Author Archives: kmwanek

Today is the feast day of St. John Paul II.  Throughout his life and time as pope, he shared countless profound and beautiful words that give us a lot to reflect on.  One of my favorite quotes from him is, “The most beautiful and stirring adventure that can happen to you is the personal meetingContinue reading “Real Meaning”

Yesterday, I read a book called Loved as I Am: An Invitation to Conversion, Healing, and Freedom through Jesus, by Sister Miriam James Heidland.  While it was a quick and easy read, she shared so many profound statements to reflect on as she shared her story.  In one of the statements I was struck by, sheContinue reading “Showing the World”

In today’s (10/8) gospel, we read the story of Martha and Mary.  Martha is busy serving and completing tasks while her sister Mary sits at the feet of Jesus and listens.  When we hear this gospel passage, we are often asked to reflect on who we are in the story: are we more of aContinue reading “Mary and Martha”

Yesterday night as I was packing to go on vacation this week, I thought for a moment about how I am a fairly light packer. There are two types of people in the world- those who pack light and those who overpack. Neither method is necessarily better than the other. In our lives, we canContinue reading “Lightening Your Load”

When I was in college, there was a campus department/organization called Healthy Choices Task Force.  This was a group made up of faculty, staff, and students.  And contrary to their name, they promoted many ideas, programs, and activities that were anything but healthy.  One event they were planning on holding was called, “Healthy Pornography.”  (TheseContinue reading “Confronting Evil”

Last Friday, I went to eucharistic adoration at my church.  When I got there, there were four other people plus the priest.  After almost an hour passed and I was close to leaving, our priest was the only person there.  As I left, I hoped that more people would stop in within the last remainingContinue reading “Waiting for Us”

Yesterday I was listening to an episode from the Poco a Poco podcast where they were talking about life being a pilgrimage.  If you’ve ever been on a pilgrimage before, you know that there are challenges and discomforts along the way, and when you reach the final destination/site, there is a lot of excitement and joy becauseContinue reading “A Lifelong Pilgrimage”

Saturday night of the National Eucharistic Congress, one of the keynote speakers Jonathan Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus in the series, The Chosen, was reading John Chapter 6, known as the Bread of Life Discourse.  This is a passage from scripture we’re read and heard hundreds of times.  But as he read this passage, oneContinue reading “Accompanying Jesus”

Saturday night of the National Eucharistic Congress, at the end of adoration as the priest processed out of the stadium with the monstrance, Matt Maher sang “Because He Lives.”  As he sang the words, “I’m alive because He lives”, I was reminded that Jesus in the Eucharist is life-giving.  We are not just physically aliveContinue reading “Bread of Life”

Every single one of us has a deep need for Jesus.  We are all in need of his mercy, forgiveness, and love, and nothing or no one else can take His place.  There were a few moments at the National Eucharistic Congress that reminded me of this reality. During the Friday night Revival Session, duringContinue reading “Our Great Need for Jesus”