Do you have family members who are away from the Church? Are you not sure what to say to them when they are home for Christmas? I used to be a fallen-away Catholic who went to Christmas Mass every year with my family. I am not sure why I went to Mass; I was an atheist. Sometimes I felt annoyed during the homilies or unmoved by the liturgy. But there were other times when I felt something stir.Maybe it was something the pastor said. Perhaps it was the reverent way someone received the Eucharist. ...

By Sr. Anne Joan Flanagan, FSP Pope Francis wrote that mercy is “the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness.” That image of the bridge, of course, reminds us of the very role of the Pope, the “Pontifex” (bridge-builder). In the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy which started this week it is also a fitting image for Mary, the Mother of God, whose feast we celebrate today under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe. At Guadalupe...

It is a privilege to reflect with you on the Year of Mercy in these days in which we approach the birth of the Prince of Peace, our Savior who revealed to us the Father, the "God, who is rich in mercy" (Eph 2:4). Have you seen the latest version of Cinderella? In the movie, just as Cinderella and her Prince begin to leave the wicked stepmother, Cinderella turns to face the cruel woman. “I forgive you,” Cinderella says clearly. Then, secure in her resolve to always practice kindness, arm-in-arm...

by Sr. Anne Joan Flanagan, FSPGod loved us first (cf. 1 John 4:10).That is the message of the coming Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th, the day we praise God for the way his grace enfolded the Virgin Mary from the first moment of her existence, without any merit of hers. Mary's Immaculate Conception (her being created and sustained in grace, without any trace of original sin) was the first ray of the "dawn from on high" that brought the world the unsurpassable expression of ...

By Marianne Lorraine Trouvé, FSP“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4)If you look back on your life, what did you most desire when you were a child, or a teenager, or a young adult? Whether it was a favorite toy, a place on the track team, or the school of your dreams, most of us can laugh when we think of what we wanted so much back then. Now, years later, do we even remember what we wanted so badly? Probably not. As we grow and mature, our des...

Thank you for a great Web-A-Thon Novena! Thanks to you we have covered 72% of our expenses for upgrading the building where our designers, illustrators, and photographers work, and for providing the air-conditioning for the shipping sisters. For nine days, that is no little feat! Let us show you our gratitude!Today we began our Novena of Masses for the Deceased and all the names of those who you have given us as well as your special intentions will be placed on the altar in our Motherhouse Chape...

When people ask what I do for a living, “pediatric oncology” is often a conversation stopper. Many individuals cannot get past the initial thoughts of sadness to see the richness of the profession—or hear the wisdom of the children I am privileged to serve.  I have been blessed to have many patients share stories and personal thoughts with me.  I often feel God’s presence when they speak.  When I commented on this to one young patient, he said to me that children “are the harmony.”  When I...

On this incredibly beautiful celebration of All Souls, we remember all those who have gone ahead of us to the "City of God." These memories can sometimes fill our hearts with sadness, with loneliness, with a sense of emptiness for the places they once occupied in our hearts and in our lives. Our friends and loved ones who have died need our prayers precisely as we trust now in their prayers for us. They remind us of the reality of the joys of life everlasting, even as we may help them enter para...

One of the great joys of family life is experiencing the innocence of children. Sister Maria Grace Dateno, author of the children's series, Gospel Time Trekkers, shares some tips about fostering Marian devotion with your children.

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.In reality, however, there are lots of events, that can shatter our calm and leave us feeling anxious, on edge, even i...