Consider the last argument or disagreement you had with a loved one. 

During that emotionally charged conversation, did you find yourself creating a case in your head for why the person you were arguing with was wrong? 

Were you more focused on making a mental note of all the ways you could prove to that person how and why you were right? 

Or maybe you were on the opposite end of that scenario and, while sharing your thoughts or opinion, could tell the person you were talking...

Contains excerpts from The Mindful Catholic.

Our difficulties begin the moment we learn to doubt.

Think about it. The Garden of Eden was paradise until the slimy serpent planted seeds of doubt in Adam’s and Eve’s minds. Since then, the human experience has been fraught with a multitude of problems that stem from doubt. Our own lives begin without much complication until the moment we start to worry if everything is really going to be OK.

For instance, have you ever had a...

Let nothing disturb you. 
Let nothing frighten you. 
All things are passing away. 
God never changes. 
Patience obtains all things. 
Whoever has God lacks nothing. 
God alone suffices.

This short prayer/poem by St. Teresa of Avila hits the nail on the head as she reveals the reality of God's providence and pervasive presence in our lives. In it, she encourages us to recognize that no matter what, all truly will be well and that all we truly need is God - the only One...

Life is hard.

Doing this human thing can be pretty challenging at times. It can feel overwhelming. 

We all have a list of things to point to that justify why we feel overwhelmed: the kids, the deadline, the job insecurity, the commitments, the family conflict...you name it. However, if we take a step back and look at how overwhelm works, we’ll realize that overwhelm doesn’t creep in because of what's happening in the present moment.

Overwhelm takes over when we let our minds...

This blog article contains an excerpt from The Mindful Catholic.

Catholic mindfulness presupposes faith that God the Father is a good Father. But if God is good and all-powerful and loves us, why does he let awful things happen to good people?

I once sent out a flyer for a mindfulness course that mentioned “trustful surrender to God who loves us,” which prompted a letter from a woman who was deeply upset. She asked how she could be expected to practice...

As humans, we possess the capability to encounter in the present moment something that is outside of the present moment in a way that physically changes our brains. 

It’s a little like having a superpower if you think about it. 

As material beings, we live within the confines of space and time. Through our five senses, our brains collect data about what’s happening to us in the “here and now.” 

So if you see something, you are seeing it in the here...

Guest blog post by Lindsey Peppers, continued from Part One... 

To make a long story short, this stumbling block got me off track...and then COVID hit and of course, things got even crazier. My anxiety and pain hit its climax. I knew I needed to get back on track with some of the mind-body principles I had learned.

One day soon after making this resolution, I stumbled upon the book The Mindful Catholic and listened to the audio version all the way through. (I’m now taking the...

Guest blogger Lindsey Peppers shares her journey to finding hope and healing through Catholic Mindfulness. (This is part 1 of a 2-part series.) 

It was an otherwise unremarkable weekday in the fall of 2016 when I sat across from my neurologist, completely dumbfounded at the sample boxes of triptans (migraine medication) that were stacked in front of me. He had told me that while it “wasn’t smart” to take more triptans than my insurance covered due to the risk of rebound...

I think it's safe to assume we all want to experience peace in our lives (and could probably use a little more of it these days).

Beyond wanting more peace, so many people have expressed to me their desire to tangibly feel loved by God - to be able to truly rest in His presence.

Our brains can make this so difficult, though. I'm sure you can relate to the following scenario: You go to prayer or attend Mass... after a little while though, you start thinking about the conversation you had with...