This week on the Mama Prays podcast, I chat with Donna Marie Cooper O’Boyle, prolific Catholic author, EWTN TV host, and mother.
Tune in and you will hear:
The story of her friendship with St. Teresa of Cacutta
How to walk with Mary in our motherhood
How to find hope for trying times
What’s so miraculous about the Miraculous Medal
Donna Marie generously shares her heart and her wisdom, pointing us to Our Lady and Her Son in this Jubilee Year of Hope!
Listen to the wisdom of Tina Mayeux, sorority girl turned Carmelite turned stay-at-home mom. Tina shares all about what drew her to the Carmelites, as well as the ordering principles of Carmelite spirituality that have shaped her motherhood over the years. You won’t want to miss Tina’s tips for creating a peaceful, Christ-centered home!
This week on the Mama Prays podcast, I am thrilled to be bringing you this interview with Caitrin Bennett, Catholic homeschooling mother of 3 and author of the book Holier Matrimony. We had an incredible conversation and I can’t wait for you to hear it.
Tune in and you will hear:
Stories of real saints who lived out holiness in their vocations to marriage
How to denounce some of the biggest lies in our culture about marriage today
How to connect with your spouse in an age of distractions
How to strengthen your spiritual connection with your spouse
The beauty of the graces available to us in the Sacrament of Matrimony
We have such a gift in the communion of saints, and Caitrin does a beautiful job of communicating their stories to us!
Motherhood and homemaking are profound callings that require both practical skills and spiritual wisdom. Over the years, I’ve come across books that have enriched my journey, offering encouragement, insight, and inspiration. Today, I’m sharing my favorite books for motherhood and homemaking—each one a treasure that has shaped my understanding of what it means to nurture a home and family in alignment with God’s plan.
This book beautifully captures the sanctity and responsibility of motherhood. It’s a collection of the experiences of an anonymous visionary that inspires mothers to embrace their vocation as a spiritual mission. The themes of prayer, sacrifice, and dedication resonate deeply, reminding us that our efforts as mothers have eternal significance.
This timeless guide provides practical advice and spiritual encouragement for mothers striving for holiness. Its focus on cultivating virtue in daily life and raising children in the faith makes it a must-read for Christian mothers who seek to balance the demands of homemaking with their spiritual lives.
Dr. Laura celebrates the invaluable role of mothers who choose to stay home and prioritize their families. This book is a heartfelt affirmation of the importance of a mother’s presence in her children’s lives. It’s a great reminder that our sacrifices as homemakers are worthwhile and deeply impactful. (A hard read if you are working but want to be home, however, listening on audio gave me the courage to tell my husband I HAD to quit working, and the consolation I needed when that transition ended up being a trying one).
Erika Komisar presents compelling research on the emotional and developmental benefits of a mother’s presence during the early years of a child’s life. This book underscores the irreplaceable role of mothers, offering both encouragement and practical advice for those navigating this critical season of parenting.
Elisabeth Elliot’s reflections on womanhood, marriage, and faith are profound and deeply moving. This book is a beautiful exploration of what it means to embrace our God-given identity as women. Her wisdom encourages us to find joy and purpose in the roles of wife, mother, and homemaker.
This book celebrates the unique dignity and vocation of women. Von Hildebrand eloquently discusses the spiritual strengths of femininity, offering a countercultural perspective that affirms the beauty of motherhood and homemaking as a divine calling.
Von le Fort’s poetic and philosophical exploration of womanhood is deeply inspiring. This book examines the timeless qualities of femininity and their relevance in every aspect of life, including motherhood and homemaking. It’s a rich read that invites reflection on the deeper meaning of our roles as women.
This gem of a book is perfect for mothers who feel overwhelmed by the demands of daily life. Dom van Zeller offers practical advice on how to find holiness in the ordinary tasks of homemaking. His insights remind us that our work in the home can be a path to sanctity.
Kimberly Hahn’s book is a wonderful resource for homemakers looking to align their daily routines with biblical principles. She combines practical advice with spiritual insights, offering guidance on everything from meal planning to fostering a prayerful home environment.
Leila Lawler’s comprehensive guide to homemaking is a treasure trove of wisdom. She covers everything from managing a household to nurturing family relationships, all while emphasizing the beauty and dignity of home life. Her practical tips and philosophical reflections make this book a must-have for any homemaker. She is really a straight shooter and I appreciate that!
