“ where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” Romans 5:20
God’s love and mercy knows no bounds. He invites us to come frequently to the Sacrament of Confession to be healed and strengthened. Check out these resources for making a good confession.
Read MoreReprinted with Permission, Catholic Education Resource Center
And when we stop praying, that's when things begin to go wrong.
You and I were created for prayer. Life is about learning how to pray. If the very purpose of human life is to know God and love God in eternity, then the purpose of life is prayer.
And the more we pray, the happier we become. The more we pray, the less anxious we become, and we are filled with a greater peace of mind and heart. The more we pray, the more we understand ourselves, for we come to know God more intimately, by experience and we really only know ourselves to the degree that we know God personally. The more we pray, we begin to see the hand of God in our day to day life, that is, we see Him acting in our life. We begin to see that He loves us, personally. That makes life so much more meaningful.
Read MoreSo much to teach our children, and so quickly the years go by. As a parent, the responsibility can at times feel overwhelming. The math, the reading, the sports and activities all contribute to the development of our children and have value and importance. But there is that One thing or more precisely the One Person that supersedes all other lessons in value.
Read MoreRecently, my five year old announced that he wanted a different haircut. The minimalist, efficient buzz-cut given to him by his mother was no longer sufficient. He instead wanted a longer, more shapely cut so he could wear his hair like mine.
Read MoreNo one else can do your part in God’s Divine plan. You were born for this day. You were born for this time.
Read MoreHelpful and timely advice for you and your loved ones.
Allison Ricciardi is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in New York, in practice since 1990. In 2001 Allison founded CatholicTherapists.com, the web’s #1 resource connecting Catholics with faithful Catholic therapists. She is also the director of The Raphael Remedy which offers counseling, coaching and wellness support from an authentically Catholic perspective.
Read MoreThese are unprecedented times. We are praying for all families. We trust that the Lord will sustain us and draw our families closer to him and one another. The Lord reminds us . . .
“A three-ply cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
We trust that the Lord will sustain our families and draw us closer to him and to one another.
Read MoreNever before have we experienced a Lent or Holy Week like this. We may be separated as a community but spiritually we can be very powerfully connected through prayer and observance of Holy Week in our homes. The Lord knows our sacrifices, our sorrows and our fears. He knows our hopes and our joys. Let us gather as a community and offer our prayers and sacrifices from wherever we are at. We are united in the Lord.
Read MoreAs a Church family, we’re witnesses to the beauty of life, even in the midst of life’s messiness: caring for sick family members, puzzling over our family budget, rushing to get to hockey practice, shushing our toddlers at Mass. (Go on, admit it - I’ve done my share of shushing.) God calls us to affirm life’s goodness in the midst of a skeptical culture. That sounds tough to do, when the skepticism takes the form of seeing abortion as a “right.”
We can do it.
Read MoreFirst, let’s take a look at the definition for the word Dignity.
1 the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect
origin Middle English: from Old French dignete, from Latin dignitas, from dignus 'worthy'.
And now, let’s look at the meaning of the word Manners.
Read MorePray that your home may be a peaceful haven where the presence of Christ is felt.
Teach your children and model hospitality of the heart by being by being friendly and treating all those we come in contact with respect and dignity –especially those within our own families!
Read MoreFor the past six months I have spoken with many parents, young people, and couples about the dangers of the internet and technology. More directly, I have been speaking to them about the danger of internet pornography. Pornography poses a grave threat to individuals, couples and families, and society.
Read MoreShare this inspiring message from Fr. Matt Mason, Diocese of NH Vocation Director, with the young men in your lives. We need good, holy priests!
Read MoreEvery vocation is born of sacrifice, is maintained by sacrifice, and is measured in the apostolate by the sacrifice of those whom God calls to the priesthood or the religious life. This should not be surprising, once we realize that it was by His sacrifice that Christ redeemed the world.
Read MoreWhether it is a toddler who wants to carry his father's tools as he works around the house, or the six-year-old who insists on accompanying dad on his errands, early on, boys obtain their idea of masculine behavior from their father.
Read More....Christ came to earth and died on the cross, not so that we could avoid death and suffering, but so that he could transform the inevitability of death and suffering from the inside out. By communion with him, by participation in his cross, we could receive eternal life.
Read MoreFr. Mike Schmitz, in this 6 min. video, talks on suffering as sharing in a "sliver of the cross".
Read MoreWhen we speak of politeness we may think of something that can be easily learned from reading an etiquette book. Such may be the case with simple, isolated behaviors like selecting the proper fork or keeping one's elbows off the table. But true politeness requires more. For it is the mirror of a person's heart and soul – it is an outward expression of inner virtue. And inner virtue is best learned through constant practice and examples
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