“I’ve done a lot of funerals, and I’ve never seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul.” – Father Bruce H. Living simply is a stirring in my soul. Among the methods to pare down one’s possessions and activities, there is one that transcends cultural fads and speaks to the heart of …

While at a friend’s house just a few days ago, we were chatting about supporting our kids’ spiritual lives when she called over her nine-year-old son. “Trent, what’s your goal in life?” “To be with Jesus in Heaven,” Trent replied, timid at having an audience. Conversing further with him revealed …

I’m an aspiring world traveler. In 2018 I ached to just go: hop on a plane bound for somewhere I had never been to become steeped in a foreign experience. I wanted to see more of God’s creation than offered by my backyard. But beyond that, I wanted to discover …

I have one living grandparent. My mother’s father is a spry 97-year-old who still makes the trip between his home in New York and his sisters’ home county of Donegal, Ireland. The stories he tells are a charming weave of Irish exaggeration and straight facts, though it’s occasionally hard to …

“Prayer is a launching of the heart toward God.” – St. Thérèse of Lisieux I have a front row seat to intense suffering these days. A friend just delivered a stillborn son. Another friend’s husband was laid off just months after they moved out of state for his job. Still …

My husband and I were exchanging ideas—sweets, alcohol, eating between meals. What to give up for Lent? On Easter I want to experience the deep, abiding joy offered through Christ’s victory over death, which I know calls for a sacrifice that asks a lot of me. As I opened my …

She was 19 years old when she found out she was pregnant. Afraid of disappointing her parents, Sarah (name changed to protect identity) and her boyfriend decided to abort their child. “We were in quick and then the baby was gone,” she said, “and it was something I never talked …

by Katie Sciba On the morning of June 24, 2022, the long prayed-for overturn of Roe v. Wade came to pass, dissolving federal protection for abortion and moving its regulation to the states. It’s a giant step in the right direction, although abortion remains prevalent across the U.S., including in …

“Oh Lizzie, it’s such a pleasure to run my own home!” My favorite line from Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice film is delivered with joyful zeal by Mrs. Charlotte Collins. A new bride in 2008, I was dripping with Charlotte’s same joy. I put flowers on the mantle, made everything …

On Saturday mornings Gary DeFosse, 82, visits his local YMCA. Three times a week he swims or lifts, and he presently serves as a lifeguard. “The Y doesn’t have as many lifeguards as they need, so I volunteered,” he said. “They said my age doesn’t matter if I can complete …