Creating a Rule of Life for the Summer
A Rule of Life is a traditional Christian tool for ordering one’s vocation. Found most often in religious community life, a Rule can also be used by laypeople – whose...
How Jane de Chantal Impacted Me as a Mother
There’s a story about St. Jane de Chantal's transformation that has always intrigued me. It’s included in each of the dozen or so biographies of her that I’ve read, even...
The Work of Motherhood
The blogger Elizabeth Duffy once wrote: If motherhood is hard at times, it’s probably because it allows us, without going terribly far out of our way, to mimic Christ. ...
Catholic Summer Reads for Kids
The countdown has begun! With just about one month left of school, summer is right around the corner. My six children are excited (obviously), and while I appreciate the structure...
The Most Important Thing I Want My Children to Know
When I'm kept up at night by my racing thoughts, they usually revolve around my children. Specifically, they involve rigorous scrutiny of what I am or am not doing to...
Why We Hope Our Kids Rise Up
We all have children in our lives in some capacity. We are moms, aunts, big sisters, teachers, godmothers, parish volunteers, and foster parents. In our work with children—whatever that looks...
Unique and Usable Biblical Baby Names
Chilly weather does wonders for bringing couples together. It’s no wonder that the month with the highest number of births year after year is September, followed closely by August and...
Friday Meals for Families During Lent
Growing up, when Lent rolled around, Friday dinners were always bean and cheese burrito nights. Now, I’m not complaining! Feeding a family of nine is never an easy task. However,...
The Joys + Struggles of New Motherhood
Little gal pal Callan Thérèse made her debut on December 7th, and life truly has not been the same since. New motherhood has been a season of learning, growing, and...
Who's on First in a Marriage Vocation?
I once asked a priest, “If we are called to total unity with God and, yet, a person is called to unity with a spouse, is total unity with God...
Secondary Infertility: Finding Peace through the Holy Family
I will never forget the moment I first heard about secondary infertility. It was earlier this summer when I was lying next to my two-year-old son, Peter, during his nap....
The Catholic All Year Compendium Review
The phrase “liturgically correct” is one of my favorites in the English language. I like how it looks, how it sounds, and what it means; that is, roughly, “in line...
