Spirituality and Theology

If you pray the Rosary with any degree of regularity, you know both how simple and how complex it is. If you want to pray the Rosary with more depth and understanding, pick up a copy of Catholic Women in Business Member Shannon Wendt’s new book, “The Way of the Rosary.”

Today marks the feast day of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In all honesty, when I imagine life for the Holy Family, I am tempted to believe it is one of ease, events going according to plan, and no conflict, especially around the dining table. At times this has led me to find the Holy Family unrelatable and yet still a model to emulate. I sometimes find myself gazing at an icon of Jesus, Mary and Joseph that is above our kitchen sink, shaking my head saying, “But you wouldn’t understand.”

The Isaiah verse that lists names of Jesus is my favorite part of Handel’s Messiah and a perfect verse for today. The Prince of Peace is indeed a wonderful counselor to us.

Christmas BEGINS today.

Catholics are trying to keep Advent as a time for prayer and reflection as we wait for the coming of Christ. We aren’t just worrying about all the decorations or checklists, but we are using this time to pray and reflect on Christ. This Beatitude reminds us that following Christ often means standing firm in our values, even when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular.

Love is palpable this time of year, but it is often intertwined in the occasions of visiting, decorating, gift giving, baking, and other activities that we often look forward to because they are comforting, nostalgic, and bring us cheer. This Christmas, let us accept the challenge of stepping out of this place of contentment to practice sacrificial love.

In some respects, waiting seems unpalatable.  We are constantly “skipping to the good part.” But waiting gives us time to prepare, to ready our hearts, and to grow in virtue.  It’s not a boring season, but one of anticipation and holy receptivity.  Through waiting well, we cultivate a childlike disposition. 

This Advent, Catholic Women in Business are invited to enter a sacred kind of waiting — one that refines, not rushes. In a world obsessed with productivity and profit, God calls us instead to prepare our hearts with mercy and mindfulness.

This Third Week of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday, we are rejoicing because of the anticipation of the long-awaited Messiah. Advent, a season of preparation, is coming to an end, and Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior will be coming into the world just as the Scriptures foretold. We need to continue to prepare for His arrival in our hearts, minds, and actions.

Saint Lucy’s feast day is celebrated annually on December 13th. In the northern hemisphere, this day is one of the shortest days of the year, with limited hours of daylight. Paradoxically, the name Lucy is derived from the Latin word for “light.” Despite hardships, Lucy persevered in her faith and serves as a strong example of a bearer of Christ’s light.

In his newest book, “Eight Promises of God: Discovering Hope Through the Beatitudes,” Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, invites us to see the Beatitudes not as distant ideals or abstract teachings but as living promises.

How do we find peace in a culture that never stops talking? How do we hold onto stillness in our work, our homes, and our hearts? This Advent, Catholic Women in Businesses encourages you to turn to the Beatitudes.

This Advent, we are reflecting on the Beatitudes. The third Beatitude is, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.” (Matthew 5:5).  Meekness is the ability to moderate anger according to right reason. What land is the land we will inherit? Heaven.

What comes to mind when you hear “poor in spirit”? In a general audience on May 2, 2020, Pope Francis told us, “The ‘poor in spirit’ are those who are and feel poor, beggars, in the depths of their being.”

What could be more hopeful than the expectation of a new life? Several team members behind Catholic Women in Business have welcomed new children or grandchildren this year. They, perhaps like you, can attest to the hope that permeates a family awaiting a homecoming. 

Others among us have given life to new business concepts, or taken a turn on our career paths. Each step has been taken with a hopeful heart.

In our fallen world, many things and people compete for our attention and even our allegiance. Making sure Christ is the King we follow with every step isn’t easy; but it’s the only path to true happiness. I promise I’m stumbling beside you on that path! Here are some things I’m trying to help center my career around the true King.

Sharing our faith in a hedonistic culture can be intimidating, even dangerous, and yet we are commanded to do just that by Jesus Himself. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Discover the untold story of American expat women artists in Paris and how their ambition helped professionalize art for women in the United States. Centered on Jennifer Dasal’s book The Club: Where American Artists Found Refuge in Belle Époque Paris, this article explores the American Girls’ Club — a haven for female artists seeking education, community, and creative freedom abroad. Through faith, beauty, and determination, these pioneering women transformed art from a genteel hobby into a respected profession, shaping the legacy of American art and redefining the role of women creators in both family and society.

Picture this with me: More than a decade ago, I’m sitting at a crowded bar, and this guy who I’ve just met (who, by the way, has whiskers and a nose drawn on his face), is chattering away, sloshing his beer about clumsily. But instead of talking about himself, he spends most of our time together pointing around the bar, and telling me stories about each of his buddies and listing all the quirky characteristics that endear each one of them to him.

On November 2, we celebrate the Commemoration of All Souls Day. The Church calls us to pray for the souls in purgatory awaiting sanctification. This is the day that the Church Militant — the faithful on earth — can assist the Church Suffering  — souls in purgatory  — through offered prayers, sacrifices, and Mass.

Autumn’s beauty invites a Catholic reflection on mortality, hope, and eternal life. Weaving Scripture (Genesis 3:19), the Catechism (1020), and cultural touchstones like Anne of Green Gables and The Song of Bernadette, this piece reframes “remember your death” as a call to prayer, the sacraments, and renewal — showing why October’s melancholy points us toward Heaven.

One of the most challenging aspects of living with a chronic illness is that I don’t look sick. I’m not observably sick. To another’s eye, I look perfectly healthy. Over the years, this has made day-to-day living an emotional battle.

Where were you on May 8?

I was working at home, as per usual, and my husband was out running errands. He texted “White Smoke!” My first thought was “Already?”

Saint Luke the Evangelist's feast day is celebrated annually on October 18. In his Gospel account and in the Acts of the Apostles, Luke chronicled Jesus' earthly ministry and the evangelization efforts of the early Church. I had no idea that during a lectio divina prayer session about a year ago, I'd feel a strong connection to Luke’s experiences as a chronicler of the Good News.