Looking Death In The Eye

Exactly six years ago, I finally became cognizant of how thin the line between life and death really is when I nearly lost one of my daughters as she struggled to give birth. During labour, she almost bled out when she lost a litre of blood in mere seconds after an emergency C-section, the result……

Living in Joy No Matter What

No matter what our circumstances are, when our eyes are fixed on our Lord, we can live in joy. This is the normal Christian life, not for a few select saints. Jesus expects Christians to walk on water with Him, daily, no matter how much we would rather sink into hopelessness beneath the storms which threaten……

Am I Weak Enough to Be a Christian?

feature image by Yongsung Kim I have faced difficult situations countless times, finally learning to surrender control to God after playing god becomes too exhausting. Often He has surprised me with bonafide miracles, miracles even skeptical teenagers could not explain away. One would assume I would be experienced enough to stop trying to control but I……

Lord, If This How You Treat Your Friends . . .

If you try to help a struggling butterfly emerge from the prison of his cocoon, his wings will be permanently deformed.  As a butterfly struggles, fluid is forced into its wings so they stretch and open, allowing them to fly but butterflies are not the only creatures who must struggle before they have the ability……

Thriving in the Midst of Suffering

Life is messy; life is hard because we all suffer on our journey towards the heart of God. Recently, one of my daughters, feeling overwhelmed by her circumstances, was feeling sorry for herself. In the space of a week, she met three people, all who appeared successful and problem free on the surface, only to……

Why Most of Us Are Scapegoats, Not Saintly Martyrs

Every society, every culture has a tradition of a scapegoat: a person or group of people to blame and punish for the sins of that particular society. Centuries ago, old women were blamed for poor crops, cows which failed to produce milk and any birth defects. Less superstitious societies turned on each new group of immigrants to……

Catholics Are Easter People

In fact, everything that exists and moves in the Church – the sacraments, doctrine, institutions – draws its strength from Christ’s Resurrection. (Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, Life in Christ, 67) Even though the Church continually invites Catholics to live in the Resurrection of Christ, many of us cling to our suffering. As a result, our spirituality is……

Faith + Humour = 36 Years of Marriage

My husband, Michael, and I have been married for 36 years, and we are happy and still in love. Surprisingly, we have become one in reality, deeply in tune with each other’s spirits even though we are still opposites in personality. Our tangible joy is inexplicable through secular eyes, because from all outward appearances our life……

Worth Revisiting: The Gift of Suffering

“God loves us, so He makes us the gift of suffering. Through suffering, we release our hold on the toys of this world and know our true good lies in another world. We’re like blocks of stone, out of which the sculptor carves the forms of men. The blows of his chisel, which hurt us……

Pope Francis on Sickness and Suffering

On June 10th, the Pope’s Wednesday general audience continued his catecheses on the family, focusing on the theme of sickness and suffering. Man experiences his own fragility primarily in the family, first as a child and, then, as an elderly person.While family sickness presents obvious challenges, it can also be a source of quiet strength and……

Stop! Don’t Cut That Cocoon

a butterfly is a symbol Just look at a butterfly to understand the mystery of suffering A butterfly, imprisoned in a cocoon looks pitiful as it struggles to get free. Don’t give in to a misplaced sense of empathy. If you feel sorry for a butterfly’s pain and cut the cocoon to help him escape,……

Laughing, Loving, and Crying Through 36 Years of Marriage

My husband and I answered 5 questions about marriage for Karee Santos on her blog, Can We Cana? A Community to Support Catholic Marriages. This post was part of a series. Today we welcome Michael and Melanie Jean Juneau to the series How to Stay Married 10 Years & Then Some. Michael and Melanie live on a……

The Gift of Suffering

“God loves us, so He makes us the gift of suffering. Through suffering, we release our hold on the toys of this world, and know our true good lies in another world. We’re like blocks of stone, out of which the sculptor carves the forms of men. The blows of his chisel, which hurt us so……

7QT Friday: The Mystery of the Butterfly

1.  A butterfly is a symbol Just look at a butterfly to understand the mystery of suffering 2. If you feel sorry for a struggling butterfly in empathy, cut the cocoon helping him escape, his wings will be deformed. If  you allow a butterfly to struggle, emerging slowly agonizingly from his prison, his wings will be perfectly formed. 3. My tendency and I think all mother’s tendency……

Shattered and Renewed

I want to live in CHRIST, COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED. I DO NOT WANT TO SIMPLY PLAY CHRISTIAN GAMES.

Pushed to My Limits

First of all Jen, it is not Thanksgiving in Canada; we celebrated 6 weeks ago, so I am free to write. I write short stories for ReadWave. After four of my stories were posted on  a parenting theme page, the editor asked me if I could write about moments when mothering pushed me to my limits,……

Sunday Snippets

Please join me and other Catholic bloggers at RAnn’s–http://rannthisthat.blogspot.ca/2012/11/sunday-snippets-catholic-carnival.html for Sunday Snippets, where we share our posts from the previous week Mystery of  Suffering–https://melaniejeanjuneau.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/456/ Unless You Become Like Little Children–https://melaniejeanjuneau.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/unless-you-become-like-little-children/

The Mystery of Suffering

a butterfly is a symbol Just look at a butterfly to understand the mystery of suffering If you feel sorry for a struggling butterfly in empathy cut the cocoon helping him escape, his wings will be deformed. If you allow a butterfly to struggle, emerging slowly agonizingly from his prison, his wings will be perfectly……