So often we are like the shepherds out in the fields, waiting with troubled minds in the dark and the cold. Sometimes it is when faced with the most wondrous events that we are the most afraid. We are wary of change, reluctant to leave our comfort zones, and anxious about the future. Sometimes we … Read more
Sometimes the loss of a pet can feel almost as devastating as the loss of a person. Let us thank God for all his creatures and the special place they hold in creation. Dear God, You created every living thing, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and every creature that moves … Read more
Dear God, from Whom all good things come, You are the author of and provider of our lives. We believe that You love us completely and unconditionally, that nothing we can do can separate us from You. You have said that we “will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” … Read more
Dear God, Although we are beholden to no one but You, we also are under the authority of our leaders. Please be with each one of our leaders today—the lawmakers in our cities and towns, and those that govern our nation. Let them be men and women who govern with justice and the truth of … Read more
The church has often excluded people in the LGBTQ community. People with other sexual orientations have been rejected, marginalized, and excluded in ways that other groups have not been. They’ve been made to feel unwelcome in parishes, subjected to conversion therapy, and prevented from volunteering or receiving sacraments. In some cases, they’ve lost jobs and … Read more
My oldest daughter—nine, serious, and anxious—recently revealed that she has a new fear: she’s afraid of death. Both of my kids have expressed some concern about it over the years, my seven-year-old with more confusion: What is it like when we die? Can we taste food? Will I have toys there? When my seven-year-old seemed … Read more
Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength. Corrie Ten Boom It goes without saying that this year has been tough. On a personal level, our family has hit some financial setbacks, some job uncertainty, some emotional difficulties, some health issues. On a larger scale, we’re in the midst … Read more
How do you explain Good Friday? When my oldest daughter was in preschool, she learned about Holy Week. She understood that Jesus died on Good Friday, but she pressed for more details. His death was so unthinkable to her that she wanted to know everything. How did He stay up there on the cross? Where … Read more
If, like many of us, you were raised on Disney movies, you probably imagined that falling in love would look something like this: You’d be walking somewhere, minding your own business (frolicking in the forest with animal friends, maybe), when you’d encounter a captivating stranger, lock eyes, and know that was the person you were … Read more
Almost no one enters into a marriage expecting it to fail. Generally, we believe the person we’ve chosen will be a good partner, and we take seriously our vow to love and be true to one another for life. We’re human, though, and it’s our nature to doubt. Even the strongest of marriages isn’t immune. … Read more
Being a mother is hard. We are called to model ourselves after Mary, Christ’s mother, who surrendered to God so completely that she gave the ultimate sacrifice, second only to Jesus’s own—the accepted loss of her own child for God’s glory. We’re human, though, and sometimes we struggle with what’s asked of us. We’re pulled … Read more
Am I a good Christian mom? Do any of us ever know? Some lucky few may feel confident in their parenting, but most of us are probably just stumbling through it, doing the best we can with what God gave us. A friend of mine swears that if we’re even asking this question in the … Read more
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