How to Pray When You’re Really Not Feeling It
When I was growing up, nightly prayers were a formal, ritualized affair. I was raised in the grand Catholic tradition of kneeling by the side…
prayer
No Right Way to Pray: Letting Go of My Misconceptions About Prayer
If you had asked me in my 20s how important prayer was to me, I would have ranked it pretty low. I grew up understanding…
Inspiration From My Grandmother: How I’m Learning to Find Hope in a Troubled World
My grandmother loved New England. Coastal New England, to be precise. She loved the region so much that she co-wrote a half dozen or so…
Praying With My Boyfriend: Thoughts on Relationships and Prayer
The first time my boyfriend asked me to pray with him, I’ll admit I was slightly startled and a bit nervous. Yes, we attended church…
4 Ways to Use Your Summer Vacation to Spiritually Recharge
It’s vacation season! Whether you’re trekking a mountain trail or hightailing it to the beach, taking a trip is the perfect time to recharge spiritually.…
How My Church Community Pulled Me out of Depression
I stood outside of the Wesley United Methodist Church on the corner of Fentworth Blvd in Franklin Square, NY. I reached for the doorknob with…
How Keeping a Consistent Prayer Routine Helps My Mental Health
In the past year, I’ve experienced mental health challenges like never before — and I know I’m not alone in that. Throughout 2020, both my…
How I’m Reclaiming Sunday as a Day of Rest
Last spring, I decided that it was indeed a new season. I was balancing a high-intensity degree in English Literature, a fledgling writing career, and…
Here’s How Having an Accountability Partner Can Transform Your Lent
Every year when Lent rolls around, like most Catholics, I choose something (or several somethings) to give up for 40 days. In general, it’s a…
From Self-Care to Soul-Care: 5 Creative Ways to Pray During Lent
This year, Lent snuck up on me—I hardly knew it was February until I unwittingly found myself at a Mardi Gras celebration one Tuesday evening.…