by Mark Anthony Lord | Jul 14, 2026 | Spiritual Awakening
Walking away from your church can feel like finally reaching the end of a long, difficult hike. The problem is, even after you’ve left the trail, you might realize you’re still carrying a heavy backpack filled with rocks of guilt, shame, and inadequacy. You...
by Mark Anthony Lord | Jul 14, 2026 | Spiritual Awakening
To finally release the weight you’re carrying, you first have to understand what it’s made of. So much of what we call “Catholic guilt” is actually a toxic combination of two very different feelings: guilt, which says “I did something wrong,”...
by Mark Anthony Lord | Jul 14, 2026 | Spiritual Awakening
What if the guilt you feel after confession is actually fear in disguise? If you hold a deep-seated belief in a punishing God, it can be almost impossible to truly feel forgiven. You might go through the motions of confession while your heart braces for a judgment...
by Mark Anthony Lord | Jul 12, 2026 | Spiritual Awakening
It can be a painful paradox to believe in an all-loving God while sitting in a church whose teachings feel exclusionary or judgmental. For many women, this conflict becomes impossible to ignore. When doctrines about social justice, equality, or personal freedom no...
by Mark Anthony Lord | Jul 12, 2026 | Spiritual Awakening
Reaching your 50s often brings a natural moment of reflection. Your roles may be shifting, and for the first time in a long while, you might have the space to ask, “Who am I, really, outside of what I do for others?” For women raised in the Catholic faith, this...
by Mark Anthony Lord | Jul 12, 2026 | Spiritual Awakening
Making the decision to leave Catholicism is a huge step toward spiritual freedom. But what happens when the freedom you expected is overshadowed by the same old fear? You might logically reject the doctrines of hell and damnation, but your nervous system still...
