Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek, And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can […]
Our then 4-year-old daughter decided that she’d had enough. We’d heard the complaints about a small group of boys in her preschool class and their trucks for a while. I can’t remember now exactly what it was the boys were doing with those trucks, except that they were breaking preschool truck rules in a way […]
The radical liberals are coming for your children. It’s time to wake up, people. These extremists have become emboldened by the decaying morals and rising apathy in America and they are now hard at work re-programming your children through our educational system. A recent article from the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute included several […]
One quiet evening, I decided to call my brother to ask how his new teaching position as a religion teacher was going. His first position took him to an all-boy’s Catholic high school in Southern California. After an initial pause he emphatically stated; “They don’t know anything!” I asked him to clarify his statement. He […]
This week I’ve been reading Servant of God Fulton Sheen’s Love, Marriage and Children, and was struck by how much this man – a celibate who died more than thirty years ago – understood about contemporary married life. (His profound understanding of the human condition is partly responsible for the fact that his nationally syndicated […]
We and our 4 daughters, ages 13 down to 1, needed a home, and we needed it soon. Our 6-month lease was soon to expire, and our family was living a make-do lifestyle in an apartment. Everything about our living space spoke the language of “temporary” — some nearly-weightless plastic chairs; a white, wobbly table with […]
When dating, women can get concerned about preserving their sense of privacy. Boundaries are important – what if a guy turns out to be a pest? Here’s a quick tip: Create an email address specifically for the early stages of dating. Most of us have easy access to free email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, […]
It’s Monday, the day I normally wake up and recommit to leading a fit and healthy lifestyle. Today, my kids are off school, so I lingered in bed a bit longer than usual, lapping up the luxury of having teens who like to sleep in. Part of my mental wandering as I hit the snooze […]
The other day I opened the front door and found my two kids engrossed in play, drawing chalk pictures on the front stoop. Oblivious to my presence, their conversation became louder and more strident, until at last Sarah stood up and faced her brother, fists on hips. “How many times do I have to TELL […]
But as it is written: “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him,” this God has revealed to us through the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10) Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in […]
I feel that for the most part it is a myth that women can have it all — at least at the same time. I have been the primary breadwinner in my household since my marriage 5+ years ago, working as an RN Case Manager at a health insurance company. My earning potential is more […]
I never cease to be amazed by what can be included in a high school “health” curriculum these days. I was recently looking at a health course for ninth graders, which included such topics as “contraception,” “decision-making” skills, “sexual orientations,” as well as “what to know about health care facilities, costs and sources of payment.” […]
For birthparents, adoptive parents and adoptees, adoption is almost never first choice. The choice of most birthparents would obviously be to avoid an unplanned/unwanted pregnancy. The first choice of most adoptive parents would be to achieve parenthood through the more traditional route, rather than to become parents after a long journey of scrutiny, paperwork, financial […]
Even though September seems a long ways away, this is the time of year when academic decisions for next school year are often made. Are you considering homeschooling next year? Perhaps it is an idea you have been considering for a long time, or maybe you recently met someone who homeschools and you want to […]
As a registered nurse, I have patients who experience discomfort in different regions of the arm for a variety of reasons: frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, the list goes on. Some of these conditions are very difficult to treat, and I’m very blessed that I don’t suffer from these or any other debilitating medical […]
Amidst their other literary interests, our children invariably return to their various saint books and Glory Stories CD’s (etc.). Of course, we’re delighted. More and more often I see in them glimmers of virtue that put me to shame. Sports’ metaphors work in our home: while they all get that our playing field is about […]
Along Rte 28A in Falmouth on Cape Cod there used to be this quaint, seasonal café that a good friend and I loved to frequent. The building that housed the café was really just an ordinary old barn. However, when the café’s owner returned each summer and arranged three or four small umbrella-covered tables on […]
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested. By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible (Hebrews 11:1-3). What more shall I say? […]
As a two-year old, our Grace had a certain “gift.” We were eager to get her potty trained, as were the garbage men (whom we’re sure drew straws every week, or received hazardous duty pay). Steph called from the other room: “Greg, do you want to change Grace’s diaper, or run to get some milk?” […]
You have heard the phrase “The devil is in the details” used to describe a certain action or task in need of completion. Or, used in another context, how missed little details prevented a project from being completed. When involved in this type of situation, the human mind can conjure up so many thoughts and […]
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world […]
One of the hidden gems promoted by the Catholic Church is Natural Family Planning (NFP). NFP is a way of life and love that enables married couples to be aware of how their bodies and fertility work and to respond accordingly to their family planning needs. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about this great gift […]
Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah, matriarchs of the faith, provide a remarkable insight into God’s commitment to women and His interest in how women play an integral part in His plan for mankind. These women are often called the “women of the tent” and they embodied what we as Catholics might call “feminine genius.” These incredible […]
I have been nibbling away at a book titled, The Difference God Makes, by Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I. I say nibbling away because what Cardinal George has to say about the role of the Catholic faith in our modern word is so incredibly rich that to read it straight through would be like trying to […]
