Yet certain temporal consequences of sin remain in the baptized, such as suffering, illness, death, and such frailties inherent in life as weaknesses of character, and so on, as well as inclination to sin that Tradition calls concupiscence, or metaphorically, “the tinder for sin” (fomes peccati); since concupiscence “is left for us to wrestle with, […]

I’ve been thinking a lot about “stuff” lately, not the heavy “stuff” as in pondering the mystery of life, but rather the physical “stuff” that seems to be overflowing my house. Whether I want to be or not, I am definitely at the acquiring stage of life. Much of that has to do with my […]

The beginning of this year brought the exciting news that our family would be expecting another child. This summer, as my three boys and husband looked on, we saw, with the help of an ultrasound, that we would be having our fourth boy.
Throughout my pregnancy thus far, I have received many interesting questions and comments […]

I got a note from a young mom the other day. She’s in her mid-20s, with four children and she’s really got me thinking. I told her that I think she is a lot like me. She wants to do the very best she can with her husband, her children and her home. She wants to […]

Only one miracle of Jesus is recorded in all four gospels — the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.
I once heard a homilist give what he said was the real meaning of the story: the people in the crowd took out food they were hiding under their cloaks and shared it.  Jesus’ preaching inspired the […]

God has a rather funny way of showing us that a little can go a long way.
A few days before writing this, I was eating dinner with some parishioners and discussing last-minute details regarding World Youth Day. I left early because of a pain in my side. Less than an hour later I was in […]

I recently had the chance to read the finished galley copy of Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s latest book, The Domestic Church, Room by Room. This incredible text illustrates for all Catholics the need not only to practice the faith on Sunday mornings in our parish communities, but also in every aspect of our personal and domestic […]

My five-year-old son has decided he no longer needs a mother. He tells me this almost every day. Of course, I can see the humor in the situation as he stands there telling me “I can take care of myself” while he has his clothes on backward and still needs me to pour his milk […]

“If we are what we eat,” asks Abbot Placid Solari, OSB, “then do we really want to ’super-size it’?” 
So begins a one-minute episode of The One-Minute Monk, which premiered on Catholic radio across the nation in June and July.  In short segments of just sixty seconds, Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey (a 132-year […]

I have never been afraid of the dentist, not even as a little kid.
That’s not to say I always look forward to going to the dentist — it’s just that I had so much dental work done to me from a very young age that I suppose I’m just accustomed to strangers having their hands […]

“Liberal” and “conservative.”  The definitions of these terms are seldom stated.  Usually they are just presumed.  Often people call “conservative” those who like old-fashioned things and “liberal” those who favor the latest ideas, trends, and values.
But, for the Christian, the ultimate question is not personal preferences of style, or whether something is old or avant […]

When we say that the Church is “catholic,” we mean that she is “universal.” Our Lord uses the image of the dragnet to indicate the universal character of His Church: “The kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind” (Mt 13:47). Of course, “Catholic” (capital “C”) […]

July 25, 2008 marks the 40th anniversary of one of the most eloquent and (in some circles) controversial of encyclicals, Humanae Vitae. Penned by Pope Paul VI shortly after the convocation of the Second Vatican Council, this letter examined the Church’s ongoing teaching on the purpose of marriage within the natural order of God’s design. […]

This week’s gospel (Matthew 13:24-33) has Jesus telling the parable of the wheat and the weeds. A man went out and sowed his seeds of good wheat. While he was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. The wheat and the weeds then grew up together until the time came for harvest, […]

In college, I suffered the malady of a broken heart. Actually, it was more like a demolished heart. It was a terrible breakup and for awhile I didn’t think I’d ever be able to piece back together the shards of my shattered self. I felt sad, unlovable as well as angry, for a long, long […]

I ran into an old acquaintance at a party last weekend. It had been about a year since I’d last seen her and I was delighted to meet her again. She’s always been a warm woman, who seemed to love to play with my babies. So, I was a bit — ahem — surprised at […]

At one time or another, we’ve all dreamed of a perfect world.  Imagine a company where everyone is productive, a government full of honest politicians, a church where all are saints.
Dreaming about such things is natural; expecting such things is dangerous.  Unrealistic expectations lead to discouragement, despair, even cynicism.  That would be bad enough.  But […]