Holly Pierlot shares her journey from chaos to peace by creating a “rule of life” inspired by monastic traditions. This book provides a framework for mothers to balance their spiritual, personal, and family responsibilities. It’s a practical and inspiring guide for anyone seeking greater harmony in their home.
Ronald Rolheiser draws parallels between monastic life and the vocation of motherhood. This short but powerful book highlights how the daily routines of family life can become a form of prayer and spiritual growth. It’s a comforting reminder that our ordinary tasks have extraordinary value.
Elizabeth George’s classic book encourages women to pursue a life centered on God’s priorities. She provides practical advice on building a strong marriage, raising children, and creating a Christ-centered home. Her wisdom is both inspiring and actionable.
This series is a visual and spiritual feast that celebrates the beauty and purpose of homemaking. Each book combines stunning photography with thoughtful reflections on how our homes can become sanctuaries that reflect God’s love. The series is a beautiful reminder of the sacredness of our daily work.
These books have been a source of encouragement and growth for me as a mother and homemaker. They remind me that our work in the home is not only practical but deeply spiritual. Whether you’re looking for practical tips, spiritual inspiration, or affirmation of your vocation, these titles offer a wealth of wisdom. I hope they bless you as much as they have blessed me!
Gardening has always been a passion of mine, and over the years, I’ve discovered some fantastic products that have made my gardening experience even more enjoyable. Here are my top picks from Amazon that I absolutely love:
This elevated raised bed is perfect for those who want to garden without bending over. It’s sturdy, easy to assemble, and provides ample space for growing a variety of plants.
These raised beds are ideal for creating a well-organized garden. They offer plenty of room for planting and are made from durable materials that will last for years.
Add a touch of charm to your garden with this classic white picket fence. It’s easy to install and provides a beautiful border for your garden space.
These T-posts are essential for supporting garden fencing or netting. They’re strong, reliable, and easy to drive into the ground.
While not a traditional garden item, this above ground pool is perfect for cooling off after a long day of gardening. It’s easy to set up and provides hours of fun for the whole family.
Protect your plants from pests with this durable garden netting. It’s easy to install and can be used for a variety of purposes, including covering raised beds or fruit trees.
These adjustable garden stakes are perfect for supporting growing plants. They’re easy to adjust and provide excellent support for tomatoes, beans, and other climbing plants.
Mycorrhizae Root Growth Enhancer:
Boost your plants’ root growth with this mycorrhizae root growth enhancer. It’s easy to use and helps improve nutrient uptake for healthier, more robust plants.
Keep your plants thriving with this organic liquid fertilizer. It’s made from natural ingredients and provides essential nutrients for strong, healthy growth.
This weed-free garden straw mulch is perfect for keeping your garden beds neat and tidy. It helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and adds organic matter to the soil.
These wood trellises are perfect for supporting climbing plants like cucumbers and peas. They’re sturdy, attractive, and add a vertical element to your garden.
Improve your soil health with this buckwheat cover crop. It’s easy to grow and helps suppress weeds, improve soil structure, and attract beneficial insects.
These micro-clover seeds are perfect for creating a lush, green ground cover. They’re low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and provide a beautiful, soft lawn alternative.
I hope you find these garden items as useful and enjoyable as I have. Happy gardening!
Come tour our backyard garden and get a look at how we feed our family from our suburban homestead. We are slowly turning this typical backyard into an organic oasis of abundance, and I’d love to take you along to see how we’re getting creative with our space to increase production. This year has been a series of mishaps and heartbreaks, but we are learning a lot and I’d love to have you along for the ride!
Harvest and dry herbs with me! In this video I take you along in the garden with me as I harvest and dry many of our perennial herbs for storage and use over the winter. I love eating my herbs fresh in the summer, but drying herbs has been a game changer in my kitchen! I’d love to hear: what are your favorite herbs to grow for storage herbal teas??
Come along with us as we extend our growing space with vertical gardening using arched trellises. We built 7 DIY arched trellises using cattle panels in less than 2 hours, and it was so simple!
We used 16’ cattle panels from a local farm store, 4’ t-posts, and zip ties and the effect in the garden is simply stunning. Aside from adding interest to our garden design, beauty and space for David Austen climbing roses, these DIY trellises allow us to grow vertically, adding nearly 200 square feet to our growing space!
