by Claire Dwyer | Aug 11, 2023 | Discernment
I’d prayed. Thought. Asked for advice. Researched. Considered. Reconsidered. My anxieties and misgivings (you can’t do this; you’ll fail and everyone will see you fail; this will take too much time away from your family) pushed against the growing sense that this was...
by Claire Dwyer | May 21, 2023 | Holy Spirit, Liturgical year, Present Moment
If there’s one virtue I struggle with, it would be hope. In part because of my melancholic nature, my inner pendulum swings more toward pessimism. I see the difficulties before they arise, sigh with the weight of anticipated woes, expect disappointment around every...
by Claire Dwyer | Apr 21, 2023 | Creativity, Discernment, Saints, Writing
It’s Mother Angelica’s birthday today, April 20. She was born 100 years ago—grew up in a broken home, struggled with various painful illnesses, and was desperately poor. When I read her biography by Raymond Arroyo years ago, I was struck by the resilience of the...
by Claire Dwyer | Apr 16, 2023 | Mercy, pro-life, Saints
St. Gianna Molla is a woman recognized for her great final act of generosity to life. During her fourth pregnancy, when a tumor was found to be pressing on her uterus, she opted for the surgery that put her at greater risk but was the only choice in which her baby...
by Claire Dwyer | Mar 18, 2023 | Creativity, Everyday Holiness, Spiritual Direction, The Sacred Everyday, Writing
We were wrapping up the Q&A session after my talk at an online writer’s conference. The recording had already stopped and I relaxed and stretched my legs under my desk as the moderator asked me to field a final question. It was one I’m asked frequently: How do you...
