The Making Disciples Today Blog has reflections to help you grow in your journey of missionary discipleship, reviews on recommended Catholic evangelization resources, and practical insight on how to evangelize in your daily life.
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- Written by: Kristin Bird
I’ve always known Mary as the Mother of God. I’ve loved her as Queen of Heaven and admired her “yes” at the Annunciation.
But it wasn’t until I stood in front of a statue of her in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher—wrecked, silent, and hollow-eyed—that I understood her as a companion in sorrow.
That moment stayed with me.
Those Who Mourn, a magazine dedicated to grief and spiritual reflection, recently published a piece I wrote about that moment—and about how Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, can accompany us in grief.
Our Lady of Sorrows: A Ministry of Presence
Mary is known by a lot of titles–Queen of Heaven, Star of the Sea, Mother of God. But the one that has meant the most to me in the seasons of my own sorrow is this one: Our Lady of Sorrows.
Because she gets it.
She knows what it's like to ache for someone you love. She's held a suffering child in her arms. She's waited in uncertainty. She's stood by while people she loved were misunderstood, mistreated, crucified–literally. She has stood in the space between hope and heartbreak–and not run from it.
She has stayed.
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- Written by: Kristin Bird
Jesus rarely gave straight answers. He told stories. Farmers planting seed. A father and two sons. A traveler left for dead on the side of the road. As author Madaleine L'Engle once said, "Jesus was not a theologian, he was a God who told stories."
Why? Because stories slip past defenses. They catch your imagination before you even realize it’s happening.
And if you look around, the world is full of these kinds of stories. Movies, books, video games, even kids’ shows – sometimes they carry truth in a way a theological argument just can’t.
Why stories “out there” matter for faith
We live in a culture where people don’t usually start with authority, doctrine, or even tradition. They start with experience. And experience is almost always packaged as a story.
Think about it:
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- Written by: Burning Hearts Team
Thoughtful, mission-minded Catholic gifts that plant seeds of faith
We’ve all been there: we want to offer a gift that encourages someone’s faith—but we don’t want it to feel forced, cheesy, or overly “churchy.”
At Burning Hearts, we're not here to sell stuff. We're here to help you live your mission to share the Good News fruitfully through intentional, Spirit-led evangelization. And we know you're not here to shop; you’re here to love people well.
We’re not just handing you a shopping list; we’re inviting you to love someone well, with purpose and intention. A small, thoughtful gift can do more than we expect: open a door, spark a conversation, or remind someone they’re not alone.
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- Written by: Kristin Bird
Lately, I’ve been wondering if our zeal is really bearing fruit.
We care deeply about the mission. We pour ourselves into programs, liturgies, catechesis, and parish life. But sometimes, beneath the activity, there’s a quiet unease. Are we proclaiming Jesus...or just defending ourselves? Are we really listening to people's hearts...or just listening in order to respond?
Sometimes, I wonder if the most dangerous thing for our mission isn't apathy, but the wrong kind of passion. A zeal misdirected and misfiring.
