“From the beginning therefore he [man] is called to work. Work is one of the characteristics that distinguish man from the rest of creatures, whose activity for sustaining their lives cannot be called work. Only man is capable of work, and only man works, at the same time by work occupying his existence on earth. Thus work […]
The other day I had some precious free time which I was going to spend working on the computer. I set up my laptop on the kitchen table, went to grab something to drink, turned around and found my older son sitting at the computer settling himself in. “What are you doing?” I asked. “Working […]
Some months back, my sister came to visit, and we had an interesting chat. Chris lives in New York and is a vice president at a very large and internationally-known corporation. She’s at the top of the corporate world, and at the forefront of women making their way in a “man’s world.” We were talking about the need […]
Some studies show that, on average, men say about 6,000 words a day, and women close to 9,000 (it may come as no surprise to many of you that the tally is higher for us ladies). Too many? Too few? Just about right? Every spring (this year it was Sunday May 20th) we mark World […]
Magic Mike will be the first time I am reviewing a movie that I have not seen. I am reviewing the concept of the film (male strippers), I have seen the trailer, and have read several reviews and “making of” articles. I read in Entertainment Weekly that when Channing Tatum (who plays “Magic Mike”) was […]
That I, Paul, might not become too elated, because of the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to […]
In the world of commercialized conception, it seems we’ve decided the freezer is a great place to keep eggs, sperm, and “spare” embryos until we need them. We think they do pretty well in the freezer, but the verdict is still out on what happens over the long haul when you freeze and store human […]
Do you take God with you into all aspects of your life? Or does God stay in the “God – Box” of your life? As adults we have categorized much of our lives. We have “boxes” to keep things neat and clear. There is the “career box” how we feel about our career, our hopes […]
When I reflect back on my days a younger Catholic mom, one of my fondest memories is the role that the magazine Catholic Parent played in our Domestic Church. I remember reading Editor Woodeene Koenig-Bricker’s reflections each month and feeling not only inspired, but also completely supported in my vocation. And I needed a lot […]
Bear with me here while I make a point. Vagina, vagina, vagina. There. I said it. The “V-word” has been typed repeatedly for effect, and of course, as expected, this gesture means exactly nothing. Because it’s not what you say, but how you say it and for what reason that really counts. Yet here in […]
On March 8, feminists observed the centenary of International Women’s Day—a day when we remember the struggles of women in the fight against gender discrimination, and celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. I would like to dedicate this post to the smallest of women: those who have not […]
When the Obama administration made the decision not to exempt Catholic hospitals and universities from the mandate to provide insured employees with contraceptives, morning after pills, and sterilization without a co-pay, one of those consulted was Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood. PP obviously has a special interest in having contraception covered, since dispensing contraception […]
Do you want to rock the world? Like St. Francis who moved spiritual mountains and Mother Teresa who moved heaven and earth to serve the poor, we can change the world. We would not be here if God did not plan for just that. He put us here to make a difference in every walk […]
O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! (Psalm 95: 6) To kneel before God is a blessed thing. We are the only creatures who roam the earth with a free will, and the only ones with the freedom to give homage by kneeling to the One […]
Poor Planned Parenthood. Even with unflagging support from the White House, lapdog allegiance from congressional Democrats and fawning coverage from most mainstream media outlets, America’s largest abortion provider cannot help looking ridiculous. The organization’s latest public relations debacle began on May 29, when the youth-led, pro-life activist group Live Action released a video showing a […]
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi is fighting for the mandate in Obamacare designed force all health care plans to provide free (that is without a co-pay) contraception, morning after pills, and sterilization. She insists that this is a battle for women’s health. Those who see this as a question of religious freedom have let this claim pass […]
Thirty-plus years ago, during my first semester of college, I found out that my student loans didn’t come through due to a glitch in the paper work. I dropped out of college and joined the army. To be honest, at the time I wasn’t a serious student. Nevertheless, I thought that by dropping out I […]
Catholic Philosopher Chick Makes Her Début by Rebecca Bratten Weiss and Regina Doman Front Royal, VA: Chesterton Press, 2012 Catholic Philosopher Chick Makes Her Début is the intelligent Catholic woman’s beach read. This book is so much fun that you won’t want to put it down until you have turned the last page with a […]
Every so often, I feel the driving need to go thrift shopping. I don’t just “need” to go, I need to go. Most of the time, I’ll go and be happy I went. At other times, I’ll tell myself it’s a fanciful notion and try to ignore it, but that only lasts so long. The […]
I celebrated my birthday recently. My biggest wish was to celebrate with my five sons ages 13-24. A few of them are no longer living at home so I was thrilled that they were all able to be with me. Never far from my thoughts, however, were those seven precious babies I never got to […]
Style, Sex, & Substance: 10 Catholic Women Consider the Things that Really Matter, edited buy Hallie Lord, is full of spiritual truths and spunk! The ten women who each tackle a different current issue seem to hit most of the hot topics usually found splashed across the covers of women’s tabloids, but from a Catholic […]
Growing up with a chronically ill mother, I found it very difficult to embrace Marian devotions as an adult. A true and present (and perfect!) mother did not seem real to me. Just as a faithful father reflects the love of God the Father to his children, a faithful mother reflects the love of the […]
Last week, in an advertorial slideshow on ObamaForAmerica.com, the president’s re-election campaign introduced “The Life of Julia” about a fictional “everywoman” whose government-subsidized existence is intended to reassure women voters about President Obama’s ability to provide for them in an uncertain future. This “composite” female — not to be confused with the one who portrayed […]
Popular Christian author Janette Oke’s first book was Love Comes Softly. Janette was born during the depression years on a Canadian prairie farm and she remembers her childhood as full of love, laughter, family life and faith. Janette drew upon these themes for her debut novel and her many other popular books that followed. I […]
