Spirituality | Catholic Country

Coming Home Series; The Power of Silence

Leah Brix

Coming Home Series; The Power of Silence

My dear friends, we must fight hard against the dictatorship of noise and allow our homes to be a sanctuary of rest.

Coming Home Series; Creating a Home for the Christ Child

Abby Thomas

Coming Home Series; Creating a Home for the Christ Child

May we draw inspiration from the Holy Family's extraordinary capacity to discover love and establish a home in their unexpected environment.

The Saints and Me Series; St. Monica, a Prayerful Mother

Abby Thomas

The Saints and Me Series; St. Monica, a Prayerful Mother

Following the example of St. Monica, I turned to prayer!

The Saints and Me Series; Discovering My Spiritual Namesake: St. Margaret Mary of Alacoque

Guest Blogger

The Saints and Me Series; Discovering My Spiritual Namesake: St. Margaret Mary of Alacoque

In total transparency, I have never put much thought into my namesake until recently. Growing up, I remember once asking my dad for a...

The Saints and Me Series; St. Alphonsus Liguouri, My Teacher and My Friend

Leah Brix

The Saints and Me Series; St. Alphonsus Liguouri, My Teacher and My Friend

St. Alphonsus Liguouri is a saint who speaks in an accessible way, using concrete words instead of abstract teachings.

Leah Brix

Litany of the Overwhelmed Mom

On Tuesday I went to my Holy Hour all by myself. It was almost painfully quiet as I missed the shifting of wiggly bodies, constant...

Abby Thomas

Sleeping Jesus in the Boat

I am all for a good thunderstorm. I love the drama attached to the anticipation of watching the storm clouds roll in. I love the...

Abby Thomas

Two Mamas in Heaven

I have officially reached the final days of this pregnancy. By the end of the month, I will have a newborn in my arms! I am so thankful...

Meek Vs. Weak: The Inaccurate Portrayal of true Femininity

Guest Blogger

Meek Vs. Weak: The Inaccurate Portrayal of true Femininity

In a fiery conversation with my Dad, I vented my frustration about the toxic Catholic woman narrative I keep seeing on Instagram and...

Abby Thomas

The Feminine Genius

My childhood was surrounded with beautiful things because I grew up in a household of beautiful women. Eight daughters living on a dairy...

Abby Thomas

Our Baptismal Role

My husband and I have taken on the role of sponsoring couples preparing to have their child baptized in our parish cluster. We invite...

The Holy Spirit, the Breath of the Divine

Leah Brix

The Holy Spirit, the Breath of the Divine

Farmers are obsessed with the weather. It is their go-to conversation regardless of where you see them, when you talk to them, or why...

Catholic Country Chronicles

Pentecostal Revival

Over the last three years, our country has undergone a National Eucharistic Revival. We all need revival. The root word...

Leah Brix

Mother, Queen of her Home

My “twins” are 4 and 6. Like many young girls, they LOVE princesses. Lucy, my hilarious dimple-cheeked 4-year-old told me that she is...

Resisting the Modern-Day Forbidden Fruit

Abby Thomas

Resisting the Modern-Day Forbidden Fruit

Dear reader, let me take you back to the beginning of our story. Let’s go back to the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve lived in harmony,...

Children's Explanation of Eucharistic Adoration

Leah Brix

Children's Explanation of Eucharistic Adoration

This past week I was asked to chat with our parish Faith Formation students about Eucharistic Adoration. I gave them a short little...

Seeing the Unseen, Hearing the Unheard, and Touching the Untouchable. A Mom Reflects on Jesus Meeting the Leper in Luke's Gospel

Leah Brix

Seeing the Unseen, Hearing the Unheard, and Touching the Untouchable. A Mom Reflects on Jesus Meeting the Leper in Luke's Gospel

I begin to tell them of this unbelievable man Who saw me when no one else saw me. Who heard me when no one else heard me and Who touched me

Abby Thomas

The Time when Fitness Consumed my Life

I used to consider myself an athlete. I never played sports in school, unless you count my experience with fifth-grade softball, but I...

Leah Brix

His Mercies are New Every Morning

I have reached a mid-life spiritual crisis. I suppose you could say that I have been spiraling down for quite a while. I don’t know...

Abby Thomas

We Love Because He First Loved Us

The new year brings new beginnings. If you are anything like me, you have probably been reflecting on the events, life changes,...

Leah Brix

Was Christmas Special Enough?

Last night I was sitting in my favorite chair, staring at my Christmas tree. It’s chaotic, with the bottom branches half empty and the...

Abby Thomas

For Unto Us a Child is Born

As a musician, it may seem cliche to admit that music is one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season. From Rudolf the Red-Nosed...

