It's been a dream for me to live near a church so that I could walk to Mass, visit anytime, and feel nourished just seeing the church closeby. God knows my heart and what's best for me. So this is what he gave us. My name's Anna Maria, and I publish a new video on YouTube's Touched by Grace Today and a new post on my blog touchedbygrace.today every week! Friday! Check out Catholicmom.com for my other articles! If you've been #tbgtoday, feel free to share your story of grace h

One does not really know for sure what kindness does to its recipient. For sure, there is profession of appreciation and gratitude. From the giver's point of view, the joy of giving is enough reward. Once in a rare while, there's more than just that. My name's Anna Maria, and I publish a new video on YouTube's Touched by Grace Today and a new post on my blog touchedbygrace.today every week. Check out Catholicmom.com for my other articles! If you've been #tbgtoday, feel free

It was around 10AM yesterday when a dear friend texted me that her doctor prescribed hospice care. She's had cancer for the a very long time, and she felt that her recent chemotherapy was only decimating her body slowly without any indication that it has done any good. Three years ago, the same doctor gave her a year to live. She's profusely thankful that God has given her an extension. She also thanked him for her many wonderful blessings (despite having so many other challe

When is luck good, and when is it bad? It is easy to make a conclusion in the short run, but when we consider the whole picture, it may not be what we think. Here's an anecdote that's suppose to be Taoist or Zen, but could very well be Christian. Hope you enjoy! My name's Anna Maria, and I publish a new video on YouTube's Touched by Grace Today and a new post on my blog touchedbygrace.today every week! Check out Catholicmom.com for my other articles! If you've been #tbgtoday

My heart was yearning to share stories of God's graces on Youtube, but I could not even make my own Facebook account. I have several stories of mysterious events, coincidences, and luck, all of which I attribute to our Lord. When I shared my stories with family and friends, they were filled with awe and joy. I prayed I could share this spiritual nourishment with many out there to inspire and enkindle their hearts. Then comes this young blessed man who helped me on my journey

I finished a video of the History of the Rosary on the eve of its feastday. The making of this video started with a blessing. I did not have the inspiration nor direction for the next video. Before going to bed, I prayed for those two. I slept at 1 AM and woke up at 4 AM wondering why I could not sleep. After prayers, the idea of making a video for the rosary came to mind. I immediately started working on it the whole day without any sleepiness nor fatigue, which in itself wa

As a child, Padre Pio has been seeing and talking to his Guardian Angel. He thought that everyone did the same. As an adult, he continued to stay close to his angel whom he called Angelito, celestial being, or invisible companion. He admonishes us to stay close to our Guardian Angel as well, because they were sent to help us while on our earthly journey. He said that his spiritual children sent their petitions to him through their angels. Here's a story on this thought. My n

For several years, I have been writing short notes of God's graces in my life on my phone's notepad. On June 2104, I started expounding on my notes. I thought I'd share the stories with family, friends, and acquaintances so as to inspire everyone I know to God. In October, I submitted a story to Guideposts Magazine in the hopes of sharing the story with people I didn't even know. They published my story online in 2015. Later that year, a publisher unexpectedly offered me a co

St. Therese is one of the few saints who said that they can do more after they pass away. (The two others that I know are St. Dominic and Padre Pio.) St. Therese specifically said that she "will send a shower of roses" after her death. Her life of simplicity and humility echoes far and wide; her words inspired followers in St. Teresa of Calcutta, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Francis. Here's a tribute from a devotee who has been blessed with her roses for the last four decades.

People learned more about Padre Pio after he was chosen by our Lord to bear the stigmata. Our Lord blessed his holiness with other special graces of being able to read minds, see souls, be at two places at the same time (bilocation), levitation, healing the sick, and even raising those who have passed into the other life. During his life, he shared so much wisdom - words that can guide our paths, enlighten our minds, and give us hope while on our journey to eternal life. I h

A few years ago, a friend shared her story on how she was blessed by Padre Pio. Here's a tribute to a prolific miracle worker on his feast day on September 23. My name's Anna Maria, and I publish a new video on YouTube's Touched by Grace Today and a new post on my blog touchedbygrace.today every week! Check out Catholicmom.com for my other articles! If you've been #tbgtoday, feel free to share your story of grace here. #tbgthejourney #book #journey #stories #tbg #touchedbygra

I like looking at car plates. Especially during slow Los Angeles traffic. Do you? It’s nice to read what people put on their license plates. If I were to change my license plate, I would choose one of these: TNX2GOD, HVNSGUD, BTHNKFL, GDBLESU, HAVEF8, PRYALWY. (Sorry if these are existing license plates. I just came up with them!) If you had the opportunity to change your license plate, what would it be? How about something that’ll uplift other people’s spirits as they dri

I heard it said that people who are good die young. Much like the saints I know. There's like St. Therese of the Child Jesus, St. Maria Goretti, and St. Francis of Assisi. And then I am reminded of Mother Teresa. She's probably one of the exceptions to that saying; she died at 87 years old. And from those many years we are blessed with her words of wisdom. I started a video series of saint's Inspiring Quotes, and she's the first of the series. I hope and pray that her thou

Not all mothers are created equal. The story of St. Monica is one of persevering in faith and prayers. Not only for her husband and her mother-in-law, but also for all her children, especially her oldest child Augustine who chose to lead a life away from the Catholic faith in his earlier years. In life, it is good to have models we can look up to. It is one way we can prevent the cost of experiencing errors because there's no one to follow. With the Blessed Virgin Mary and S

13 [a]No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. - John 15:13 This is the gist of St. Maximillian Mary Kolbe's life. Raymond Kolbe's deep love for the Blessed Mother probably began after she appeared to him. His journey to sainthood was filled with many trials. He had tuberculosis which hindered him from doing things he wanted. Then he was sent to Auschwitz for speaking the truth about the Nazi regime. His final days were filled with extrem

We have a St. Dominic Church close to our home. I've gone to the adjacent Catholic school a couple of times for our sons' football games. Other than that, I have no other information about St. Dominic the saint. Making a video about St. Dominic for his feast day this August 8 was such a blessing. I learned so much about this saint that made me ask myself why I had not looked him up before. There is so much to learn from him - charity, sacrifice, and above all, humility, to na

Do you recall the story of Martha complaining to Jesus that Mary is not helping her with household chores? Well, that' sounds exactly like me. Maybe not complaining to Jesus that my hubby is not helping me. Because he does. More likely complaining of all the "must-do" work at home. So, I could really relate to St. Martha. And that's probably why even as a teenager, she made herself known to me, knowing that two decades down the road (and counting), I'll be needing her help.

I have never heard of this saint. Until a flight to Los Angeles when a passenger asked me about him. Since then, I have done some research and have been touched by St. Charbel's humility, extreme asceticism, and the giving of himself to Jesus in all aspects of his life. The passenger also told me that St. Charbel is one of the most prolific saints of modern times. This propelled me to look into the miracles that led to his canonization. Hope you enjoy the video. My name's A