That is a HUGE deal when we are trying to grow all our own food in our 1/3 acre backyard homestead! We were able to get all the supplies for under $50 per trellis in 2024, making them by far the largest and cheapest options we could find. We hope you enjoy our video on how to build diy arched trellises, and get some valuable tips and tricks and ideas of how else you might use cattle panels to build cucumber trellises, tomato trellises, melon trellises, squash trellises, pumpkin trellises and more!
Can we be self-sufficient in 1/3 acre of land in the suburbs? It’s a slow road to calling becoming worthy of the name “homestead” but we’re sharing our journey as we develop this space and the skills we need to provide as much food as we can for our growing family. We’re delighted to have you along for the ride!
It’s that time again!
I am the quintessential nerd. I grew up with my nose perpetually in a book. Belle was always my favorite Disney princess. I adore the smell of newly printed books, and shopping for new school supplies was always a highlight of my year.
Is it any wonder, then, that selecting curriculum for the new school year has become one of my favorite pastimes? My one regret is having to narrow down all these amazing resources.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a good curriculum if it wasn’t manageable enough to execute elegantly, and so narrowed down they must be. With no further ado, here are our curriculum picks for the 2024-2025 academic year:
To keep my little one occupied during school hours, I have gathered an arsenal in the form of busy bins. (For my best tips on homeschooling with littles, check out this post.)
I am of the Charlotte Mason, free-range set who believe that no formal education in the preschool years is necessary, and what children at this age in fact need is lots of time outdoors, baking muffins, and snuggling up to great picture books.
However, as a mom of many little ones, I also recognize the value of each having his own turn, his own special time with mom as his older siblings. If I had all the time in the world, I would use My Father’s World preschool program. I love the social-emotional development and how well every little thing ties in, especially the Bible component. Instead, I just use the character book (a MUST!), a finger tracing book, and he will join us during family Bible time.
We will also use Kate Snow’s Preschool Math at Home, and from the Good and the Beautiful we use the handwriting and preschool program daily and continue with the kinder prep when that is complete.
My son has a late birthday, so he has actually already started kindergarten and is progressing with his reading very well. He is so self-motivated, even breaking out his reader to struggle through independently at night. The reader has been discontinued by The Good and the Beautiful, but you can still find it on ebay. I will say that it is not magic so much as a personality thing; my daughter is an avid reader now, but she fought me on that same reader tooth and nail when she was in kinder!
He will continue with The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts K, and I am still on the fence about Math. We switched to Math with Confidence last year, which was absolutely the right call for my 3rd grader (better organization and teaching instructions, better foundation of conceptual math), but my son is missing the fun and silly nature of The Good and the Beautiful, and at this age, that might be more critical. We will see. Either way, we will definitely switch to MWC by Grade 2.
He is loving the Magic Treehouse books and itching to be able to read them independently, so I am excited to see where he goes with it. He is also excited to begin writing his own stories, and spends hours building Legos. Such a fun age! I have a hunch he would really enjoy Minecraft, but I’m not sure what we’d be getting into.
Should we? Shouldn’t we? What are the pros and cons? Let me know!
Our third grader reads voraciously of her own accord, so I don’t assign any reading other than what we read aloud together. We have fallen in love with The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts, and I was really on the fence about whether to bump her up a grade as she doesn’t need the extra help with phonics at this point, but we are sticking with grade level as I think the writing component is more her speed, and why rush?
The only thing we skip is the spelling component, as we both prefer a more traditional, straight foward approach (I actually didn’t even realize there were spelling rules until I started teaching this curriculum, and memorizing them felt burdensome even to me. I got nearly perfect verbal scores, graduated valedictorian, and became a published author all before learning of the existence of these rules, so I figure if I can make it work, so can she!). We use Evan-Moor for spelling, and I wouldn’t say she loves it, but she prefers it and does enjoy testing each week.
As stated above, Math With Confidence all the way! I also love that I will only have to repurchase the workbooks, as the text and manipulatives will be the same.
We are using The Good and the Beautiful. I honestly love their handwriting and so do my kiddos. They don’t always do the extra little connect the dots, drawing and coloring, but sometimes they are drawn to them and it brightens the day and takes the fight out of homeschooling (which I will say G&B does shine in that arena in general). She will finish early and move on whenever she is ready, and we both like it that way.
