Day of Prayer, Day of Gratitude Today the Church marks a solemn day of prayer. As this day unfolds, I feel both grief and gratitude. I grieve for children lost. Yet I also give thanks for the lives entrusted to our family. God meets me in both places. He holds my...
How do we sanctify the everyday? Last evening at Mass, I saw a young man who was very engaged in his faith. Before Mass began, he was reading the Scriptures on his cell phone, which he then set down beside him. On the back of his phone was a large sticker that read:...
Three to Get Married...What does that mean? Dear Friends in Christ, As we contemplate the beauty and vocation of marriage, let us take a moment to reflect on how spousal love mirrors Christ’s love for His Church. The Church has never ceased to proclaim that marriage...
Lent: A season to slow down, reconnect, and rediscover each other and God Walking Through Lent With Intentional Hearts We’re now two weeks into Lent—far enough along that our initial burst of motivation may be fading, yet still early enough to refocus with purpose....
“Learn what family life is, its communion of love, its austere and simple beauty, and its sacred and inviolable character.” ~ Pope Paul VI. In 1921, Pope Benedict XV instituted the Sunday after Christmas as the feast of the Holy Family. We celebrate Christ’s Nativity...
“Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute?” ~ Acts of the Apostles 7:53. Being persecuted has always been part of the Christian journey. On December 26 we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen. Stephen is not only the first recorded martyr, but was also a...
“No one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord” ~ Pope Paul VI. Christmas is a season of joy! We have a sign in our house this time of year that says, "JOY." It’s kept in the kitchen where our kids see it whenever they wash their hands. My son loves looking at...
The feast of St. Lucy is celebrated today, December 13th. In 2006 we discovered that we were pregnant with our first child. We began praying about what name we’d like to give this beautiful gift that God had given to us. We had chosen a girl’s name and a boy’s name...
“The stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.” December 6th is the feast of St. Nicholas. We all know him as Santa Claus, but do we know him as the Bishop of Myra? Nicholas is far from a fictitious character from...
Advent: the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. December is here and that means it’s Christmas season, but first...Advent! Advent can be celebrated with warm cookies, bright trees, beautiful stockings…However, for many Catholics, the Advent wreath on the...