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Family
The power of our presence to one another
Here we go again, I thought to myself as I entered the care facility to visit “Margaret,” the woman to whom I was assigned to visit as a volunteer with a local hospice organization. I drew a breath, said a quick prayer, knocked on the door,…
‘Wasting time’ as a family
You have probably heard it said that kids spell love T-I-M-E. Most of us know instinctively that this is true. But knowing doesn’t necessarily make it easy to put into practice. Time is the one thing most of us claim to lack, no matter…
Coping with unemployment: ‘Be not afraid’
The Catholic Church has always extolled the virtue and dignity of work. Popes have written about it. Catholic social teaching explains the theological foundation of it. We even have a patron saint for workers in St. Joseph. So what are we…
‘Love begins at home’
In 1977 my mom and dad took me and my younger sister to see the original Star Wars movie on the big screen at Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which housed a new theater that had just opened a few months earlier. I was almost 7 years…
Expressing anger appropriately in our modern age
Whenever an injustice befalls us, it’s natural for anger to surface. Think of the times you have experienced betrayal, deception, or some type of misunderstanding. It’s not an emotion we’re comfortable with, especially as Catholic…
A Catholic response to suicide
The severity of the suicide epidemic in the United States is a public health issue. What causes it, how to understand it, and how to prevent it has become a more common conversation, and yet suicide still remains a complex, sensitive, and…
Connection and joy: An antidote for the winter blues
The winter months aren’t always kind to us, and the months of January and February are the most notorious for snatching joy right out of our hands and hearts. And that’s just for “normal” folks. But additionally, according to Psychology…
New Year’s resolutions for the Catholic family
It’s that time of year again. Time to make a list of resolutions for the new year and forget about them before the month of January comes to an end. Or at least that’s how it usually goes for me. No matter what your resolutions are, if you…
Managing grief during the holidays
Grief has no timeline. There are moments in which memories of our deceased loved ones flicker in both the mind and heart, unexpectedly and unbidden. Our calendar years are peppered with these intense emotions of heartbreak and tenderness,…
Be gracious and hospitable this Christmas
SPICY-SWEET BOURBON PECANS Does the thought of the approaching holidays fill you with panic? If so, you are not alone. December can be a particularly chaotic time for most families. There’s shopping, school holiday events, office Christmas…