I am not married to this typing program and still searching for something better (send your suggestions). I feel that electronic feedback would really help with this subject. Then again, I never actually took a formal typing class. I learned in the wilds of MSN Instant Messenger. If you have a suggestion (that isn’t an online chat or forum) let me know!
We will be using a selection from this hymnbook. I absolutely adore the historical blurbs. We usually take one verse a week, and by the end of the month we are familiar with the chorus and melody, which is my goal for my kiddos at this age.
We are just dipping our toes in this year by learning our prayers in Latin using this beautiful book (honestly, I will buy anything by Kate Warner, sight unseen), which we will do during our morning tea time. They already know most of the essentials in English, so this year we are focusing on Latin (again, probably one per month — or however long until we know it well).
I am still compiling our official list, but they will all come from my American History Read Aloud booklist, which I promise to publish in the near-ish future.
We have loved using Bible resources over the past few years. The Jesus Storybook Bible is still my favorite, and the kids enjoyed the Read Aloud Bible (even if I have some theological qualms with minor bits of content). The activities from this one were mostly hits, with some exceptions (and some issues of execution on my part for poor planning).
This year, we are diving into the Biggest Story Bible Curriculum from Crossway, which I will verbally edit for theological errors as I go, but am thrilled with what I have seen so far. You can read from the Bible, use their Bible storybook, or watch the stories on YouTube before diving into your lesson. I am honestly so impressed with the quality and range of activities that go along with this, and you can basically access all the content for free on their website. No, it isn’t Catholic (please, somebody, make a quality Catholic Bible curriculum!), but I feel pretty confident in my ability to adapt this to be theologically accurate. I know it isn’t that way for all parents, so I definitely respect those who stick to Catholic-created resources.
We are finishing up our K-3 living books curriculum (let me know if you are interested in the booklist and lesson plans I created!), and headed into a new frontier with Noeo Science. I love that it is based on living books and the science experiments are simple and integrated — the kids learn the content by doing, not just adding on — and that it came with a kit so I am not scrambling for materials.
I am definitely going to have mine spiral bound. I also liked the example pages I saw on flip throughs, but that wasn’t what came. I emailed the publisher and they emailed me a PDF for free right away, so A+ for customer service! I’ll keep you updated on how we enjoy it, but I am optimistic!
We are finishing up Notgrass 50 States, which was honestly a little repetitive for me, but the kids have declared it their favorite, and it has been fun to fill out our travel bucket list as we go. My oldest has become enamored of the Everglades and wants to hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain in Maine to be the first in the US to see the sunrise. It is helping to form our family culture to go through these together, so I suppose I can’t ask for more than that!
Once we finish, we will move on to Notgrass’s Star-Spangled History. I have flipped through it and I honestly love these stories. I am going to learn so much, and I am also a huge fan of the simple worksheets to check for understanding. My oldest will take the tests, while the littles will just listen along and complete the other activities. I am not going to use the literature component as I have a more ambitious, less realistic schedule of read-alouds in mind. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Both our older kids take karate and piano classes. I love being able to outsource these as my skills, interests, and talents really all lie within the narrow range of academic subjects. Lucky for me as homeschooling mom, and lucky for instructors of the “fun” things I can pay them to teach my kids.
For writing, I am purchasing this little journal for my daughter and I as she is at the age of most intense interest in relationship with mom, or so my child development books tell me. We might also dive into this cute Writer’s Toolbox, and my son wants to write a book so we might get this kit for him as well.
As for the computer, my daughter adores Teaching Textbooks Math (which I attribute entirely to how wholly we have deprived our children of screens to this point), and plan to add Night Zookeeper which seems like a fantastic supplemental language resource.
We also get a monthly letter from Letters From Afar which is an absolute win for geography. If I had unlimited resources, I would add History Unboxed, Universal Yums, Saint of the Month, and The Mass Box to our subscriptions. But. I don’t. Hint, hint, gift-givers…
We might also add an art class or some kind of social meet-ups; those are all being formed and scheduled but still nebulous at this point. We will do what works with our schedule, with priority on forming friendships with other kids. If we don’t end up in an in-person art class, I will do art once a week with my kiddos based on this Usborne book that introduces different artists and has instructions for imitation and — what else? — living books.
I’m sure I’ve forgotten something. After all, we are living and breathing the education we give our kids. An atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. The most important lessons are often the ones we don’t even intend to teach, like how to calm down when we’re angry, and how to apologize when we lose our cool (if only someone could teach their mom how not to lose her cool in the first place…).
