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WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2225 [post_author] => 8 [post_date] => 2020-01-28 00:20:44 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-01-28 00:20:44 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>~3 minute read</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I still remember walking into school the day after each of those five NBA championships – the halls abuzz with shouts and high-fives, my friends decked out in their purple and gold.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I’ll never forget seeing the Lakers in person for the very first time as a junior in high school. There was nothing like watching one of the all-time greats play the game he loved with his unrivaled tenacity and passion. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">For years I witnessed the magic and cheered along with family and friends. We, Southern California natives, were the heart of Lakers Nation.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When Kobe’s career came to a close, I watched again as both #8 and #24 were hoisted up to the heights of Staples Center. We celebrated his countless wins and immortalized his legacy forever.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Kobe’s death this past Sunday hit close to home.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Only four days earlier, my closest childhood friend came to visit, and Kobe Bryant happened to come up in conversation.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">My friend and Kobe were both members of the same Catholic Church in Orange County, CA. My friend told me how he saw Kobe at the morning Mass faithfully every Sunday. With his 6’ 6” frame, he was hard to miss.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Kobe and his wife, Vanessa, witnessed to the strength that comes from prayer and the Sacraments, remaining together in marriage all these years in spite of trials that rocked their past.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As a couple, they loved their four daughters dearly, and they went beyond themselves to build up the youth and families both in their home parish and in the wider community.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">On the day Kobe’s third daughter, Bianka, was baptized, my childhood friend happened to walk into the church in the middle of the ceremony. He saw Kobe and Vanessa surrounded by loved ones and proudly holding Bianka, dressed in her beautiful white garments. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Kobe and my friend talked for a brief moment afterward, and all Kobe could talk about wasn’t basketball, but family.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Few people could match the worldly accomplishments of Kobe Bryant. Yet, this icon and legend knew what was most important.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Through baptism, he gave all of his children over to God. And every Sunday, even on the morning of the crash, Kobe went to Church – to pray and to give his life over to Christ.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It seems that, to Kobe, the illuminated purple-gold jerseys and his five championship rings were second to the white robes of Heaven and the imperishable crown of Christ. (cf. Rev. 7:9; 1 Cor. 9:25).<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">May Kobe and all the faithful departed be raised to the heights of Heaven, whereby the enduring victory of Christ, they will be of that number, immortalized with God forever.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>+ John, Keri, and Alyssa Altobelli</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>+ Kobe and Gianna Bryant</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>+ Sarah and Payton Chester</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>+ Christina Mauser</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>+ Ara Zobayan</em><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>May they rest in peace.</em><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Please pray for Vanessa, the Bryant children (Natalia, Bianka, &amp; Capri), and all their families.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => A Tribute to Kobe Bryant [post_excerpt] => Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => a-tribute-to-kobe-bryant [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-10-05 13:52:32 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-10-05 13:52:32 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=2225 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2195 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2020-01-23 04:49:07 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-01-23 04:49:07 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s a question we thought quite seriously about when we first started Hallow and continue to think about seriously. Should Hallow be a non-profit or a for-profit? Should it be free for everyone, or should there be a premium option?&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“Hallow is one of the best possible uses of my time and I love it. Hallow has really buoyed me throughout some difficult months. So it’s worth it no matter the cost.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>We needed Hallow to be of the highest quality</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We spoke with several of our spiritual directors, prayed about it and debated it as a team for months. The first thing we all agreed on was that our mission – to help people to pray – had to always come first. It had to guide every decision. Money must always be only a tool to achieve it, never a goal in itself. If we never made any money but were able to help people grow in their faith, we’d have succeeded.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We realized that in order to do this, and especially to reach out to those who might have fallen away, we needed to build something high-quality. Unfortunately, the faith world, both in media and technology, does not often stack up against the quality of the secular world. As we started looking around, it broke our hearts. Our faith deserves the best.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We used to do a great job of this. The Church was the source of the most beautiful buildings, the most incredible art, but for some reason, we’ve fallen short in the digital world. The content that we’re sharing is the most incredible content in the world: the Word of God. It deserves the highest quality design and technology to go with it. What we saw is that many people, especially young people, especially people who had fallen away from their faith, often wouldn’t even give an app a try if it wasn’t built to their standard of design and functionality. They just wouldn’t download it, regardless of the beauty of the content within it.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We knew that we needed to create something high quality. Something that stacked up with the best in the world, both in terms of design, technology, and content. We needed to build a team of the best technical talent in the world. We needed to bring on incredible designers. And we needed to partner with the best content creators in the world to build something worthy of the beauty of the spirituality that we were sharing.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“I resisted several times, but finally I gave it a whirl and I haven’t stopped spinning! The content is enriching and gratifying and meticulously arranged by topics and speakers! This app is worth every penny my friends - again thank you!”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>We needed Hallow to be a place of peace</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We also knew that we really wanted Hallow to be a place of peace and respite away from the business of life. We didn’t want anyone to have to think about money while they prayed. We didn’t want to bombard anyone with ads or requests for donations. Hallow had to be transparent about pricing and then leave users in peace to pray on their own.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We especially did not want anyone to worry about how Hallow was funding itself. We wanted total transparency. What we often heard from people we talked to was ‘if they’re not asking you to pay, then you’re the thing being sold.’ We never wanted anyone to worry about the privacy of their data with Hallow. We would never sell any user data. Our faith is one of the most personal aspects of our lives. Your privacy should always be the highest priority.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“I started off with the free trial of this app. However, it was not long at all before I decided it would be worth every penny to subscribe to this since this app really strengthens my spiritual practices...Lampert on spiritual warfare. I highly recommend giving this a trial but it is certainly well worth the money spent for this app”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>How we decided on our funding model</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">So, after much prayer and discernment, we decided on the premium model. We would price it at a little bit under $6 / mo for the annual plan (~20% discount to the standard secular meditation apps, but definitely still premium). And we would give away a free trial to test out the content without getting charged.