A Cherished Review
The other evening Sister Brendon sent me a review of my book Cherished by Jesus that she had discovered in the publication Homiletic & Pastoral Review. I was grateful to her because I hadn’t seen it myself. It is the most thorough and most glowing review any of my books has ever elicited. I can’t resist sharing it with you. . . .
Book Reviews – November 2026
Glavich, Mary Kathleen, SND. Cherished by Jesus: A Daily Devotional for Women. Chicago: Loyola Press, 2024. 397 pages.
Reviewed by Katrina J.E. Milton.
In the one-page introduction of the book, Sr. Glavich explains that her one-a-day reflection book is a way for women to know that they are cherished by Jesus.
Each day’s reflection begins with a quote from the New Testament, which Sr. Glavich describes as a love note from Jesus, direct quotes spoken by Him in the Gospel. Through those quotes from Scripture, Jesus “teaches you, comforts you, strengthens you, and above all, assures you of His love” (page v). Sr. Glavich ends each day’s reflection with a short response, or prayer, to Jesus, which summarizes the main topic or theme of the day.
Knowing that I would be writing a review of the book, and wanting to fully participate in the reflection process, I purchased a 365-day journal. Each day, I would write the Biblical passage on the top of my journal’s page, take notes as I read, and create goals for myself from the reflection. Some of my goals included “remember that God always loves you,” “be a blessing unto others,” and “have faith in God’s will.” Taking notes and writing your own reflection is not needed to enjoy the book; you can just read and think after each day’s devotion. However, I found that the process of setting aside 10 minutes in the evening to read, think of God, make goals, and plan for the future was a beneficial, calming, and relaxing end to my day. Reading each day’s reflection took only a minute or two, but I enjoyed savoring my own thoughts and reflections as much as I did reading Sr. Glavich’s words.
I found that the book’s reflections had two main themes: make yourself a more pious follower of Jesus and help others. Examples of helping others include sharing meals, sharing your faith, and donating clothes and money to the needy, even if it is the two copper coins of the widow’s offering (Mark 12:41–44 and Luke 21:1–4). Many of the daily reflections focus on the desire of love: to be wanted, to be loved and cherished, and to have happiness and joy. Sr. Glavich reiterates throughout the book that true love and true happiness can only be found in God and will one day be ours in Heaven.
Throughout the book, Sr. Glavich quotes the saints and tells stories about their lives, focusing on the good they have done on earth during their lifetimes. A few saints that are mentioned and quoted include St. Augustine, St. Ignatius, St. Carlo Acutis, St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. Athanasius, St. Katharine Drexel, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. My favorite story was the one shared on Dec. 31 of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. Although she was only five feet tall and coped with frail health all her life, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was able to found 67 institutions for the sick and poor in the U.S. Even though she was afraid of water, she crossed the ocean 27 times to do God’s work.
Sr. Glavich’s advice is intrinsically Catholic: teaching about the Trinity, exemplifying Mary, and urging readings to attend Mass, receive the Eucharist, go to confession, pray the rosary, and read the Bible. A non-Catholic reading the book may be a bit confused by the Catholic vocabulary used, such as references to Mass, saints, and Church history. Although a non-Catholic can read and appreciate the book’s advice and daily reflections, it would be understood and appreciated more fully by a Catholic reader.
According to the title, the book’s audience is women. Of course, men could read the book, but the book is written with women in mind and has advice about how to be a better, holier Catholic woman. Sr. Glavich gives advice on how to be more Mary-like and full of grace, how to be a good hostess, and how to be a good friend. Shoes and lipstick are mentioned, but the book is feminine in more ways than just those generalizations. It offers woman-centric advice, such as do your hair and nails, not out of vanity, but because your body is created in God’s image and is His temple. Martha is often mentioned as a role model, because she opens her home to Jesus, prepares her home for visitors, and treats Jesus as a special guest.
