Cross

Don’t Let Go of His Hand

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By: Madeleine Karako

For as long as I can remember, I have dreamed of being a mother. When we got pregnant on the honeymoon, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Then we lost our first child to miscarriage after being married for 2 months. My husband was in a different state for Officer Training School in the Air Force, so I didn’t see him until a month after we lost our child. I went through it without him, which made the experience all the more painful. Even in those darkest moments, God was taking care of me. I couldn’t see it then, but looking back now I see all the little miracles He gave me. 

  1. My mom (who lived in a different state) showed up for a visit the day before I started miscarrying, so I had her with me through it all. 
  2. My dear friend, Lizzy, showed up at the hospital when I had to have an emergency D&C because I was hemorrhaging. She held my mom’s hand and prayed a rosary with her while I was in surgery. 
  3. My Dad cancelled an important business trip to come and be with my mom and I during that first week after our loss. 

Those are the big ones. There were many more little miracles, but I couldn’t see any of them at the time. I cried most days and felt like my heart was being ripped apart. The whole thing felt so backwards, so cruel. Going through labor, feeling all that pain, enduring emergency surgery; those were the “easy” parts. Going home without a baby, feeling the emptiness in my heart, doubting God’s love; those were the hard parts. 

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When the Church Grows Quiet: Passiontide

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There is a moment in Lent when something subtle (or maybe not so subtle) changes.

You walk into church and notice that something feels different. The statues are covered. The crucifix is hidden behind a purple veil. The sanctuary feels quieter and more restrained, almost as if the Church herself is holding her breath.

We have entered Passiontide.

Passiontide begins on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, traditionally called Passion Sunday, and continues through Holy Week until the Easter Vigil. These final two weeks intensify the Church’s focus on Christ’s suffering and death. The readings, prayers, and liturgical customs all guide us toward the same destination: Calvary.

Lent has always been about repentance and conversion. Passiontide narrows the lens. Now we are invited to contemplate the Passion itself, the moment when Christ reveals the depth of God’s love through suffering.

It is the Church’s way of saying: Look closer.

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Preparing the Heart for Christmas: Welcoming Jesus, Bearing Good Fruit 

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Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 3:1-12 

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, 

As Advent unfolds before us, we’re handed an invitation—not just to more lists, more shopping, or more frantic hustle, but to something riskier and far more honest. Let’s take a glimpse at someone in our own midst—a woman like Samantha, perhaps someone you know, perhaps someone a little like you. 

Every year, Samantha mapped out her perfect Christmas with military precision: menus, presents, decorations, endless lists promising a season that would finally feel right. And every year, as she sat among the torn wrapping paper and cold leftovers, a hollow ache settled in. “Hollowed out by the holidays,” she joked. But beneath that joke—loneliness, disappointment, a hunger for something real. 

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The Heart of Advent: Staying Awake and Ready for Jesus’ Arrival 

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Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

A reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 24:37-44 

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, 

Today I want to share with you the story of my best friend, Mark—a man who, like many of us, always considered himself a person of faith. Mark was faithful to Mass, devoted to service, and kept his rosary close by. Then came that dreadful day: his company downsized, and he lost his job. Suddenly, his world was turned upside down. 

Job hunting became his entire focus. Mark poured over online applications, crafted cover letters, hustled every hour of the day, skipping meals, and convincing himself that Sundays were too precious to spend at church. “I’ll pray later,” he thought. “Right now, I have to work.” Sound familiar? Life’s uncertain moments can shake us, and when our routine is upended, it’s all too easy to assume we’ll come back to God—once life is less complicated. 

But weeks of rejection wore Mark down. His faith felt distant; his hope, almost gone. It took a caring friend from church to reach out, listen, and gently remind Mark that we need God most when we feel out of control—not because God will solve our troubles instantly, but because He promises to walk with us through them. Jesus calls us to “stay awake”—not to let worry, fear, or busyness blanket our faith. 

That very night, Mark picked up his rosary, dusted off his prayer life, and asked not for a job, but for peace. The next day he went back to Mass. Being there, he noticed something different—something softer and clearer in the choir’s song, something opening up inside himself. In the weeks that followed, Mark rebuilt his rhythm of prayer, reconnected with his community, and felt his anxiety begin to loosen its grip. 

A new job eventually came, through a connection he made at church—one he’d have missed if he’d stayed isolated. But looking back, Mark realized that the real transformation wasn’t finding work. It was learning to stay awake to God’s presence, preparing his heart for Jesus’ arrival in ways he’d almost overlooked. And it made all the difference. 

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With Jesus in Paradise: The Gospel of Hope and Mercy for All

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Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

A reflection on the Gospel of Luke 23:35-43

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today’s Gospel from Luke 23 draws us into one of the most astounding moments in Scripture: the crucifixion, where Jesus, suffering and mocked, reveals the true nature of His kingship. Let me share a story from a Catholic prison chaplain, Father Mark, whose ministry on death row embodies the transforming hope of this Gospel.

Father Mark visited men living with regret, some convinced they were beyond God’s forgiveness. One man, John, had always refused to see a priest, insisting he was too far gone. As his last days approached, John finally asked to talk, not about his crime, but about the smallest hope that God might still care for him. During their meeting, John quietly asked, “Could God really remember me?”

Father Mark turned to today’s Gospel and told him of the Good Thief—Dismas—who, nailed beside Jesus and condemned, found the courage to say, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus, in turn, offered pure grace: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” On the day of John’s execution, Father Mark repeated those words as he gave the last rites. In that moment, the Kingdom of God shone through, a kingdom of unearned hope and mercy, even behind prison walls.

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Rooted in Hope: Building Our Lives on Christ and God’s Unfailing Love

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Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

Reflection on Luke 21

My Sisters and Brothers,

As we sit together today in prayer, let us acknowledge our Lord Jesus’ presence among us. And, before anything else, remember this: Jesus loves each of us more deeply than we can ever imagine. No matter where we are or what we face, He is always with us and never distant, never leaving us to face life’s storms alone.

Today’s Gospel is enough to make anyone uneasy. Jesus stands before the glorious temple in Jerusalem—the heart of faith, the symbol of God’s presence—and shocks everyone by saying, “All that you see here—every stone—will be thrown down.” The people are stunned. They want details: they want a timeline, a way to prepare, a set of steps to avoid catastrophe.

And Jesus tells them, honestly, you can’t avoid troubles of the world. There will be wars, disasters, betrayals. Even the things you most treasure and trust: family, friendships, even the beauty and security of your religious traditions—sometimes even these will fall away. But then, right in the middle of all these warnings, he says, “Do not be terrified… Not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

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Temple of the Spirit: Letting Christ Renew Our Hearts

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Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

A reflection on the Gospel of John 2:13-22

Brothers and sisters,

Today’s Gospel is dramatic. We see Jesus as we don’t often see Him—angry, passionate, driving out money-changers and cattle from the Temple. His voice echoes: “Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” You can almost feel the whip in His hand, the clatter of coins, the shocked faces. At first glance, it seems harsh. But as with everything Jesus does, there’s something deeper.

What was so wrong with selling animals and changing money? The merchants were, in a practical sense, helping people fulfill their religious duties. Yet Jesus knew the difference between help and hindrance. He saw clutter—spiritual distractions and noise—taking over what was meant to be sacred space. The Temple, God’s holy dwelling, had become just another market.

But listen again to Jesus’ words—He pointed to something even greater: “Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The people thought He was talking about the stone building, but He meant His own Body. He was saying that God’s real dwelling place was no longer a place, but a Person. In Christ, heaven and earth meet.

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