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">There were two big benefits we saw from this that we honestly did not expect. The first was that people actually prayed much more. It started to make sense the more that we spoke with people using the app. We all try so many free things, we download a bunch of different free apps, but most we don’t end up using. Taking the step to put some skin in the game made people actually commit to growing deeper in their faith life. In the end, people were up to 2.4x more likely to build a daily habit of prayer if they made some initial investment, even if it was just starting a free trial.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The second thing was that it made us a lot more committed to building something great. It held us as a team to the standard of building a truly premium product. The fact that we’re asking people to pay for it pushes us to stay up the extra hour till 3am to make sure it’s perfect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The issue is that most of us are often used to receiving apps for free because large companies can afford to build them and give them away for free. But what we are building at Hallow is a lot more like a book or audiobook than a gaming app. We have a small team of folks constantly working to write and create new content. And books, even those sold by non-profits and Bibles, almost always cost money so they can support their organization’s continued operations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">That being said, we realize that there are many who cannot afford to purchase the subscription, and we, as a Christian organization, have to prioritize those who are experiencing poverty. So we decided to give a lot of our content away for free forever. We have thousands of sessions available for free forever: the daily rosary, the daily gospel, hundreds of meditations, music, and more. If someone is able to and wants to subscribe to unlock the rest of the content, they can choose to whenever they want, but they should be able to use the app to grow sustainably in their prayer life without paying.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">On top of that, we give away one free subscription for every one that’s purchased. Currently, we are giving away free subscriptions to all clergy members and have a scholarship path for other people to request free subscriptions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“This app has forever changed my life. It is so good at improving my nonexistent prayer life. I am more devout in my faith. I have incorporated prayer in every aspect of my life. I wake up using Hallow, work with Hallow, pray with my children with Hallow, lectio divina, adoration, reconciliation, listen to hymns and have done novenas. So worth the money my entire family is using it. Thank you Hallow for helping me become a more devout catholic and grow every day in the faith.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“I discovered Hallow when I needed to reinforce my faith, I just want to give some positive feedback - it’s worth every penny!”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“So many good resources, paid for the annual subscription - more than worth the money”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Trying to keep the mission always at our center</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Anyway – I know this is a lot, but I just want to be as transparent as I possibly can with the decisions we make. At the end of the day, every decision we make at Hallow is made through prayer and consultation with the Church and spiritual directors. We hold ourselves to putting our mission first in everything we do, from product to pricing, hiring to firing, and strategy to governance. We structured ourselves as a public-benefit corporation in order to hold ourselves accountable to our mission while also leveraging the best of the startup world. In everything we do, our goal is simply to listen to what God is asking us to do and to do it: to let God Hallow our lives – and this is where we think He’s leading us today.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“I absolutely adore this Hallow App. It's worth every penny and it motivates me each day.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“Absolutely wonderful and inspiring! Thank you. It is so worth every cent!!”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“This app is worth every cent. There are so many elements to it that have helped to build up and enrich my prayer life.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“I pray with Hallow every day. Most important app I’ve ever downloaded.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => Why is there a Hallow subscription? [post_excerpt] => Trying to keep Hallow's mission at the center [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => why-do-we-charge-for-hallow-plus [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-03-26 17:02:13 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-03-26 17:02:13 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=2195 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2189 [post_author] => 14 [post_date] => 2020-01-23 01:36:05 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-01-23 01:36:05 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>~5 min read</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Holistic health is my business. As an occupational therapist of almost 20 years, a mother to three (with another on the way), a stepmother to 2, wife and amateur runner- this is a solid fit for me. As a Catholic, however, it’s a major challenge. The world of holistic health is dominated by moral relativism, pseudoscience, and resistance to acknowledge God as the Almighty Creator.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">My personal and professional wellness journey began after graduating from college. I moved to New York and began working with adults diagnosed with cognitive impairment and mental illness. I went on to work in the school system and then a continuing care retirement community. I was in my early twenties and had begun to suffer panic attacks and my first acute autoimmune disease flare that went undiagnosed for over a year. As more of my joints became swollen and painful, I sought out alternative therapies over traditional pharmaceutical solutions. I found some success, but also discovered that the world of holistic health was often not spiritually aligned with my faith. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">A few years passed and I moved to Maryland and then North Carolina working in subacute rehabilitation facilities and home health. Around this time, I began researching epigenetics and nutrigenomics. Following the completion of the human genome project, the opportunities for personalized medicine and preventative health informed by our own unique DNA provided brand new opportunities to advance every aspect of wellness.&nbsp; Epigenetics is the study of turning genes off and on and we now know that while you cannot change the genes that you were born with, you can influence which genes are active versus dormant in many ways. Nutrigenomics is the study of how food interacts with our specific set of DNA. Not only has this science given us the information to improve advanced medicine, but I was seeing more clearly how I could apply what I was learning to myself, my children and my patients. God’s gift of this science and His amazing design for us and our environment allowed me to eliminate my pain and autoimmune symptoms, resolve my son’s anxiety, help friends and family with various issues and identify major deficiencies for various family members that had never been tested for. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">After treating thousands of patients and becoming familiar with the effect of genetic variations on physical and mental health, I left my traditional practice to develop a more effective preventative practice from a clinical perspective. I was more inspired than ever to find better ways to be holistically healthy according to God’s design and to help as many other people as I could.&nbsp; Inspired by my new goals, I wrote a book outlining my thoughts so that I could better explain the consistency between my Catholic faith and the healthcare work that I felt called to do. Of course, modern medicine and all of its treatments are also a great gift to us, but we must also seek to achieve wellness and prevent disease whenever possible.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">One of the most fascinating wellness discoveries that I sought to incorporate into my own personal practice as well as my professional practice is that of meditation. Of course, meditation itself is not new at all, but recent discoveries about exactly how meditation improves our health at a cellular level have greatly increased general participation in meditative practices. This is great news for health and wellness, but for me, the challenge of finding resources that are both Catholic and good quality was somewhat frustrating. There is no shortage of scientific-based meditation apps, new age studios or secular self- help books. There is, however, a major shortage of holistic health resources and practitioners who place God at the center of it all- and that’s exactly where He should be. He designed each of us to be physically, mentally and spiritually well in order to pursue truth and purpose. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I do use some great Catholic prayer apps, but after looking more closely at meditative practice, I was hoping to find an app that could deliver both solid meditation and an opportunity to grow closer to God. I can’t tell you how excited I was to find Hallow. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for and I finally have a resource that I can confidently share with my family and my clients. This app has everything that I was looking for and is perfect for both beginner and advanced meditators of all ages. For me, staying healthy in order to care for my family and treat my patients is a top priority.  