by Elizabeth Rzepka | Jun 19, 2026 | Blog
There is an antiphon for the feast of St. James that has always stunned me: “They drank the chalice of the Lord and became the friends of God.” St. James is one of the Apostles who dared to ask Jesus if he could sit at his right or left in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus...
by Elizabeth Rzepka | Apr 24, 2026 | Blog
Each Lent, I see more people adopting the practice of turning their phone to grayscale, penitentially depriving themselves of color. I live in southeastern Michigan, which always makes lists of “cloudiest cities in America” with cloud cover more than fifty percent of...
by Elizabeth Rzepka | Feb 27, 2026 | Blog
In recent weeks, the daily Mass readings were from 2 Samuel and for several days we heard stories of King David. As the scriptures about David, Bathsheba, Uriah, and Nathan were proclaimed, I found myself responding with unexpected emotion. My heart was deeply grieved...
by Elizabeth Rzepka | Jan 2, 2026 | Blog
I recently came across a photo of a Japanese pilgrimage site with statues of Mary and the Japanese martyr Yasutaro as he endured torture for refusing to renounce his faith. His torture involved being imprisoned in a Sanjakuro, a three-foot square cage. I have...
by Elizabeth Rzepka | Oct 31, 2025 | Blog
In 2018, I moved from one state to another after a heartbreaking loss. My first Sunday in my new home, I attended Mass in the local cathedral. As I sat alone in this unfamiliar place, emotionally numb, something powerful pierced through my deadened heart: music. I was...