Some of my favorite reflections feature adages that showcase Sr. Glavich’s wisdom: serve God by serving others, do not judge others because you never know what burdens they are carrying, remember to write thank you notes, create a gratitude list to return to in difficult times, reward yourself with a donut, and buy yourself flowers.
I enjoyed learning more about Sr. Glavich’s life, her family, her travels, and even her first memory: attending Mass with her grandmother and crying because of the incense. She often tells humorous stories, such as responding to an ad for “free” compression socks and unknowingly joining a health club membership for $25 a month, deer eating her potted geraniums, fear of the apocalypse after watching scary movies as a child, and being called a worrywart by her first-grade teacher. Stories of her own life were a fun, relatable, and personal addition, intermixed with the lives of saints, popes, and Jesus.
I also enjoyed Sr. Glavich’s inclusion of popular culture and other famous works, such as C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Dante’s Divine Comedy, Star Wars, West Side Story, Shel Silverstein’s book The Giving Tree, and ancient Greek mythology and stories, including the Trojan War.
Sr. Glavich is a trustworthy and patient guide for the year of reflections, offering kind advice that is never too critical, judgmental, or harsh. She offers the kind of advice a friendly aunt would, full of positivity, friendliness, and support. Sometimes she admonishes you for your bad habits, but her comments and advice are altruistic and caring. Through reading the reflections, you get a clear sense of Sr. Glavich’s personality and joy. She wrote each reflection out of love: a love of God, a love of Jesus, and a love for her readers: “If you are a mother, teacher, nurse, or beautician, you are pleased when your advice is taken. You know you have made someone happier and maybe kept them from harm.” (Jan. 24).
My only complaint of the book is that I wish certain days had more of a theme to them, such as Christmas on Dec. 25, All Soul’s Day on Nov. 2, and saints’ feast days. However, I did notice that some spring dates mentioned Easter and summer dates mentioned the sun/light and picnics. I also hope that a version for men is created, if not written by Sr. Glavich, then by a male clergyman using her outline and framework for daily reflections.
This book would make a fantastic gift for a young woman graduating high school or college, but it would be beneficial for women of any age or background: those that are single, mothers, sisters, grandmothers, or in a religious order. Any woman could benefit from Sr. Glavich’s reflections and by making their own reflections each day. They could keep a daily journal as I did, or keep the book by their bedside for a quick read before sleep.
Ultimately, Sr. Glavich’s message throughout the book is a message of positivity and faith. Her words each day are uplifting, sharing with readers that through trust in God, good deeds, and living out your faith, you have the possibility of eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, and a union with God and Jesus in Heaven after death. Her message is that of God’s love: “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).
Katrina J.E. Milton is a graduate of The Catholic University of America. She lives in her native state of Illinois, where she oversees an educational program for a nonprofit organization. She previously worked as a journalist for 10 years, winning numerous awards for her writing and photography.
Katrina purchased a journal for writing her reflections, but in the back of my book are lined pages for readers to make notes:
When do you especially feel cherished by God?
What Scripture verses about God’s love do you cherish?
A song about God’s love:
Words From On High
The Saints, our ancestors in the faith, are our friends in high places. As our brother and sisters in Christ, they look forward to living with us forever and left us sound advice for joining them in their letters, sermons, and prayers. My new book, Destination Heaven: Daily Advice from the Saints, offers 365 saintly quotations. They are consoling, enlightening, striking, and even humorous.
Some of My Favorites
• “The soul of one who serves God always swims in joy, always keeps holiday, and is always in the mood for singing.” St. John of the Cross
• “If God causes you to suffer much it is a sign that he has great designs for you, and that he certainly intends to make you a saint.” St. Ignatius
• “Feeding the hungry is a greater work than raising the dead.” St. John Chrysostom
• “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” St. Teresa of Calcutta
• “If we are to give an account for an idle word, let take care that we do not have to give it also for an idle silence.” St. Ambrose
• “Nothing seems tiresome or painful when you are working for a master who pays well.” St. Dominic Savio
• “You will find something more in woods than in books.” St. Bernard
• “If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze.” St. Catherine of Siena
• “The purpose of clothing is to keep warm in winter and to cover your nakedness, not to serve your vanity.” St. Cyril of Jerusalem
Loyola Press Choices
Loyola Press, my publisher, pulled these words out for their website:
New Version of an Old Song
This is an unusual and stirring rendition of the familiar “When the Saints Go Marching In.” It’s the first time I heard all the verses.
