image source As a convert, I came into the Church with some misconceptions about what the life of a Catholic women should look like. We didn’t know many Catholics in real life. Our parish even had to rustle up a sponsor for us because we didn’t have any Catholic friends. I think his name was Mike? God bless him, wherever he is. ANYHOW, my perception of Catholic womanhood came from a small … [Read more...]
Liturgical Living at a Glance: September 2016
I’m always trying to figure out how to make it easier for families to observe the Christian Year because we felt so overwhelmed when we first started that journey (which is why we wrote the book we wish we had then). I thought it might be helpful for our family to have resources compiled for the month ahead so that we can plan in advance which special saints days we want to observe and I hope … [Read more...]
Dreaming of that Political Candidate Unicorn
I typically stay away from writing about current events and politics, but this catastrophic election won't leave my mind. Yes, I will lose some readers over this, but I can't help sharing some thoughts. I know if you wait for the perfect candidate who you agree with on every single issue you’ll be waiting forever. I get it. I’m not asking for a saint. I’m not expecting a candidate I can agree … [Read more...]
Is Your Favorite Saint a Gryffindor? The Definitive Guide to Sorting the Saints
Ever wonder whether your patron saint is a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff? I didn’t start to consider it until last week when my friend Haley over at Home to Catholicism brought up sorting saints into Hogwarts houses on Twitter (she’s @bakeorbake over there, folks). But then I couldn't STOP thinking about it, crowdsourced my queries to Facebook, and ended up with the best thread ever. Granted, I’m … [Read more...]
Rajas con Crema: A Simple Liturgical Feast for the Mexican Martyrs
Since Daniel and I starting bringing the liturgical year into our family life one of the things I love most is how celebrating feast days helps us learn about the saints. I had never heard of the Cristero War and the Mexican Martyrs until a couple of years ago. Now two of the brave martyrs of the Cristero War are some of our family's favorite saints: Bl. Miguel Pro and Bl. Jose Sanchez del Rio. I … [Read more...]
New Catholics, Here’s Why I’m So Excited for You
The church was dark but I could see the faces of my children illuminated by the light of their candles, lit from the Paschal candle. And my breath caught in my throat at how beautiful it was. This is the night, sang the priest from the Exsultet, an ancient chant only sung once a year, the night before Easter Sunday. We have the ambitious, some might say foolhardy, tradition of bringing our … [Read more...]
Liturgical Living at a Glance: April 2016
I’m always trying to figure out how to make it easier for families to observe the Christian Year because we felt so overwhelmed when we first started that journey (which is why we wrote the book we wish we had then). I thought it might be helpful for our family to have resources compiled for the month ahead so that we can plan in advance which special saints days we want to … [Read more...]
How to Do Holy Week (And Being Flexible When There Are Kids Involved) {Sponsored}
This post is sponsored by Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles. See the end of this post for a giveaway of their beautiful candles! I can’t believe how quickly Lent is flying by. Does that mean I didn’t make it hard enough for myself? It’s possible. But that’s the great thing about Lent. You can always take note of how it’s going halfway through and ramp up the penitentialness (is that a … [Read more...]
Liturgical Living at a Glance: March 2016
Getting this one out just in the nick of time as March begins! Last week was busy because I went out of town for a night to speak at the Catholic student center in College Station (such great students! So much fun! And a big shout out to Martha who drove in from Huntsville--thanks for being there!) and then Sunday morning I got hit with a stomach flu that, thankfully, was quick to resolve itself … [Read more...]
That Time St. Mary Magdalene Found Me
“But I don’t have a patron saint,” I thought to myself. It was the first night of my lenten retreat and we were encouraged to ask for our patron saint’s intercession for the weekend. In the past few years since my conversion to the Catholic faith, I’ve wanted to have a special friend in heaven, but no one stepped forward. Maybe St. Monica? St. Elizabeth Ann Seton? A mother like me? Someone … [Read more...]
