Joining a Prayer Ministry
And Favorite Content From This Week
I recently joined a local ministry, Lily of the Valley, which ministers to families experiencing infertility, difficult prenatal diagnosis, postnatal medical challenges, and pregnancy or infant loss. The ministry mails care packages to these families but mostly serves them through prayer. I signed up to be a prayer ambassador.
We meet monthly, usually virtually, to pray the Flying Novena and prayer to St. Gianna (the patroness of the ministry—and a saint who’s been “stalking” me lately). My first prayer meeting was last night. It was short but beautiful. One of the co-founders shared updates on families the group has been praying for, went through a list of intentions, and then led us in prayer. It almost brought me to tears.
These issues are among the most challenging a family will face. Medical help and other assistance is necessary, but we can’t discount the role that prayer plays in supporting families in need. I’ve added the intentions of Lily of the Valley to my list of daily prayer intentions and invite you to do some version of the same.
Visit the website to request prayers or a prayer care package.
In other news, I published a new book review on CatholicMom.com—a review of The Habsburg Way: Seven Rules for Turbulent Times*.
Content I Liked This Week:
This Church Life Journal article by the one and only Meg Hunter-Kilmer was a beautiful look at a Servant of God (Stanisława Leszczyńska) I’ve never heard of—and now want to read more about.
This Forbes article by author and consultant Jennifer Folsom was an interesting look at the particular role women can play in human-centric design.
Humanae Vitae blew me away when I first read it several years ago now. It was so prophetic—but we didn’t listen. I loved this National Catholic Register commentary on it by theologian Charles Camosy.
This CNN article on “no kids” zones in South Korea, the country with the lowest fertility rate, should be a warning to America: Make children (and, therefore, mothers) more welcome.
My friend
shared this Washington Examiner essay by Public Discourse’s managing editor Elayne Allen in her newsletter, and I found it thought-provoking and true.I’m fascinated by French culture, particularly its impact on Catholicism and vice versa (for instance, its history of persecution of Catholics has created so many amazing saints). This National Catholic Register article by Europe correspondent Solene Tadie was an interesting look at the state of the Church in modern France.
Books I’ve Enjoyed
I finished All the Gold Stars: Reimagining Ambition and the Ways We Strive*, by Rainesford Stauffer. I didn’t agree with everything she had to say, but she posed some interesting questions about how we should look at ambition. Stay tuned for an article!
I also finished The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough*, by Dr. Thomas Curran. I was with him up (somewhat) until the last couple of chapters, when I felt like he went off the rails (his solutions to the social problems that contribute to perfectionism—or, in his mind, cause perfectionism—seem outlandish and extremely unlikely … and therefore unhelpful). Still some useful food for thought on navigating Western culture as a perfectionist!
*Affiliate link