What are your curriculum picks this year??
As a homeschooling mother of four, planning our homeschool year is a blend of prayer, research, and organization. Here’s a glimpse into my process:
Before diving into the logistics, I start with prayer. I ask for guidance and wisdom to choose the best resources and activities for my children.
Selecting the right curriculum is crucial. I spend time watching videos, trying out samples, and watching lots of flip-throughs on YouTube. This helps me get a feel for the materials and see if they align with our family’s needs and values.
To protect our calendar, I choose extracurricular activities that multiple children can attend. This not only saves time but also fosters a sense of community and shared experiences among my kids.
I take an entire week mid-summer to sit down and finalize all the details, order whatever’s left on the list and/or supplies that need refreshing, and to organize all the printables and materials we will need for the weeks ahead.
Using my Mardel homeschooling planner (an absolute MUST I could never live without), I highlight and count up school days in green. I mark my husband’s days off and planned trips in purple.
We usually plan for a 4-day week, taking all of Advent off starting Thanksgiving week to focus on Advent activities and studying Christmas around the world. We also take a week off in March for planting our spring garden and aim to wrap up by early May to enjoy the summer weather before starting back in August when it’s too hot to be outside.
I create new chore charts for the year, setting out our new rhythm to account for changes in age development and curriculum for our four kiddos. This helps maintain a structured yet flexible routine. We are using these sliding daily checklist charts this year, which are pretty cheap but effective (and I like being able to customize). I added magnets to the back to stick them to the fridge.
I look over and roughly schedule out the curriculum subject by subject. Some subjects, like Math with Confidence and The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts, are truly open-and-go or low-prep. Others, like our new Bible and Noeo Science programs, require a bit of forethought, which is very worth it. I prefer a general overview and a quick Sunday re-check.
I also make a list of read-alouds, hymns, and prayers, taking the time we need with each and not rushing to stick to a strict schedule. I keep copies on hand and store them in order by subject in a crate folder system, along with my roadmap for that subject.
I make a list of seasonal books to buy or order from the library and have activities on hand for those (coloring pages or little crafts from Hobby Lobby or Oriental Trading). This includes our first day of school traditions, which add a special touch to our homeschooling journey.
By following these steps, I ensure our homeschool year is well-organized, flexible, and filled with meaningful learning experiences.
How do you plan your homeschool year? I’d love to hear your tips and tricks!
My toddler is screaming, so it must be Tuesday. His face is scrunched, anger etching hard lines onto his normally round face. His complexion flushes red as he hisses out a frustrated, “No,” through clenched teeth.
It isn’t a refusal to acquiesce to my request. Quite the opposite: his is a refusal to accept my refusal.
Except, I haven’t said, “No.” What I said was, “Not right now.”
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
– 1 Samuel 15:22
A pile of odds and ends, the leavings of the day, sit at the base of our stairs like a pile of rubble after a domestic avalanche of orphaned shoes, Hot Wheels, and broken pieces of chalk. This is the “go back” pile: the pile of items designated to be returned upstairs after I have whisked them off the floor in a speed clean session inspired by the Tasmanian Devil.
The pile sits silently mocking me as I give it a good, long stare. This is the pile my daughter is assigned to rehome at the end of every day. At eight, she is fairly dependable, normally thrives on the thrill of completing her chores checklist, and in her more generous moments, even does extra chores just to make me smile. In fact, today is one of those days. She has cleared the toys off the living room floor, fluffed the couch pillows, and folded laundry – all unbidden. The one thing she hasn’t done is clear the pile from the bottom of the stairs.
The one thing I asked her to do.
And I can’t even be frustrated because when I think to myself, “She did everything except what I asked her to do,” somewhere in the back of my mind is a niggling voice that whispers,
Just like you.
It’s not an angry voice. It’s merely stating a fact, one I know at this moment to be true.
I am going to deviate from my norm here and share something personal, and that’s actually not a joke, because although I am always sharing personal stories in these reflections, they are always meant to point the listener to God. They are stories about me, but they aren’t really about me.
This little insight I’m about to share is more narrowly directed at me, but I want to share with you because some of you might be joining us for the first time as listeners from my other podcast and Substack newsletter, Brave New Us, which I recently wrapped production on despite it finally gaining traction after four years of stop-and-go labor. Why leave now, after 16,000 YouTube views, 13,000 podcast downloads, and 4,000 substack subscribers. Why abandon ship?
