Faith Hakesley
 

+JMJ+ Suffering is not something we seek. Even when we love God deeply, and even when we want to trust Him completely, suffering can still takes us by surprise. Whether suffering has come to us, someone we care about, or even a stranger, it interrupts our plans, takes away our sense of safety, and causes us to ask questions. I have lived long enough to know this firsthand. A priest once tried to destroy me. For a time, he nearly succeeded. That is not something I write lightl

+JMJ+ In the days since Charlie Kirk’s tragic passing, something deeply disturbing has unfolded, not just the loss itself, but the viciousness directed toward his wife, Erika. The very people who claim to love Charlie, claim to honor his legacy, claim to be devoted to Christ, are spending an astonishing amount of time doing the opposite. If people care so much about Charlie and his family, they’re doing a remarkable job of proving otherwise. Some people are behaving horribly.

The past week has felt unbearably heavy.

I’ve seen too many Catholics walk away from the Church over hard truths.

Meeting (or even just hearing about) a priest who is also a survivor of clerical abuse stops me in my tracks.

+JMJ+ Years ago, when my brother suddenly died at 22, before we even had the autopsy results, a local paper ran a story implying...

A reflection on living with chronic illness. +JMJ+ Last week, I underwent my third ICD generator change. If you live with a chronic...

+JMJ+ It hardly seems possible, but the holidays are once again upon us and, as so often happens, they bring with them a flood of varying...

+JMJ+ Last weekend, time seemed to stop when I received the unexpected news that my 23-year-old cousin had passed away in his sleep after...

Originally posted to Faith Restored on July 2, 2019 Last week I experienced one of the most terrifying experiences of my life when I...