Ever say YES! enthusiastically to something and then wonder, “What made me think I ought to agree to that request?!” When the lovely Southern Belle Mrs. Erin Franco came knocking on my door, asking me to chat on The Right Heart podcast, I eagerly accepted her invitation. I didn’t think twice, even though we hadn’t yet decided … [Read more…]
It’s that time of the year when many of us enlist the help of an online saint generator to randomly select a saint who journeys with us throughout the year. Rather than journeying with one random saint this year, I’ll walk with at least twelve. Think of it as a saint of the month club. My January saint of the month is Elizabeth Ann Seton – daughter, wife, mother, widow, friend and the first American-born saint.
At the time Israel was being conquered, the prophets were proclaiming the coming of a savior. Imagine the longing of the Israelites to believe this message, which must have sounded too impossible to believe. Deacon Joel shares his homily for the Fourth Sunday in Advent.
These two new children’s books published by Ignatius/Magnificat by well-known author/illustrator Maïte Roche make excellent Christmas gifts. (P.S., they’re good for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atriums, too!)
“How do you know your dad is in Heaven?” That was the pointed question that helped me understand how praying for the dead is one of the greatest acts of charity we can perform. Today the Church observes the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls). In its honor, here’s the rest of the story behind that question.
“Dichos” is the Spanish word for proverbs or wise sayings used in Mexican culture. One “dicho” I recently read about is “The saints cry over lost time.” It was once a popular expression often said by parents to help keep their kids on task. It’s been a helpful saying, not so much for keeping my kids on task, but motivating me to get rolling on a special project!
A little Friday fun thanks to Harry Connick, Jr.
I’ve scaled back on participating in book reviews and blog tours, primarily because I want to safeguard my holy leisure reading time for whatever the current book is for Well-Read Mom. But when I received the request to participate in the blog tour for The Kiss of Jesus by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, my intuition told … [Read more…]
During his homily at the closing Mass of the World Meeting of Families, Pope Francis spoke on the importance of sharing little gestures of love within the family. These little acts of love are vital to the heart of a parish family, too. Here are some examples of little gestures we can do within our parishes to welcome others and foster a culture of encounter. What ideas can you add?
Since we aren’t able to travel to Philadelphia and see Pope Francis at the World Meeting of Families, we figured heading back to Joel’s old stomping grounds in Wisconsin is the next best thing. Right?! We are presenting at the Love is our Mission: Families Fully Alive gathering in Central Wisconsin this weekend. Kudos to the organizers who have … [Read more…]