If you are Pro-Life, you must accept restrictions on personal liberty. Even if you reject the underlying premise of the popular Pro-Choice mantra “my body, my choice” (there are in fact two bodies), you are accepting the basic doctrine that, out of respect for the second being, there are certain things a woman cannot do while she is pregnant. You are also accepting that there are certain things she must do. As a Pro-Life woman, I recognize the financial, physical,... Read more
In Catholic elementary school, I was taught to use the capital He when referring to God. The capitalization, I was told, was a sign of respect. The use of the male pronoun was tradition. This basic system carried me through Catholic high school and into college. So imagine my surprise when, during my freshman year at a Catholic woman’s college, I turned in a theology paper only to receive it back covered in red pen marks. In large red letters at... Read more
Once again, I find myself in the search for a day job. Like so many Americans, I’ve filed for unemployment and am searching online for jobs that are no longer hiring. And, like so many Americans, I’ve had a lot of time to think what am I doing with my life. I fill my days with creative projects, most of which are unpaid. Can I really call myself a professional if I don’t make a living off my work? Rationally, I know... Read more
Happy Easter! Today is a day of celebration and hope. I plan on making it one of peace, relaxation, and quiet celebration. I hope you are able to do the same. Still, I want to send you a little something to reflect on. I promise I will be sending more in-depth writing throughout the Easter season, but for now it’s a simple poem. May God bless you abundantly on this day. Poem for a Strange, Beautiful Easter We turn the... Read more
I am a Christian who questions everything. Every day, in every moment, I turn my faith over in my mind, wrestling with myself. Am I delusional? Am I speaking to myself when I speak to God? Does it matter? So when I received a request to participate in Patheos’ site wide campaign to fast for relief from COVID-19, I was instantly skeptical. What value could fasting have in a time like this? I also instantly signed on, as is my... Read more
As we enter into Holy Week, I am struck by the image of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knows what is being asked of him, and he doesn’t want to do it. He sees exactly what is coming, yet he prays: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” If it is possible. It’s a strange prayer for Jesus to pray. He knows it’s not possible. His... Read more
On Ash Wednesday, which feels like a lifetime ago, I published an article called More Than a Fast: A Guide for Non-Christians Practicing Lent. In it, I gave the following advice: There is a good chance you will fall down on your Lenten promise at some point during the season. But a Lenten promise is not like a New Year’s Resolution; it’s not over when you fail. If you mess up and break your Lenten promise, you’re still expected to... Read more
This Christmas, my husband gifted me Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble’s Remember Your Death: Memento Mori Lenten Devotional. I have followed Sr. Theresa Aletheia online for some time, and I was looking forward to diving in to this new spiritual practice. By meditating on my death, I thought, I would become more at peace with its reality and increase my faith in the resurrection. Maybe I would cease to fear death at all! Then COVID-19 hit New York City and I realized... Read more
No one knows who wrote the Letter to the Hebrews. I learned this surprising fact at a series of Lenten talks on the New Testament at my local parish.* Before diving into the text, our pastor explained that there are a variety of potential authors, ranging from Saint Paul to Barnabas, and even possibly a woman named Priscilla. This naturally peaked my interest. During the concluding question-and-answer session I asked why scholars thought this. “Well we don’t really know,” my... Read more
If you’re a creative, odds are you want to make the best use of time spent stuck at home in isolation. Over the past week, I’ve received a number of invitations to participate in virtual projects, whether writing prompts, online play festivals, or video projects. There’s no question that great art can come out of difficult trials. But it’s also necessary to take a step back and realize that making art requires a certain state of mind. It’s natural to... Read more
Femina Ferox
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