“God bears with imperfect beings even when they resist His goodness. We ought to imitate this merciful patience and endurance. It is only imperfection that complains of what is imperfect. The more perfect we are, the more gentle and quiet we become toward the defects of other people.” Bishop Francois de Fenelon, the archbishop of […]

When I was a young adult there was a wildly popular book about dressing for career success.  It spawned many copycat books, all proclaiming the benefits of proper attire for everything from boardrooms to schoolrooms.  The premise was that your clothes were the first impression others had of you, and consequently had a great impact […]

As a child, I loved to collect rocks. I can remember walking down the street with my father, picking up specimens to bring home. I would spend hours studying them and sorting them and placing them in the special box I kept them in. They were my treasures! Fast-forward twenty-something years. I admit, I haven’t […]

I took my youngest children to the pool the other day.  I was wearing the bathing suit I had purchased new last year, and I was also wearing my newer, cute, matching sleeveless cover-up. The suit is brown (’the new black’, I had been told by the salesgirl) and white patterned on top. The bottom […]

“Run, run, run” said the automobile, and we ran. “Run for your life. Take to your heels…. Foolish school of fish on wheels…” - James Taylor
Hmm. I am guilty of this. I move too fast, even in the summa’time! I get up early, my mind swimming through a swarm of ideas. In the words of […]

I’ve always loved gardening.  Seeds I’ve planted include carrot, cucumber, and of course, zucchini.  In each case, I’ve planted seeds in neat rows, expecting nearly all of them to sprout and yield fruit.
But the farmer in Jesus’ parable (Mat 13:1-23) uses the broadcast method.  Lots of seed cast everywhere.  And predictably, many of these seeds […]

Most versions of the Bible depict this week’s Gospel passage as the “Parable of the Sower” or the “Parable of the Seed.” These titles focus the readers’ attention upon Our Lord (the sower) or the seed (the Word of God). While this focus on Our Lord and God’s Word is always appropriate, we also know […]

I’m a big fan of dark chocolate so it was with great delight that I embraced the news of dark chocolate’s anti-oxidant properties.  That was all I needed to hear in order to justify my personal intake of the wonderful substance.  Once it began being used as a cover for such things as raisins and […]

My sister is a Discalced Carmelite nun. For more than 30 years she has remained within the walls of a cloistered monastery living an austere and joyous life of prayer, sacrifice and community life centered on Jesus Christ and in imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Everyone asks me why. Why does she live such a […]

Just the thought of summer fast-approaching could bring thoughts of rest and relaxation to mind. We may recall the lazy days of summer during our youth. Summer may also mean anticipated excitement and adventure: exploring new places or trying new things.
Some families plan escapes to beaches and paradise vacations, while others may stay home and […]

When I teach spelling to my home-schooled kids, I always begin by presenting them with a basic spelling rule with a list of examples.  For instance, the basic rule of making words plural is to add an ’s.’  Words like dogs, forts, balls, trees, and rainbows follow this rule. After that, I teach them how […]

I once knew a woman who called herself “a recovering Catholic.”  It seems that as a child, she was taught a religion that was all about guilt.  Impossible demands were placed on her requiring strenuous efforts that were doomed to frustration.  Turn the other cheek.  Don’t even think about romantic flings.  Love your enemies.
Attempting this […]

There has been at least one occasion in my life when I successfully played the matchmaker. A few years before I was ordained, I introduced one of my housemates to a girl I knew from college. They went on to get married, and I have since baptized their daughter.
All I really did, though, was get […]

I can say with a fair amount of certainty that my children, now aged 20, 18, and 16, did not see the rules and regulations imposed upon them as they grew up as providing freedom.  Like most kids, and even many adults, they saw the restrictions I placed upon them as enslaving them, as preventing […]

As parents, we have the primary responsibility to raise our children in the Catholic faith. They will learn how to be Catholic by the way that we live our lives and the way that we model Christian behavior through prayer, almsgiving, and service to others. One certainly does not to be a great scholar to […]

Cable news crews race to hurricanes. They show live updates: water  swirling, trees bent, and wind knocking loose items behind the reporter, who is trying not to fall on his backside.
The hurricane floods coastal cities. Buildings collapse. Some residents retreat, while a few stalwart souls remain. When they are lucky, they survive.
Our world is now […]

For a homeschooling mother like myself, time is a precious commodity, so it is vital for me to make the most of my time.  Yet I have found that rushing around in a frantic daze is not the most efficient method, even if it seems so on a short-term basis.
Busy as I am, I have […]

“Who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16:15). Our Lord asks this question of all His disciples. The “you” here is plural: “Who do you all say that I am?” Yet, even though He asks the question of all, only one man speaks. Only St. Peter confesses the faith: “You are the Messiah, the […]

“Self” magazine is certainly a sign of the times.  This is an age when it is socially acceptable to admit that life is all about me.
But selfishness is nothing new.  Ever since Eve bit into the apple, human beings have made the choice to dethrone God and put in His place the unholy trinity of […]

As many of the regular Catholic Exchange visitors may have noticed, there is a book quietly calling for your attention in a number of different spots on the site. The book is Letters to Luke by Joe Holoubek and I recently enjoyed both reading the book and having Dr. Holoubek’s daughter, Martha, participate in the online […]

This afternoon and evening I watched the U.S. diving and gymnastics trials for the Olympics coming up in August. These young people have spent their entire lives working and preparing for this moment. They have gone over every move thousands of times. They have focused and trained and they and their parents have sacrificed to get […]

Last year, I planted roses. I planted two varieties, six bushes in all. Three of the bushes were white roses called John Paul II. The other three were Our Lady of Guadalupe roses — beautiful pink roses that bloomed abundantly until the first week in December.
I had been warned by experienced gardeners that growing roses […]

Ah, summertime.  The season of warmth and outdoor activities.  It is a time for families to re-connect after months of school-driven schedules, a time for everyone to enjoy a different pace of life.  Barbeques.  Bike rides.  Gardening.  Afternoons at the beach.  It is good and refreshing to have this change of rhythm. 
It is Ordinary Time […]

Father’s Day invited us to ask a very important question — what does it mean to call God “Father?”  Most of the great religions of the world believe in one God and teach the gist of the ten commandments.  But that the Supreme Being is not just “King of the Universe” or “Master” but “Father,” […]

Do you ever feel living your Christian faith is like fighting a battle? Do you feel constantly attacked from the world around you and perhaps from within as well? Do you feel worn out, almost ready to give up? The Scriptures this week address the reality of being persecuted because of our faith in God.
Jeremiah, […]

Although there are very few things that people would agree upon, it would seem safe to say that we would all agree that there is no shortage of evil acts in our world today.  And although that statement could be said, literally, at any point in human history, televised wars, executions, and kidnappings bring these […]

My older son David (age 7) has always been very fearful. He somehow got an extra dose of the “cautious” gene. This can be a good thing. After all, I feel fairly confident that he will never decide that racing his car or jumping out of airplanes is a good idea. When his fear stands […]

Maybe it’s the fact that summer is here, or that school is finished, or the fact that at 6:31 this morning it was already 89 degrees, but I’m going back to my salad days for this reflection. Let’s talk about rope swings!
Ah yes, I remember it well… The year was 1980-something, and the summer broke over […]

At Christmas, my aunt gave me a quilt my great-grandmother made.  It’s unlike anything else I own, aside from this hundred-year-old farmhouse.  It was made at a time when quilting was different than it is now, when sewing machines were a luxury, not a necessity, and quilting by hand was a thing of beauty and […]

In St. Matthew’s recounting of the calling of the Twelve Apostles, he provides us with the names of the men chosen by Christ to be His most intimate friends and to whom He would give the authority to lead the Church. While we may be familiar with most, if not all, of the names of […]

When people meet me and find out that I’m a Catholic theologian, it does not take long before they pop the question: “Why doesn’t the Catholic Church let women and married men be priests?”
Now the fun begins.  “There must be some mistake,” I respond.  “The Catholic Church has had female and married priests from the […]

Faith is an interesting thing.  I guess it is like a vitamin or a locked door.  We believe it is at work but aren’t necessarily interested in testing it out, so to speak.  In taking a daily multi-vitamin I may fathom great things going on in my body, defenses being shored up and repairs taking […]

On June 1, 2008, at his weekly Angelus address, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged Catholics to “renew devotion to the Sacred Heart of Christ in the month of June.” The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a symbol of both His divinity and humanity. The Pope reflected that “from the infinite horizon of his love, in fact, […]