“The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything.” – Julian of Norwich
We make messes of our lives at times. Sometimes, the mess gets so big that we are at a loss for how to clean it up. We find ourselves overwhelmed by the muck. We’re not alone in this. Moses killed a man. David committed adultery and had his lover’s husband killed. Peter denied Christ. If God wanted shiny, perfect people, he sure did a poor job of choosing his biblical leaders.
Yes, bringing children to mass, especially young children, is a struggle. If you are like me or have kids like mine, it is often a humiliating struggle. I hope to convince you that entering this struggle is not only worth it, but actually an essential part of our call as parents.
Confession time: I want this site to be great. I want it to be meaningful, but also real, and fun. This past week, I let my excitement get ahead of me, and my daughter paid the price. I scheduled a “cooking with kids” post for a few weeks before Easter. It was going to…
Is there such a thing as "too early" to start loving Jesus? I don't think so either. One of the best ways to start nurturing this relationship is to help our kids encounter Jesus in the Mass. Of course, even adult Catholics must admit that Mass is not the most user-friendly experience. It takes a…
If I stop to slow down and pay attention, I do hear God's call, right in the middle of the clatter of dishes going back into the cupboards (when my husband puts them away, because, yet again, I was too tired). The mission to love in this vocation is a series of simple choices, and hearing God's call is as easy as taking a moment to breathe in awareness of the purpose in my actions. Each small choice to care for our home and my family is the choice of love. Each time I choose to set aside my own weariness to play with my baby or encourage my husband, in a small way, I mimic Christ's self-sacrifice on the cross. And when I take the time to offer myself as gift to my loved ones, I enjoy the gift of love, of life fully lived. Resurrection dawns in my heart, and the beauty of this vocation outshines its difficulties.
God was offering me a glimpse of what he feels for us when we turn away from him in moments of fear, of shame, of self-loathing. The isolation of sin is self imposed. If only we would turn to God, we would see the face of love. Like the father in the story of the prodigal son, he waits and watches for us to come to home. Our capacity to receive his mercy is contingent only on our own willingness to turn and embrace it.
