Fasting For Teens
Posted on March 24, 2022 Leave a Comment
By Phillip Garside
It is unfortunate that the age Catholics begin their Lenten obligation to abstain and fast (14 years old) aligns perfectly with developmentally-scheduled teen rebelliousness and sophomoric skepticism. Any insistence that fasting is “the law of the church” simply foments teen defiance.
Rather than seeing this conflict as a hurdle to be overcome, we as parents may want to use them as an opportunity to dialogue with our children. Read More
The Passion of Christ
Posted on March 22, 2022 Leave a Comment
By Kim Roberts
Each season as I journey through Lent, I am reminded of the year my son played Jesus in his middle school passion play. From the moment he first saw the play at school, he told me, “Mom, when I’m in seventh grade, I am going to be Jesus in the play.”
He set his mind to it, and that was it. Even though he is 24 years old now, it feels like yesterday I was watching him carry the cross down the church aisle to the altar. I thought I might get emotional during the play, so I sat by myself in the pew. My daughter and her friend were in the choir loft filming, and my husband sat with my mom. Read More
Family of Adorers
Posted on March 20, 2022 Leave a Comment
By Ty Salvant
Eucharistic Adoration, “is a devotional practice of adoring and praying in the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.”
When was your last visit to the adoration chapel?
While becoming a committed adorer has crossed my mind frequently over the past few years, it never fit into my schedule. I could easily give myself a pass by reflecting on the fullness brought by my obligations to family, commitments to ministry and dedication to organizations. I could focus on my unpredictable schedule, making it difficult to commit to an hour a week at the same time or the inconvenient free hours during this phase of my life. Read More
A spiritual athlete
Posted on March 17, 2022 Leave a Comment
By Charla Misse
I have been thinking about the many parallels between physical training and spiritual training:
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- By starting small and working up to greater goals, we get stronger, go faster and reach higher.
- Through persistence, we develop good habits and find ourselves conditioned for even unexpected challenges.
- At times when we are injured or our schedules are disrupted, we have to remind ourselves to start again and to be patient, realizing that it will take time to return to a previous level of fitness Read More
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Sleeping St. Joseph
Posted on March 15, 2022 Leave a Comment
By Sarah McDonald
Last year at Christmas, my sister gifted my husband, brother and brother-in-law a statue of the “Sleeping St. Joseph.” It was a figure none of us had seen before, but had been made popular by Pope Francis.
On his apostolic visit to the Philippines in 2015, the Holy Father said, “I like St. Joseph very much. He’s a strong man of silence. On my desk, I have an image of St. Joseph sleeping. Even when he is asleep, he looks after the Church. Yes! We know that he can do that. So, when I have a problem, a difficulty, I write a little note, and I put it underneath St. Joseph, so that he can dream about it! In other words, I tell him: Pray for this problem!” Read More
Best road to take: model Jesus
Posted on March 13, 2022 Leave a Comment
By Michelle Macicek
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
These are the words that Jesus first speaks while hanging on the cross. I was reminded of this during our parochial vicar’s homily this past weekend, and I found myself wondering how in the unfair, undeserving agony he was in he could show this beautiful mercy for all of us. This was not just spoken for those present who were against him, torchering and ridiculing him. These words were spoken for you and I. Read More
The Gift of Grandparents
Posted on March 10, 2022 Leave a Comment
By Charlotte Phillips
On Mardi Gras day, my in-laws beat us home from the Zulu parade, ready and waiting to pick up our four sweet kiddos before making the five-hour return trip back to Florida. My husband and I told them to spend the night and leave the next day. “If we wait until tomorrow then we’ll lose part of our day of playing with them,” my mother-in-law said. I couldn’t help but smile, because at that moment I didn’t know who was more excited, our kids or the grandparents! Read More
The Gift of Water
Posted on March 8, 2022 Leave a Comment
By Ana Borden
Water is a gift from God. It nourishes us not only physically but spiritually, as we experience, for example, in the sacrament of Baptism. Read More
Little Faith-Filled Celebrations
Posted on March 6, 2022 Leave a Comment
By Gina Sternfels
“The one who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and the one who is unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous in much” Luke 16:10.
Through our years of autism struggles, I have learned to find little celebrations each day! As a parent, it helps me be in a better place and look for little things that are worth noticing myself. Doing this, helps strengthen my faith and be a better parent. It is too easy to concentrate on all the stresses of daily life and the world. Read More
Don’t know it all
Posted on March 3, 2022 Leave a Comment
By Stacy LaMorte
It is important for our children to know that we don’t know it all, that we don’t have all the answers. Having three teenagers is a humbling experience. When our kids come to us with questions when they are little, we usually have the answers that they seek because their questions are quite simple.
However, when they get older, these questions become more complex. Read More
Adjusting to a new baby
Posted on March 1, 2022 Leave a Comment
By Kristen Bourgeois
We recently welcomed our third child in December. A little girl. Those first few weeks are so precious, but also a bit stressful as we adjusted to a family of five. I didn’t want the new routines or the lack of routines to rob us of our joy with this new baby. As we navigated the fourth trimester, I was reminded of a few things. Read More
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