Diving Deep
by Pat Gohn in Faith on Thursday, July 09, 2009 6:00 AM
(This is the first in a series of bi-weekly articles where catechist Pat Gohn will walk beginners through a study of the Catechism.)
Growing up on Long Island’s beaches, I trained to be a lifeguard. Years of swimming lessons built muscles and stamina to pass the tests. Mastering those skills brought me years of joy and adventure swimming, snorkeling, and sailing in deep water. But I didn’t start out that way. Ocean swimmers learn in steps: wade in, learn the currents, and adjust your stroke to the... READ MORE
Just Mommy and Me
by Karen Edmisten in Family on Wednesday, July 08, 2009 6:00 AM
“Mom,” my daughter recently complained, “we haven’t had our special time for awhile! When can we do it?”
“Special time” conjures thoughts of exhilarating new activities or exotic adventures, doesn’t it? But, at our house, “special time” just might involve buying toilet paper.
My older daughters were nine and six when my youngest was born. After several miscarriages, no one thought another baby was possible and my girls and I had settled comfortably into our routine. Life was relatively quiet and... READ MORE
Why Homeschool?
by Tim Drake in Family on Tuesday, July 07, 2009 6:00 AM
Three years ago, Dean and Kim Walz, of St. Cloud, Minn., began homeschooling their youngest of three daughters because of health issues. At the time, they didn’t know a single homeschooling parent, and thought the effort would be temporary until their daughter’s health improved.
However, the following year, their eldest daughter, Tricia, a sophomore at a local public high school began getting harassed by fellow students and teachers. It came to a head over a test question in health class.
Right... READ MORE
Vacations & Miffed Prophets
by Tom and April Hoopes in Faith on Saturday, July 04, 2009 6:00 AM
(Tom and April Hoopes are co-editorial directors of Faith and Family magazine. In this weekly column, they share family-friendly ways of observing the liturgical year and celebrating the Sunday readings.)
Vacation
Pope Benedict will spend two weeks in July vacationing in the Italian Alps at Les Combes, in the same cabin that he used for vacations in 2005 and 2006.
We’ll be celebrating these two Sundays on the road in a mega vacation that will bring us to Minnesota and the home of Tim Drake, as well... READ MORE
Good Fathers Figure
by Joseph Pronechen in News on Friday, July 03, 2009 6:00 AM
There’s no avoiding it: Dads take a beating in the popular culture. When they’re not portrayed as hopelessly inept, fathers are made out to be crude, ignorant or otherwise loathsome (often in some new, shocking, “envelope-pushing” way).
The Knights of Columbus are out to fight back against the lies with their new, Web-based initiative called Fathers for Good.
“The goal of Fathers for Good is really to restore a positive image of the father and a confidence in the father,” explains the website’s... READ MORE
Hanging With the Dead
by Mountain Butorac in Faith on Thursday, July 02, 2009 6:00 AM
One of the more fascinating and, dare I say, haunting encounters one has while traveling is visiting the relics and incorruptible bodies found in churches throughout the world.
Some are hard to find, such as the incorruptible body of St. Antoninus of Florence. He’s in the far back corner of the Church of San Marco, which is not found in many guidebooks. Others are prominently displayed, like St. John Vianney. With his head tilted slightly as if waiting to hear a confession, he’s above the main... READ MORE
Babies Make Me Feel Close to God
by Simcha Fisher in Family on Wednesday, July 01, 2009 6:00 AM
Have you heard someone coo, “Oooh, babies make me feel so close to God”?
Bleahh.
What the heck is that supposed to mean? Being with a baby makes you feel warm, cozy, gooey, and sentimental—and that’s what divinity means to you? Nuh-uh, as we used to say in second grade.
Don’t get me wrong: I have always liked babies. Even back when I hated everyone, including myself, I could see that being with a baby was a pretty good deal, at least in small doses. They’re adorable, they love you, and you can... READ MORE
Does Motherhood Make You Stupid?
by Kate Wicker in Family on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 6:00 AM
Shortly after the birth of my second daughter, I nearly brushed my teeth with diaper ointment, put a carton of eggs in the pantry and spelled my own last name wrong on an envelope (Wiker instead of Wicker) – and that was a good day.
And I’m not alone in my spacey plight either. I know countless mothers who lament their brain cells exponentially die off as their waistlines widen with pregnancy and that they continue perishing after their babies have arrived on the scene.
But even though diapers... READ MORE
The Last Love Language
by Danielle Bean in Marriage on Monday, June 29, 2009 6:00 AM
My husband hasn’t studied the five love languages. He rarely uses “I feel” statements. And until they start holding them in a boat on a lake during peak bass season, he’s unlikely to attend any kind of “marriage encounter” weekend.
But he is a master communicator.
Case in point: Just the other evening, when our 2-year-old son was clinging to my leg and whining in the kind of piercing pitch that only 2-year-old vocal chords can produce, Dan said to me, “My dear and darling wife, you do so much for... READ MORE
Year of Paul Comes to an End
by Tom and April Hoopes in Faith on Saturday, June 27, 2009 7:00 AM
(Tom and April Hoopes are co-editorial directors of Faith and Family magazine. In this weekly column, they share family-friendly ways of observing the liturgical year and celebrating the Sunday readings.)
Papal
On Sunday, June 28, at 6 p.m. Pope Benedict XVI will preside over the closing of the Year of St. Paul with vespers of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
On Monday, June 29, at 9:30 a.m. he will celebrate the Mass of Sts. Peter and Paul at St.... READ MORE
