aspect of the Catholic faith. She felt too pure for me, too perfect, too womanly. I struggled to love her because I struggled to understand her and what sinlessness... Read more
Pittsburgh is a beautiful city with plenty of ethnic diversity and several unique churches. Residents and visitors agree that Primanti Bros. is a mandatory stop when visiting, and that if you take in a Pirates game, you’ll be treated to a pierogi race. Or, check out a Penguins game and enjoy the home team winning. Months ago, Pittsburgh priest Fr. Alek Schrenk, (check out his twitter threadto see the beginnings of this!) created a dream pilgrimage for Catholics who love their... Read more
It’s been awhile since my last post because I have been traveling this Christmas season to see family. We live almost all the way across the country from each other and visiting has been absolutely wonderful. What a perfect time to travel far to be with family, too. But, as 2018 is finally coming to an end, I thought it would be appropriate to do a roundup of some of my favorite things of this year. In no particular order,... Read more
Annoying Know-It-All Tracy Bradley talks about everything she knows, from book reviews to deep theological discussions to family life, and everything in between. Tune in to find out exactly what she knows and maybe even learn something new. It’s so refreshing to hear a woman speak on a variety of subjects and show off her knowledge. Don’t miss these episodes: Ep. 2: Little Free Shop and Blessings Ep. 3: Girl Last Seen, Book Talk Ep. 4: I Care, Do... Read more
Traditions ground us and connect us to our past, while giving us a link to the future. Growing up, my family always listened to Bing Crosby’s Christmas album while trimming the tree. It just wasn’t a tree decorating day without it! I learned my first bit of Latin from him (“Adeste Fideles”) and also a bit of Hawaiian (“Mele Kalikimaka”). I sang along with him and the Andrews Sisters while hanging my favorite ornaments on the artificial tree’s green branches... Read more
She’s neither ethereal nor ghost-like when she appears in my dreams. In my dreams she’s very real. So real, in fact, that most times I don’t even realize she shouldn’t be there until I’m on the edge of consciousness. I often wake like Ebenezer Scrooge, wondering if what I’ve experienced was a dream or reality, but I am nonetheless changed. The lady in my dreams sometimes admonishes me and sometimes showers me in love. Sometimes she’s the main character and... Read more
Contemplatio Culture
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