Beads of Joy Blog II (2025)

Thomas The Apostle "My Lord and My God" Thomas gets a bad rap, doesn't he? We've dubbed him "Doubting Thomas" as if skepticism were his greatest sin, when really, his story reveals something profoundly human and beautifully Catholic about faith itself. When the other disciples breathlessly announced that they had seen the risen Lord, Thomas didn't simply shrug his shoulders in disbelief - he made a very specific demand: "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." This wasn't casual dismissal; this was the cry of someone who desperately wanted to believe but needed something solid to hang onto. How refreshingly honest! Thomas refused to settle for secondhand faith when his heart was breaking for the real thing. Here's what makes Thomas so endearing: Jesus didn't scold him for his doubt. Instead, a week later, Jesus appeared again and invited Tho...

From Spiritual Battles To Life-Changing Love The scene in Matthew 8:28-34 unfolds with breathtaking spiritual drama. Two men, tormented by demons and living among tombs, encounter Jesus, and everything changes in an instant. These weren't just troubled souls; they were completely overtaken by evil spirits, so fierce that no one could pass by that way. Yet when Jesus arrives, the demons immediately recognize His divine authority and beg for mercy. There's something profoundly comforting about this: even the darkest forces of evil cannot stand against Jesus Christ's power. They don't negotiate or put up a fight - they simply acknowledge His supremacy and ask where they should go. What happens next might seem puzzling at first glance. Jesus permits the demons to enter a herd of pigs, which then rushes into the sea and drowns. Some might wonder why Jesus allowed the destruction of someone's livelihood, but this dramatic display serves a crucial purpose. The death of the...

Following Jesus Through the Waves There's something beautifully human about the disciples in that little boat, isn't there? Here they are, seasoned fishermen who knew these waters like the back of their weathered hands, yet suddenly they're white-knuckling the sides of their vessel as waves crash over the bow. Meanwhile, Jesus - the very Word who spoke creation into existence - is catching some well-deserved rest after a long day of teaching and healing. The storm doesn't wake Him; their panic does. "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" they cry out, and isn't that just like us? We handle the routine challenges of life pretty well, but when the unexpected tempest hits, we forget Who's actually in the boat with us. What happens next should make our hearts leap with joy and wonder. Jesus doesn't frantically grab an oar or start bailing water. He simply speaks - just as He spoke light into darkness at the beginning of time - and immediately the w...

Marian Devotion - July 2025 Prayer to Our Blessed Mother O most holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our tender Mother, we come before you with filial love and deep devotion, seeking your powerful intercession before the throne of your Divine Son. You who are full of grace, conceived without sin, and assumed body and soul into Heaven, we place ourselves under your maternal protection and ask you to cover us with your mantle of love. Present our prayers and petitions to Jesus, that through your immaculate hands they may be purified and made worthy of His divine mercy. Help us to imitate your perfect virtues of humility, purity, and obedience to God's holy will, and grant us the grace to live as true children of Mary, following your example of complete surrender to the Almighty. Obtain for us the graces we need for our salvation, protect us from all evil and temptation, comfort us in our sorrows, and guide us safely to your Son in Heaven, where we may praise the Most Blessed Trinity w...