In my Sunday School class there’s a little girl who doesn’t say much…ever. When I ran into her at the grocery store after Ash Wednesday, I asked what she was giving up for Lent. She whispered, “All sweets and all desserts.” That’s a tough commitment in the modern world—and she’s only eight years old! Then […]
Part 1 of 2 of the Mysteries of Lent My son will be confirmed in April. In writing a letter to the bishop to apply for this sacrament he wrote, “I’m proud to be Catholic because the Church speaks up for Truth. We Catholics know why we were made. God made us to know Him, […]
The Power Season Lent is the Power Season. It’s the time to rein in all those straying practices…the “pig out” tendency, the munchies tendency, the “grouchy ‘til 4 cups of coffee” tendency, the “I’ll pray later” tendency. It’s our time to feel the power of true Love. When my daughter was learning to ride horses, […]
Although the liturgical calendar doesn’t celebrate New Year’s Day per se, we are often exhorted to “put on the new man.” In Ephesians 4:24, St. Paul tells us to assume a new nature as Christians. This is not a trifling change we are called to make. The Apostle doesn’t say “put on a new garment” […]
Father Larry’s Cat This is our babies’ First Christmas. “How sweet,” you say. Well, not really… That’s because one “baby” is a cat named Freckle. The fat cat fights with baby #2, an overgrown puppy. Between the two of them we have Christmas troubles. Freckle came to us on the fourth of July. Independence Day […]
To me, Advent is a time of Love, Joy, Family, Friends, and Jesus. It is more than just purple candles and flip-open paper calendars. This Catholic celebration is more than 2000 years old and is filled with tradition and spiritual meaning for all of us to partake in. But why is it so special? The […]
The month of November is a great time to focus on gratitude. I teach my Sunday School students to learn this phrasing from Psalm 136: “We give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever!” It’s good to remind kids every day about how much we have to be grateful for. […]
In my Religious Formation classes we spend most of October talking about saints. The saints lived out the Gospel message of love and devotion in different ways. They weren’t perfect people. Many, like St. Augustine, didn’t turn away from a sinful lifestyle until later in their lives. What the saints all have in common is […]
By Judith Costello When we think of “vacation” we often imagine heading for the beach or the mountains to relax and unwind, while the kids are pleasantly occupied with new outdoor distractions. But sometimes, what we really need is “soul liberation!” Our souls, perhaps more than our bodies, need the opportunity to SOAR by experiencing […]
This is the Alleluia Season! Fifty days after Easter we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This is also considered the unofficial birthday of our Church. It is at this time that many parishes also celebrate Confirmation, as young people receive the Sacrament that brings them the special help of the Spirit. […]
I wrote a letter for my students as they prepare for First Communion. When my own children were preparing for the first reception of the Eucharist, I wrote something similar for them. It is my hope that parents and Sunday School teachers will copy this and give it to this year’s First Communion class. My […]
Palm Sunday—King or Servant? He is the Glorious Servant King! Change is a challenge isn’t it? Let me tell you about our donkey and horse by way of example. Three weeks ago, we changed the morning routine in our barnyard asking the horse and donkey to exit their stalls from the other side of the […]
It’s hard to imagine what it was like for Mary. She was young and newly betrothed when she said “yes” to becoming the virgin mother of our Lord. Though she had an immaculate soul and had consecrated her life to God, it didn’t mean she could see into the future, anymore than any mom can […]
Ireland twinkles like a green jewel—it is truly an Emerald Isle! I went there right out of college to explore my roots. And I had to hold my breathe looking out at the beauty of that landscape. I also couldn’t help but love the leprechaun-like character of the people. In Ireland, every chance meeting is […]
My daughter, Brigit, calls herself a true “carnivore.” She’d rather eat meat than candy. She’d rather eat good red meat than anything else. So “Fish Fridays” are hard for her and for many of her friends. Last year, at this time, she begrudgingly went along when it was time to go to the grocery store […]
I was sure we were low on flour. And I don’t like going to the cupboard to bake something—which is usually at the last minute because Peter says, “I have to bring a snack to class tonight”—only to find there’s not enough flour for the recipe. So I brought home a ten-pound sack of high-quality […]
A long time ago a poor family prepared to celebrate Christmas. There was no money for a Christmas tree or special decorations because the father of the house was out of work. There wasn’t even enough money to pay the heat bills and it was a cold winter that year. Still the mother said, “Children […]
I suspect there are thousands of ways to stuff a turkey. I’ve been looking for a new recipe since my kids aren’t fond of the celery, onion & butter variety that my mother made throughout my childhood. At our house, we’ve tried stuffing with apples, walnuts, bacon and oatmeal. We’ve tried different spices and different […]
