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...
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...
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...
Be a great husband because your wife needs you. A man often lists his priorities as: God, family, then work. How much time do they dedicate to each of those items? So often work and sleep get the most time and our families, and in particular our wives, get the time...
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...
IVF violates the dignity and the rights of a child to be conceived within the loving context of the marital embrace and commodifies a child into a thing to be bought and sold. To artificially conceive a child in a laboratory introduces disunity of the marital act from...
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...
Jubilee is an ancient tradition with roots in the Old Testament beginning with Moses and the Exodus. Dr. John Bergsma and Fr. George Elliot compare the ancient themes and practices to how we can live the Jubilee year well in the Catholic Church today. Pilgrimage is a...
Sin can be a challenging concept to teach to children, especially in today’s world where sin is not only tolerated but often celebrated. But as Christians, we know that sin is real and it damages our relationship with God. We are in a spiritual battle…good versus...
Passing on your family’s traditions and rituals is of immense importance. From the way birthdays and name days are celebrated to the particular foods that are served at great feasts, traditions include all “the ways things are done in our house.” These small things...
For some reason, family prayer can be difficult. Carving out time in a day and gathering everyone into the same room seems particularly hard. It was hard when my wife Ashley and I had only three kids. It seems perfectly impossible now with sixteen. But even in the...
Years ago, I said something to my 11-year-old son which he found to be unsympathetic. His response? “I don’t think that is what a real parent would say to her child.” I have no idea how he came up with his frequent one-liners, but perhaps all 11-year-olds have this...
Growing up, I always thought I had a solid family unit. My parents were youth leaders in our small Methodist church and my Dad was a fireman/paramedic in our small town. We were just a normal and faithful family. This is why I was shocked when, as a 19-year-old young...
When you hear the word retreat you probably think: solitude, monastery, deep prayer, and peace. These are all images of a retreat that you may have attended or have envisioned yourself participating in some day. It hardly lines up with the word,...
Recently, the lyrics to the song “One Spirit, One Church” by Kevin Keil and Maryanne Quinlivan, OSU, began running through my mind: We are a pilgrim people, we are the Church of God. A family of believers, disciples of the Lord. United in one spirit, ignited by the...
The longing for genuine connection and community has never been more pronounced. Building and nurturing community is an essential endeavor in response to Christ’s call to discipleship. The quality of a community is reflected in the quality of...
In this episode of the Catholic Link podcast, Fr. Rob and Fr. George Elliot discuss how the Christmas season can be a lonely time for a lot of people. Firstly, priests may experience a particular loneliness when they celebrate multiple liturgies in a short time, and...
If there is one thing every Catholic knows, it’s that Christmas Mass is one of most chaotic Masses of the year. Often the parking lot is overflowing and the pews are jam-packed with people. Not to mention the sheer madness that can ensue when trying to get everyone...
If you're shopping for Catholic kids this Christmas, this is the list for you! The children in your life will love these gifts and also grow in their faith because of them. Catholic Children's Gifts Mass Kit, Saint Dolls, Reusable Sticker Books, & Much More! |...
As a sociologist who has taught college classes on the family, and as one who has written extensively on the subject, it is my considered judgment that strong families are not built on luck or happenstance: it takes work. Moreover, the right prescriptions must be...
You’re sitting down for your family Thanksgiving meal. All of your brothers and sisters and some aunts and uncles and cousins have gathered together at mom and dad’s house for this annual feast. You’ve been looking forward to this for weeks. But,...
Sister Josephine Garret of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth a Catholic Counselor answers does my child need counseling and so much more! She shares her tips for raising healthy kids in a wounded world and how parents can find hope without falling into deep...
Kendra Tierney makes liturgical living easy in real life. In her newest book The Catholic All Year Prayer Companion: The Liturgical Year in Practice, she complies Catholic liturgical prayers for you to have a liturgical life and help create a Catholic family culture!...