One event that Venerable Mary of Agreda described in her book can simply be called the greatest hug that ever took place in the history of the universe.

This embrace between Our Lord and His Blessed Mother after His triumph on the Cross and descent into the abode of the patriarchs, where He liberated all the righteous souls held there, to free the just that had gone before Him.

Our Lord’s soul was then united once again to His body, endowing it with radiant splendor and unimaginable glory.

As Our Lord accomplished this, Venerable Mary describes Our Lady as “aware of all these mysteries…and participating in them from her retreat in the Cenacle (the Upper Room).”

Venerable Mary of Agreda also describes what happened in Our Lady’s soul when Our Lord’s soul was reunited with His Body:

“In the same instant in which the most holy soul of Christ entered and gave life to His body, the joy of her immaculate soul overflowed into her immaculate body.

“This overflow was so exquisite in its effects, that she was transformed from sorrow to joy, from pain to delight, from grief to ineffable jubilation and rest.”

Finally, after the graces Our Lady received prepared her for an encounter with her Son, it happened.

The Lord of life, Jesus Christ, “arisen and glorious, in the company of all the saints and patriarchs, made His appearance. The ever humble Queen prostrated Herself upon the ground and adored her Divine Son; and the Lord raised Her up and drew Her to Himself.

“In this contact, which was more intimate than the contact with the humanity and the wounds of the Savior sought by Magdalen, the Virgin Mother participated in an extraordinary favor, which She alone, as exempt from sin, could merit.

“Although it was not the greatest of the favors she attained on this occasion, yet she could not have received it without the failing of her faculties, if she had not been previously strengthened by the angels and by the Lord Himself.”

The love that burst forth in this embrace was so strong that Our Lady had to be strengthened by the angels to sustain it.

Venerable Mary of Agreda continues:

“This favor was, that the glorious body of the Son so closely united itself to that of His purest Mother, that He penetrated into it or she into His, as when, for instance, a crystal globe takes up within itself the light of the sun and is saturated with the splendor of its beauty and light.

“In the same way the body of the most holy Mary entered into that of her divine Son by this heavenly embrace; it was, as it were, the portal of her intimate knowledge concerning the glory of the most holy soul and body of her Lord.”

During this most holy embrace, Venerable Mary states that Our Lady was blessed with an extraordinary grace of the Beatific Vision, where “she found complete, though only temporary, rest and reward for all her sorrows and labors.”

How long did this heavenly embrace last? Venerable Mary of Agreda provides the answer:

“For some hours, the heavenly Princess continued to enjoy the essence of God with her divine Son, participating now in His triumph as She had in His torments.

“Then by similar degrees, she again descended from this vision and found herself, in the end, reclining on the right arm of the most sacred humanity.”

After this took place, Venerable Mary states that Our Lord and Our Lady conversed about the mysteries of His Passion and His glory. 

Since Our Blessed Mother suffered so much with Her Son in His Passion, she was rewarded with all the joys of Her Son’s victory.

Venerable Mary later describes Our Lady conversing with the holy patriarchs and saints who had accompanied Our Lord in His triumph, with such figures as Sts. Joseph, Joachim, and Anne are present.

Finally, Our Blessed Lady “invited all the angels and saints there present to praise the Victor over death, sin, and hell.  Whereupon all sang new songs, psalms, hymns of glory and magnificence, until the hour arrived, when the risen Savior was to appear in other places.”

What an amazing event! It can only be described as the greatest hug that has ever taken place or will ever take place.

Venerable Mary of Agreda was a great witness to the Resurrection.

Almost 250 years after she died in 1665, they opened her casket for the first time, finding her body incorrupt. Praise God!

May Our Lady and Our Lord watch over all of our families, especially those members we are separated from, so that we may all experience the eternal embrace of God’s love in the kingdom of the Heavenly Father and in the eternal joy of the risen Lord forever and ever.

Below is a prayer I recite daily for all of those I hold in my heart. Awareness of Our Lady’s protection over loved ones provides deep consolation to the soul.

"An Old French Prayer for Friends”

“Blessed Mother of those whose names you can read in my heart, watch over them with every care. Make their way easy and their labors fruitful.

“Dry their tears if they weep; sanctify their joys; raise their courage if they weaken; restore their hope if they lose heart, their health if they be ill, truth if they err, and repentance if they fall.

Amen.”

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, Alleluia! For He whom you did merit to bear, Alleluia! Has risen, as He said, Alleluia!