I might be a bit dense, but began to sense that this was one of the many chores God did not ask me to do.
It was beautiful. It was important. It feels unfinished and it is honestly still a project I’d like to pick and continue – one day.
But that pile on the stairs hit me like a ton of bricks.
I had a queue of reflections in my mind that was two years long. For two years, I had been collecting the stories for this podcast for someday. In the meantime, I busied myself freelance writing, drafting book proposals, expanding my newsletter offerings, and taking the podcast to YouTube.
Someone had once told me that the bioethics “stuff” was like my job, and the Mama Prays stuff was like my hobby. And somewhere in there, I started to believe that, and to behave accordingly. I had forgotten the burning in my heart when I read the words of John Paul II:
“Do you think that there can be anything greater than to bring Jesus to people and people to Jesus?”
And on the one hand, that is the call of every Christian. In a particular way, that is the call of mothers (and fathers for that matter), for the children each of us are given. But when I read those words, I felt a tug on my heart to share the stories I’d been hoarding in my head since one very trying day at Mass.
It was not the day I spoke about two episodes ago – we have a lot of trying days at Mass.
No, this was the day when my 2-year-old decided to make a break for it in response to his own personal altar call. The entire assembly gasped as my son ran the length of the right side of the church up the wheelchair ramp to the elevated stage on which sat the altar. I walked as swiftly as I could with a baby strapped to my chest to head him off before he got to where he could do some real damage. If this was a more artsy parish, his antics might have passed for a skit, because the gospel that day was - I kid you not - the parable of the lost son.
It doesn’t end there. Upon retrieving my son from his mad dash up the aisle, I yanked him outside for some cool down time. For me.
Now, he is what some parents affectionately call a “runner,” and has no sense of anxiety about being far from us. We have since procured a tracking device that he wears around his wrist to keep tabs on our little runaway, but that day, we were just one the verge of discovering the need.
I let him walk a bit ahead of me on the path outside of the church. He took these gains as a sign to run faster and farther, and my heart stopped when he rounded the corner nearest the street. I ran full-on to catch up, but by the time I made it around the corner, he was out of sight. I will spare you the terror of the moments that followed; I eventually found him hiding on a bench in an alcove outside the adoration chapel.
And as I walked back to my pew after receiving communion that day, I felt that tug on my heart. This was what I was supposed to do: share these stories with you, share the ways God is touching my heart through my children. How I lost my son on the parable of the Lost Son. I knew my calling.
And so naturally, I folded the laundry and fluffed the pillows.
Of course, we all do this at times. A thing doesn’t have to be wrong for it to be sinful – as long as it's done at the wrong time, in the wrong way, in the wrong amount, with the wrong person, etc. Who hasn’t scrolled social media when you should have been doing something else? Who hasn’t procrastinated or left something important undone?
And this is where I was getting it wrong. Because it isn’t just choosing the thousand things you weren’t asked to do over your duty that’s wrong. It’s that saying “Not right now” isn’t an appropriate response to God. Just as I can delay my children’s requests, but they don’t have the authority to choose when they carry out their duties (unless I allow it), so do we as children of God have the obligation to respond to his call when we hear it.
And Jesus actually said that. When he called some men to be his disciples, we know that the Apostles dropped what they were doing and followed him. But others made excuses to delay: first, let me bury my father. First, let me say goodbye to my family. And these are good things to do. But what Jesus says, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom..no one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom.” (Luke 9:57-62).
Delayed obedience is disobedience. To be clear, there are mitigating circumstances. In my case, there was a lot going on that made things murky and difficult to discern. But that still doesn’t negate the fact that when Jesus calls, the call is for right now. Delayed obedience is disobedience.
That is tough news for me, but I am here now, ready to cling to the parable about the workers who entered the vineyard late, but still received the same reward (Matt 20:1-16), and the one about the son who told his father he wouldn’t work, but then turned around and did his father’s will (Matt 21:28-31).
Even now, it might be the case that I am still not fully following Jesus’s call for me. I do not know for certain, and if I did know for certain, there would be room for faith.
So to close, I will share with you one of my favorite prayers, particularly for times like these. It is a prayer by Thomas Merton:
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Amen
