Self esteem. A modern essential. Self esteem was a term invented by Sigmund Freud. The concept has taken wings since then, enhancing other modern philosophies. In the modern world, ever increasing affirmation of self esteem is key through political correctness (not offending anyone), relativism (everyone is right in whatever they think) as well as in […]
In every person’s life, there should be a person who, as C.S. Lewis says, “hears the song in your heart and can sing it back to you.” Through this devoted love, one overcomes fears, hurts and selfishness, and the soul expands. For the Lovely family in Sherry Boas’ fictional Lily series, this person is the […]
“O most Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you….” My baby’s heart stopped beating and I don’t know when. All I know is that on Friday it was fluttering and six days later it was still. One moment: Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Then: Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep…….. My mother’s heart heard […]
ANALYSIS/OPINION: In this week’s email, a question comes from parents who don’t want their fourth grader to take the school district’s sex ed class: From: Too Sexy for 4th Grade To: Marybeth In our school district, sex education classes are presented to children starting in fourth grade. My husband and I don’t want our children learning about […]
Stephanie Wincik is a registered nurse who doesn’t consider herself pro-life, or subscribe to any particular religious belief, yet after 25 years of working with the medically fragile disabled patients, she stumbled upon an article which galvanized her into writing a pro-life book, Making the Case for Life, which has in its enhanced second edition, […]
As the mother of two lively boys, athletic boys, theater-loving boys, exploring boys, immersed-in-everything boys, I am forever seeking. Forever balancing. Forever juggling. Forever discerning. Activity versus stillness. Sound versus silence. Society versus solitude. I still, now for fleeting moments, still, have a measure of control over the feeling, the tenor, the rhythm of my […]
My husband and I have three young boys (Joey – 5, Nicky – 3, Ritchie – 11 months). These kids are my heart and my favorite people on the planet, but they are the reason that we haven’t heard a homily in five years. When Travis and I were expecting Joey, we were blissfully unaware […]
ANALYSIS/OPINION: Mom-blogger Ursula Hennessey, writing last week at OnTheCulture.com, questioned the lax supervision provided by too many parents of teens. A recent story in her local paper recapped an alarming incident in which nine high school students were found in one of the teen’s garage, drinking beer and setting up for an evening of drinking games. […]
Like many faithful Catholics, the resignation of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI left me feeling uncertain and deeply saddened. For a few days, I felt a little weepy and the wet, slushy weather fueled my winter blahs. With a heavy heart, I went to work each morning as a visiting nurse in the community. On one […]
Andrea Maglio-Macullar is a Catholic artist whose religious art has appeared in many venues, including publications by Loyola Press and Our Sunday Visitor. Her art is bright, colorful, and eye-catching. Many of her pieces have a stained-glass quality to them which makes them very appealing. Maglio-Macullar has been drawing since she was a young child. […]
ANALYSIS/OPINION: From this week’s e-mail, a message from a dad whose ex-wife doesn’t share his concerns about the influence of the culture on their high schooler and preteens: To: Marybeth From: A concerned dad How do you suggest defending against the culture’s assault on childhood when it starts coming via an “inside job”? My soon-to-be ex […]
I quit. I just can’t do it anymore. I give up. I surrender. I call “Uncle.” For years, I’ve stood at the intersection of parenting and politics, trying to point out the myriad ways in which we are letting our culture change our children, only to anticipate with certain alarm the impact those changes will […]
The Bible speaks for itself, or rather, it speaks for God. Yet, we have a generation of young people that are generally more excited about video games and special effects than the Word of God. So, what’s a parent to do? If you are executive producer Mark Burnett and his wife, “Touched by an Angel” […]
My son is an adorable energizer bunny. How can I wear this child out? And, keep myself mentally stimulated as well, if possible? I got an idea. It seemed far-fetched. Baby modeling! Baby modeling is jumping in popularity among moms who want to earn extra money and be together with their child. After witnessing our […]
On February 26, 2013, the Denver Post ran an article that contained the following: Colorado parents of transgender 1st-grader file complaint over restroom ban The parents of a transgender 6-year-old have filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division because Eagleside Elementary School in Fountain banned the first-grader from using the girls’ restroom. The […]
When I think of grandmothers, I think of fingers. My 96 year old maternal grandmother hardly remembers my name, but I still remember the years I watched her fingers plying the rosary beads one by one for each of her grandchildren. Around her twisty bed post, she’d drape her rose-scented brown rosary, marked with a […]
While creating our baby registry at Babies-R-Us a few weekends ago, my husband and I learned some very valuable life lessons which I would now like to share with all of you. I think that all of you mom’s will appreciate some of the insights/blunders of first time parents. Life is better when you’re together. I […]
For Ash Wednesday last year, my wife and I took the kids to mass at Fulton Sheen’s old seminary, the St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, MN. Located on bluffs above the Mississippi River, with a fine view of the river and the Minneapolis sky line across the water, it has a neat old church […]
Years ago, a local newspaper columnist praised the fare of TV prime-time viewing. She supported modern examples of broken families as being the sitcom subject of choice. Betty, the columnist, cheered the portrayal of brokenness in place of idealistic programs such as “Leave it to Beaver,” “Father Knows Best,” or the “Brady Bunch.” There were […]
“Say you were walking along a boardwalk with your dog, and a stranger fell into the water. Your dog jumps in after him. You only have time to save one. Which would you save?” My office mate Mike and I sometimes get into these wonderful philosophical or theological discussions; it gives us a welcome break […]
I teach the First Communion class at my parish in a large room in the basement of the church. For safety reasons, I ask the parents to come downstairs after class and pick up their child. I tell the kids that if they don’t see their parent, they have to stay with me and we’ll […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
