October 2017

Psychological Benefits of Breastfeeding

An excerpt from Linda Kracht and Jackie Hilgert’s book, The Art of Breastfeeding. **** To many, the major benefit to breastfeeding is the emotional well-being it instills in both mother and child. A breastfeeding mother will slow down and give her child undivided attention many times each day. She’ll look into his eyes. She’ll talk…

NFP at the DMV

Pope Saint John Paul II spoke extensively about the “Springtime of the New Evangelization” and the need for members of the body of Christ to go forth and spread the good news of the gospel. I have taken this as a personal mission of mine ever since my reversion 18 years ago. I told the…

Where was God?!

The original version of this article was published on Awkward Catholic. Where was God last Sunday night in Las Vegas? Why didn’t he stop the bullets? Why didn’t he stop the gunman, give him a heart attack or stroke, or somehow alert the authorities? If God was so good, so loving and tender, where in the…

Pregnancy and Preeclampsia

An excerpt from Marilyn M. Shannon’s book, Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition. **** You may have wondered why prenatal care includes blood pressure monitoring and urine checking more and more frequently as you approach your due date. These are done in order to detect early signs of a potentially serious problem, preeclampsia, or metabolic toxemia of late…

Why Contraceptives aren’t Essential

Before you read, check out this article for context. Then read our version. It is 2020. The American Health Care Act has become law, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has eliminated contraception from its list of essential preventative services that must be covered by insurance without cost sharing. Let’s imagine a…

First Words from Bishop Alfred Schlert

Photo credit: Ed Koskey, AD Times The Most Rev. Alfred A. Schlert, 56, was installed as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Allentown on Aug. 31 at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena. He is the first priest from the diocese to become its bishop. Here is an excerpt of the remarks he made…

9 Tips: Improving Intimacy in Marriage

From the Family Foundations archives **** Whether it’s years of marriage or distractions from the kids, couples often report fading spousal intimacy over time. The longer they’re married, it seems, the less connected they feel. Here are 9 time-tested tips that may not seem romantic, but ultimately encourage the kind of TLC that allows authentic intimacy to…

Bishop Schlert’s First Words

MOST REVEREND ALFRED A. SCHLERT MASS OF ORDINATION & INSTALLATION CATHEDRAL OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENA 31 AUGUST 2017 REMARKS I would like my first words to be ones of gratitude to Almighty God for all the blessings He has bestowed on me. First, for the gift of life so that I may serve Him. …

Tony and Celena’s Love Story

Real couples really do use NFP, and we asked them to tell us their NFP story. We will be sharing them here on the blog — the good parts and the struggles. Each of these couples is writing their own love story, and have chosen to do so by following God’s plan for marriage. Here…

Do you Have Hands of Mary?

I recently came across this wonderful article, written by a religious sister reflecting on whether her actions follow in the footsteps of Mary’s actions. That is, do our actions point others to Jesus? It’s a great reflection and worthy of your time. But when I read the title, I thought of something a bit different.…