Melanie Rigney's Blog, page 72

Returning Catholics FAQs: Do They Really Want Me?

On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

One of the reasons I left the Church was because it had a bunch of rules I found next to impossible to follow. Are you sure they want me back?

The short answer: Yes.

The longer an...

Wednesday’s Woman: Blessed Agnes Phila

Note: To observe the Jubilee Year of Mercy (which runs through November 20), for several weeks I am featuring women who exemplify one of the corporal or spiritual works of mercy. Today: Admonish sinners.

The Basics:Born 1909 in Thailand; died December 26, 1940, in Thailand; beatified October 22, 1989, by John Paul

By Rikker04 (en:File:Martyrs_of_Thailand_2.jpg) [CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)], via Wikimedia Commons

II; feast day, December 26. Woman religious and teache...

Be Made Fresh

Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me atYour Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

In today’s first lectionary reading from Ezekiel 47, when the angel took Ezekiel back to the temple entrance,

Renata Sedmakova / Shutterstock.com

water was trickling. After the angel measured off a distance, the water was ankle-deep. Another measure, knee-deep. Another measure, waist-high; another measure, it had turned into a river.

God’s goodne...

Returning Catholics FAQs: Endurance vs. Handling

On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

My social media feeds are full of chirpy people telling others that God won’t give us more than we can handle. Do Catholics really believe that? I don’t see why God would give som...

Wednesday’s Woman: Blessed Rita Amada de Jesus

Note: To observe the Jubilee Year of Mercy (which runs through November 20), for several weeks I am featuring women who exemplify one of the corporal or spiritual works of mercy. Today: Counsel the doubtful.

The Basics:Born March 5, 1848, in Portugal; died January 6, 1913, in Portugal; beatified May 28, 2006, by Benedict XVI; feast day, January 6. Woman religious and teacher.

The Story:Rita loved the Lord from an early age, but piety sometimes went unappreciated in her time, and occasionally...

On the Nightstand: March 2016

My parish, St. Agnes in Arlington, VA, is one of many in the country offering Walking with Purpose, a Catholic women’s Bible study program. In addition to really meaningful discussion of Scripture each week, I look forward to the social time beforehand and getting to know some wonderful women. One of my new friends, Kathy, lent me her copy of The Little Way of Ruthie Leming , and I’ve waited to start it until March so I’ll have time to savor it. Kathy was very moved by the story of Philadelphi...

Forgiveness and Faith in the Divine

Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me atYour Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22)

Really, how can Jesus expect us to forgive someone seventy-seven times? It’s one thing when the offense is somet...

Friends in Faith: Mary Catherine Craige

Mary Catherine Craige and I met last summer at a Blessed Is She brunch. Maybe it’s because we’re both writers, but something about us clicked immediately, even though I’m thirty-odd years older. (I told her she could call me her old-lady friend, but she graciously refused to do so.)

Mary Catherine is thoughtful, and better educated about theology than I could ever hope to be. These are wonderful things. But what I find particularly inspirational about her is her willingness to open herself up...

Returning Catholics FAQs: Divorce and Communion

On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

I went to confession for the first time in years but I didn’t tell the priest that I’m divorced. It was a long time ago, and I haven’t remarried. But I still feel a little funny a...

Wednesday’s Woman: St. Marguerite Bourgeoys

Note: To observe the Jubilee Year of Mercy (which runs through November 20), for several weeks I am featuring women who exemplify one of the corporal or spiritual works of mercy. Today: Instruct the ignorant.

The Basics:Born April 17, 1620, in France; died January 12, 1700, in Canada; canonized October 31, 1982, by John Paul II; feast day, January 12. Woman religious and teacher.

The Story:Marguerite, the sixth of twelve children in a middle-class family, felt called to religious life–mission...