On April 20, we celebrate Mother Angelica’s birthday.

In a video published on the social media channel, “Gabi After Hours,” Gabriel Castillo describes three incredible life lessons Mother Angelica provided him over the years. He explains that Mother Angelica is one of the most influential figures in his life. 

Castillo is a youth minister, videographer, and lay evangelist. He evangelizes the Catholic faith, especially spreading the power of the Holy Rosary and advising Catholics in navigating spiritual warfare.

Castillo says he was a “moral mess” in college when he first found Mother Angelica’s programs on EWTN. He says she taught “authentic Catholicism…unapologetically.”

“She preached about morality and spirituality unapologetically, and that provided me with a foundation upon which I could build my life,” Castillo says.

Castillo then says Mother Angelica’s biography, “Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles,” by Raymond Arroyo, also deeply impacted his faith life.

“It is filled with spiritual wisdom. The way she lived her life, in my opinion, was far more powerful than anything she said."

Here are three lessons Gabi After Hours says we can all learn from Mother Angelica:

1) Absolute Confidence in the Power of God’s Providence

“If God is really calling you to do something, do it. Take the risk. He will provide,” Castillo says of Mother Angelica. “You will get the grace as you step.”

2) Authenticity Over Vanity

Castillo says authenticity over vanity is especially important in today’s culture.

“Social media says you have to look this way. You'd better get Botox. You're getting old. Your hair is turning gray. You'd better dye it.”

But Mother Angelica stressed authenticity and humility over vanity.

“Mother Angelica said, ‘Stop with the vanity. What matters most to people is authenticity,’” Castillo pointed out. 

“That’s exactly what you saw,” he adds. “Mother Angelica would come on her program and have an eye patch on. She would stop to cough. She would blow her nose in the middle of her program. This was who she was. What matters most is not how you look, but the message.”

3) Root Everything in Prayer and Contemplation

Rooting everything in prayer and contemplation is “the most important point,” Castillo says.

“Mother Angelica taught that a spiritual growth network must be rooted in contemplation,” he continues. “Conversion is a grace, and the number one way to obtain that grace is through prayer.”

“It was her prayer that supplied graces that flowed out to the people she was trying to minister to.”

As Saint Peter says: “Let he who speaks speak with the words that God provides.”

“Mother Angelica understood that what she needed to offer the world was not herself, but Jesus Christ,” Castillo concludes. “God’s message can only be heard in silence and in prayer. Then it becomes our responsibility to share the Lord with others.”

Happy Birthday, Mother Angelica! 🎉

He was a commander of a Roman legion who, after converting to Christianity, was martyred—possibly by order of Emperor Diocletian—in Melitene, Armenia (present-day Malatya, Türkiye).

He is recognized as the patron saint of urgent causes and a protector of young people, students, the sick, and those facing work-related, family, or legal challenges.

Below are five fascinating facts that make Saint Expeditus a figure close to all of us:

1) The Saint of Urgent Causes

Saint Expeditus is best known as the patron saint of urgent causes. His very name evokes speed, which is why many turn to him when they need an immediate answer—a job, financial help, or even emotional clarity. Devotion to him reminds us that while life often requires patience, there are also moments when we must act without delay.

2) His Story Has an Air of Mystery

Although his origins remain unknown, his name appears in the Roman Martyrology alongside Hermogenes and other companions. Unlike many saints with detailed biographies, the life of Saint Expeditus is not fully documented. Much has been lost to time, allowing his story to grow more through popular devotion than historical record.

3) The Crow and the Word “Tomorrow.”

One of the most symbolic images of Saint Expeditus shows him crushing a raven that cries out “cras” (Latin for “tomorrow”), while he holds a cross bearing the word “hodie” (“today”).

According to tradition, at the moment of his conversion, the devil appeared in the form of a raven, calling out “cras, cras, cras” to tempt him to delay his decision. Expeditus immediately crushed the bird, declaring:

“Today, today, today! I will not leave anything for tomorrow. From today, I will be a Christian.”

This powerful image represents the battle against procrastination. It is a call not to postpone what can transform our lives today.

4) He is Popular in Latin America

Although devotion to Saint Expeditus began in Europe, it has flourished in Latin America. Many people see him as a close intercessor in times of need—someone who listens quickly and responds as swiftly. His image is commonly found in homes, businesses, and altars filled with hope.

5) His Message Goes Beyond the Immediate

While he is often invoked for urgent needs, Saint Expeditus’s message is not only about quick solutions, but about decisive action. He encourages us to trust in God while also taking concrete steps forward, refusing to be paralyzed by fear or doubt.

