The overall theme of this month’s Extraordinary Synod on the Family seems to be this: Catholics stink at being Catholic. No, really, we’re terrible at it. Now what? The specific topic is everything that has to do with family life, marriage residing at the heart of that. It turns out Catholics, like the rest of the world, aren’t any better at marrying than we are at, say, remembering to read the parish bulletin. And yet, weirdly, we still long for... Read more
My daughter is in middle school, and I enjoy going clothes shopping with her. How did such a thing ever come to pass? That’s what I’m writing about this month at CatholicMom.com. Let’s clarify before you click: There is nothing you can do as a parent to take away your child’s free will. Therefore, you can do everything “right” and still have a kid who’s a nightmare to shop with, and who fights with you tooth and nail over your... Read more
For those who are curious about the 2014 Synod of the Family, today’s first reading gives you a preview of what to expect: Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians 1:6-12 Brothers and sisters: I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel (not that there is another). But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should... Read more
(UPDATE: Link fixed.) It just came to my attention that Chris Tollefsen has an essay up at Public Discourse on the case against incest. Those who’ve been reading me for many years know I’m a longtime Tollefsen fan, that’s just the way it is. One reason is that Tollefsen is always getting into arguments on topics I’ve never thought about, and incest would be right up there. My thinking on the subject until about half an hour ago consisted... Read more
Kathy Schiffer has been covering the story of the firing of Barb Webb, a teacher at Marian High School who was dismissed after she became pregnant. The story is much more complicated than that, for as Ms. Webb explains herself, all the other pregnant teachers at Marian don’t get fired. Why are students, parents, alumnae, and faculty up in arms over this event? Because it’s a break with tradition. Nobody minded that Barb Webb was in an active, public lesbian... Read more
I once made a mother cry by telling her it was the vigil of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. I thought I was doing her, and all the other 5th grade religious education parents, a favor. We had failed to account for the feast in making our class schedule. I knew that most of my students would not be able to slip out for a noon Mass on the day, and many had mandatory school activities in the evening.... Read more
You can count on me for news you can use. In this case, free shipping at Equal Exchange on orders containing chocolate. The fine print on the CHOCWEEK Coupon Code: *Offer expires 10/10/14. Free shipping valid on within the contiguous United States only. Valid once per customer, on orders of $25 or more. Orders must contain chocolate products. FYI on the way EE works: You can choose to be a retail or a wholesale customer, doesn’t matter whether you are... Read more
It’s the feast of St. Therese, and I have a serious post coming up some other time. Meanwhile, let us observe that hidden in the word Piety is pie. And when someone says pie, that means chocolate and coffee. We can thus remember that today is the Little Flower’s feast day because it is also the first day of Fall, if by “Fall” what you mean is “when the summer shipping charges at Equal Exchange no longer apply.” We’d been waiting... Read more
Over at Sherry Weddell’s intentional disciples forum, Fr. Guarav Shroff (whose blog you should read) posted a link to an article from the Homiletic & Pastorial Review on The Liturgy and the New Evangelization. It’s worth reading the whole thing, which looks dense and intimidating but isn’t actually that bad if you make yourself a cup of tea and relax while you read. But here’s the quote that is behind the story I’m about to tell you: Without an initial... Read more
At ladies’ Bible study this past week we were talking about our prayer lives, and one of the moms worried that with small children in tow, she just wasn’t “getting much out of Mass.” This is a common worry, but it’s unfounded. Yesterday as I watched the mom in front of me do her best with a pair pew-scramblers, I was reminded of the three genuine spiritual benefits that can only be had by bringing wiggly, noisy, naughty children to... Read more
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