“What has happened to me has been the very reverse of what appears to be the experience of most of my friends. Instead of dwindling to a point, Santa Claus has grown larger and larger in my life until he fills almost the whole of it. It happened in this way. As a child I was faced with a phenomenon requiring explanation. I hung up at the end of my bed an empty stocking, which in the morning became a... Read more
Ah, Christmas. A solemn, joyful time of year for Christians, where silent and holy nights are de rigueur and Norman Rockwell springs eternal in the collective unconscious of the American mind. And then it happens…. You try–contrary to what conventional wisdom says about the subject–to go home again. Now, let me state right up front that this article is not for those of you who can’t wait to fly home and reenact your own Currier and Ives Christmas in all... Read more
The following is a guest post by Pastoral Solutions Institute clinical pastoral counseling associate, Dave McClow, MDiv, LCSW, LMFT. The Pope It seems that Pope Francis’ favorite topic is the poor. His new Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of Evangelism, is not even the latest evidence, because every other homily or statement includes the poor. And it is right “the poor are the privileged recipients of the Gospel” (EG, 48). They are the summit in kingdom ethics; they are... Read more
Back in April, I posted a beautiful picture of, then, Cardinal Bergoglio, blessing nursing mothers at a mass for newborns. Yesterday, Pope Francis made a statement of public support for nursing moms and the witness they provide to the Corporal Work of Mercy that is giving food to the hungry. In response to a question on world hunger, Pope Francis said, “There are so many children that cry because they are hungry. At the Wednesday General Audience the other day... Read more
More2Life contributor and IntentionalCatholicParenting.com founder, Kim Cameron-Smith has just posted the latest issue of Tender Tidings. It’s a terrific (and free!) resource for raising awesome, Catholic kids. Check it out! Read more
(This is Part II of the summary of my response to the Preparatory Document for the Extraordinary Synod. For Part I, go here) In part 1 of this series, I looked at the challenge of articulating the uniquely Catholic vision of family life that is spelled out in documents like Gaudium et Spes, Familiaris Consortio, and other post-conciliar documents. In other words, “Should Catholic families be different in some way from other families (other than in the ways we pray... Read more
Recently, I was asked by my bishop to provide a response to the survey in preparation for the 2014 Extraordinary Synod on the Family. Many of the questions in that document have to do with the faithful’s awareness of the practical significance of the Church’s unique vision of marriage and family life as articulated in various post-Vatican II documents (e.g., Gaudium et Spes, Familiaris Consortio, etc). Pope Francis appears to be concerned both with how well the Church is communicating... Read more
It might surprise you coming from a mental health professional, but I’m not a big fan of “self-esteem.” Not that I want anyone to feel badly about themselves. It’s just that what most people think of as “self-esteem” (i.e., telling a child that he is awesome just because he managed to draw breath without tripping over his tongue) isn’t terrifically effective and doesn’t bear terrifically good fruit. But as much as you hear about self-esteem on children’s television and daytime talk shows, psychologists prefer... Read more
A guest blog by Dave McClow, M.Div, LCSW, LMFT, clinical pastoral counseling associate of the Pastoral Solutions Institute. Isn’t it time for a Theology of Masculinity for the New Evangelization? Sparked by Fr. David Vincent Meconi’s, SJ September 2013 editorial in Homiletic & Pastoral Review, I wanted to expand on his questions and comments about the need for a theology of masculinity. Here is part of what he had to say: Provocative and important as Pope Francis’ comments are about... Read more
I saw the movie “Delivery Man” this past weekend. Vince Vaughn plays a meat delivery guy who, 20 years before, paid for his parents’ anniversary trip to Italy by donating sperm to a fertility clinic over 600 times. Due to an administrative error, the clinic overused his “donations” and, as a result, he is the biological father of 533 children who initiate legal action to discover his identity. The movie was cute enough and did its best to be respectful... Read more
Faith on the Couch
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