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Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Catholic Momcast | Lenten plans
Maria Morera Johnson and Allison Gingras discuss their Lenten plans. To listen to this week's podcast, simply hit "play" above, or subscribe in iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.
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Marriage | St. Valentine's Day | catholic family life
Catholic Mom contributor, Laura Vazquez Santos, reflects on how small acts of respect, sacrifice, and tenderness teach children what real, Christ-centered love looks like. February always arrives dressed in red and pink, with Cupid’s arrow carrying heart-shaped chocolates and the gentle pressure to make one day in the year especially romantic. The world tells us that Valentine’s Day is the height of love and that flowers, dinner reservations, perfectly filtered photos, and grand gestures meant to sweep someone off their feet are the epitome of love. And while those gestures can be sweet and absolutely part of a healthy marriage, they are only the faintest echo of what Christian love is meant to look like. For Catholic spouses, Valentine’s Day is not a single calendar event. It is a vocation lived moment by moment, a daily choice. It is the quiet, unglamorous work of two people trying to lead each other to heaven. In our homes, in the chaos of raising children, and in the unpredictable rhythms of family life, we have the opportunity not only to celebrate our marriages but to model for our children what real love actually looks like.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
I would like to invite you to reflect with me on the First Reading (1 Kings 11:29-32;12:19) and the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 81). In both texts, the Lord cautions us about the risks of a "divided heart” - one that tries to worship Him and to worship idols at the same time. As a sophomore and freshman in high school, I read all the Old Testament books, just the way one reads a story book. Part of it was that I did not have any other books to read! It was fascinating to read about the Judges and the Kings of Israel. This whole week we have been reflecting on the Kings of Israel especially King Solomon. We heard that with all the blessings he got from God through the foundation his father David laid for him, Solomon made other choices in life that had severe consequences on his household and the Kingdom of Israel. We heard that he married many foreign wives and he allowed them to come with their religions and their “gods” and he also allowed them to set up altars in his palace. He was a firm believer in the unbridled freedom of religion for all in his household, but it didn’t go down well.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Today’s two Scripture passages are almost mirror images of each other. In the first reading from Kings, Solomon, son of David, the figure at the very heart of the nation, favored by God by two divine appearances and the gift of holy wisdom, turns away from the Lord and the covenant to follow the idolatry of the nations represented by his many foreign wives. In the Gospel reading from Mark, the woman, a foreigner from the very same nation as Solomon’s idolatrous wives, at first rebuffed by Jesus, persists in turning to the Lord and finally receives His compassionate favor.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
My dear brothers and sisters, today let us reflect on a spiritual practice that can sustain and strengthen our families: the examination of the conscience. In our families, we often look outward for the cause of our struggles and pain. We blame work, society, or even one another. Yet Jesus gently reminds us that what truly shapes our actions and relationships flows from within. He teaches us, 'what defiles us comes from within,' or 'Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Mt 6:21).' If our hearts carry evil thoughts or cherish evil deeds, these will echo through our households. But if we treasure love, patience, humility, and forgiveness, our homes become places where grace can flourish.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
Let me begin with a scene many of us know too well. You finally decide to clean the house not because you are convinced it needs a cleaning but because guests are coming. You clean the drawing room and the dining anyway, Floors shine, kitchen sink is empty, cushions are aligned, tables are clean, everything looks perfect. Then, five minutes before the doorbell rings, you realize the mess hasn’t disappeared; it’s just been pushed into one room. The door is shut. Problem solved, or so we think.
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