Every year, come Black Friday, I retire my country radio stations and playlists in favor of Christmas music 24/7. For two and a half months, all I listen to is Christmas music. All I watch are Christmas movies. For two … Continue reading
Holy Days of Obligation. It’s a phrase that many modern Catholics find repugnant. I know plenty of devout Catholics who attend Mass every Sunday, but rarely observe those Holy Days of Obligation (with the exception of Christmas). Many consider the … Continue reading
As many mothers know, caring for an infant can often translate to binge-watching Netflix for hours while your baby eats or sleeps in your arms. I have watched more TV in the past nine and a half months than ever … Continue reading
This past Friday, while we began the transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas in my parents’ house, Andrew and I found ourselves talking about Christmas traditions. While we were dating, and even while we were engaged, we agreed that we would … Continue reading
I spent nine months preparing for John’s arrival. I did my research, compared parenting philosophies, poured over the studies, and finally made my decisions. Sometimes I asked for Andrew’s opinion before committing to a particular practice, but most of the … Continue reading
Last month, I went to my first Office of Youth Ministry meeting at our archdiocesan center. I would have started attending meetings earlier, but I didn’t start getting the invitations until about six months ago. There’s been quite a bit of … Continue reading
Last weekend during Mass, as I listened to the first reading, I was struck by the actions of a faith-filled family in the second book of Maccabees. It was a story that I had heard countless times before, but as … Continue reading
“That moment of blessing, however brief, reminds us of our dependence on God for life; it strengthens our feeling of gratitude for the gifts of creation; it acknowledges those who by their labours provide us with these goods; and it … Continue reading
I remember the exact moment that Andrew learned that he was a father. We had been married for just two weeks, and had only been living together in Maryland for one. We had barely finished unpacking my belongings, and we … Continue reading
The first few weeks of John’s life are mostly a blur now. I have vague memories of those first months with John, but mostly I remember the emotions. I remember feeling overwhelmed in the hospital with so many people in … Continue reading
Love in the Little Things 