Today we celebrate the feast of the mother of one of the Church’s most celebrated saints. St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine (whose feast day is tomorrow), prayed unceasingly for the conversion of her famous son, and, as we all know, was happily obliged by Our Lord. Not only that, but her husband, Patricius, a pagan with a terrible temper, … Read More
How Do You Respond to the Cross?
The post I did yesterday reminds me of one of the meditations on my annual retreat this year. During one of his homilies, Father noted that on the day Jesus died there were three different reactions to the cross: 1. The bad thief who rebelled against it 2. The good thief who was merely resigned to it and 3. Christ … Read More
A Prayer for Families
The family is a community of persons and the smallest social unit. As such it is an institution fundamental to the life of every society. (JP II, Letter to Families, 17) Today is the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, wonderful patrons for all families! Parents of Mary, pray for all parents that they may provide the loving home and … Read More
TOB Tuesday: The Golden Sea
Drawing inspiration from the song 31 Flavors by Trevor Hall and his upcoming wedding anniversary, Theology of the Body speaker/teacher Bill Donaghy has a delicious reflection the true meaning and purpose of earthly marriage: “Tell me how many songs that I must sing before I can see you in your glory, hear your whole entire story, bathe inside your golden, … Read More
Songs From a Mommy’s Heart
Rebecca Byrons Donaghy, wife of Theology of the Body speaker, and friend of mine, Bill Donaghy, has a new CD out called Expecting Grace: Songs From a Mommy’s Heart. Her description: Songs written from a place of longing before I was a Mommy, in mourning upon the loss of our precious children and in celebration of the infinite gift of … Read More
R.I.P. Pietro Molla
Pietro Molla, widower of Gianna Molla, a canonized saint, died on Holy Saturday last weekend at the age of 97. Coincidentally, it was on Holy Saturday that Gianna Emanuela, the child whom St. Gianna gave up her life for, was born in 1962. Of course his wife is one of the greatest, modern-day witnesses of love and suffering, but for … Read More
Marriage Sustains Love
Last weekend I went out for drinks with several girlfriends of mine – a very rare occurrence in my life, these days! I am blessed to still be friends with several girls I have known since childhood and high school and it’s always nice to get together and see how everyone’s grown – one of the biggest transitions these days … Read More
No Greater Love
This article by Peter Hitchens, on his conversion to Christianity and relationship with his brother, atheist author Christopher Hitchens, is a must read! A good bit: For a moral code to be effective, it must be attributed to, and vested in, a non-human source. It must be beyond the power of humanity to change it to suit itself. Its most … Read More
‘God Said Multiply, and Did She Ever’
“If you leave a child or grandchild, you live forever.” Requiescat in pace, Yitta Schwartz. From the New York Times: WHEN Yitta Schwartz died last month at 93, she left behind 15 children, more than 200 grandchildren and so many great- and great-great-grandchildren that, by her family’s count, she could claim perhaps 2,000 living descendants. Mrs. Schwartz was a member … Read More
TOB Tuesday: Sex+God=Freedom!
In the name of freedom sex has very little to do with God or spirituality for people in our modern society. Heck, oftentimes it’s even devoid of any kind of real love or emotion! They consider themselves sexually free who see sex as nothing more than a physical sort of recreational activity and don’t let little things like God or … Read More