In the Beginning, God Created the Angels

Leah Brix

In the Beginning, God Created the Angels

“If you find it impossible to pray, hide behind your good angel and charge him to pray in your stead.” -St. John Vianney

Angels, the Original Guardians of the Galaxy

Leah Brix

Angels, the Original Guardians of the Galaxy

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day, be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide....

Leah Brix

Thanksgiving Turkey and the Eucharist

It was 6:00 on a frigid January morning that my phone rang. I coughed quick to help clear away my morning voice, but failed and croaked...

Abby Thomas

Suffering, A Kiss from Jesus

As a young girl, I suffered from migraines. My mom often got a call from the school nurse telling her I was in the office lying down with...

Abby Thomas

The Prodigal Son

Dear readers, the words below are taken from a post written a few years ago when we were writing about parables. I wanted to share them...

Leah Brix

To Let Yourself Be Loved

The identity of being a daughter just may be the hardest one for us to accept.

Leah Brix

Reckless Love

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her… So husbands ought to love their own wives as their...

Abby Thomas

Put on a Happy Face

My sweet baby is now five months old. She is constantly melting hearts with her interactive smile! One evening at mass, I had her...

Guest Blogger

Unlocked by the Holy Spirit

Growing up, I didn’t know a whole lot about the Holy Spirit. To me, the Trinity consisted of God our Father, Jesus our Brother, and the...

Fortitude-How an International Friendship Blossomed

Guest Blogger

Fortitude-How an International Friendship Blossomed

Welp, now what. I just finished my first week of classes in my domestic exchange program at Arizona State University and came to the...

Leah Brix

From Fear to Faith

"But I can't go to bed!!! I'm WAY too scared!" 7-year-old me shrieked to my dad one night. "What are you afraid of?" He gently asked....

Abby Thomas

He Has a Gift for You

Last weekend my oldest sister and her family hosted a Pentecost party! We gathered to celebrate the birthday of our church. Before we...

Abby Thomas

Pop Quizzes after Pentecost

“One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, time’s up!” These nagging words were followed by an aggressive shoulder tap from...

Leah Brix

A Day of Dual Celebration

One chilly October Sunday in 2017, we celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in our local parish....

Leah Brix

Get Lost in the Ocean of Mercy

The spiritual walk is a perilous one. One minute you are walking on water, and the next are walking through the Valley of the Shadow of...

Leah Brix

Once Upon a Time I Ran

I ran my first 5k when I was in my early twenties. Because of my overactive brain, I quickly bored of the repetitive movements of one...

St. Teresa of Avila's Guide to Personal Prayer

Leah Brix

St. Teresa of Avila's Guide to Personal Prayer

For some people, mental prayer is a breeze. For others, it is an overwhelming, mysterious prayer practice that is way out of their...

Leah Brix

The Heartbreak of a Mother

Imagine for a moment that you are a young pregnant woman… if you aren’t actually a woman go ahead and picture yourself as the spouse of...

Abby Thomas

Star of Wonder, Star of Might

The visitation of the Three Wise Men has always been a mystery to me. I remember trying to process how these three guys knew about the...

Abby Thomas

An Attitude of Gratitude

The week of Thanksgiving always stirs up conversations about the people and things in our lives that we are the most grateful for. We can...

Leah Brix

Momento Mori

In the Kingdom of the Eternal Vast Provinces number three All sights set on Jerusalem the Heavenly City. Residents of the earthly realm...

Abby Thomas

What is Next?

I have been teaching elementary music for the last 5 years, but this has been the first year that I am returning to the same school and...

Hotdish, Hand-Me-Downs and the Hail Mary

Leah Brix

Hotdish, Hand-Me-Downs and the Hail Mary

Hotdish, hand-me-downs and the Hail Mary. A frugal mom’s journey to sainthood. Does that sound familiar to you? If it does, I would be...

Abby Thomas

A Gift that is Freely Given

I have super exciting news!! God gave you, yes you, a set of unique skills and gifts that He empowers you to use to further His kingdom...

Leah Brix

Being Afraid of the Doorbell

“Ding dong!” “Oh crap! It’s the doorbell!” I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I am embarrassed by the rubber boots...

Abby Thomas

We are Ordinary Missionaries

When I was in college I used to say something along the lines of, “God will use me in a big way after I graduate and start teaching.” ...

Leah Brix

Ridiculous Red Ribbon Raspberries

On Tuesday of our county fair, the 4-H building comes to life with a sea of little people in green shirts, frazzled parents whose arms...

Abby Thomas

90 Years of Singing?!

Earlier this week I was asked to sing at a funeral for a man who belonged to my parish cluster. He regularly attended mass at our...

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