What do getting divorced, remarried, and divorced again in less than nine months, leaving your kids to become a groupie for a rock band, and moving to South America all have in common? They are all real choices made by people during their first year of divorce. Why would people make such obviously poor decisions? […]
By reading through the Gospels, the evidence is clear: Christ was focused on healing. It was one of the main acts of compassion that He performed as He traveled around spreading His message of love and the kingdom of God. As word spread of His healing miracles, people came from all over Israel to find Him […]
When my son was two-years old he went through what’s commonly known as separation anxiety. If I stepped out of the room for a brief moment and he lost sight of me, he would panic. This panic took the form of blood-curdling screams, not the kind that are soliciting attention, but guttural, terrified calls for help. […]
Recently, I traveled out-of-town to a major American city. Fortunately, there was a Catholic Church within walking distance from my hotel. One morning, I arrived just as Mass was starting and slipped into a side pew. I was struck by two things. First, the incredible beauty of the church. The painted ceilings, marble columns, and […]
Remember what it was like as a kid on Christmas Eve? All day you were overflowing with excitement and anticipation. Time slowed to a crawl. Minutes seemed like hours. It was as if Christmas was never going to arrive. But it always did, bursting forth with giddy satisfaction and happiness over the gifts we had […]
Ever feel like an outsider or a rookie in your faith? Does it seem like everyone else has a much deeper faith? Not sure if all this is really true? Feel like you have made too many mistakes to still be accepted by the Church? Feel like an outsider? You are not alone. One of […]
Fr. Larry Richards tells a very powerful story of God’s abundant love. The night before he was to be ordained a priest, he was wrestling mightily with the vow of celibacy he was going to have to take the next day. It was not the sexual temptations that were causing him the greatest struggle. It […]
“If you have to go through a divorce, thank God you are Catholic!” I exclaimed to a group of divorced and separated Catholics. A puzzled look replaced the mostly pain-filled expressions I saw staring back at me. I knew what they were thinking: “How is being Catholic going to get me out of this mess?” […]
Dealing with teenagers can be a real challenge. A typical teenager is concerned with one thing in their lives: themselves. As a result, they tend to make their relationship with their parents very transactional. They expect to request and to receive, and nothing more. Give them the car keys, and they are happy. Give them […]
I read an article recently about a woman who was trying to help her kids understand why Jesus chose to suffer and die when He could have taken a much easier (and less painful) path for our salvation. She tells them of when she did not have enough money to buy a gift to bring to a wedding. […]