What biography of a Saint have you read and recommend?
Which Saint do you most admire?
Is there a movie about a Saint that impressed you?
Saints Above!
Each year on November 1 we celebrate the Saints, canonized or not—those people who lived well and now live in heaven. They are our ancestors who show us the way, our friends in high places who pray for us. Luckily, just in time, my latest book was published: Destination Heaven: Daily Advice from the Saints. (Loyola Press) For each day of the year it offers a piece of wisdom from a saint, a reflection on those words, and a brief prayer. In some cases the saint is the one whose feast is that day.
Here are two samples from the book. The first sample fittingly is the page for November 1:
November 1 Bernard of Clairvaux
“Clearly if we venerate their memory, it serves us, not them. . . . Calling the saints to mind inspires . . . a longing to enjoy their company.”
Packing up books I was selling after Masses, I couldn’t find my keys. I searched each suitcase thoroughly with no luck. The priest, eager to leave, appealed to Saint Anthony with me. The keys dropped out of a suitcase. We hadn’t touched it!
The Church assigns saints tasks. Saints Jude and Rita oversee impossible cases, Saint Peregrine is patron of people with cancer, and Saint Gerard Majella is the go-to one for expectant women.
Knowing about the saints stirs you to imitate them. The Blessed Mother motivates you to say yes to God. Saint Vincent de Paul inspires you to care for the unfortunate. Saint Monica prompts you to persevere in praying for a wayward child.
The saints, your older siblings with a direct line to God, are happy to plead for you. If you bear a saint’s name, they are your patron saint. If not, adopt one. Celebrate their feast day, pray to them, display their image, wear their medal, and speak about them. An excellent way to honor a saint is to follow in their footsteps. Then someday you’ll have the joy of meeting your heavenly family.
Jesus, thank you for graces that made saints. I ask for grace to become holy myself.
Here is an entry that I find particularly meaningful . . .
April 19 Francis de Sales
“There is nothing small in the service of God.”
Long ago for many years a Sister in Rome cut butter for the tables. To us, this ministry pales in significance compared to being a missionary in India or a university professor. But in God’s eyes, Sister’s work was as important and precious as any other because she did it for love of him.
It’s not what you do, but why and how you do it that count. In the morning you can offer everything you do in the new day as a gift to God, in a sense, gilding it. Emptying the dishwasher, shopping for groceries, greeting someone—become acts of adoration and love. Carrying them out with enthusiasm and joy increases their value.
The Blessed Virgin Mary was a housewife who cooked, did laundry, cleaned house, and sewed clothes. She is not famous for running a business, painting masterpieces, or exploring new lands. Yet, because everything she did was for Jesus, it was priceless.
Jesus pays attention to little things: a few loaves and fish, a widow’s two coins, a little man in a tree. He is aware of you picking up litter, letting someone go ahead in line, or biting back a hurtful retort. Living your daily life the best you can pleases him. Saint Margaret Mary said, “Great graces are often attached to what seems trifling.”
Lord Jesus, may my every thought, word, and deed, no matter how trivial, praise you.
Who is your patron saint?
Who is your favorite saint? What do you admire about him or her?
My new book can be purchased from Loyola Press or Amazon. Click here for the Amazon page
This song is new to me. It is not about the saints, but words that the saints (and us) might sing:
From Belief to Discipleship
Because I’m still catching up with matters after my three weeks in Africa, I’m grateful that Jordan Trotman has provided a guest post for this week. He offers some solid facts for Christians.
