responsible parenthood Archives

Gifts for your NFP Journey

As we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany this weekend, perhaps we can consider one lesson of the Epiphany: that it is a symbol of our own journey to Christ. The three wise men, we are told, believed the star of Bethlehem was announcing the birth of the King of the Jews. Still, they had…

Family Size: How Many Kids?

There’s an age-old question that haunts NFP families worldwide: How many kids should we have? The question of family size is serious, but without a clean-cut numerical answer. There are lots of opinions out there — many of them more than happy to make themselves known, whether you asked or not — and many factors…

Humanae Vitae 45 Years Later: Part V

Part 5: Dissenters and Living Martyrs Bob & Gerri Laird This week marks national NFP Awareness Week as well as the 45th anniversary of the encyclical Humanae Vitae. The final installment of this series honors those clergy who stood up in the face of dissent. History is worth repeating. On the 25th Anniversary of Humanae…

Humanae Vitae 45 Years Later: Part IV

Part 4: Natural Family Planning…a loving response Bob & Gerri Laird This week marks national NFP Awareness Week as well as the 45th anniversary of the encyclical Humanae Vitae. Part 4 of this series explores Natural Family Planning. What is the role of Natural Family Planning (NFP) with regard to HV? Humanae Vitae encourages…

Just One More

Real-life vignettes of welcoming the unexpected (You read the vignettes that appear in the July/August 2012 issue of Family Foundations here.) When my husband lost his job and we were facing a second move in less than two years, I immediately concluded (without much prayer or reflection, I’m sorry to admit) that this was clearly…