Catholic. Pastoral. Trusted.
An adopted child won’t have her mother’s green eyes or her father’s aquiline nose—but she’ll have their hearts; the gift is a two-way exchange. A baby can be made deliberately, with steady and abiding love and a momentary euphoria, or accidentally, with euphoria as the only excuse. But it is impossible...
According to a parable by St. Gregory of Nyssa, two people had been living in the dark. When one was given a glimpse of light, the two were no longer in darkness in the same way because the one who saw the fleeting light now knew there was a difference...
My cell phone rang at 5 a.m. I didn’t recognize the number—but I recognized my mom’s voice on the other end of the line. “There’s been a fire,” she explained. “We’re OK.” My parents had been staying at their vacation condo in Florida. A neighbor’s porch caught fire early in...
Each of us has a cross to carry. Some are quite visible. Others are not. How we carry them may lead others to Christ or steer them away. Jesus said, “Take up [your] cross, and follow me”(Matt 16:24). Today my thoughts are on a young friend who is having a wisdom...
By Helen Alvare July-August 1999 “From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and the two shall become one fless.” (Mark 10:6-8) Click here to read the entire article
If I hear my car making a strange noise, I call my dad to ask his advice. He knows just about everything auto-related, so I trust his diagnosis and his opinion on the repair quotes from mechanics. If I have a question about my taxes, I call my mom. As...
By Ronica Stromberg That day I had been attacked by a pack of rabid wolves, held at gunpoint by a mad cowboy, stabbed by a samurai, and dive-bombed by a deranged dictator. I couldn’t be more bored. I tossed aside my game controller and said to Sam and Liz, “Let’s...
Over the last few months at Liguori Publications, we’ve been developing a new parish program designed to help couples prepare for the sacrament of marriage. The program includes a video of interviews with couples. Some have been married a couple of years, some for decades. In each interview, the husband...
By Frank R. Iacono In a spot experience I had awhile ago, I was drawn to see and consider the merits of divine faith in elevating life. On that particular day, I had just about ended my usual visit to a family relation at her nursing residence. Before leaving,...
A story of how one couple follows the example of our risen Lord, even when their pain seems unimaginable. It was the phone call every parent dreads. In the early-evening hours on the last day of 2014, the police called a close friend of mine with tragic news. A driver...
Back in the last century—in the days before mobile devices and the internet, before texting and webcams—my dorm room housed an instrument called a telephone. To keep long-distance calls as inexpensive as possible, my parents devised a signaling routine. I would call home in Springfield from my dorm room in...
Raising a family is hard work. Millions of small decisions make up the balancing act required to create a healthy home life for children. My hat’s off to the women and men who commit their lives to their families. They should take comfort in the Gospel’s reminders that even Jesus...
The theme of this month’s issue—faith-filled women—feels very familiar to me. I’ve been surrounded by faith-filled women my entire life. Maybe you have, too. While my father was an important and devoted presence, my mother and aunt taught me the day-to-day application of my faith. My wife’s quiet and practical...
I have been blessed to have visited many countries: Canada, Mexico, China, Thailand, Germany, and Italy to name a few. My travels have allowed me to experience wonderful and variant cultures. I’ve found that all of humanity yearns for God. And while each person may express his or her need for God in a different...