What does it mean to live justly in the world today? How does our faith invite us to work for peace and justice wherever we are - even at home? My friend Haley wrote a wonderful book on how her family embraced a counter-cultural lifestyle of seeking the Gospel more intentionally - The Grace of Enough: Pursuing Less and Living More in a Throwaway Culture. Inspired by her example (and wishing I could have read her book years ago), I've been reflecting on how Catholic social teaching has informed and inspired our parenting in big and small ways. I hesitated to share this because we struggle daily with living out these parts of our faith. (I'd rather tell you to go read Haley's book instead!) But what I loved most about The Grace of Enough were the practical ideas to start small in your own life. When I shared these thoughts on Instagram, many of you asked if I'd be willing to write them up - so voila! If you'd like to read Haley's book, check out the bottom of the post for … [Read more...] about justice for us: Catholic social teaching at home
hearts of flesh & hearts of stone
He and I stare down at the freshly laid gravestone, edged by spring-green grass. "When people come into our office for this," he trails off, shielding his eyes from the morning sunshine, his weathered face suddenly young in disbelief. "It's the absolute worst when this happens," he shakes his head, unable to speak the words "baby" or "dead" in the same sentence. I nod. I can say anything; I have already baffled him with my sunny cheer, interrupting his silent, solitary task by jumping out of a minivan full of (living) children to ask if this was my daughters' gravestone he was laying. When you start having a Strange Conversation with a Stranger, you can say anything and it is marvelously freeing. (It wasn't theirs; there is another baby buried next to them now; she lived two months; my mind calculates the math every time; dates are codes in this terrible club.) "It's not like Grandma who got 80, 90 years, lived a full life," he continues, waving a heavy hand toward his … [Read more...] about hearts of flesh & hearts of stone
how to talk to kids about hard truths
When your children encounter death in a personal way, you cannot protect them from pain. You can consult experts. You can rehearse what to say. You can pray for guidance. But eventually you have to sit down and have hard conversations. Over the years, we've had more conversations about death and grief with our kids than I care to count. But today when I hear our children talk naturally about death and heaven, I realize that we have done them a great service in having difficult conversations. They are conversant about loss and grief at age-appropriate levels. They are unafraid to ask big questions about God and faith. They know they can bring us any emotion without fear or shame. Of course, such tough topics were not tackled in a single evening. We have fumbled through many rounds of questions, wishing we could move on to safer, smoother subjects. But we knew the hard conversations had to happen. Today in the Catholic Church, parents are wondering how to talk with their kids, … [Read more...] about how to talk to kids about hard truths
holy anger
I'm mad. Spitting mad. Irate, outraged, furious, frustrated, livid, fuming. Angry doesn't have enough synonyms to sum up the fury I feel at the most recent sex abuse scandals to shake the Catholic Church. I can heap adjective upon adjective, yet everything falls flat in the face of depraved evil and systemic injustice. The men who perpetrated such heinous crimes and the men who covered them up have made a mockery of the church I love. I cannot stay silent. In the weeks since the news broke, nearly every Catholic I know has struggled to digest and respond to the sickening scope of evil in our midst. But when I turned to Scripture for help and hope, what I found was clear. Holy anger. "Putting away falsehood, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, and do not leave room for the devil." (Ephesians 4:25-27) This Scripture leapt off the page on the night I read the … [Read more...] about holy anger