I have learned from Joachim and Anne that persistent prayer changes us more than it changes our circumstances. After seven years of praying for a child, I’ve discovered that some of my most profound moments with God have come when I’ve run out of words. Like old friends who can sit together without speaking, I’m learning to simply be in God’s presence with my longing. Joachim and Anne must have experienced this too.

I remember seeing her image, a huge six-foot portrait hanging on the wall of the Catholic church where I attended grade school, and feeling

Dear Sisters, while the title of this post may seem grim or intimidating, I promise you there will be just as much light as there is dark ..