On Wednesday, Pope Francis alluded to his upcoming message for the Eighth World Meeting of Families by calling this a “critical moment in the history of our civilization.” It is indeed a critical moment in our history, one that needs to be addressed in our families. As the USCCB explains, by definition, “’the family, is… Read More Celebrating the Domestic Church: The Transformative Power of Families

“Terror in the Heartland” read the headline in our morning newspaper 20 years ago. It was sprawled over a full-color photo of a firefighter holding a little girl. That image and headline are burned into my memory. Even though I lived far from Oklahoma City, the terror resonated with my teenage self. People went to… Read More Marathons and Prayer: Moving Forward from Terror

For the Church in the United States, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision marks a day of prayer for the unborn, and Catholics join others in marching for life in the streets. But as we engage in this prayer and protest, it is essential to go back to the basics of what being… Read More Recognizing the Personhood of Unborn Children in Our Daily Actions

Theologians have many explanations for why God sent His Son as a child. For our family, with young children, the practical reasons are clear. When our oldest child was a toddler, I quickly realized how essential the Baby Jesus was to him, as a child himself. Children know about babies. They love to see themselves… Read More The Baby Jesus: Meeting Us Where We Are

Check out Pope Francis’ Message to the Americas for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Tomorrow is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Americas. I would like to greet all my brothers and sisters on that continent, and I do so thinking of the Virgin of Tepeyac. When Our… Read More Pope’s Message to the Americas for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe