The fear of an unplanned pregnancy is one of the prevailing realities of modern coupledom. No matter how much we love babies, how much we trust in God’s providence, almost every couple will at some time have tasted the anxiety of possible pregnancy at the wrong time. For some couples, the anxiety may be persistent
For parents, the art of accompanying their children begins at the child’s birth. Simple, daily interactions establish the most important ingredient: an emotionally close and trusting relationship. Awkward moments I still remember the time when our young son started talking in detail about his recent, medically -required circumcision at the dinner table, when a friend
May is the month of Mary. Why not plant a Mary’s Garden this month, as a sign of devotion and to create a place of beauty and reflection? Whether we give it a whole acre of space, a single lushly planted pot on a balcony, we can pray in our Mary’s garden with our children
By Francine Pirola We all strive for happiness. One would think that it would be a fairly simple project: minimise pain and maximise pleasure. Turns out, it’s not that simple and instinct often leads us in the wrong direction. We expect that money, comfort, possessions and power, for example, will deliver happiness and that more
"Let the little children come to me" Francine’s Story “Have you ever been to Mass with a restless toddler or unsettled baby? I have. Plenty of times. As a daily Mass-goer and mother of five, I’ve lost count of the number of times. While I took reasonable steps to contain their boisterous behaviour, I wanted
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Give mum a bouquet of flowers that will last all year and remind her of you. Materials: Cardboard in various colours Chenille pipe cleaners Photographs of children Glue, scissors Ribbon Method: Draw or trace the petal templates onto cardboard. Decorate with markers or patterned paper if desired. Position your photographs in the hole – trim
Pope Francis is big on joy. Not only is he always smiling and delighting in the people he meets, many of his writings express the joy he has in his faith. His first two (not counting the one he finished for Pope Benedict), The Joy of the Gospel and Praised Be!, are firmly planted in
To Christians the classic Snakes and Ladders game seems to be based on Old Testament ideas around sin and God’s mercy. It makes us think of Jacob’s angel-laden ladder to the heavens in the Old, and satan disguised as a snake who sparked the Fall of Adam and Eve. But it’s actually an ancient Indian
The Way of Mercy is four simple steps to heal a relationship based on the principles of restorative justice. When we make a bad choice, say or do things that we shouldn’t, hurt someone or break the trust of another, it’s important to take ownership of our actions (or inactions), apologise for it and rebuild