In a world where we often delay important decisions, his witness offers a simple yet powerful reminder: the time to act, to believe, and to move forward is now.

Saint Expeditus, pray for us!

The French actress recently shared an image of a prayer card featuring Saint Charbel Makhlouf on her Instagram account. The post included no caption or explanation.

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The image quickly circulated online, prompting questions about the actress’ connection to the Lebanese Maronite saint, as well as expressions of enthusiasm from members of the Lebanese Christian community.

Saint Charbel Makhlouf (1828–1898) was a Maronite monk and hermit who lived a life of prayer and asceticism.

He is widely known for the many healings attributed to his intercession, drawing pilgrims from around the world to his tomb in Annaya, Lebanon. In Lebanon, he is often referred to as the “doctor of the sky.”

The post comes amid renewed international attention to Saint Charbel. During his trip to Lebanon in recent months, Pope Leo XIV visited the saint’s tomb, highlighting his significance within the universal Church.

No explanation has been provided for the post. However, France is home to a significant Lebanese Christian diaspora, including active Maronite parishes where devotion to Saint Charbel remains strong. Prayer cards depicting the saint are commonly shared among the faithful.

The actress’ post, though brief, has contributed to a wider visibility of the Lebanese saint among international audiences.

In Bamenda, a city in northwest Cameroon, the faithful bring all of that to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament — and one more urgent plea: that the shooting, kidnappings, and bloodshed around them might finally stop.

For years, Bamenda has stood at the center of Cameroon’s “Anglophone crisis,” a conflict between English‑speaking separatists and the French‑speaking central government. 

Soldiers patrol the streets, separatist fighters blend in with civilians, and “ghost town Mondays” shut down schools and businesses. Leaving your house on those days can mean harassment, abduction, or worse.

And yet, in the middle of all this, something beautiful and surprising is happening. Under Archbishop Andrew Nkea, the Archdiocese of Bamenda is working to give every parish its own perpetual adoration chapel.

A Year of the Eucharist in a War Zone

In November 2022, Archbishop Nkea launched a local “Year of the Eucharist” for the archdiocese and made a bold request: each parish was asked to provide a perpetual adoration chapel, a place where Jesus in the Eucharist would be exposed and loved day and night. 

His goal was simple and radical: that lay people could “refresh themselves in the presence of their Lord and Master at any time,” even during a war. Instead of forcing people to cross a dangerous city to reach a single chapel, the archbishop wanted Jesus to be close — in every neighborhood, in every parish.

He also wanted to confront a spiritual temptation that often appears in times of fear: turning to “other powers,” like witchcraft, fortune‑tellers, or occult practices. The answer, he insisted, is not to look for control in dark places, but to come back to Christ truly present in the Eucharist.

“You cannot stop them.”

The response from the parishes has been generous and heroic. Even though building a chapel is very expensive for local Catholics, communities have stepped forward in faith. Some parishes have built brand new chapels from the ground up; others have turned garages or old rooms into simple but beautiful spaces of adoration.

Priests say that once these chapels open, they don’t stay empty. People come early in the morning and late at night. Many arrive exhausted from constant tension, worried about their children, or grieving loved ones lost to the violence.

What’s even more striking: on “ghost town” Mondays — when separatists try to lock down the city — some chapels are actually fuller than usual. 

With work and normal activities stopped, more people head to Jesus. Even if separatist fighters harass or threaten them on the way, the faithful keep going. One pastor summed it up: “They bother people, but the people still come. You cannot stop them.”

Pope Leo Visits Perpetual Adoration Chapel of Bamenda Cathedral in Cameroon

During his visit to Africa, Pope Leo spent a powerful moment in silent adoration before the Blessed Sacrament in the perpetual adoration chapel at Bamenda’s cathedral. According to EWTN Vatican, this was one of the most moving parts of the Holy Father’s trip, as he joined the local Church in prayer amid the region’s suffering.

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Let us pray for Pope Leo and the people of Africa!

Produced in 1943 and starring Jennifer Jones, the film won many Academy Awards. Based on the novel of the same title by Franz Werfel, the film tells the story of Saint Bernadette, who, in 1858, received 18 apparitions of the Blessed Mother, who identified herself as the Immaculate Conception.

I’ve seen The Song of Bernadette so many times, I have parts memorized.

Here are five inspiring quotes from The Song of Bernadette:

1) “For those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not believe, no explanation is sufficient.”