The benefits of meditation are evident in physical, mental and of course spiritual practice, but we cannot be holistically well without acknowledging and worshipping our Creator. These days, controlling my autoimmune flares and staying healthy during my fourth pregnancy is a challenge that I most certainly cannot take on alone. I am so thankful to have Hallow as a guide to keep me on track!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>MORE PRAYERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-anxiety/">Prayers for Anxiety</a></li><li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-strength/">Prayers for Strength</a></li><li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-healing/">Prayers for Healing</a></li><li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-sleep/">Prayers for Sleep</a></li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">_____</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If you're interested in learning more about Erin's work, you can check out the website link here: <em><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://designedtobewell.com/" target="_blank">designedtobewell.com</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => Hallow Spotlight: Exploring How Holistic Health and Hallow Meet [post_excerpt] => Discussing the benefits of Christian meditation [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => hallow-spotlight-exploring-how-holistic-health-and-hallow-meet [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2021/08/10/prayers-for-healing/ [post_modified] => 2022-09-14 00:06:06 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-09-14 00:06:06 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=2189 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4019 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2020-01-10 14:01:24 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-01-10 14:01:24 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Ahoy, Mate! Did you know you can pray like a pirate? Learn the acronym behind the pirate prayer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Let us pray and God will do the rest.</p><cite>St. Josephine Bakhita</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="">What is pirate prayer?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Pirate Prayer gets its name from the acronym “ARRR.” (Like a pirate, get it?!) This acronym is a helpful guide in learning <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/">how to pray</a>. You can pray this at any time and can do it over just a few minutes or a longer period of prayer.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="">Why should we pray the pirate prayer?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Praying like a pirate (A-R-R-R) is helpful if you're not sure how to begin your conservation with God. You might add this type of prayer into your time with God after praying <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-lectio-divina/">Lectio Divina</a>, the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">Rosary</a>, or the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-the-examen/">Examen</a>. Or, you might find this is a helpful acronym to pray with when you're on the go and struggling to find time to sit still and rest with God. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="">When should we pray the pirate prayer?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You can pray with this acronym at any time! We offer pirate prayer in Hallow, but you can also pray with the A-R-R-R method anytime you feel like it. This prayer is particularly helpful if you're struggling to find the "right" words as you talk with God. However, what matters is that you turn your mind towards Him and be honest with what's on your heart and mind. God is always present — you just have to call on him!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="">How to pray: pirate prayer</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":8503,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","className":""} --> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Copy-of-how-to-pray-with-saints-wordpress-1024x536.png" alt="Hallow App - How to Pray - Pirate Prayer " class="wp-image-8503"/></figure></div> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>A – Acknowledge</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Take a breath and acknowledge that God is with you and that you desire to grow closer to Him. Take stock of how you’re feeling, your thoughts, what is on your heart and mind.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>R – Relate</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Share with God everything that came to mind. Be completely real with Him and don't hold anything back, even things that might be hard to share.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>R – Receive</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Now, quiet yourself and try to be open to what God says back to you. Maybe He speaks to you through a Scripture verse that comes to mind or a thought or feeling. Maybe you don’t hear anything, and that’s okay! God speaks even in silence and loves when you rest with Him there.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>R – Respond</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Lastly, commit to responding to what this time of prayer revealed to you. You could feel called to continue to pray about something that came up; you could decide to take some type of action. Lastly, ask God to help you see what concrete steps you can take with His help.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You can close your prayer with more time in silence, with an <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-our-father/">Our Father</a>, or any prayer on your heart.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We’d love to pray the Pirate Prayer with you on Hallow! You can find this method in Minute Reflections (2-minutes) and Sleep Meditations (for 5, 10, &amp; 15-minute options). We also offer a guest session on pirate prayer from Christina Jaloway, author of <a href="https://www.theevangelista.com/about" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Evangelista</a>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"contentJustification":"center"} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link" href="https://hallow.app.link/blogdownload">Pray like a Pirate on Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We look forward to "ARRR" - ing with you!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => How to Pray the Pirate Prayer [post_excerpt] => Learn the "ARRR" acronym to guide you in prayer for any amount of time. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => how-to-pray-pirate-prayer [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2021/07/02/how-to-pray/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ https://hallow.com/2020/01/09/how-to-pray-lectio-divina/ [post_modified] => 2022-08-09 00:56:09 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-08-09 00:56:09 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=4019 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2126 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2020-01-09 22:06:05 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-01-09 22:06:05 [post_content] => <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Luke 10:26</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#What-is-Lectio-Divina">What is Lectio Divina?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Why-pray-Lectio-Divina">Why do we pray with Lectio Divina?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#when-to-pray-lectio-divina">When do we pray with Lectio Divina?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#How-to-pray-Lectio-Divina">How to pray Lectio Divina</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Related-prayers">Related prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="What-is-Lectio-Divina">What is Lectio Divina?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Latin translation: "Divine Reading"</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Lectio Divina means “divine reading” in Latin. It's a meditative way of reading the Bible in which we let go of our own agendas and open ourselves to what God is trying to say to us. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When I was first introduced to Lectio Divina, I chose the passage from the Gospel where Jesus teaches the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-our-father/">Our Father</a>. What stuck out to me during this first attempt at Lectio Divina became the name of our app – the word “hallow,” which means “to make holy.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/LectioDivina">Enhance Your Prayer Life with Lectio Divina</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Origin</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Many historians and theologians credit <a href="https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=556">St. Benedict of Nursia</a> as the first teacher of Lectio Divina. St. Benedict <a href="https://e-benedictine.com/lectio-divina/">spoke</a> to the importance of divine reading in his <em>Rule of St. Benedict</em>, encouraging readers to live a life devoted to work and prayer (especially through reading). However, this method of prayer likely originated even earlier than the time of St. Benedict, who passed away during the 6th century. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It wasn't until a few centuries ago that you could find a Bible in homes, hotels, and churches around the world with the invention of the printing press in the 15th century. It also wasn't the norm that entire communities had the ability to read or write. Unlike today, with most Christians having Bibles in their homes or access to a digital Bible, communities shared physical Bibles and even relied on certain individuals to read scripture aloud. This practice of listening to Scripture read aloud was very popular in monastic communities — prompting them to <a href="https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-what-how-why-of-prayer/praying-with-scripture/">"listen with their hearts."</a> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">The modern resurgence of this ancient technique</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While Lectio Divina has long been a technique prayed with, there was a resurgence in its popularity following the publishing of <a href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html"><em>Dei Verbum</em></a>, Vatican II's <em>Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation</em>. Promulgated by Pope Paul VI, <em>Dei Verbum </em>encourages us to continue renewing the Church through the Word of God. Similarly, Lectio Divina calls on us to see prayer as a renewal of our relationship with God through the Word. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">God, who through the Word creates all things (see John 1:3) and keeps them in existence, gives men an enduring witness to Himself in created realities (see Rom. 1:19-20).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite><em>Dei Verbum</em>, Ch. I, 3. </cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">It's not the same as Bible study</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While Lectio Divina is a great way to study the Bible, it isn't the same thing as a Bible study. Lectio Divina offers something more specific, more personal to you, in the moment you are praying. Bible studies lead us to interpret the Bible by asking questions and at times, doing research, and looking at the Bible as a whole. Lectio Divina, on the other hand, asks us to intentionally focus on a short section of Scripture. This prayerful focus could be one passage, one verse, or even just one word. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Why-pray-Lectio-Divina">Why do we pray with Lectio Divina?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">To become better listeners </h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">There are countless ways to sit with God and grow closer to Him. From the Examen to the Rosary and everything in between, Christians might feel like their prayer toolbox is already full. However, Lectio Divina might become your favorite way to pray. Lectio Divina becomes more about divine listening than divine reading when we take the time to do it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a> | <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-examen/">How to Pray the Daily Examen</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This is why we pray Lectio Divina — to become better listeners of the Lord. When it feels like we can't say the right thing in prayer, turn to Lectio Divina. Simply open the Bible to a passage, or select a meditation in Hallow, and try to listen well. In doing this, we might hear more clearly what God is asking of us — opening ourselves to peace, gratitude, and living rooted in Christ.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">To remember the vitality of the Word</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In September of 2005, the Vatican <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2005/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20050916_40-dei-verbum.html">celebrated</a> the 40th anniversary of <em>Dei Verbum</em>. Reminding us of the wisdom of the Word, Pope Benedict XVI explained that it is because of the Gospel that the Church lives. Therefore, it is through the Word that we, too, live. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It should never be forgotten that the Word of God is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Pope Benedict XVI</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="when-to-pray-lectio-divina">When do we pray with Lectio Divina?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This prayer method is one of the most accessible types available to all of us. You can pray with the Word with Hallow, with a physical Bible, or even with a passage of Scripture you have memorized. God is with you and in Scripture at all times — whether it's before you go to sleep or on your commute to work.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/LectioDivina">Download Hallow to Pray Lectio Divina</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="How-to-pray-Lectio-Divina">How to pray Lectio Divina</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:yoast/how-to-block {"hasDuration":true,"days":"0","hours":"0","minutes":"20","jsonDescription":"","steps":[{"id":"how-to-step-1638841992424","name":["Read"],"text":["Or when using Hallow, ",{"type":"strong","props":{"children":[{"type":"em","props":{"children":["listen"]}}]}},". Take a short passage from the Bible and listen to it carefully. Let it soak in.",{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},"If you're not sure which verse or meditation to pray with first, we recommend starting with Hallow's Introduction to Prayer Challenge.",{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},"If you're praying with a Bible, maybe start with a passage you've heard before. For example, you could pray with an excerpt from any of the Psalms, Jesus' visit to Mary and Martha (",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A38-42\u0026version=NRSV","children":["Luke 10:38-42"]}},"), the story of the Woman at the Well (",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4\u0026version=NRSV","children":["John 4"]}},"), or the Beatitudes (",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5\u0026version=NRSV","children":["Matthew 5:3-12"]}},").",{"type":"img","key":"10585","ref":null,"props":{"alt":"Lectio Divina","src":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/beads-bible-blur-236339-1-1.jpg"},"_owner":null}],"jsonName":"Read","jsonText":"Or when using Hallow, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003elisten\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e. Take a short passage from the Bible and listen to it carefully. Let it soak in.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eIf you're not sure which verse or meditation to pray with first, we recommend starting with Hallow's Introduction to Prayer Challenge.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eIf you're praying with a Bible, maybe start with a passage you've heard before. For example, you could pray with an excerpt from any of the Psalms, Jesus' visit to Mary and Martha (\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A38-42\u0026amp;version=NRSV\u0022\u003eLuke 10:38-42\u003c/a\u003e), the story of the Woman at the Well (\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4\u0026amp;version=NRSV\u0022\u003eJohn 4\u003c/a\u003e), or the Beatitudes (\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5\u0026amp;version=NRSV\u0022\u003eMatthew 5:3-12\u003c/a\u003e).\u003cimg alt=\u0022Lectio Divina\u0022 src=\u0022https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/beads-bible-blur-236339-1-1.jpg\u0022/\u003e","jsonImageSrc":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/beads-bible-blur-236339-1-1.jpg"},{"id":"how-to-step-1638842192508","name":["Meditate"],"text":["Then, after reading or listening for a second time, consider: What sticks out to you? Perhaps it’s a particular image, phrase, or single word. Let that be your focus, meditating on what might God be trying to show you through what stands out. ",{"type":"img","key":"10587","ref":null,"props":{"alt":"Taize Prayer","src":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Taize-Illustration-1.png"},"_owner":null}],"jsonName":"Meditate","jsonText":"Then, after reading or listening for a second time, consider: What sticks out to you? Perhaps it’s a particular image, phrase, or single word. Let that be your focus, meditating on what might God be trying to show you through what stands out. \u003cimg alt=\u0022Taize Prayer\u0022 src=\u0022https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Taize-Illustration-1.png\u0022/\u003e","jsonImageSrc":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Taize-Illustration-1.png"},{"id":"how-to-step-1638842235672","name":["Pray"],"text":["Respond to the text and to God. Ask God to show you what He wants you to take from it. This could lead you to offer thanks, ask forgiveness, or simply talk with God about what the passage brought to your heart.  ",{"type":"img","key":"10588","ref":null,"props":{"alt":"Hands Praying","src":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/31_l.png"},"_owner":null}],"jsonName":"Pray","jsonText":"Respond to the text and to God. Ask God to show you what He wants you to take from it. This could lead you to offer thanks, ask forgiveness, or simply talk with God about what the passage brought to your heart.  \u003cimg alt=\u0022Hands Praying\u0022 src=\u0022https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/31_l.png\u0022/\u003e","jsonImageSrc":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/31_l.png"},{"id":"how-to-step-1638842258335","name":["Contemplate"],"text":["Rest with God. Be aware of God’s presence with you. Listen for His voice. ",{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},"At the end of the Lectio Divina sessions in Hallow, we close with the ",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-our-father/","children":["Our Father"]}}," and the Sign of the Cross. ",{"type":"img","key":"10589","ref":null,"props":{"alt":"Contemplation","src":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/95_l-copy.png"},"_owner":null}],"jsonName":"Contemplate","jsonText":"Rest with God. Be aware of God’s presence with you. Listen for His voice. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eAt the end of the Lectio Divina sessions in Hallow, we close with the \u003ca href=\u0022https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-our-father/\u0022\u003eOur Father\u003c/a\u003e and the Sign of the Cross. \u003cimg alt=\u0022Contemplation\u0022 src=\u0022https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/95_l-copy.png\u0022/\u003e","jsonImageSrc":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/95_l-copy.png"}],"durationText":"The time you spend praying the Lectio Divina is entirely up to you and varies by person.","defaultDurationText":"Time needed:"} --> <div class="schema-how-to wp-block-yoast-how-to-block"><p class="schema-how-to-total-time"><span class="schema-how-to-duration-time-text">The time you spend praying the Lectio Divina is entirely up to you and varies by person. </span>20 minutes. </p><p class="schema-how-to-description"></p> <ol class="schema-how-to-steps"><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1638841992424"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Read</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">Or when using Hallow, <strong><em>listen</em></strong>. Take a short passage from the Bible and listen to it carefully. Let it soak in.<br/><br/>If you're not sure which verse or meditation to pray with first, we recommend starting with Hallow's Introduction to Prayer Challenge.<br/><br/>If you're praying with a Bible, maybe start with a passage you've heard before. For example, you could pray with an excerpt from any of the Psalms, Jesus' visit to Mary and Martha (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A38-42&amp;version=NRSV">Luke 10:38-42</a>), the story of the Woman at the Well (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4&amp;version=NRSV">John 4</a>), or the Beatitudes (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5&amp;version=NRSV">Matthew 5:3-12</a>).<img alt="Lectio Divina" src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/beads-bible-blur-236339-1-1.jpg"/></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1638842192508"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Meditate</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">Then, after reading or listening for a second time, consider: What sticks out to you? Perhaps it’s a particular image, phrase, or single word. Let that be your focus, meditating on what might God be trying to show you through what stands out. <img alt="Taize Prayer" src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Taize-Illustration-1.png"/></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1638842235672"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Pray</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">Respond to the text and to God. Ask God to show you what He wants you to take from it. This could lead you to offer thanks, ask forgiveness, or simply talk with God about what the passage brought to your heart.  <img alt="Hands Praying" src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/31_l.png"/></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1638842258335"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Contemplate</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">Rest with God. Be aware of God’s presence with you. Listen for His voice. <br/><br/>At the end of the Lectio Divina sessions in Hallow, we close with the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-our-father/">Our Father</a> and the Sign of the Cross. <img alt="Contemplation" src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/95_l-copy.png"/></p> </li></ol></div> <!-- /wp:yoast/how-to-block --> <!-- wp:separator {"opacity":"css","className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-wide"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In the app, we have Scripture passages that have different themes and questions for reflection in praylists (such as ones related to love, humility, or sleep), and you can always pray Lectio Divina with the daily Gospel.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We hope to pray with you soon!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Related-prayers">Related prayers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-hail-mary/">How to Pray the Hail Mary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-our-father/">How to Pray the Our Father</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-gospels/">How to Pray With the Gospels</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/contemplative-prayer-imaginative-prayer/">Contemplative Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Prepare for Lent</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/ash-wednesday/">Ash Wednesday 2025</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/lent/">Lent 2025</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => How to Pray With Lectio Divina [post_excerpt] => Encounter the Bible more profoundly. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => how-to-pray-lectio-divina [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2020/02/12/how-to-pray-our-father/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/13/how-to-pray-the-examen/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ https://hallow.com/2021/06/30/how-to-pray-the-gospels/ https://hallow.com/2022/01/19/how-to-pray-the-hail-mary/ [post_modified] => 2024-09-30 20:09:08 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-09-30 20:09:08 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=2126 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2117 [post_author] => 11 [post_date] => 2020-01-09 00:22:19 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-01-09 00:22:19 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong><em>9 min read</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When Netflix announced the release of <em>The Two Popes</em>, I had already decided I would watch the film, despite the varying reviews that might have normally averted me. It was about the Vatican, the Papacy, and the Catholic faith and it was creating Hollywood buzz, so I wanted to partake in the public discussion. In short, <em>The Two Popes</em> is a story loosely based on true events illustrating a series of fictional encounters between Pope Benedict XVI (now Emeritus) and Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (now Pope Francis). Since watching the entire movie and re-watching certain significant dialogues, I’ve read both positive praises and negative critiques of the film; overall, the positive praises applaud the script for portraying “its adversaries as passionate humans who move us and make us laugh while they’re having at each other in search of common theological ground”<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-two-popes-review-a-holy-must-see-11574884970">1</a>,&nbsp; while the negative critiques condemn the film as bearing “no resemblance to the real-life men they were supposed to represent.”<a href="https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2019/12/two-popes-too-many-untruths">2</a> In the positive reviews, entertainment triumphs throughout the light-hearted script and heart-warming finale. In the negative reviews, gross misrepresentations are said to creep into the perception of the audience, who watch as Pope Benedict XVI appears onscreen as an egotistical, power-hungry traditionalist that offers the more liberal and sensitive Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio almost no warmth or courtesy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Regardless of my opinions, reservations, and questions on the dramatized plotline, there was one thing the two main characters, the two successors to the Seat of Saint Peter, the two most recent popes disclosed to each other that they had in common: amid their constant philosophical and social jousting, it was refreshing to hear both Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Bergoglio confess to each other their trouble with prayer. During the scene at Castel Gandolfo when Pope Benedict XVI invites his soon-to-be successor to the papal summer home, the German pope divulges to the Argentinian cardinal: “You know, the hardest thing is to listen, to hear His voice. God’s voice.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Cardinal Bergoglio pauses, then asks, “Sorry, even for a pope?”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“Perhaps especially for a pope,” responds Pope Benedict XVI.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Towards the end of the movie, as Cardinal Bergoglio is confessing to Pope Benedict XVI the political compromises he made during Argentina’s “Dirty War” in the 1970s, the scene flashes back to a homily he says during a mass as a young priest after he is extradited by the Jesuit order to a remote village:&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“I had a TV. I liked to watch football. A TV needs an antenna and a signal. Sometimes the signal is bad. We don’t know why, but sometimes it doesn’t work. It’s the same when we pray. Sometimes the signal God sense us is strong and clear. It works fine. One feels the connection… But other days, one can only say, ‘Well, at least I tried.’ But you’ve gotten nothing back.