This past weekend my family had the opportunity to watch the movie Believe and it was just what we needed to help us get into the true spirit of the Advent season. My oldest three boys (ages 11, 10, and 7) had a lot to say about the movie and the message that is...
This time of year is when many people start frantically searching for the perfect gift for every person on their list. It can be overwhelming, time-consuming, and draining. Many times we lose the joy and peace that comes with Christmas because we are so worried about...
It doesn’t take long for us parents to realize that our children absorb everything we do and say. I remember the first time I heard my two year old let out a long sigh and say “Oh, my gosh. I can’t even.” Her tone and expression were exactly like mine. Sometimes you...
The synod of the family held a few years ago was a great opportunity for the Church to listen and better understand the situation of many Catholics. Often the Church is accused of being insensitive with these issues. From one point of view, this is understandable. The...
Being parents makes us responsible not only for taking care of our children, but also for the spiritual education we give them from the moment they are conceived. For this reason, I want to share with you 10 simple ways to help our children grow closer to God. “Do we...
With today's post, we would like to offer some tools to help those who would find themselves in a difficult situation, yet desire to draw closer to the Church and renew their relationship with God. Each one of us is called to search and respond to God in our personal...
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. If you haven't already done so, try to make an extra effort to reach out to a friend or family member that has experienced this type of loss in his or her life. A thoughtful card or phone call is all that is...
You might have heard or read quite a bit about the issue of remarried couples and the Eucharist. Still, amongst the hype, there hasn’t always been a lot of clarity about what’s at the heart of it all. Why can’t remarried couples receive communion? Is it some kind of...
In the midst of trials and arguments, it is often too quickly forgotten that marriage is a covenant bond between spouses which is sealed by God. When two people grow apart in a marriage, the easy solution might appear to be to get a divorce. However, the...
As Pope Francis continually reminds us, the first attribute of God is mercy. Mercy is His name, and this mercy is greater than any error that we might commit. In being intimately connected with the love of God, it is transformed into infinite proportions. It has no...
On August 2, neighbors of an elderly couple living heard sobs so loud that they decided to call the police. When they arrived, they found no crime, just two very lonely people: Jole, 89, and Michele, 94. According to to the Facebook post (reported by CNA), they...
Being a single mother is one of the most difficult challenges that a woman can ever face. And I know, I am part of the club. It might be because you made the choice – perhaps the man by your side wouldn't be a good example for your children, or because of divorce,...
More than one-third of American adults do not get enough sleep on a regular basis, according to the CDC. From having difficulty in performing your daily tasks to unintentionally nodding off in class or, worse, while driving, sleep insufficiency is something worth...
The university system today has, in many respects, lost its head. Consequently, the goal of this post is to explain to soon-to-be college students just how to avoid losing their own. Since the dawn of the university in the High Middle Ages there have been students who...
Have you ever heard it said that the Catholic Church oppresses women? Many are quick to pass judgment on what they think is the truth of the Catholic faith. In reality, the Catholic Church esteems women and calls us to live out the beauty of our femininity in a way...
When people think of "good manners" they tend to envision a butler named Jeeves, and a family like those on the popular TV series Downton Abbey (OK, maybe that's my vision). And while good manners in some instances may be little more than affectation, there is another...
Worried about going to a university and forgetting your Catholic roots? Choosing a school can be a nightmare, especially when you have no idea about the college lifestyle. Many Universities claim to be Catholic, yet the types of programs, speakers, and groups they...
I recently went to see Bad Moms and, yes, I should probably make plans to go to Confession at some point this week after watching it. The Catholic News Service rated the movie as an "O - morally offensive" and that rating is definitely accurate. The film is morally...
World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland, was a huge, week-long event with catechesis in multiple languages all over the city. I was blessed to be able to attend the English catechesis at the Mercy Center in the Tauron Stadium. All of the speakers were clear and able to...
Being involved in sports can help us to obtain virtues - self-control, perseverance, integrity and many more. We learn what it means to be a part of a team and how to work together to use our gifts and the gifts of others to obtain the prize. We set goals for...
Photographer Niki Boon currently resides on a 10-acre property in New Zealand. She explains, “My children are unschooled and live without TV or modern electronic devices, a lifestyle that may seem unconventional to some, but I am here to celebrate the magical place I...
July 25th is the anniversary of Humanae Vitae, the papal encyclical which explains the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage, sex, and responsible parenthood. It is estimated that 87% of Catholic women use a method of contraception instead of practicing Natural...
Go big or go home? We all dream of going big. As Christian youth, we dream of someday becoming saints and staying close to God for the rest of our eternity. It sounds great, but do you think about how many times we get sidetracked and fall because of our sins? Let’s...
God has gifted us with many ways to express the emotion that wells within our hearts. Our culture will often tell us to suppress those feelings especially when it comes to crying. The world wants us to believe that to cry is to show weakness and defeat. However,...
It’s summertime in the Northern hemisphere and therefore, for the great majority of people, vacation time. You have probably looked forward to this moment and have great expectations about what you will do, the money you will spend, the places you know, and the...