This article is brought to you by the Sisters for Life, an epic group of religious sisters originally based out of New York but have been spreading across the country. Here’s a little bit about their charism in their own words, then onto one of their articles, “We vow to protect and enhance the sacredness of every human life. As spiritual mothers living in the heart of the Church, we experience the threats to human dignity and life all the more deeply. We pray. We fast. We serve. Why? Because we want to uphold the dignity and worth of each person, created from and for God’s great love.”
To find out more about them check out the link below:
https://sistersoflife.org/who-we-are/who-we-are/

The following is from Sr. Leonie Therese, SV:

There is a battle being waged for our souls, and it happens between our ears. We have thousands of thoughts that swirl in our heads daily, and it can sometimes feel chaotic and confusing. It's easy to get in the habit of just accepting everything that floats across our minds, but on everything we think is necessarily good for us. Scripture urges us to “take everything, every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10: 5)-but how? It starts by figuring out which voice I'm hearing.

Some of our thoughts are inspired by God, and some are just from us, but some can be suggestions from the evil one. These thoughts from the enemy are deliberately designed to derail us and turn us away from God. If we are unaware that both God and the enemy are proposing ideas to us, we are, in a way, handicapped in our ability to respond. Once we become aware that our thoughts can be influenced by something beyond us, we are already at an advantage. In order to more fully engage the spiritual battle in the realm of thought, we must be able to discern whose voice we are listening to. We can then either ascend to the thought or reject it. In the tradition of Saint Ignatius Loyola, this is called “discernment of spirits.”

How can we tell whether a thought is of God, or is a temptation or distraction of the enemy? In the moment, it can seem difficult to discern the origin of a thought. Most thoughts sound pretty convincing; but as we grow in awareness, we can start to notice patterns that help us to recognize where it is from.

When a thought leads us to shame, discouragement, hopelessness, or sense of being stuck, these are some red flags that the enemy is behind that thought. Other indicators that the enemy is at work are absolutes like “always” and “never” for example: “Things are never going to get better” or “You always make things worse!” Thoughts introduced into our minds from the enemy will often have a flavor of accusation, blame, confusion, or fear. The evil one does not respect our freedom but often speaks with the language of “should”; for example: “You should do this, or else.”

On the flip side, thoughts that are from God have the ability to bring us peace, strength, and clarity, even the midst of difficulties. A thought that is of God's savors of humility, truth, and regard for our dignity and worth. Even when God convicts our conscience, he does it in a way that encourages us to move forward with hope rather than filling us with shame. The voice of the Lord is one of both truth and mercy. Thoughts that are of God have a tone of invitation, not of force. When he proposes a thought, he always respects our free will and ability to choose.

We can choose to engage the good and reject the bad. Just because the thought comes to mind doesn't mean we need to consent dwelling on it. As soon as we become aware that a thought is not of the Lord, we can make a choice to replace it with a thought of goodness and truth. For example, if we catch ourselves getting sucked down a drain of hopelessness, we have the ability to think instead, “God, this is not coming from you. I choose to believe that you are in charge even now, and I can trust you.” We can bring a thought into conversation with the Lord, and ask him, “what do you say about this?” Turning to God and speaking truth in response to a lie can dispel the evil ones attempted deception.

God does not leave us to fight the battle alone. Jesus tells us in Scripture that the Shepherd “calls his own sheep by name and leads them out... He goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of the strangers” (John 10: 4-5).

Although the idea of a spiritual battle raging in our thoughts may seem daunting, the good news is that we are never alone. It's not just on us to “figure out” and sort through all the thoughts that swirl around in our heads. The Holy Spirit wants to teach us how to recognize his promptings and voice, and he can do this in many ways- through Scripture, through time in prayer, in our conversations with a Spiritual Director or a good friend. We can always ask the Holy Spirit for light and guidance. The Lord allows us to engage in this battle, and in the very wrestling He teaches us to recognize the sound of His voice. He wants us to know His voice so that we can follow Him.

Many of the decisions we make on a daily basis, like choosing what to eat for lunch, may seem quick and simple, but there's a lot going on behind the scenes. As human beings endowed with an Intellect and Will we have authority over the realm of thought. The Intellect is the power to know truth and perceive the good. The Will is an appetite for what the Intellect apprehends as good, and the power to choose it. Because of these two powers of the soul, we actually have the ability to choose what we think about. What we spend our time pondering, in a sense, shapes us. Our thoughts form patterns and affect our actions, and every decision we make forms and shapes us. The more often we choose to think a certain way, the easier it will become to “default” to a particular thought process, for good or for ill. We have the freedom to choose the good! Our intellect and will interact in a series of steps. With our intellect, we are able to recognize what seems good and weigh the factors involved. With our Will, we are able to make the choice to move towards something we have deemed good and desirable. The stance between the Intellect and Will bears fruit and the human act.

Storytime

Infants and toddlers, join our FREE Storytime in Saint Andrew School! This is a fun and creative space to share stories, build imagination, and discover the joy of reading. Upcoming dates are May 5th and May 19th at 8:30 am at the school. Hope to see you there!

Summer Camp 2026

We are thrilled to offer summer options for our families.

• We will hold our traditional summer camps for registered Saint Andrew students during the first two weeks of the summer break. Registration is open! 

• Saint Andrew Summer Adventure Camp will be offered for the majority of the remaining summer weeks. Adventure Camp Registration for SA students, their friends, and neighbors in the community is open. 

Discover the Difference with Saint Andrew School! 

Are you seeking a nurturing and enriching educational environment for your child? Look no further than Saint Andrew School, where Catholic Education comes to life through faith, excellence, and community. Our dedicated faculty inspires students to achieve their full potential academically, spiritually, and socially. At Saint Andrew, we blend rigorous academics with character-building values, fostering a sense of purpose and belonging. Experience our vibrant campus, where every student is known, loved, and challenged to grow. Choose Saint Andrew School today and invest in a brighter future for your child. Enroll now and join our family! Sign up for a tour here: schedule a tour New student applications for the 25-26 school year can be found here: New Student Application