Holy Week and Easter were very different this year than in years past, in large part because all of our children have passed the magical age of three and are now old enough to sit through longer (and later) Masses. In years past, my husband and I have split up for the Triduum – one of us would attend Holy Thursday Mass and the other would attend Good Friday. We learned our lesson after a couple of nightmarish experiences spent... Read more
Happy Easter! We traveled with a joyful sorrow through Lent, and here we are on the other side…on the side of tidied hearts and kept promises and reinvigorated faith. I know that sometimes it is so easy to lack enthusiasm for Lent, but as I sit here on Easter Monday, I am thoroughly grateful for it and for the grace I was given as I struggled through it. I’m grateful for the increased discipline it put in my life in... Read more
My self control as I walked through the grocery store yesterday afternoon was remarkable. I was picking up a few things to round out the hearty dinner that we will have tonight before heading to the Princeton Chapel for Holy Thursday Mass. All around me, there were Easter desserts on display. Our grocery store has a gourmet bakery department and people must have been working hard because there are chocolate cakes shaped and decorated like eggs, there are bunnies covered... Read more
The Christian who seeks to live his faith through political action conceived as service, may not adhere, without going against his own beliefs, to ideological systems which oppose – radically or substantially – his Faith and his perception of man. Therefore it is not licit to act in favor of the Marxist ideology with its atheistic materialism, its dialectic of violence, and the way in which that ideology understands individual freedom within collectivity. This same ideology denies any transcendence of... Read more
To be blunt, Holy Week is the time of year where I am most likely to lament my large young family. Taking my 2 year old to Mass is like mom wrestle mania. And whether in Mass or at home, there is very little time for prayerful reflection and focus. I tend to look back on my college days and remember the spiritual wonder of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum, and my current spiritual life seems, well, pathetic compared to that. But it is not pathetic! Having small children and very practical obligations is not something to lament. In fact, this life stage is a time to cherish. Read more
I am so grateful for the practical advice and wisdom that our Holy Father, Pope Francis, shares with us. In his general audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis began a new cycle of catechesis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of God), starting with wisdom. His full message can be found here. Below is an excerpt that I found spoke right into the heart of my daily life as a wife and... Read more
Somewhere in a giant stack of recipes I pulled out this oven-baked paella recipe. It sounded impossible to dump chicken stock on rice and bake it, but it turned out great and would be very easy for a large-ish crowd. We have many friend on different diets, especially gluten-free ones, so I am always looking for something not overly labor intensive for company that everyone can eat. These were the ingredients called for, but you could easily swap out proteins and... Read more
A few days ago, I read a great Lenten reflection by Fr. Robert Barron, and the general gist was as follows: For the homestretch of Lent, try picking both your favorite saint and the saint that you have the hardest time with, and open up your heart and mind to learn something from both of them. I love the latter part of this challenge, which Fr. Barron states much more eloquently than I ever could: “…choose another saint who bothers... Read more
My kids and I love the original version of this song, yes we are all saps, and I appreciate the spirit behind this version put together by some Mormon guys. What do you think? Pre-teen swoon potential for our girls as they learn to treasure their dignity in a broken culture? Or too ironic and silly to convey a delicate message about beauty and virtue? Read more
I’ve died and gone to heaven… Read more
Building Cathedrals
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