Those who know me will often hear me speak about “family, faith, and food,” when describing the things which I hold most dear. Some may say that this is more rooted in my culture as an Italian-American than it is in the foundations of my Catholicism, but I don’t agree...
Family
Today’s Teens Need The Saints More Than Ever
A lot happens between the ages of 12 and 14. I call it the magical age, the ethereal age, the age of heroes and anything’s-possible. We’ve all passed through that moment. For some of us it was just another year, for others it was the turning point that made every...
Four Ways To Foster A Child’s Love For The Eucharist
“Alright kids, why do we go to Mass?” We ask a variation of that question every time we arrive at our parish parking lot, usually sweaty and disheveled from wrangling four (soon to be five) children into the van. A mini call-to-action and reminder of why Mass is...
When Should Parents Start Teaching Theology Of The Body To Their Children?
Parents often wonder when they should begin teaching the Theology of the Body (TOB) to their children…the answer is: In the womb! Yes, that means talking to your unborn child who begins to hear and recognize voices—your body matters to the unborn child. “The Body...
St. Frances Of Rome, 3 Cars, And A Blessing To Remember
In 2004, I became that convert who immediately jumped, with both feet, into all things Catholic. I was the one running to the Religious Goods store regularly, because, of course, I now needed a crucifix for every room, statues of our confirmation saints, candles,...
5 Ways To Honor Your Catholic Grandparents
When I was young, my parents used to travel a lot, leaving me and my four sisters in the care of my grandmother. What I remember most is sitting in our living room where she would tell us stories written by her about each of her grandchildren, through which she would...
How Much Tech Is “Too Much” For Your Kids? 5 Ways To Tell (And 5 Ways To Fix It)
As Millennial parents, my husband and I have grappled with the issue of moderating screen time for ourselves and our children. Whether we want to admit it or not, the technology is inescapable, but that’s all the more reason to take seriously our responsibility to...
What I Wish I Knew When I Left The Seminary
It was December 24th, 2019, and I was on my way to Rochester, Minnesota to serve at the Christmas Vigil Mass at our co-Cathedral for my Bishop, John Quinn. I showed up early to get things set up, but I was distracted like a teenage boy trying to clean his room. My...
A Guide To Catholic Funerals: What You Need To Know
While death was not a part of God’s original plan for the world, due to the fall of mankind with Adam and Eve, it is a sad reality of the world we live in. As Christians however, we do not believe that death is the end. On the contrary, our death on earth signifies a...
How Prayer Changes When You Become A Parent
I don’t have time to pray I have almost always struggled to feel like I pray “enough.” Believe it or not, the last time that I could definitively say that I didn’t struggle with that was before I had kids. I have 5 kids now and we also have some neurodiversity in the...
Anne Of Green Gables And Childlike Wonder
“What was wonderful about childhood is that anything in it is a wonder.” - G. K. Chesterton As a child, I remember exploring in the woods for hours with my cousins, playing in the creek and climbing trees. I would get lost in my imagination and in the beauty of it...
“Dog Gone” Is Packed With Life Lessons
911 Lone Star lead actor Rob Lowe stars in Netflix’s latest movie, Dog Gone. It’s one of the first feel-good movies of the year based on a true story of a father and son who search for a boy’s lost dog along the Appalachian Trail. Catholics will enjoy two saintly...
Who Taught Mother Teresa To Be A Person Of Virtue?
Saint Teresa of Calcutta was known for spending countless hours attending to the dying, the sick, and the poor. This flowed from her rich prayer life: Daily Mass and a daily holy hour. Where did Mother Teresa learn to sacrifice herself for others? Her first teacher in...
Why These Two Words Are The Cornerstone Of Your Domestic Church
“I do.” These two words are the cornerstone of the domestic church. In the context of the marital vows, these simple words have the power to join man and woman together, to make of two one, with the purpose of leading them together toward eternal life. If these...
The Little Prince: Allowing Ourselves To Be Tamed
“To create ties.” This, according to the fox in the French novella, The Little Prince, is the meaning of the word tamed. When consulting my dictionary app, I found no definition that quite matched the fox’s, but for the purposes of this reflection, it’s the one I’m...
4 Ways To Keep The Eucharist At The Center Of Your Family’s Christmas
“What’s the point of Christmas?” we ask our kids after their 82nd time watching Elf this week. “Jesus!” they shout. Whew! We drill that question into our children every few days during this season of Advent to help them remember the focal...
How To Pray Without Ceasing In The Midst Of Chaos
The Bible says to pray without ceasing, yet how many of us go hours without so much as giving a thought to prayer? In today’s world, it is hard for us to even fathom how it could be possible for us to follow this command. Saint Basil tells us how: “This is how you...
Family Issues? Don’t Let It Ruin Your Holidays (Here’s How!)
A common complaint I hear around this time of year is that people are struggling with family members. Old grudges are present, new additions may not be accepted, some family members may choose not to be present, and tensions can be at an all-time high. When...
What Your Kids Learn When You Prioritize Your Marriage
“Well, the children have always come first” is a remark that echoes in the offices of too many marriage therapists. Imagine if their wedding vows had been, “I, John, take you, Jane, to be my beloved wife. I promise to stand by idly, but with deep emotional pain...
3 Children’s Books With Powerful Lessons For Life
Children’s Literature is my preferred reading diet. It is no easy task to keep a child engaged. Their minds wander easily. They can see through facades of boorishness and sermonizing. But every now and then, an author crafts a tale that is the perfect blend of drama,...
Can My Neurodivergent Daughter Have A Relationship With God?
I often wonder how God is interacting with my autistic daughter. Everyone’s inner relationship with God is to some extent secret, but for many we have learned to recognize the imprint of the Spirit on a person. Indeed, we have a very convenient list of such...
What We Should Teach Kids About Angels
Who are the angels and how should we talk to our children about them? It’s an important subject for Catholics to consider. After all, the existence of angels is an absolute doctrine of our Faith. The Islamic religion believes in angels too, and so does Judaism. Even...
The Hidden Life Of Motherhood And Our Faith
I would say that going to art galleries and contemplating a piece of art isn’t something people do very often these days. Honestly, it’s not something I do often either, but this painting has been a staple in our living room the past six months, and it has slowly...
What Parents Can Learn From The Saint Who Converted Her Son With Her Tears
As she traveled through life with her wayward son Augustine in the 4th Century, St. Monica came upon many road signs pointing the way forward. Eventually, she came to a crossroad and needed heaven’s help to decide her next move. That turn of direction eventually...
5 Ways To Engage Children With Jesus | Part 3 Of A Guide To Children’s Adoration
This is the third installment of our series on bringing children to adoration as part of a response to the USCCB’s call for a Eucharistic Revival. In the first part of the series, we looked at why it is both appropriate and important for children to go to adoration....