Believing in Jesus is where faith begins, but it isn’t where it ends.
Many people know who Jesus Christ is, and they believe he died for their sins. They go to Mass and genuinely want to grow spiritually. Those are all important parts of the Christian life. But Jesus calls us to more than belief alone. He invites us to follow Him, and that’s the heart of discipleship.
Following Jesus isn’t about having all the answers or waiting until we feel spiritually mature. It’s choosing to trust and obey him each day, letting his words shape how we live and love others.
Discipleship Is More Than Learning
It’s easy to think discipleship is only about gaining more biblical knowledge. While learning God’s Word matters, Jesus wasn’t looking for people who knew more. He wanted followers whose lives reflected what they learned.
Discipleship takes what we learn and puts it into practice. It shows up in everyday decisions, like extending forgiveness when it’s hard, choosing humility instead of pride, serving someone without expecting recognition, or trusting God when life feels uncertain.
These ordinary moments are where faith becomes real. They remind us that following Jesus isn’t limited to Sunday mornings. It’s something we carry into every conversation, every relationship, and every part of daily life.
Walking With Jesus Changes How We Live
Jesus never asked His disciples to change themselves before following Him. He invited them to come with him.
As we spend time with Him through Scripture, prayer, and obedience, he begins changing our hearts. Our priorities shift. Our responses change. We begin to see people differently because we’re learning to see them the way Jesus does.
Growth doesn’t happen because we try harder. It comes from staying close to Jesus and relying on his work in our lives. Some days that growth feels obvious. Other days it happens in quiet ways that only God can see. Every step of obedience, no matter how small, helps us become more like Christ.
We Weren’t Meant to Follow Jesus Alone
Jesus built relationships wherever He went, and his disciples learned together. The same is true today.
God often uses other people to encourage us, challenge us, and remind us of his truth. Honest conversations, shared prayer, and walking through life’s highs and lows together help us keep moving forward in our faith.
Discipleship isn’t about pretending we’ve arrived. It’s growing together as we all learn to follow Jesus.
Every Disciple Is Called to Make Disciples
Jesus’s invitation doesn’t stop with our own spiritual growth. As we follow him, he invites us to help others do the same.
That doesn’t mean becoming a Bible expert or leading a formal study. Often, disciple-making looks much simpler. It might be grabbing coffee with a friend, reading Scripture together, praying together, asking honest questions, or talking about what God has been teaching you lately.
You don’t have to know everything to help someone else follow Jesus. You only have to be willing to invest in them. As God continues shaping your own life, he can use your experiences, your encouragement, and even your questions to help someone else take their next step.
If you’ve been wondering where to start, exploring the answers to how do you make disciples is a great place to begin.
Jesus is still inviting ordinary people to follow Him, and that invitation is just as real today as it was for his first disciples. You don’t have to wait until you feel more prepared or more qualified to take your next step. Start where you are, stay close to Jesus, and invite someone else to follow him with you. That’s how the gospel continues to spread from one life to another and how disciples become disciple-makers.
AUTHOR BIO: Jordan Trotman is the Operations Assistant at Ordinary Movement, an organization focused on equipping leaders and churches to develop disciple-making communities. With a background in operations, communications, and ministry support, Trotman helps ensure effective execution across the organization’s initiatives. He is passionate about building systems that support the mission and empower leaders to create lasting impact.
Here is a familiar song with striking images to enhance this post:
For Reflection
Who has helped you to follow Jesus?
For whom have you been a disciple?
Who could you help be a disciple?
Cartoons for a Fall Day
Cartoons are overflowing in my computer. Some of them I post on Facebook, but a slew of them I won’t use. So I decided to share a few with you here. It could be that you need a good chuckle right about now. Enjoy!
What is a good joke you know?
Here is the song “I Love to Laugh” from the movie Mary Poppins.