This is one of the most memorable quotes from the film, and perhaps the most cited.

The movie begins with this quote, and near the end, Abbé Dominique Peyramale, the priest of Lourdes, says it to a few skeptics. The quote sets the scene for the story of Lourdes’ miraculous phenomena.

One cannot explain what happened or still happens in Lourdes. For over 150 years, it has drawn pilgrims from all over the world, who have bathed in the spring waters and experienced a variety of healings.

Those who have been to Lourdes cannot describe their experience because it is beyond words. Faith must be enough. No explanation is necessary, nor can an explanation be given as to what a person experiences at that Sanctuary of grace.

2) “What would a beautiful lady be doing in a filthy place like that?” / “Heavenly creatures would not come to a dump.”

Bernadette continually called her heavenly visitor a beautiful lady. This garnered quite the response since Massabielle was a dump for medical waste.

Would a heavenly creature come to such a despicable place? All we must do is remember that Jesus was born in a stable and placed in a feeding trough. Mary’s appearance at Massabielle shows the transforming power of God to turn something ugly into a beautiful place.

God wants to do that for each pilgrim, transforming their hearts of stone into natural, loving hearts.  The Grotto of Massabielle commemorates the apparitions of the all beautiful one, Mary, who beckons those who are sick to come and experience healing and receive many graces. Through the intercession of Mary, God wants to transform each person who comes to Lourdes into a better disciple and follower of Jesus.  

3) “I cannot promise you happiness in this world, only in the next.”

Saint Bernadette repeats these words of the Blessed Virgin several times throughout the film. At one time, she even declared she was happy and couldn’t understand it, considering what Mary had said.

Towards the end of the film, the suffering of Saint Bernadette becomes apparent, especially as she approaches death. (In addition to The Song of Bernadette, I recommend The Passion of Bernadette.) One of the sisters attending to Saint Bernadette reminds the viewer that suffering is the way to Heaven.

For Bernadette, the suffering of this present life would be relieved, and true happiness would come to her when she received her eternal reward, where she would be united with her Lord and reunited with Mary, who made herself known to her in 1858.

4) “We must have the humility to thank God for the grace he has accorded to us.”

The specific grace this quote refers to is the grace of Mary’s apparition in Lourdes. Abbé Dominique Peyramale makes this remark to the Bishop of Tarbes, and his reluctance to acknowledge the possibility of the supernatural.

This quote, even though referencing Lourdes, is a good reminder to us to be humble and thank God for what He has given us throughout life. It takes humility to acknowledge that it is not we who have accomplished so much in our lives, but rather us cooperating with God’s graces.

5) “Heaven chose you; there is nothing left but for you to choose Heaven.”

Abbé Dominique Peyramale tells Bernadette this when he proposes the idea of religious life. His point is that Bernadette was a chosen soul by Heaven to receive a visit from the Blessed Virgin, and so, in return, he invites her to choose the consecrated life.

Saint Bernadette entered the Sisters of Nevers, a congregation with which she was familiar because they had a convent in Lourdes. In our own lives, this quote reminds us of John’s gospel (15.16) where Jesus says,

“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you.”

Because God has chosen us, we must choose to live our lives each day as worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Heaven must be the motivation of our every choice.  Before everything we do, we should ask,

“If I do this, will it lead me to Heaven, or have me walking away from the pearly gates?”

God chose us; there is nothing left but for us to choose Heaven.   

Watch The Song of Bernadette here.

This April 16 would have been the 99th birthday of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI — born Joseph Alois Ratzinger in 1927 in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, on Holy Saturday, the first baby baptized in the Easter water blessed that night.

It’s the perfect moment to remember not just the man, but the almost unbelievable story of how he came to exist at all.

A Pope Born from a Classified Ad

Here’s a fact you probably never heard: Pope Benedict XVI’s parents met through a personal ad in a Catholic newspaper. And Benedict himself didn’t even find out about it until 2006.

A researcher digging through the Bavarian state archives discovered a tiny ad in a local Catholic weekly called Liebfraubote from July 1920. It was placed by Joseph Ratzinger Sr., a police officer and civil servant. Here’s what it said:

“Middle-ranking civil servant, single, Catholic, 43, immaculate past, from the country, is looking for a good Catholic, pure girl who can cook well, tackle all household chores, with a talent for sewing and homemaking with a view to marriage as soon as possible. Fortune desirable but not a precondition.”

A 36-year-old baker’s daughter and trained cook named Maria Peintner answered the ad. Just four months later, they were married.

