Earlier this week, I participated in an editorial meeting here at Pauline Books and Media. One of the first things we did was split into groups and discuss the responses to a survey we had sent out a couple weeks ago. About 200 people were kind enough to respond. Even though we were reflecting together upon answers from grown-ups, I couldn't help but think about children. You see, one of the biggest takeaways from the survey was this: even though almost all of the respondents went to Ma...

Lent is the time of preparation for Easter. It lasts from Ash Wednesday to the morning of Holy Thursday. For people who are going to be baptized at Easter, Lent is a very special time of preparation for this sacrament. For those of us who are already baptized, Lent is a time of living our faith more deeply. We turn away from sin and everything that takes us away from God. We turn towards God in prayer and by trying to live better, the way Jesus taught us.We begin Lent by being marked on our...

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima to three children, Lucy dos Santos, and Jacinta and Francisco Marto on May 13, 1917. While praying the rosary in the cove they saw “a lady all dressed in white” who appeared to them and asked them to say the rosary and to do penance for sinners. The lady asked them to return for the next six months, from May to October, on the 13th day of each month. In those apparitions Our Lady revealed to them secrets r...

“Mother Seton” was the name everyone knew her by when she died on January 4, 1821, in Emmitsburg, Maryland. A life full of surprises had led to that name.Elizabeth was born in New York City on August 28, 1774. Her father, Richard Bayley, was a well-known doctor. Her mother, Catherine, died when Elizabeth was very young. Elizabeth was Episcopalian. As a teenager, she did many things to help poor people.In 1794, Elizabeth married William Seton. He was a rich merchant who owned a fleet ...

In the midst of our Christmas preparations in December we get to take a breather and celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe together. It is a perfect chance to learn about another country, another culture, a saint, and an apparition of Mary all at once.On October 12, 1945, Pope Pius XII, decreed Our Lady of Guadalupe to be "Patroness of all the Americas." Her feast day is December 12, and it is a Holy Day of Obligation in Mexico. She is also considered the Patroness of the Unborn...

“Are you not under my shadow and protection? . . . Is there anything else that you need?”Our Lady to Saint Juan DiegoMary Is Our Mother TooJuan Diego was making his long trip to Mass on the cold morning of December 9, 1531, which at that time was the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Suddenly he heard some strains of beautiful music. Looking to see where it came from, Juan found himself at the top of Tepeyac Hill, near Mexico City. He was startled to see a beautiful young woman sta...

By Jaymie Stuart WolfeThere’s a saint for just about everything. Whether you are suffering from a chronic sore throat or applying to law schools (or even writing a blog post like this one!), it’s likely that there is someone who can inspire you with an example of heroic virtue and intercede on your behalf.Of course, there are the “popular” saints like Francis of Assisi, Anthony of Padua, Rita of Cascia, and Thérèse of Lisieux. They’re the ones who are ...

Ever since I was a child, the most Sacred Heart of Jesus has been a part of my life. It began with my family. A lovely picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus hung in our living room and there we consecrated our family to Jesus' most Sacred Heart. On the First Friday of most months we participated in the all-night vigil at St. Agnes Church. (I think we kids loved most the super refreshments at the break around 11 pm!) The continuity of this practice made a deep impression on me. There'...

You may have noticed the latest trend in Keep Calm T-Shirts and even Facebook posts: Keep Calm I'm a Nurse, Keep Calm and Carry On, Keep Calm and Let the Chef Handle It, Keep Calm It's My 40th Birthday Today.... Anyone can go on zazzle.com and create their own Keep Calm T-Shirt message. I’m visiting my family these few weeks and these Keep Calm messages have caught my attention.

Read the Bible.Read from a children’s bible every day with your children or class. It can be a short passage, a story, an event in the life of Jesus, a famous story from the Old Testament. What makes this powerful, however, is consistency. These great stories are like the alphabet of meaning that we give our children by telling and retelling them. One day they will return and help them find meaning in their lives as adults.Talk about what you read in the Bible.After you read a passage toge...