I would like to introduce you to an exciting new men’s prayer group based on the Gospel of Mark’s story of Four Men who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus for healing. Through their faith they obtained their friends’ healing and the even greater miracle of the forgiveness of his sins. Members of this prayer […]
This week a lot of tokens of affection were exchanged. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. I’m not going to begrudge anyone their cards, candy, and flowers. There’s even a time and place for diamonds. I’m quite fond of gifts that involve chocolate myself! But, it is important to realize that love, true love, […]
If you don’t know the power of a hug, then you are probably not having much success in your relationships. To hug is to heal. To be hugged is to be healed. To not hug is to deprive. I am not exaggerating when I say that hugs have the power to convert. A person having […]
This Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d do something different. People who follow my writing know that I rarely give guy’s dating advice. I feel that it can be hard for a woman to effectively mentor a man on dating, because let’s face it: we have not walked in their shoes. Nevertheless, a sincere Catholic man […]
This article is by Regina Rico Ferreira as told in Amazing Grace for Mothers. “Mommy, where’s my daddy?” My four-year-old son Jacob asked me. The question was a jolt to our leisurly Sunday afternoon walk together. I always knew the question would one day come, but I was not expecting it so soon. “Dear God,” […]
Everyone knows of a handful of days that change who you think you are. Death removes someone you love from your life and changes the family dynamic. Marriages add new members, rearranging the family dynamic. And, there are tragedies that can drop you to your knees in an instant, showing you that it can happen […]
We happened to be invited to several Super Bowl parties recently and enjoyed stopping by to visit with friends that we don’t get a chance to see very often anymore. One could argue that a Super Bowl party is not the best environment for catch-up conversations. “Hey, wow, so how long has it been?” (Loud […]
In ample time for men to assess the romantic terrain before Valentines Day, the Style section of the Washington Post offered an article by Donna Britt, which begins: Like our love, women’s anger — the simmering rage toward our families, our mates and assorted males that can turn even the calmest woman’s expression into The […]
As the mother of two and a former homeschooler, I am no stranger to the challenges of fitting exercise into a busy and hectic day. Yet as a personal trainer and fitness expert, I know that it’s crucial for my health AND my sanity. Here are four different approaches to making exercise a priority for […]
As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. […]
I don’t know if I am getting old, but have you noticed that people don’t seem to know how to behave at Mass anymore? I will never forget the day I was at Sunday Mass, when a well-meaning dad pulled out a very large plastic bag from the Dollar Store. In it, he had a big new toy for his […]
I was riding the ski lift with one of my pupils, a little girl of roughly seven years. She could not keep her eyes off me. I thought it was really sweet, having a crush on her teacher, as it were. When we reached the top and the ski lift stopped, she finally spoke to […]
Today, in “Annie’s Mailbox” newspaper column, a woman who admitted having no desire for children wrote: “Babies are messy, leaky, smelly and noisy, as well as demanding and expensive.” The woman is accurate. It is not logical to have a child. A baby will drain your bank account and rob you of sleep. It will […]
Anyone who is not yet married give a little cringe when hearing the words of St. Paul in the second reading of the Mass this past Sunday, taken from 1 Corinthians, Chapter 7:32-35. Basically, the advice of St. Paul is to remain unmarried because to marry is a distraction to focusing on the things of […]
She arrived pink and plump, sporting a full head of cotton-soft brown hair and that intoxicatingly sweet scent that only newborns have. All gurgles, whimpers and tiny yawns, her delicate fingers gripped mine as I thought of all the things I wanted to give this brand-new baby girl: love and security, freedom, opportunity and the […]
Twenty-six years ago, on January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight,disintegrating over the Atlantic Ocean off the course of central Florida. All seven of its crew were killed, including the “Teacher in Space,” Christa McAuliffe. On this sad anniversary, it’s not space flight I want to talk about, […]
One of the issues of this presidential campaign as well as of the recent Occupy movement is the cost of higher education and the burden of student loans. I’ve heard some people remark that people who complain about the cost of student loans are “whiners” and that they should have realized what they were getting […]
That rumbling sound you hear isn’t a snow-removal truck, a low-flying plane or a train inadvertently chugging through your backyard. No, it’s the low, slow churning of civic discontent, fomenting thanks to the decades-long trend toward educational mediocrity and resulting in a grass-roots movement that will — with any luck at all — restore our […]
I certainly hit “pay dirt” when I met my husband thirty-two years ago. I could never have anticipated that the sexy man in the disco pants and silky shirt had so many unique talents. These gifts complement our family and me personally, in so many ways. For starters, I jokingly refer to him as the […]
But the Lord answered: “Martha, Martha,” he said “you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her” (Luke 10:41–42, JB). In this passage from scripture we find Martha’s sister, Mary, sitting […]
So just how selfish of a person are you? Answer: Very. Don’t worry, it’s not just you. We all are. Without a realization and admission of selfishness in your life, you lack the true charity required to successfully live out marital love. Therefore, your dating efforts are extremely risky. I say “true charity” because there […]
Quarters can’t buy protection against STD’s. Even without religion, the facts speak the truth. Peace of mind is free. When a former college president shared that he had installed vending machines with condoms in the girls’ dorms, my face must have betrayed disapproval. After a pregnant pause, (sorry, couldn’t resist) he further explained, “The girls […]
I was chatting with a priest who is a judge with the marriage tribunal of his large Eastern diocese when he shared an interesting tidbit of information. In his diocese and the other dioceses of his state, the number of requests for marriage annulments has lately fallen by 10%. Good news? Fewer marriages on the […]
I don’t think anyone would argue with the notion that in order to learn any new skill, you need to have the ability to be obedient. For example, if you want to learn how to do the fox trot, or tango, chances are you would register for classes and obey the instructor. You would do what […]
