Catholic. Pastoral. Trusted.
June 27 is a special day during which we can especially celebrate a great source of consolation for so many. The annual feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help enables us to reflect on our veneration of our beloved icon. On this feast day, let us express our gratitude to...
According to my husband and others close to me, I have difficulty accepting or acknowledging if and when I need help. I admit there is more than a morsel of truth to my tendency to do it all myself. On too many occasions, I’ve gotten myself into jams because I...
The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us the path to a better life on earth for the sake of our eternal life in heaven. His resurrection fulfills God’s promises and confirms Christ’s teachings and works. Do we believe in those promises or do we allow doubts to steer us from...
One can be a lonely number. According to the US Health Resources and Services Administration, loneliness and social isolation can be as damaging to one’s health as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. Contrary to what some might think, research shows suicide rates are highest in the spring and summer. Clearly...
Several months ago while sitting around the supper table, the youngest in our family blurted out what sounded like an innocent question: “What does ‘OK, boomer’ mean?” Everyone looked at one another bewildered, not even sure if we heard his question accurately. Then my middle daughter, who’s twenty-three, began to...
We live in an environment fraught with tension, which has the potential to take a toll on our faith life. Our Blessed Mother has always walked with the people of God and shed light upon the signs of the times. Is there an image of Mary for our modern times...
Lately, I feel like I’ve been bombarded with requests to analyze my “former self.” You know, questions that ask: “Based on what you’ve learned, what advice would you give yourself at age twenty, thirty, forty, etc.” I have had many “relevations.” (Please don’t call out our editor; that’s an intentional...
Louis de Montfort, the great Marian saint, wrote volumes about the importance of Mary in the mystery of salvation. His teachings and inspirational prayers positioned devotion to Mary as a way to increase our faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was often quoted as saying what later became...
In this first issue of the year, I’m pleased to introduce you to the new content you’ll find between our covers and briefly review some of the Liguorian features that we’re excited to continue offering to you. Though we’ve dabbled in publishing poetry in the past, in 2020, we plan...
Today’s chaotic society, which seems to draw our attention from big-picture concerns to minutiae, may make us want to run and hide. For example, consider the pressure that builds as we get ready for Christmas and compare it with, say, a family mourning the death of a child lost to...
At this time of year, we get caught up in the scramble of buying gifts, baking cookies, attending parties, and lighting up our homes with festive decorations. It’s all part of the joy of preparing for Christmas. It’s also part of the stress that comes on top of our increasingly...
A Sign that Enlightens Us “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” —Revelation 12:1 This Scripture quote that speaks of “sign” and “stars” has been used to proclaim the place...
Behind “I’m fine” Have you ever been next to someone who takes “How are you?” to heart? As a young adult, I felt humiliated when my stepmother committed the social faux pas of doing just that when a retail-store associate asked how she was doing. After Mom listed her aches...
How often have you prayed the rosary, only to feel that you get nothing out of it? The repetition of the prayers can become mechanical and monotonous. Perhaps you have even been tempted to stop praying the rosary. In October, the month dedicated to the rosary (the feast day of...
I confess! In my downtime I tend to avoid “educational entertainment.” To the chagrin of my husband and my middle daughter, that means history channels and the like aren’t on my “favorites” list. I reason that since I don’t devote a significant amount of time to watching TV, when I...
“Mary’s Memories” is a spiritual concept that encompasses more than our Blessed Mother remembering the past. Saint John Paul II used the concept in his apostolic letter On the Most Holy Rosary (Rosarium Virginis Mariae). In the section titled “Mary, Model of Contemplation,” he writes: “The contemplation of Christ has...
As the summer comes to a close, many will relish in the memories they made—hopefully fond ones that involve sun and sand—and quality time with family and friends. The memory that sticks out in my mind elicits feelings of distress, with a smidgen of pride—the good kind. First let me...
In a few days I’ll be moving my youngest daughter to Denver. The anticipation of the nearly 1,000-mile trek has essentially paralyzed me, emotionally speaking. I never thought I would be one of those mothers who would become distraught when my baby birds flew the coop. In fact, I envisioned...
Upon the completion of her earthly life, Mary, the Mother of God, was taken to heaven, body and soul. Mary’s assumption into heaven in her entirety is inspirational and relates God’s desire for us—to be united with our Lord, in body and soul, for eternity. To join God in heaven’s...
It took a mind-shifting experience in Costa Rica to make me realize just how skewed our priorities are in the States—mine included. In March my husband and I vacationed in areas surrounding Tamarindo in the provinces of Guanacaste and Alajuela, the canton of San Carlos, and the district of La...