I always get irritated when I read the Gospel story about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. (John 11:1-45). Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, they let him know his friend was sick. And yet, Jesus didn’t come.
Jesus allowed Lazarus to die. And then, two days too late, Jesus decided to mosey on in.
Too late, Jesus.
You should have been here days ago.
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I woke up and got dressed in my Sunday Best, to watch Mass on a computer screen in my living room.
Then I looked at my calendar and realized: It’s Laetare Sunday.
It’s time to rejoice.
I decided to change into a pink dress for Laetare Sunday. And as I changed, I thought:
It sure is a strange time for rejoicing.
We’re in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic… our state has shut down… we’re quarantined inside our house, our daily routines are completely disrupted… and we are called to rejoice.
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Masses are being cancelled.
Catholics are suddenly unable to receive the Eucharist – and in certain places, even Confession.
It comes as a hard blow.
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Lent is the penitential season before Easter.
It’s a time when we reflect on our Lord’s Passion, and unite ourselves to his suffering.
But how much do you really know about the season of Lent?
Take this Catholic Trivia quiz and find out!
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This post contains affiliate links and products I received in exchange for an honest review.
Children learn a lot through play.
We have our favorite open-ended toys, like Legos, pretend kitchen, Playmobil (castles and princesses), and more.
But I also love to fill our house with holy toys!
Some we keep in our prayer space. Others we keep with the general toys to encourage frequent use, still others we reserve for use ONLY during Mass or Adoration – so they have the feel of something special.
Here’s a collection of our favorite Catholic toys!
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This post is sponsored by Annunciation Designs. She sent me the “Future Saint” Mass Activity Cards in exchange for an honest review.
Parenting pre-schoolers is one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in my life.
I admire mothers who enjoy every moment of parenting their preschool aged children. Who see the beauty of the way they think, the way they play, the way they seek independence.
For me, it’s an incomprehensible challenge.
Especially when it’s time to bring them to Mass.
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This post is sponsored by Farris Creations. She sent me a Church Box in exchange for my honest review.
Pretend play is one of the best ways for kids to learn.
When they pretend, they enter so fully into the story that sometimes lines blur between imagination and reality.
As parents, we need to keep this in mind, and encourage wholesome pretend play. And even better, we can encourage holy pretend play.
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We called him Pappas.
He was my dad’s dad. A father of 13 children and 30-something grandchildren.
He used to walk every day.
It was a heavy-footed, sometimes labored, stomp. Head down, determined, dedicated. Round and round his indoor pool when the weather was bad, or around the lake when the sun was shining.
And in his hands, he held his “beads.”
His Rosary beads.
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Virtues are the building blocks of a holy life. They’re the characteristics of how our relationship with Jesus is played out daily.
Virtue is tied up in our spiritual life.
So, don’t try to be virtuous for the sake of self-improvement.
Instead, try to practice virtue for the sake of growing closer to Christ, for the sake of being more like Him, whom we’re made in the image of.
“The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.”
– CCC 1803 quoting St. Gregory of Nyssa
Here’s the deal… I’m not a pro at virtue. I love studying them because I desire so much to grow in them.
So today, I’m going to introduce you to each of the theological and cardinal virtues, but I’m also going to draw on the wisdom of other bloggers who’ve been so amazing to share their knowledge and experience with us!
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This year we’ve got 80 kids in the mix for Valentine’s day.
That’s right, 80 kids!
It’s incredible, really.
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