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Despite the fictional nature of the film and granted the two popes may have never uttered those exact words, the story offers us the consolation that everyone experiences a similar type of spiritual darkness at some point in their lives. Whether someone is a non-practicing Catholic, a pope, or even a canonized saint, this “bad signal” with God can happen to anyone. Saint Teresa of Calcutta, for example, is seen by many as the embodiment of Christ’s call for us to live in poverty and to help the poorest among us, yet she even lived through long, desperate, hopeless periods of time where she didn’t see God in the work she did. For many years, she wrote a series of letters, preserved by the Vatican for the process of her beatification and later canonization, many of which echoed the same sentiment of spiritual darkness: “I want—and there is no One to answer—no One on whom I can cling—no, No One. Alone. The darkness is so dark—and I am alone.”<a href="https://blog.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit/mother-teresa-a-saint-who-conquered-darkness">3</a> Her search for a response isn’t unique, and prayer didn’t come any easier to her because she lived the life of a saint.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“You say, ‘Father, that doesn’t happen to you.’ People believe that for us it’s different, that we have a direct line with God,” continues young Bergoglio in this homily scene. “No, it’s not like that.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">How often do we also experience this spiritual darkness, this bad connection, this silence from God? Prayer is our method of communication, but there are times where no amount of meditation or focus on Him seems to provide any response or guidance. We’ve all experienced this, no matter our role in the Church, and we are not alone in our seeming isolation.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Perhaps our faith perseveres despite these dark times because we believe God is still present to us, even if we cannot hear him. As the USCCB beautifully summarizes,&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“God invites us into a relationship with Him that is both personal and communal. He speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Word-made-flesh. Prayer is our response to God who is already speaking or, better yet, revealing Himself to us. Therefore, prayer is not merely an exchange of words, but it engages the whole person in a relationship with God the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit.”<a href="http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/">4</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">But the Catholic Church doesn’t expect prayer to be as simple as this relationship might seem. The Catechism (which has several awesome sections discussing <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s1c3a2.htm">prayer</a> – I highly recommend a read through them!) tells us, “Prayer is a battle. Against whom? Against ourselves and against the wiles of the tempter who does all he can to turn man away from prayer, away from union with God.”<a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s1c3a2.htm">5</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Prayer is how we build our essential relationship with God, yet prayer is also a battle. In battle, we are afflicted. St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, says, “Affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rom 5:3-5). Like other areas in our faith lives, our belief in God’s presence, through prayer, must conquer our temptations to give up and say, “Well, I guess God just isn’t hearing me,” or, “Maybe my petition isn’t important.” I’ve often had bad connections with God. Mother Teresa often had bad connections with God. Even in <em>The Two Popes</em>, both Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Bergoglio had bad connections with God. Prayer is a common practice, and often a struggle, that affects each of us, old and young, liberal and conservative, pope and layperson, saint and sinner. No one has a perfect connection with God, but we can offer Him our continued prayer and a humble heart, leaving our thanks and petitions at the feet of his Son, who told us: “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.”<a href="http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/15">6</a> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"className":""} --> <ol class=""><li><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-two-popes-review-a-holy-must-see-11574884970">https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-two-popes-review-a-holy-must-see-11574884970</a></li><li> https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2019/12/two-popes-too-many-untruths </li><li> https://blog.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit/mother-teresa-a-saint-who-conquered-darkness </li><li> http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/ </li><li>http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s1c3a2.htm </li><li> http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/15 </li></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => Connecting with God in "The Two Popes" [post_excerpt] => What this new movie can teach us about prayer [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => connecting-with-god-in-the-two-popes [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-02-13 21:10:42 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-02-13 21:10:42 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=2117 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2030 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2019-12-21 19:20:13 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-12-21 19:20:13 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class="">We want to offer a short prayer for you to pray today. Even if you have to sneak away to do so, we hope this can help you take a breath and spend a few minutes with God.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class="">-<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class="">Let’s begin:<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class="">Take a few deep breaths. Allow yourself these next few minutes to be here, with God.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class="">A reading from the Gospel of Luke:<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class=""><em>And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child,&nbsp; and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.</em><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class=""><em>Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.</em><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class=""><em>The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David&nbsp; a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."</em><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class=""><em>And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."</em><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class="">…<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class="">Jesus is here. Our prayers of “O come, o come Emmanuel” have been answered. In the midst of whatever this day brings, whether it is great joy or great suffering and anxiety, or a mix of both, God is with us.&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class="">Help us, Lord, to feel the wonder of this day. May we stand in awe beside the shepherds as we hear the angels declare the good news. May we kneel beside Mary and Joseph, and imagine both the joy at their sweet son’s birth, and the anxious anticipation: <em>what will happen now? </em>May we gently pick up the baby Jesus and gaze at his face. We know what awaits him, but oh, we are so grateful for a God who became small so that we could be with him. The world can never be the same. We can never be the same.&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class="">And as the day goes on, whatever it may bring, may we join our voices with the angels and shout with joy, “Glory to God in the highest!” Jesus has come!&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p class="">Amen, Alleluia!&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => From all of us at Hallow: Merry Christmas! [post_excerpt] => A prayer for you [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => from-all-of-us-at-hallow-merry-christmas [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2021-02-05 15:42:43 [post_modified_gmt] => 2021-02-05 15:42:43 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=2030 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2012 [post_author] => 12 [post_date] => 2019-12-19 00:54:40 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-12-19 00:54:40 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As I attempt to write this article, I’m immediately reminded of how much I struggle with writing.&nbsp; From the whiny cries of second-grade me attempting to develop a story, to attempting to articulate my thoughts in my graduate school education courses, I’ve never had that natural, raw gift of writing.&nbsp; However, I write this piece with ease knowing that my husband, Alex, will open his laptop this Advent and find my posted blog entry. I now find that my fingers cannot move fast enough.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I met Alex at the very beginning of our junior year at Notre Dame.&nbsp; He instantly captured my interest with his quick wit, generous heart, and hard work ethic.&nbsp; As our relationship - and later engagement and marriage - grew, so did our faith life together.&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">But it wasn’t until he devoted his life to starting and running Hallow that I truly saw our faith life thrive.&nbsp; It was such a focused and transformative experience. The creation of Hallow has strengthened our marriage in two ways:<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>1. I rediscovered my own Catholic faith</strong><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Growing up, I honestly considered myself somewhat of an expert in Catholicism.