by Claire Dwyer | Sep 14, 2023 | Discernment, Spiritual Direction
My husband, riffling through the junk drawer, held up a fistful of keys. “Don’t you think it’s time you returned these to the parish?” “I forgot about those,” I said thoughtfully as I put my coffee in the microwave for the third time that morning. There were many...
by Claire Dwyer | Aug 11, 2023 | Discernment
I’d prayed. Thought. Asked for advice. Researched. Considered. Reconsidered. My anxieties and misgivings (you can’t do this; you’ll fail and everyone will see you fail; this will take too much time away from your family) pushed against the growing sense that this was...
by Claire Dwyer | May 21, 2023 | Holy Spirit, Liturgical year, Present Moment
If there’s one virtue I struggle with, it would be hope. In part because of my melancholic nature, my inner pendulum swings more toward pessimism. I see the difficulties before they arise, sigh with the weight of anticipated woes, expect disappointment around every...
by Claire Dwyer | Apr 21, 2023 | Creativity, Discernment, Saints, Writing
It’s Mother Angelica’s birthday today, April 20. She was born 100 years ago—grew up in a broken home, struggled with various painful illnesses, and was desperately poor. When I read her biography by Raymond Arroyo years ago, I was struck by the resilience of the...
by Claire Dwyer | Apr 16, 2023 | Mercy, pro-life, Saints
St. Gianna Molla is a woman recognized for her great final act of generosity to life. During her fourth pregnancy, when a tumor was found to be pressing on her uterus, she opted for the surgery that put her at greater risk but was the only choice in which her baby...
by Claire Dwyer | Mar 18, 2023 | Creativity, Everyday Holiness, Spiritual Direction, The Sacred Everyday, Writing
We were wrapping up the Q&A session after my talk at an online writer’s conference. The recording had already stopped and I relaxed and stretched my legs under my desk as the moderator asked me to field a final question. It was one I’m asked frequently: How do you...
by Claire Dwyer | Feb 27, 2023 | Everyday Holiness, parenthood, Spiritual Direction, The Sacred Everyday
A few weeks ago, in a rare burst of organizational energy, I was cleaning out some files when I came across a folder that hadn’t been touched in…I don’t know how long. Before we moved ten years ago, for sure, and probably long before that. The faded purple...
by Claire Dwyer | Oct 16, 2022 | Creativity, Spiritual Warfare, Writing
I glance at the computer and hesitate. The cursor is blinking at me, waiting and wordless. A few minutes later, rather than writing, I find myself sorting socks or organizing a drawer. The refrigerator is being cleaned out and the shelves straightened. Time—which I...
by Claire Dwyer | Jun 2, 2022 | Spiritual Direction
I dropped my bags off in my room and toured the retreat center alone after my late arrival, tired but grateful for the chance to spend several days with 70 women who had set their weekend aside to deepen their relationship with the Lord. I knew it would be far...
by Claire Dwyer | Apr 18, 2022 | prayer, Spiritual Direction
1. Be sure to bite off more than you can chew. If you are not a morning person and are not used to getting up early, set your alarm for 4 AM and expect to rise before the sun with a song in your heart. If you’ve only been praying for a few minutes each day, resolve...
