Sister Ruth. What a woman. May she rest in the eternal glory of our heavenly Father. Sister Ruth led me into the Catholic Church when I was five years old, alongside my mom who worked as her assistant in St. Ann’s religious education office for years. Aside from...
I am a Catholic children’s writer whose second vocation is to intercede for priests. Of all those I have ever prayed for, this priest was very different... The weight of his suffering pressed on my heart. Aware of his slow suffocation due to throat cancer, my prayer...
Actors: Mom, eight-year-old Buck, five-year-old Will Scene: Kitchen; kitchen corners Time: Midmorning Prologue The main frustration for many parents is not what discipline consequences to levy when. It is how to enforce those consequences when a...
Are you bringing your child to Mass for the first time this Christmas? It is difficult to know what to expect, especially if you haven’t been to church in a while. If you have young children, you may wonder if your child will be able to sit and be quiet for the...
Is it okay to miss Mass if you’re traveling?It’s a question that touches both conscience and convenience, and one that almost every Catholic has faced at some point. Whether you’re exploring a remote national park, attending a family reunion, or just trying to catch a...
Their sounds, their wiggles, and their questions are signs of life in every parish family.Do not worry if they get fussy or distracted. You are doing holy work by bringing them close to Jesus. During the “Ecce Agnus Dei,” the priest lifts the Host and says, “Behold...
No matter how talented, disciplined, or motivated an athlete is, failure is part of the game. Striking out at the plate, fumbling the football, missing the winning shot, or making a costly error on defense—it happens to every athlete at every level. But for young...
Imagine it’s Christmas Day. Your family is gathered around the dinner table—laughter, stories, the clatter of silverware on plates. But your sister isn’t joining in. She has just returned home from college out of state. You notice how quiet she is, detached from the...
Every parent knows the well rehearsed reasons why it’s important to give a routine for small children as they go to bed. Rest of course is very important for health. Most parents know firsthand what it’s like to deal with a young one the next day when they don’t get...
These family-friendly pilgrimage destinations offer faith, beauty, and hands-on experiences for young hearts. Living less than an hour away from the only approved Marian Apparition Site in the United States–the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion–I grew up...
There are many things that I wish I knew when I was younger. One of those is that a man’s primary core need is to be respected. Women desire to be respected too, but men equate love with respect. To them, to be respected is to be loved. I have learned that I’m a...
A Heroic Stories Conversation with Sean Berg, Special Forces Sean Berg, a retired Army Special Forces Colonel with ten combat deployments, doesn’t just talk about battlefield heroics—though he has plenty. He walks us through a firefight where a teammate nearly dies, a...
“It didn’t come with a manual.”I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard a guy say that about marriage and fatherhood.But it is true…and it is a hard truth. The two most difficult “jobs” for a man—being a husband and a father—commence with little to no...
“It didn’t come with a manual.”I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard a guy say that about marriage and fatherhood.But it is true…and it is a hard truth. The two most difficult “jobs” for a man—being a husband and a father—commence with little to no...
It’s easy to picture (and perhaps you’ve seen it), your teenager sighs, rolls their eyes, and says, “Do we have to go to Mass this weekend? Church is just so boring…” And there you are, in the middle of one of the most common conundrums for Catholic parents today....
As a dad of seven and a lifelong devotee of Our Lady, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Rosary. But something changed when I became a father. The Rosary stopped being just my prayer—it became our prayer. I began to see it not only as a lifeline for my own spiritual...
From the time I started my adventure in homeschooling 15 years ago, I have wanted to collect some of the most inspiring words spoken by American leaders since our founding—eloquent and soaring words, rooted in the wisdom of the ages. The...
As a Catholic Family Trust Attorney in California, I see firsthand how families navigate life’s major transitions. For aging parents, their later years can be filled with joy, reflection, and deep faith, but they can also bring changes, challenges, and a longing for...
In nearly 15 years of clinical psychology, it’s hard to imagine just how many people have expressed a deep longing to tangibly feel loved by God – to be able to truly rest in His presence. One of the main obstacles to experiencing the kind of peace that emerges...
You are having coffee in the morning with a friend, and she asks a question about how to be happy in the everyday events of one’s life. The conversation evolves to looking at the life of a very inspiring woman. Venerable Catherine McAuley founded the Religious Sisters...
Watching my son arrange dinosaurs during Mass—his way of staying regulated—reminds me how far our Catholic family has come on our autism journey. What once felt impossible has become a chance to witness the Church embracing all her members, including those on the...
The Church is sometimes referred to as the family of God. Like any family, there’s quite a motley array of people within it. It’s important to know your community, so I’ve put together a handy guide of some types of men you can find at Mass in your very own church....
Do you ever wonder why your children behave differently than you did as a child? Is one of your children well-behaved while another seems extremely difficult? A study of temperaments can help us parent more effectively, especially if we look to the examples of the...
I was sitting on the soft, green grass at my parents' lake home in rural Minnesota admiring all of creation. The weather was lovely on that bright summer afternoon when my husband of fifteen years walked over to me with the mischievous grin he often wore when he...
Are you looking for ways to awaken your ten-year-old’s faith? Or are you trying to help your 16-year-old granddaughter discern God’s will? Below you’ll find a letter addressed to young people that explores the life of St. Dominic Savio, who died when he was 15, and...
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Tip: These make amazing Catholic Christmas Gifts too!