&nbsp; I was raised by two devout Catholic parents (one of whom is a Catholic school teacher), went to Catholic school, and knew the basics regarding all things “church” - sacraments, liturgical calendars, songs, and prayers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">However, as Hallow began to take off, I began to see how much I didn’t know about my faith.&nbsp; Yes, I had memorized prayers, but had I ever reflected on their meanings? Yes, I had received the sacraments, but why was that something we Catholics do?&nbsp; And what are these meditations that my husband keeps mentioning?<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It was only when I truly asked and discussed honest questions with Alex that I realize how much more room I had to grow in my Catholic faith.&nbsp; I was baffled by how much more there was to Catholicism, from saints I’d never heard of, to attending adoration simply to sit in silence with God.&nbsp; My self-proclaimed expert title began to melt away.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Hallow praylists challenged me.&nbsp; The guests sessions engaged me. The Lectio Divinas and Examens changed me.&nbsp; I now see my marriage and my husband with so much more love and sacred devotion.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>2</strong>. <strong>I have fallen in love with my husband all over again</strong><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I think it’s safe to say that watching the joy of a loved one doing<em> </em>something they love is deeply moving.&nbsp; The same is true for how I feel about Alex.&nbsp; At times, I have peered up from grading my fifth graders’ homework to look over at him.&nbsp; With his laser-focused concentration and hands flying across his keyboard as he works on Hallow, I feel a sense of peace wash over me.&nbsp; I smile to myself as I look to this man who I fell in love with all these years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Alex taught me how we can use the power of prayer in our marriage. We now frequently pray Night Prayer before bed.&nbsp; We discuss our daily highs and lows more openly. We attend daily mass during Advent. We make our marriage a priority.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">And I owe it all to God.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Alex, the work you and the Hallow team have done definitely has God smiling down on you.&nbsp; Keep up the great work, and keep changing lives as much as you have changed mine.&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://hallow.com/collections/390/marriage-novena/">Marriage Novena</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => How Hallow Strengthened my Marriage [post_excerpt] => A surprise Christmas present to Alex, Hallow's CEO. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => how-hallow-strengthened-my-marriage [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-10-09 14:22:57 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-10-09 14:22:57 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=2012 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1892 [post_author] => 11 [post_date] => 2019-11-26 04:54:25 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-11-26 04:54:25 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As Thanksgiving approaches, we are surrounded by images and campaigns promoting gratitude. In 2016 around this same season, it was extremely difficult for me to give thanks to anyone. Neither my family, my friends, nor God were able to provide the one thing I felt I needed when I was in a serious state of loss and grief. Three years ago, we lost my father unexpectedly. There was no anticipation of his passing, no plans for his death, no goodbye, and no one who could bring him back to me.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The day before my dad died, our family and some friends had gathered to watch the Vikings-Packers game at my then-fiancé’s condo in Minneapolis. My dad was a tremendous fan of the Green Bay Packers and any time spent watching his football team with his family was glorious to him. We spent the evening eating, drinking, laughing, and talking with the guests that had gathered. We FaceTimed my sister, who was studying in Madrid at the time, and called my aunt, whose birthday it was on that Sunday. In essence, it was a perfect day for us; it seemed he was able to speak with every person he loved on his last full day on earth. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The next morning was Monday, September 19, 2016. I was living with my parents at the time and remember distinctly the last time I saw my dad that morning before I left for work. I had finished getting ready and ran upstairs to my bedroom to take my bag to the car. My dad passed me on the staircase dressed in his shirt and shorts for his daily jog on that beautiful morning. “I love you!” He yelled as he left the house. “I love you, too!” I responded, and then drove to work.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The next hours and days were a blur. On my way to work, I received a panicked call from my mom that I will never forget. My dad had suffered a massive heart attack on his run, had been discovered by a stranger walking past his fallen body on the sidewalk, and was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I met her there in the ER, went into his room, and stood quietly in shock next to his inanimate body on the hospital bed. I witnessed the medical staff attempt one last time to resuscitate him. The attempt failed. There was nothing more we could do. He had died before noon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us, “Stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Mt 25:13) It’s hard to put into words how ready my dad was to die at any moment. His entire life was a witness to faith. He was firm in his beliefs, but charitable in his actions. He supported, taught, and loved me, my sister, and my mom every day of his life. He received the sacraments regularly and always strived to act in accordance with the Catholic Church. The day of his funeral, the church where the mass was held was completely full; the attendance at the funeral was a testament to the impact he made on the lives of his friends, coworkers, colleagues, and family.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">But it took me a long time to realize that my dad had lived a beautiful, virtuous, dignified, full life. In the weeks and months after his sudden death, I was sometimes hysterical, sometimes depressed, and sometimes numb. I distinctly recall one moment about a month after his death where I felt the deepest despair I had ever experienced. I was crying and shaking uncontrollably in my parent’s living room with the same recurring thought in my mind: “This is it? He dies and that’s it? And I’m never going to see him again?” </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">My despair then evolved into a different kind of self-centered misery; I became enveloped in how anguished the next few stages of my life would be. “I’m only 23 years old and I don’t have a father. I have to walk down the aisle at my wedding in six months with no one to lead me to the altar. My children will never know this amazing man whom I was blessed to call my dad...”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">My faith was like a spotlight in this dark time, however, which broke through the obscurity of the pain I was feeling and focused its luminescence on the countless other graces in my life. It was Jesus Christ’s resurrection that allowed me to believe that all this despair I was feeling would be redeemed in Heaven when we are united with God. There is nothing else I could find in this world that would give meaning to this suffering except God, and I clung to that hope to climb out of the darkness again. The idea that helped me most was that Jesus didn’t promise anywhere in the Gospels that this life would be easy or free from difficulties. He actually encourages us to do quite the opposite; if we want eternal happiness in the next life, we must “take up [the] cross.” (Mk 8:34)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">So I embraced my suffering as Jesus Christ embraced the Holy Cross. Little by little, I was comforted in knowing that He had shared in the pain with me during his time on earth and, as time passed, my own wounds began to slowly heal. The scars remain deep in me, and I know I will never be the same without my dad on earth with me. But accepting my suffering as something I knew would bring me closer to Jesus allowed me to also acknowledge the undeniable joys in my life:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I was about to get married to the most incredible man I’ve ever met! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">My whole family and all my friends would be there to celebrate our wedding!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I was going on an unforgettable honeymoon to Greece! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">(And nine months later…) My husband and I were going to be expecting a baby boy!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When I recognized these pronounced joys in my life, I became overwhelmingly grateful to God and to my family for these gifts. How could I remain desperate when so many positive events were awaiting me? How could I dwell on the death of my father when he had already given me so much during his time on earth? How could I abandon hope when I truly believed he was now enjoying the communion of saints and peace in the afterlife?