Oftentimes the seasons of Lent and Advent are filled with our good intentions about what we will do, what we will read, and the changes we will make in our daily lives. The weeks stretch out ahead of us and we begin with great plans and an eagerness to experience the holy season in a […]
I live in Christchurch, New Zealand. A city that, over the past few years, has been struck by several large earthquakes. As a result our city doesn’t have that many buildings left standing. Most of our churches are gone. Masses are celebrated in halls or parish centers. Whole parishes themselves don’t exist and our city is […]
We live in a busy world that is changing at the speed of light. Yet, good manners never go out of style. Most of us parents emphasize the importance of please, thank you, and excuse me, and do our best to insure that our children are polite, but when it comes to the finer points […]
Have you ever looked yourself in the mirror and wondered why you have four “frown lines” for every laugh line? When was the last time you gut-laughed? Do you slip into your daughter’s room late at night, and wish you’d spent as much time enjoying her as you did lecturing her? Do you ever wonder […]
Sean Considine, a safety for the Baltimore Ravens, is the first to point out that he belongs to some important families – God’s family, the family of his parents, his hometown community, the family he shares with his wife and four children, and the NFL. “My Catholic faith has played a huge role in my […]
God’s rules protect humanity from such the situation of a man who birthed three children, now seeking divorce will soon be a single mother…or is that father? Many are confused because once you mess with Divine order, insanity rules. From two women, to transgender union, to marriage, to parenthood, and now headed for divorce court, […]
Sleep is in short supply and the cause of costly losses these days. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that approximately 40.6 million American workers average fewer than six hours of sleep per night. According to the Wall Street Journal, workplace insomnia has cost U.S. companies collectively over an […]
True story. Hand to God. An acquaintance was having neighbor trouble. As often happens, things escalated rather quickly. What had begun as an issue where two sides were taking tough stands and no one was willing to budge swiftly careened into a legal battle. The acquaintance—a woman of great faith who diligently tried to live […]
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” – Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” – NLT “With closest custody, guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life” – NAB “Keep your heart with all vigilance, […]
Last week at a speaking engagement in Illinois, I asked my audience of parents to tell me about their kids. Not just “tell” me about them, but brag. I gave them permission to boast. Pull out the smartphone, if they wanted, to show off the photos. I had to cajole them into doing it. Hard […]
All methods of modern Natural Family Planning (NFP) rely on observation of changes in a woman’s body as it makes its way through the monthly menstrual cycle. These observations determine when sexual intercourse can/should take place – depending on whether one is trying to achieve or postpone pregnancy. Two of the primary signs are cervical […]
I attended two New Year’s events this season that featured bonfires. At each gathering, we were encouraged to say goodbye to anything negative that happened in 2012 by burning lists or symbolic items. These annual cleanses resonated with me because I believe that God taught me some huge business and life lessons last year. I […]
This week I happened across this YouTube video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVUZzgswJaY) in which two strapping young Dutch men experience the joy of childbirth … well, two hours of simulated labor pains. That’s almost the same thing, right? Sure. In his classic work Life of the Beloved, Henri Nouwen acknowledges that the mystery of suffering will remain […]
Defenders of traditional marriage may not believe it, but the Supreme Court’s apparent intention to decide two important same-sex marriage cases by midyear may be a stroke of good fortune for their side. This timing means the Supreme Court’s first head-on tangle with this issue almost certainly will come before President Obama gets an opportunity […]
It’s a rhetorical question, really. I could also ask: what’s hanging on your wall; what are you wearing around your neck; what does your bumper sticker say? Once a month, I visit a patient who lives in a B’nai B’rith sponsored family apartment building. There’s no mistaking that all the families living there are practicing […]
When I received a review copy of the newly-published book, Facing Infertility – A Catholic Approach, I was a bit surprised there wasn’t already a Catholic book which specifically dealt with the topic of infertility. When I searched online, I could only find secular or Christian books on this subject. Jean Dimech-Juchniewicz’s new book is […]
If you knew beforehand that a gunman planned on going to a kindergarten class at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, would you do everything in your power to avert the violence and save innocent lives? During a news conference on January 16, President Obama expressed that if we could save even one life […]
With the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade approaching, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about a post I read last month over at the popular atheist blog “Love, Joy, Feminism”. The article asserted that most pro-life (or anti-abortion) ads portray photos of already-born babies and pre-born fetuses, while failing to depict the mother. Libby Anne therefore concludes that […]
Has the Sexual Revolution, and the feminist ideology that drives it, pushed men out of universities by undermining boys in school as early as kindergarten? Some writers are beginning to connect the dots between the shift over the last few decades in educational practices from fact-based grading to evaluation based on “non-cognitive” and “emotional skills” […]
Set Free Genevieve Kineke Servant Books 2012 Forgiveness: been there, done that! I wondered where Genevieve Kineke would take this “old, old story” in her new book, Set Free. Needless to say, she surprised and edified me! Set Free is a comprehensive and deeply Catholic treatment of the work of forgiveness, focusing on the special […]
What comes to mind when you think of “temperance”? Designated drivers downing pints of O’Douls or virgin daiquiris? The thrill of moral victory from leaving that last bite of chocolate cake on the plate? Lent? The other day I came across an article by MaryEllen Tribby (Founder and CEO of WorkingMoms.com) entitled “The Success Indicator,” […]
It is that time of year again! The March for Life in Washington D.C. is right around the corner and as public struggle against legalized abortion in America turns 40 years old, it is time to take note of how the event has grown up. Though the principles for such a large annual gathering in […]
I’ve been looking for an app to chart my body’s fertility for quite a while. Remember my begging? No? Well, I assure you, I even used this space to try to find something, and never had any luck. My days of searching are over, though, and I’m excited to share a brand-new app with you: […]
If you ask any priest, he will tell you that one of the biggest dangers attacking healthy marriages in the Church today comes from pornography. When you consider that kids from healthy Catholic marriages are a lot likelier to develop a strong faith, this is a problem that affects more than just the individual couple; it impacts […]
