“If the Incarnation doesn’t bewilder you, you’re not thinking about it enough.” The readings at Mass today explode with anticipation. We have waited patiently during these weeks. Throughout Advent, the daily Mass readings have highlighted various prophecies. They have spoken about the coming of John the Baptist. We have heard about the mountains being made low and feasts set on […]
Joannie Watson
About the Author
Joan Watson was born and raised in Lafayette, Indiana, but college and graduate school took her to Virginia, Ohio, and Rome. After graduating from Christendom College with a B.A. in History and Franciscan University with a M.A. in Theology, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee to be part of the explosion of Catholic culture in the middle of the Bible Belt.
She has been blessed to work for Dr. Scott Hahn at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia at Aquinas College. She is presently the Director of Adult Formation for the Diocese of Nashville. She also serves as the Associate Editor of Integrated Catholic Life.
When she’s not testing the culinary exploits of new restaurants or catching up on the latest BBC miniseries, she’s FaceTiming with her eight nephews and nieces and enjoying her role as coolest aunt. She likes gelato, bourbon, and the color orange.
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St. Lucy’s Reminder in Advent
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5) There are ways to enter into this special time of year and celebrate Advent without jumping the gun and celebrating Christmas prematurely. Rather than celebrating Christmas, we should incorporate into our lives the feasts and rituals that the Church gives us, such as the Solemnity […]
Christmas is Worth Waiting For
“It’s a small reminder to us that the story of my life is much bigger than my pleasure here on earth.” One thing our world doesn’t do well is wait. To be honest, I fall prey to it as much as the next person. I lose my temper in traffic jams. Slowly loading websites make me agitated. I burn my mouth […]
The Easiest Way to Pray as a Family
“If we are going to raise children to be active Catholics as adults, we need to show them what it looks like.” “Hail and blessed be the hour and the moment…” Growing up, visitors to our dinner table never quite knew when to make the Sign of the Cross at the end of grace. In addition to the usual “Bless […]
The Only Two Moments That Matter
“God would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity … or with the Present.” How many times have you said the Hail Mary? If you’re in the noble habit of praying the Rosary, you’ve said a lot of Hail Marys. Have you ever thought about the two times we ask for Mary’s intercession in that prayer? Now and at […]
Thoughts on Death
“We must face the reality of death to fully understand it, and we must understand it in order to more fully live.” November is the month of the poor souls in purgatory. We can obtain a plenary indulgence for someone in purgatory during the first eight days of November. The indulgence is obtained, under the usual conditions, by anyone who […]
Living with the Proper Perspective
“Do we live with this same hope? Do we have this proper perspective on eternity?” “You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever.” The first reading for this Sunday is part of the stunning story of the martyrdom of a mother and her […]
Our Future Feast Day
“The question about being a saint really starts with: Do you want to be happy?” Today is a day of great hope. Today is a reminder that heaven is worth all of this. No matter what life has handed you today—good things or bad things, tragedies, suffering, injustice, or great joy—today is a reminder that heaven is worth it all. […]
The Sign of the Cross
“This simple gesture expresses the deepest mysteries of our Faith: the Trinity and the Paschal Mystery.” As a cradle Catholic, there are many things I never questioned about the Catholic Faith or thought twice about doing as a Catholic. Things like May Crownings and Stations of the Cross were just part of the culture when I was growing up. Our […]
Praying the Word of God
“Allow the Word of God to help you fall in love with God and change your life.” I was blessed to study Scripture under Dr. Scott Hahn at Franciscan University of Steubenville and doubly blessed to work for him at the same time. In those years, I devoured everything I could to learn more about the Word of God – […]