It’s worth noticing where Joseph Sr. chose to look for a wife: in a Catholic newspaper. Not a secular bulletin. Not a random agency. He deliberately sought a Catholic woman through a Catholic publication, putting shared faith above everything else.

Maria Peintner responded. She was a baker’s daughter, a trained cook, and a devout Catholic. In just a few months, they were husband and wife.

They had three children. Benedict XVI was the youngest of three siblings, and all three lived lives marked by faith.

His older sister, Maria Ratzinger (1921–1991), was a Third Order Franciscan who never married and dedicated her life to caring for her brother and the cardinal’s household.

His brother, Georg (1924–2020), was a renowned priest and musician; he was ordained a priest on the same day as Joseph, June 29, 1951. Georg died on July 1, 2020, at the age of 96, leaving Benedict as the last surviving member of his family.

The youngest of the Ratzingers became one of the greatest theologians, guided the universal Church after the giant Saint John Paul II, and left a legacy that believers are still discovering and valuing today.

When this discovery was shared with Pope Benedict XVI and his brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, both were reportedly shocked — they had never heard the story before.

The researcher had found the ad while working on a story for a German newspaper, and the whole thing went international in September 2006.

Pope Benedict XVI died on Dec. 31, 2022, at age 95, after a long life of service to the Church and almost 10 years after his resignation.

From a simple classified ad in a Bavarian Catholic weekly to the Chair of Peter, his story is a powerful reminder that God’s providence often moves through the most ordinary — and even amusing — details.

Rest in peace, Holy Father. And happy birthday! 🎉

Here are a few reasons why young Catholics are quietly (and sometimes loudly) falling in love with this “underrated” pope:

1) He Was Crazy Smart — But Extremely Clear

Benedict XVI was one of the greatest theologians of the last century, yet he could explain deep truths in simple, beautiful language.

His greatest contribution is probably his magisterium: his encyclicals (Deus Caritas Est, Spe Salvi, Caritas in Veritate), audiences, homilies, and his Jesus of Nazareth books, which many believe are strong enough to merit him being declared a future Doctor of the Church.

2) He Preached Relationship, Not Just Rules

A lot of people think Benedict = “rules and doctrine,” but his central message was that Christianity is first an encounter with a Person: Jesus Christ.

In Deus Caritas Est, he wrote one of his most famous lines: being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or an idea, but “the encounter with an event, a person.”

This Christ-centered focus runs through all his teaching. He insisted faith is not a moral checklist or a theory, but a living friendship with Christ that transforms everything.

 3) He Fought Relativism Head-On

We live in a world that constantly says, “Your truth, my truth, whatever.” Benedict named that problem directly.

He warned that the “dictatorship of relativism” — the idea that there is no real truth, only opinions — was one of the central problems of our time, and he called the Church back to confidence in objective truth and the Gospel.

4) He Was the First Pope in 600 Years to Resign

In 2013, he became the first pope since Gregory XII to step down, citing declining strength of mind and body, and inaugurating the unprecedented figure of the “Pope Emeritus,” which will shape how future popes think about office and old age.

He was shy, soft-spoken, and visibly uncomfortable with applause. Then he did something almost unthinkable: he resigned the papacy out of humility and realism.

5) He Was the Pope of Aesthetics

From reverent liturgy to sacred music and art, Benedict XVI believed beauty is a pathway to God. He promoted a “reform in continuity” with Vatican II, encouraged reverence and sacred music, widened access to the 1962 Missal with Summorum Pontificum, and highlighted the importance of beauty in worship, earning nicknames like “the pope of aesthetics.” Gen Z is visually saturated and deeply drawn to aesthetics. When they encounter beautiful Masses, chant, or Eucharistic adoration shaped by Benedict’s vision of worship centered on God, they realize: this is not about performance — it’s about adoration.

6) He Created a Historic Path for Anglicans to Come Home

With Anglicanorum coetibus, he established personal ordinariates so Anglicans could enter full communion with Rome while preserving much of their liturgical and spiritual heritage — a creative ecumenical move with long-term consequences.

7) His Writings Are Made for Deep-Dive Catholics

Gen Z loves to deep-dive when something grabs their interest — binge-watching, long-form podcasts, multi-part series. Benedict’s writings are like that for the soul. From Introduction to Christianity to his Jesus of Nazareth trilogy, his homilies, encyclicals, and addresses reward anyone willing to go beyond the surface. The more you read, the more you realize how rich he is.

