Mommy, Should I Look Forward to Death?
While we were turning over the dirt in the flower beds so that our wild ferns could curl up out of the ground and grow, my daughter asked a question. “Mommy, should I look forward to death?” She’d read ahead to the last page of her religion book: “Perfect joy will be ours if we use […]
One Thing Holy Week Reminds Us
Before I had faith and accepted grace into my soul, my world view was me-centered. I was constantly anxious about what other people thought of me, and I judged my relationships based on that. Does this person like me? Do I like him? What will he do for me? What can I do to make […]
Conjugal Fidelity is Creative Fidelity
There has been a lot of discussion in cyberspace lately about the suffering and joy in marriage, and whether a spouse can “know” the other spouse. The Catholic convert and philosopher, Gabriel Marcel, explored what the virtue of fidelity means. Here are some of his key insights. Gabriel Marcel, the French playwright, personalist philosopher, and […]
Vespers, Confession, Sunshine, and Cruisin’
I would like to say we were at Sunday Vespers to pray before the Blessed Sacrament and participate in the 40 Hours of Devotion at our parish because I totally have my act together as a good Catholic mommy. However, the fallen human truth is, we were there because I forgot to bring my daughters […]
Soups and Stories at the Practicing Catholic
My friend Lisa Schmidt, who runs the popular blog The Practicing Catholic with her super-husband Joel Schmidt, has a fun Lenten project going called “Soups and Stories.” Lisa and Joel are posting soup recipes during Lent and the stories that go along with them. Here’s a list of all the guest bloggers so far: They […]
What’s the Glass of Water and How Do I Drink It?
Now it’s time to pour some real life into the metaphorical essay, “What Does Christian Marriage Guarantee?” This is how it started. A friend of mine recently asked: “What graces are promised in sacramental marriage? Is the guarantee and promise something that we give or something we expect to get?” The answer is: The grace to […]
What Does Christian Marriage Guarantee?
A friend of mine recently asked: “What graces are promised in sacramental marriage? Is the guarantee and promise something that we give or something we expect to get?” The answer is: The grace to do the work of marriage is promised to a baptized man and woman who unite in matrimony. What they do with […]
A Lenten Reflection on Fidelity
This Lent I have been reading the existentialist author, Gabriel Marcel, on the virtue of fidelity, a virtue I never thought much about. A certain explanation, well, it rather convicted me. About this time during Lent I start getting grumpy because it’s getting tough to keep the vows I excitedly made on Ash Wednesday. It’s […]
On the “Legitimate Right and Authority” to “Veto” Scientific Conclusions That Contradict Dogma
In my book Science Was Born of Christianity: The Teaching of Fr. Stanley L. Jaki, I used the word “veto” in the introduction like this: “To understand this claim is to understand why the Catholic Church has a legitimate right and authority to veto scientific conclusions that directly contradict divinely revealed dogma.” That word “veto” […]
Adam & Abby and the Candy Castle
Once upon a time there were two mommies who took their three-year-old children to a playgroup once a week. Adam’s mommy and Abby’s mommy soon became besties. They had so much in common that they decided to meet outside of play group too. Then their families became friends. One day when Adam came over to […]