Friday, March 21st, 2014 | By Lisa Schmidt 
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I received an email early this morning that read, “Blessed Feast of St. Benedict!” Yay. St. Benedict is my man. Party on, Schmidts! Wait, what? I thought his feast day is July 11. So I turn to my favorite monks’ website and learn there are actually two feasts of St. Benedict on the calendar for Benedictines. On March 21, they celebrate the Transitus of St. Benedict, meaning his death or passing from this life to eternal life. This is the day the Church traditionally celebrates saints’ feast days.
As I suspected, St. Benedict’s feast day is on July 11 according to the . . . → Read More: 7 Quick Takes: Too Much Feasting?
Monday, March 17th, 2014 | By Lisa Schmidt 
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! We’re celebrating here with an Irish-inspired Soup & Stories post from our dear friend Pat Gohn who among her other talents hosts the Among Women Podcast. In today’s post, Pat shares a bit about her Irish heritage, how the Breastplate of St. Patrick prayer comforted her while battling breast cancer, and passes along a recipe for St. Patrick Irish Cheddar soup. Any recipe that calls for Kerrygold Irish Cheddar immediately catches my attention! But back to that prayer for a moment. Most of the stanzas of the prayer begin with the words, “I arise today.” Imagine what it means for someone staring down a potentially life-threatening illness to pray those words. Everybody knows somebody who is battling something. Consider sharing the prayer with that person today. . . . → Read More: Breast Cancer and the Breastplate of St. Patrick
Friday, February 28th, 2014 | By Lisa Schmidt 
Here we are marching quickly through the first quarter of 2014, and I’ve yet to host the official-yet-unofficial oath of office for my 2014 spiritual board. So here and now I present to you my 2014 Spiritual Board of Directors: seven saints reaching out to me, inspiring me, and uniquely supporting my vocation as wife and mother. . . . → Read More: My 2014 Spiritual Board of Directors
Thursday, February 27th, 2014 | By Lisa Schmidt 
Back on September 23, the feast of St. Padre Pio, I issued a “worry list” challenge and invited readers to join along. The challenge consisted of writing out a worry list. I came up with five big things that were, so to speak, keeping me awake at night. I placed that worry list in the back of my Bible, a symbol for placing my worries in God’s hands. I marked my calendar three months forward, December 23, with a note to check back on my worry list. I also promised to check back here. I did indeed check back on my worry list on December 23. But I did not check back here. Please allow me to close the loop here and now. . . . → Read More: Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry (Part 2)
Monday, September 30th, 2013 | By Lisa Schmidt 
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux died on this day in 1897. So did my dad. Well, not in 1897, of course. Rather, on September 30, 2009. And it’s no small coincidence that his death occurred on the same day as the saint who is known for doing small things with great love also died. This one’s for you, dad! I pray one day my kids will proudly say the same of me as I do about you! . . . → Read More: Doing Small Things With Great Love. I Hope.
Monday, September 23rd, 2013 | By Lisa Schmidt
In honor of Saint Padre Pio’s feast day, here’s one small thing we all can do that gets to the heart of the phrase, “Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry!” Check it out. And join me? . . . → Read More: Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry: 1 Small Thing To Do Today
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013 | By Lisa Schmidt 
Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the Church. While researching and reading about him, I came across this amusing story about cherry cravings of all things. . . . → Read More: Pope Gregory the Great and Cherry Cravings
Friday, May 24th, 2013 | By Lisa Schmidt 
Since “retiring” from the workforce in order to care for my young children, I’ve spent a great deal of time pondering spiritual friendships. If I had to pick one word to describe that first year of transition between being a working out-of-the-home mom to an at-home mom, the word is loneliness. My heart longed for a spiritual friend. What do we need to do to gain just one spiritual friend? Three biggies… . . . → Read More: Spiritual Friendships — The Elixir of Life
Wednesday, May 15th, 2013 | By Joel Schmidt 
The life of this simple laborer has much to teach us, but only if we’re paying attention. . . . → Read More: Childhood Lessons from Saint Isidore the Farmer…Sort Of
Thursday, April 4th, 2013 | By Julie Nelson 
Mercy! Mercy! Mercy! What are Julie and Lisa talking about this week on Catholic Women Now? They have Eileen Valdez in studio to chat about the Divine Mercy Des Moines celebration. Tune in — we’re Catholic Women Now, heard only on Iowa Catholic Radio; streaming online, too. . . . → Read More: Up This Week on Catholic Women Now: Divine Mercy
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