8) He Took Real Steps Against Clerical Abuse

As pope, he pushed for the retirement of notorious abusers, streamlined procedures for dealing with abuse cases, and met with victims, helping launch a more serious response to the crisis at the Vatican level. 

9) He Lived a Hidden, Prayerful “Second Chapter” for the Church

Young people today are no strangers to anxiety, instability, and suffering. Seeing an elderly, frail pope who kept praying, kept loving, and remained faithful to the end is powerful. After his resignation, Benedict disappeared into a life of silence and intercession. The Church found in him not a celebrity, but a grandfather in the faith who offered his weakness and prayer for all.

If you’ve only ever met the media caricature of Benedict XVI, now is the time to meet the real man.

If his name sounds familiar, it may be because of a video that went viral on social media: standing in the rain, he eagerly awaited the arrival of Pope Leo XIV at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa during the pope’s highly anticipated trip to Algeria.

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But this archbishop’s story holds another striking detail. In the world of athletics, he is known as the “marathon priest.”

From Lawyer to Priest and Cardinal

Born in Lyon on March 10, 1962, Vesco practiced law in Paris during the early part of his life. However, in 1996, he made a decisive change by joining the Dominican Order, and in 2001, he was ordained a priest.

“Before becoming a priest, I was a lawyer. I entered the Church when I was 33 years old,” he told Serena Curci of La Repubblica.

Since 2021, he has served as Metropolitan Archbishop of Algiers. He was created a cardinal in the consistory of Dec. 7, 2024, and since February 2025, he has served as vice president of the Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa.

Furthermore, in May 2025, he participated as an elector in the conclave that elected Leo XIV.

A Cardinal with an Enduring Passion: Running

Far from abandoning his passion, Cardinal Vesco has never given up running. Even after embracing the priesthood, he never put aside his running shoes—going so far as to run the famous New York City Marathon.

“I’ve been running all my life—I’m 64 years old. I don’t know when or why I started running; for me, running is part of my life. (…) Thirty-seven years ago, I ran the New York Marathon and completed it in two hours and fifty-two minutes,” he told La Repubblica.

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Faith and Running: Closer Than It Seems

For Cardinal Vesco, athletic life and spiritual life are not separate realities.

“Running and the Church are not two separate worlds. I can pray while I run," he said. "I like running the marathon because we run together, not against someone."

Heaton expressed that she began her day “struggling with worldly dissatisfaction, discontent, a general spiritual frustration, and an unease” in her soul. She said her mood “was not of God: and spiritually unhealthy.

The wife, mother, and actress then went on to explain how she handled the issue: with prayer and gratitude.

She thanked God for the birds, the trees, and her day in general. She then prayed for her children, resolved a small dispute with her husband, and concluded a phone meeting “on a very positive note.” 

Heaton then said she felt “much better” and thanked Jesus.

“If your Monday started off badly, start with the birds and work your way back to Him,” the actress advised.

Here is Patricia Heaton’s full post below:

Patrica Heaton’s full post reads,

“Woke up this morning struggling with worldly dissatisfaction and discontent and a general spiritual frustration and unease in my soul. It was a mood that was not of God and was not healthy spiritually. So I battled it with gratitude - started thanking Him for the birds I could hear singing (I love birds so much!), then for the trees, then for the fact that I had been given another day of life. 

“Prayed for my boys, had a small spat with hubs (natch), resolved it (after 36 years you don’t give too much weight to these things), had a phone meeting that could have gone off the rails but ended up on a very positive note. Feeling much better. Thank you Jesus. If your Monday started off badly, start with the birds and work your way back to Him.”

Heaton’s post generated over 11,000 likes and several hundred comments.

Here’s how some users reacted:

David Limbaugh responded, “Love your honesty and your encouragement. It's a good reminder of how to remedy these blue spells. I started on the wrong side of the bed today myself. Thanks for sharing.

Another user commented, “This is straight from scripture! - ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ / Philippians 4:6 - 7 / “Thanksgiving changes everything. It’s the greatest weapon! ❤️thanks for the reminder!”

Someone else wrote, “I've been feeling uneasy as well. Wolves sneaking in, but look who's at the gate guarding the sheep. Gratitude for the keeper of Creation, that is where my heart shall reside.”

Another user added, “Good for you. I've struggled with this and started with the birds too...what matters is starting, drawing unto the presence of God with praise and He does the rest. Praise Jesus!”

What do you think of Patricia Heaton’s words of encouragement?