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">At the mass of my dad’s funeral, one of the readings was The Beatitudes from the Gospel of Matthew. The line, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted,” seemed most relevant to me in 2016, but today, although I still grieve for my dad, it seems the closing line of the reading is where I should have focused all along: “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” I have found that now, in addition to every other blessing in my life, I am grateful for the gift of Heaven and the hope of the Resurrection. My prayer is that everyone recognizes this gift so that they, too, can rejoice despite the pain and evil we face in this life on earth.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I wish everyone a blessed Thanksgiving Day! May God’s love perforate your every interaction and may you be filled with the grace of peace.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">God bless,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Julia</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => Finding Gratitude after Grief [post_excerpt] => Julia reflects on the impact of faith after her father's death. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => finding-gratitude-after-grief [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-10-05 17:22:01 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-10-05 17:22:01 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=1892 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1813 [post_author] => 6 [post_date] => 2019-11-12 04:56:20 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-11-12 04:56:20 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The last thing I remember was seeing Gina run past me towards the ball and the rest was all a blur. I ran into a patch of mud on the soccer field and simultaneously kicked the ball. The result was me doing an unintentional backflip and crashing on the ground with my left leg. I heard a “pop” when I was in the air and when I came to, I was convinced I had torn my ACL. Thankfully, it was just at a pickup game of soccer with my local <a href="http://frassatinewhaven.org/">Frassati</a> group and they were able to quickly take me off the field. After being taken to the university health center, I was given some crutches and was assured that I had not broken any bones or torn any ligaments. I had, however, torn my left quad, sprained my ankle, and bruised my ego. I had never been on crutches and I was anxious to get back to normal as fast as possible. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Almost a week later of having been on crutches, the biggest change I’ve noticed (aside from taking twice as long to do literally anything that involves moving) is how much more present I am in the day. I have no choice but to focus on the little things and on the present moment. I have to plan how to go to the bathroom, how to shower, and how to take the trash out. I’ve realized that you have to depend on the kindness of others to open a door, to hold the elevator, and to pick up the pencil you just dropped. Having crutches has made it almost impossible for me to run my day on autopilot and instead has forced me to be present in the moment any time I need to move.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Most importantly, it made me think of something that Fr. Mike Schmitz says in one of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7LJuWjCTDw&amp;t=310s">his videos</a>. He quoted <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Pierre_de_Caussade">Jean Pierre de Caussade</a> by saying we need to appreciate “the sacrament of the present moment.” Instead of being bitter about my hurt leg, I’ve realized how blessed I am that I will likely recover soon and that I can use this time as an opportunity to grow in faith and find God in the small moments throughout my day. Prayer too has a way of doing this, especially Christian Meditation which focuses the mind on minimizing distractions and living in the present moment. Despite how cheesy it may sound; I think the quote that is typically attributed to Bill Keane has really resonated with me recently: “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift from God, which is why we call it the present.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => What I Learned About Prayer After A Week On Crutches [post_excerpt] => Bryan connects prayer to his recent injury. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => what-i-learned-about-prayer-after-a-week-on-crutches [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-10-05 17:23:11 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-10-05 17:23:11 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=1813 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1560 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2019-10-17 18:04:38 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-10-17 18:04:38 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Patience is something I’ve struggled with my whole life. It seems to stem from a gap between what I <em>think</em> should happen, and the way life / others / God is. I’d love to share some thoughts and experiences I’ve had in being patient with others, God, and myself.&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="">Patience with others<br></h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">For most of my life, I liked to do things quickly. I tend to talk quickly, think quickly, get out the door quickly.&nbsp; Then God gave me the best husband, who takes his time to think before speaking, tends to leave things for the last minute, never seems to be in a rush. And who is the most patient person I have ever met.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It drove me crazy for a while. I tried getting him to change, but soon realized that there was beauty in the way he approached each day, and that I needed to grow. So I started breathing and praying every time I felt myself getting impatient. After a while, I stopped getting so antsy. I became more comfortable with quiet, with taking my time, with actually thinking before I spoke. And as I found peace in slowing down, I became more patient with everyone around me.&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="">Patience with God<br></h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This one is a tough one for me. It’s hard to see what God is doing when things fall apart, when hearts are broken, when the world is so full of hate.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I could give you platitudes here - God’s timing is different from ours. We don’t understand why suffering happens. God is close to the brokenhearted. And all these are true, but they often don’t feel like enough.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Here, I love to look at the saints. There are thousands of people who waited on God in the midst of suffering and uncertainty. People whose prayers were never answered in the way they hoped, people who desired one way of life but God led them down another. I think of Mother Teresa, who felt far from God for 40 years as she served those around her. Or St. Mark Ji Tianxiang who wanted so badly to break free of his opium addiction, but was never able to - but he continued to love God through his illness and died a martyr. Both of them must have asked God where he was, asked him how he could let this suffering continue.&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We are not the first people to wait for God to reveal His plans, or to heal us, or to give us some sign -- and we won’t be the last. So, whenever I feel overwhelmed wondering where God is, I take a look at people who have walked this road ahead of me. They remind me that though God doesn’t alleviate all suffering, he does join us in it. That though God might not answer our prayers in the way we wanted, we are invited to know and love the creator of the universe, and that’s pretty incredible. We will never fully understand God, but we do know that his way of loving others makes life worth living.&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="">Patience with ourselves<br></h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">St. Francis de Sales wrote, “Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them -- every day begin the task anew.”<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I’ve gone to confession full of nerves that God is mad at me and I don’t deserve forgiveness. And multiple times I have had the priest say to me: “Stop being so hard on yourself. God loves you. He is so, so glad you are here.”&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If we could only see ourselves as God sees us, we would never believe lies like “I’m not enough” or, “I’m not worthy of love.” God desires for us to be patient in the slow work of becoming more like Jesus: to be kind to ourselves, to trust in his mercy, and to never believe we are too far lost for him to find us.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">So, maybe you are struggling to be patient with others - maybe one person in particular. Maybe you are growing impatient with God and wishing he would answer your prayers asap. Or maybe you are frustrated in yourself because you just can’t let go of the bad habits in your life. I’m going to say this to you in case you need to hear it (I know I need to hear it everyday) — “Stop being so hard on yourself. God loves you. He is so, so glad you are here.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => Problems with Patience [post_excerpt] => Struggling with patience? You aren't alone. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => patience [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-02-13 21:05:33 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-02-13 21:05:33 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=1560 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )