Parenthood

The Domestic Church at Bedtime: Prayer Meets Real Life

/ chicoinematt

There’s something about the rhythm of a day that either drags us down or draws us closer to heaven.

Morning rush, midday crash, evening blur, bedtime chaos… then late-night scrolling. Then we wake up and do it all again.

But what if our messy, snack-filled, Lego-strewn, kid-powered day could become prayer?

That’s the gift of the Liturgy of the Hours—also called the Divine Office. It’s the Church’s invitation to sanctify time. Not just Sundays. Not just in silence. All of it.

So this week, we decided to dive in as a family and pray Night Prayer. Just one night. That was the goal.

We made it four days in a row.

That’s a miracle.

And not the “sun-dancing-Fatima” type. More like the “everyone was in the living room and no one was bleeding or eating marshmallows under the couch while we prayed” kind of miracle. #parentingwin

Daily prayer is like the roots of the spiritual life.

Day One: We Begin

We opened with:

“God, come to my assistance.”
— “Lord, make haste to help me.”

The dog started barking. Not sure if it was a leaf, a squirrel, or some minor demon. One kid began reading a bedtime story aloud. Another hung upside down on the couch like a bat.

Then came the sound of wheels on tile.

Our youngest daughter had gone rogue. She retrieved her pedal-less bike from the garage and was now circling the kitchen island like she was warming up for the toddler Indy 500.

My wife and I gave each other a look. The “is-this-worth-it?” look. We decided: let her ride. She wasn’t distracting the others, and honestly, her joy was kind of contagious.

Somewhere during the Psalm, one kid disappeared downstairs and came back with a snack. Again. Another resumed fiddling with a Rubik’s Cube. A third attempted to recite the Gospel Canticle in a British accent (no idea why).

We picked up toys already—eleven times that day. And here they were again, littered across the floor like sacred breadcrumbs leading us to sanctification.

And still…
We prayed.

The Divine Office, Lived Loudly

You see, the Liturgy of the Hours isn’t just for monks in cloisters or clergy in collars. It’s for families like ours—with ADHD, barking dogs, tired parents, and snack heists.

It’s the Church’s ancient prayer that baptizes time itself. A liturgical rhythm flowing around the Mass. A pattern of praise that runs through the cracks of ordinary life like gold in kintsugi pottery.

Each Hour of the Divine Office gives shape to the day:

  • Morning Prayer: praise and purpose
  • Evening Prayer: surrender and thanksgiving
  • Night Prayer: rest and trust
  • (Plus those middle ones if you’re especially caffeinated)

At the heart of each Hour? The Psalms.

As Fr. Timothy Gallagher says:

“Jesus not only prayed the Psalms; He fulfilled them.”

When we recite these prayers, we don’t just imitate Christ—we enter His prayer. We join a chorus echoing through centuries and continents.

Even when that chorus includes a 6-year-old spinning in circles during the Responsory.

Real Reverence Can Have Wiggles

By the fourth night, something shifted. Not externally—we still had interruptions. The dog barked. Someone spilled water. The pedal-less bike made its triumphant reappearance.

But the kids knew the words. They settled in quicker. They anticipated the prayers. One of them even whispered, “Is this where we say ‘Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit’?” 

Yes. Yes it is.

That moment—the soft reverence of a tired child remembering the psalm by heart—was holier than any candle-lit retreat. It was grace in the moment.

If you aren’t able to pray Evening Prayer from Liturgy of the Hours, here’s a short and simple one to start with.

Final Blessing

We closed with:

“May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.”
— Amen.

Then they each climbed into bed. It still takes many minutes to get to bed after prayer. Someone always forgets a drink of water or a stuffed animal. But there’s a beginning of a calmness (at least by a few degrees to start off). They really prayed. With their bodies, their voices, their interruptions… and their hearts. And we prayed together as a family (and in communion with the Church). 

So we’ll keep at it. Because God doesn’t just want our polished, filtered, idealized versions. He wants our real days. Our noisy homes. Our ordinary hours.

He wants this hour—even if it comes with Rubik’s Cubes, kitchen bike laps, and the occasional trail mix theft.

After all, as St. Ambrose said:

“The Psalms soothe the temper, lighten sorrow, offer security at night, and stir up holiness by day.”

Turns out, holiness sometimes looks like picking up toys for the twelfth time… and then praying anyway.

Related Links

3 Ways the Holy Family will Help Your Family

How The Jesus Prayer Impacted My Life

Praying the Divine Office as a Family 

Pray the Divine Office

Thank you for sharing!

Mission in the Wake of Loss: We Carry You Still

/ chicoinematt

Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Jocelyn Abyad via phone call on June 26th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given. 

What inspired you to start We Carry You Still, and how did your personal experience shape its mission?

In 2020 and 2021 my husband and I lost three babies due to miscarriage (at 10 weeks, 6 weeks, and 15 weeks). We were blindsided and found there were not a lot of existing resources that were compatible with our faith.

My husband and I did some research on this and found our own journey of healing. I found a local grief support group called Forget Me Not (they later merged with Owl Love You Forever). 

From the work we saw with Forget Me Not, we were inspired to create more Catholic resources for those experiencing loss. My mom, myself and a couple friends started We Carry You Still  as a non-profit in 2024. 

How does your Catholic faith—and the richness of the Eastern tradition—inform the way your organization accompanies grieving families?

I am an Eastern Catholic and my mom is a Roman Catholic, so we had the East and West represented. As we brought my friends on board, they are actually Orthodox, our mission expanded. The Orthodox similarly are not providing enough support on the miscarriage issue. Our faith is an Incarnate one. When you lose a child due to miscarriage it feels like this invisible weight that people are carrying on their own. One of the beauties of our faith is that we have a physical faith. We have our Mother in Heaven. She knows how it feels to bury Her child.  

You mention that miscarriage affects not just the parents, but the entire Body of Christ. What does that communal aspect of grief and healing look like in practice?

Well the name of our ministry reflects that vision. We address this on several levels. First, we know that the parents and immediate family carry the baby that was lost in their hearts, even for years to come.. We offer free Memory Boxes for the women who experience the miscarriage to help them remember their child and process their grief.. 

Similarly, we are empowering the community to show up for the grieving family with this gift box. Sometimes the community wants to help and show up but they don’t know how. This gives them a way to do that. Everybody together is carrying each other in their grief. Mothers, fathers, living children and even parents who had miscarriages decades ago. And helping the community around them support those in grieving their loss. 

What kind of spiritual and practical support does We Carry You Still offer for couples navigating miscarriage or infant loss?

We also offer healing retreats (no matter how long it has been since you lost a baby). 

Our retreats are offered to women and couples. We are in the unique position that my husband is serving as a priest and father who knows the loss of a child personally. 

Our box packing events are an opportunity for people to help pay if forward and put their grief to work. While we do have some people who haven’t experienced this type of loss helping with the grief boxes, it is predominantly those couples who have experienced loss themselves with miscarriages helping to prepare these boxes for those couples who are currently going through the grief of losing a child. 

Many Catholic parents struggle with how to talk to their other children about miscarriage. Do you have any advice for families walking through that?

First off, on our website, we offer informational guides and resources. We have a guide for anyone who is touched by these losses. We have guides in both English and Spanish. On our resources page we have book recommendations for both adults and children. Everything we recommend is in line with official Church teaching. 

Typically, for children it is helpful to keep them informed about the miscarriage, bring them to the funeral, visit the graves of their siblings, and invite them in prayers.

There’s this context by which the children can experience such loss through the lense of faith. There’s a hope in the Resurrection and seeing our babies (and their siblings) in Heaven. 

I think that while my children were very sad at the moment, having them be a part of the grieving process in light of our Catholic faith has been impactful in the healing process. 

How can parishes, priests, and Catholic communities be more supportive to families facing this kind of loss?

I think number one if I speak broadly, this is the forgotten front of the pro-life movement. We do a good job of praying outside abortion clinics and pray to end abortion and euthanasia. And yet we leave faithful couples in the pew who have experienced miscarriage with little to no support.

Burying the dead is a corporal work of mercy. If women are prepared to bury their babies; if people were given these resources they would be more prepared to deal with these crises when they happen. 

I think we can be more sensitive on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Use more inclusive language that acknowledges that there is a range of experiences of motherhood and fatherhood.

Providing information is a key way. In the Diocese of Phoenix, we will be participating in the annual NFP training and giving couples resources if and when they may need it. To at least give them resources in the back of their mind should they experience a miscarriage. 

For those who want to help but aren’t sure how, what’s the best way Catholics can support someone who’s grieving the loss of a child?

I would point back to the guides we have on our website. Don’t be afraid to mention the child. The parents will not forget about their child. If you can remember the child by name it can be very empowering. 

I try to ask open-ended questions to see how they are feeling. And I also ask people to tell me about your family instead of how many kids you have. 

Where can my audience learn more about your work? 

Visit us at We Carry You Still and take a  visual tour to learn more. You can also follow us on: Facebook and Instagram @wecarryyoustill . There are two other excellent ministries in this line of work. One is Redbird which supports child loss of any age and the other is Springs in the Desert, who supports Catholics experiencing infertility.

About Jocelyn: 

Jocelyn Abyad is the wife of Fr. Zyad Abyad and mother of 7 daughters on earth and 3 babies in Heaven. She holds a degree in psychology from Arizona State University and worked as a finance banker for over a decade before choosing to stay home to homeschool her children. Alongside her husband, she serves at St. John of the Desert Melkite Catholic Church in Phoenix, Arizona.Jocelyn shares insights on homeschooling and liturgical living across multiple platforms as Melkite Momma and is a regular contributor to Byzikids Magazine. Throughout her work and personal experiences, Jocelyn seeks to foster faith, family, and community.

Thank you for sharing!

Small Pilgrimages: Evangelizing Your Kids One Step at a Time

/ chicoinematt

Sponsored: This article is made possible by Pockets of Heaven, supporting quality and engaging Catholic content.

Evangelizing children isn’t always about complex theological lessons or far-off mission trips. Sometimes, the most powerful encounters with God happen right in your own backyard or even your living room. Just as adults benefit from pilgrimages that draw them closer to God, children can encounter Christ through small, intentional “journeys” of faith that fit within everyday life.

Let’s explore how these small pilgrimages can help pass on the faith to your kids while strengthening your domestic church.

new evangelization

The Domestic Church: Where Evangelization Begins

The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us of the parents’ vital role:

“Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule… Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children” (CCC 2223).

In many ways, the home itself becomes a sort of permanent pilgrimage site, a sacred place where children encounter God daily through prayer, forgiveness, service, and love.

As I’ve written before, even small actions like having holy images in your home, praying before meals, answering questions during Mass, or visiting a local Catholic bookstore create micro-moments of evangelization. One of my daughters, for example, loves flipping through pamphlets about the Eucharist. That small curiosity leads to natural conversations about the Real Presence. These little moments plant seeds that the Holy Spirit can grow over time.

Adding sacramentals and liturgical resources to your home can also help foster these everyday encounters. Catholic businesses like Pockets of Heaven provide beautiful, handcrafted tools that help families create prayer spaces, celebrate feast days, and make the liturgical year come alive for kids in simple but meaningful ways.

You don’t need a master’s degree in theology to evangelize your kids. What matters most is creating a loving environment where faith is part of daily life, where Christ is present in both words and actions.

Pilgrimages Teach Kids That Life is a Journey Toward God

Father Dave Pivonka wisely reminds us that “Every single one of us is a pilgrim on a journey. For us Christians, as Pope St. John Paul II said, this journey should ultimately lead us to the heart of the Father.”

Pilgrimages, whether big or small, teach kids that faith is not static. It’s a living, breathing adventure toward God’s heart. And this journey doesn’t require international travel. While trips to Lourdes, Fatima, or Rome are beautiful, they’re not necessary to experience the graces of pilgrimage.

Small pilgrimages could include:

  • Visiting your diocesan cathedral for Mass.
  • Spending an hour in adoration at a nearby chapel.
  • Walking as a family to a local Marian shrine.
  • Going on a nature walk while praying the Rosary.
  • Visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead on All Souls’ Day.

These intentional acts pull kids out of their daily routines and help them encounter God anew. As Fr. Pivonka puts it, “Do something intentional that takes you out of your ordinary routine. Seek to encounter Jesus. You will be amazed what God can do in your heart.”

The Sacraments: Theological Rest Stops Along the Journey

Life is exhausting. I’ve written before how my own fatigue nearly led me to despair. Yet, in that weakness, I was reminded of Bishop Paul Swain’s beautiful words:

“Sacraments are not the end or graduation of the Catholic life, rather sacraments act as theological rest stops to give us strength.”

Confession, for example, is like a pit stop where we release burdens and receive grace to keep walking. As the Catechism explains, “The sacrament of Penance repairs or restores [fraternal communion]” (CCC 1469).

The Eucharist provides nourishment for the journey ahead — our manna in the desert:

“The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus… Life in Christ has its foundation in the Eucharistic banquet” (CCC 1391).

And marriage? It’s not simply a contract but a covenant of mutual sacrifice. As I’ve joked before, marriage often feels like a holy war against pride, impatience, and selfishness. But it’s also a place of peace, where we strategize, rest, and receive grace for the road ahead.

When we bring our children into these sacramental rest stops by taking them to Confession, preparing them for First Holy Communion, and witnessing the beauty of a sacramental marriage, we’re showing them how to draw strength for their own pilgrim journey.

Penance, Solidarity, and Thanksgiving — Lessons Even Kids Can Learn

Pilgrimage isn’t always comfortable. Fr. Pivonka shares stories of pilgrims enduring blistering heat, unexpected thunderstorms, and travel mishaps. Yet these struggles become opportunities for offering penance, teaching kids a profound lesson: suffering can be united to prayer.

On a small pilgrimage to a local shrine, a child might get tired or frustrated. That’s a chance to gently explain:

“You can offer this tiredness for Grandma who’s sick, or for a friend who’s struggling.”

Solidarity is another beautiful fruit of pilgrimage. Whether walking together as a family or participating in parish events, kids learn that they’re not alone in their faith. They belong to the wider Body of Christ — a Church filled with fellow pilgrims, saints, and sinners all journeying home.

Finally, pilgrimages naturally lead to thanksgiving. As Fr. Pivonka writes about his own Camino de Santiago:

“Going on pilgrimage does something to our hearts and to how we see the world… We begin to see [God] in places where we didn’t before.”

When kids see the beauty of God in creation, family, sacraments, and community, gratitude becomes a habit that sustains their faith long after the pilgrimage ends. Even creating little “pockets of heaven” in our homes — through prayer corners, seasonal decor, or feast day celebrations — can help foster that spirit of gratitude.

 Biblical ABC Book published by Parousia Media

Start Small, Start Today

Evangelizing our kids doesn’t require perfect words or elaborate plans. It begins with small acts of intentionality, small pilgrimages of the heart, the home, and even the neighborhood.

As parents, our job is to guide our children toward Christ through daily witness, sacramental life, and occasional small pilgrimages that draw them deeper into God’s presence. With each little step, they’ll discover that their whole life is a beautiful, lifelong journey toward the Father.

As Proverbs 16:3 reminds us:

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

Buen Camino.

Thanks again to today’s article sponsor! Visit Pockets of Heaven where you’ll find resources to help your children journey with Jesus, Mary, and the Saints in the pockets of everyday life.

Thank you for sharing!

The Power of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

/ chicoinematt

Sponsored: This article is made possible by Sacred Heart Tea, supporting quality and engaging Catholic content.

When Everything Changed

7 years ago my life forever changed and the Sacred Heart of Jesus played a huge role in this change. Today, I’m writing this article on what would have been the 18th birthday of my little girl. Instead, she never made it past 10 years old.

One moment I was online sharing about a new sunscreen I found and the next day I was posting to tell the world that my little girl had died in my arms. You see, just 13 days before her 11th birthday I had to rush my daughter to the ER with a severe headache. Within a few hours she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was too late to save her and that day I held my little girl in my arms and birthed her into the arms of Jesus. As she died I remember weeping and saying, “He makes all things new. He makes all things new.” I told her, “It’s ok to go baby. You don’t have to stay. Mommy’s here. Mommy loves you.”

A Mission Passed On

In the moment of her death I had an overwhelming sense of what God was calling me to do. You see, for various reasons Maggie had not yet completed her RE classes and was scheduled to receive her first Holy Communion the day I rushed her to the ER.

And all that year her RE teacher talked about what it meant to be a missionary, and she had decided that she was not going to be a hair stylist or a nun but instead she was going to go wherever God called her and she was going to be a missionary. I realized in the moment she died that she was now the greatest missionary she could ever be. That the miracles she could work from Heaven would be unlike anything she could have done while alive here on earth. And I KNEW that as her mom it was my job to help her in her missionary work.

Heaven Touches Earth

6 weeks after Maggie died I found myself at a women’s retreat at my parish that lasted all weekend. No phones. No clocks. Just us and Jesus. We had 24 hour adoration and I found myself sitting before the Eucharist for hours at a time. You see, the room we used for adoration was small and the table was short so I could literally sit at His feet and talk with Him the way a friend would. As I looked at Jesus and spoke with Him, I felt a profound sense that Heaven opened to us in that moment. I realized I wasn’t just spending time with Jesus—I was also on a mommy-daughter date, because Maggie was there with Him, surrounded by all the saints and angels in Heaven.

Held by the Heart

I sobbed as I stared at Him and I was overwhelmed by His Most Sacred Heart. I begged Him to place me within His heart because it was there that I would find solace. It was there I would find love. It was there I would find protection from the flames that threatened to consume me in my agony.

And so I found myself there. Surrounded by burning flames and embers and I felt at peace. I was curled up in His embrace and I never wanted to leave. I didn’t realize how long I had been kneeling there when my knees collapsed. I never hit the ground because 3 or 4 women had been watching me and immediately rushed to my side.

They lifted me up and put all of their weight under my arms. I was on my knees again adoring the One I love only this time with the support of my sisters around me. I stayed there on my knees with their help and that weekend I left with an understanding between me and Jesus. God called me to be a missionary because He had called my daughter to the same mission, and as her mom, I knew it was my role to help her carry it out.

Into the Sacred Heart

And what is the mission? Christ and Him crucified! Christ and His Most Sacred Heart.

What storms have you endured? Is it hard to find peace? Does it feel impossible to remain standing? Ask Jesus to hide you in His Sacred Heart and it is there you will find protection from the storms that rage around you. Your pain won’t be taken away and your suffering won’t be non-existent. But you will find the peace and love you need to live life to the fullest.

Maggie, I’ll see you in the Eucharist baby girl. Mama loves you now and forever.

Thanks again to today’s article sponsor! Visit Sacred Heart Tea to find high quality and delicious teas.🍵  

Thank you for sharing!

A 689 Word Interview with the Founder of The Barricade Guard

/ chicoinematt

Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed John Flynn, founder of The Barricade Guard, via phone call on March 14th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

What inspired you to create The Barricade Guard?

The Barricade Guard began in early 2023. It began as a book project, with the main mission being to strengthen Catholic families both physically and spiritually and defend the Church (domestic and Universal). My goal with the YouTube videos is to inspire parents, more particularly fathers, to be spiritual leaders and protectors of their family. 

How has your vision for strengthening Catholic families evolved since you started?

That’s an interesting question. I think as I was getting started I was thinking a lot about the spiritual health in terms of passing on the faith and a reasoned defense. On the physical health side I was thinking exercise and food. Regarding the physical side, it evolved to focus more on the physical defense of your family should an emergency come up. I am looking for new ways to share with families especially as it relates to current issues and how they can help defend their domestic Church. 

You emphasize both spiritual and physical preparation in your mission. Could you share how you see these two aspects working together in helping families defend the Church?

For me personally, I think a couple things affected my experience. Coming out of my college years, I fell into bad habits and wasn’t taking my faith seriously. Before I had my desire to take my faith seriously, I wanted to improve on my physical side, exercising, going to the gym. As I improved my physical health and became more disciplined I was inspired to take more ownership of my faith. 

My girlfriend, now my wife, was a convert to the Church and asked me questions about the Catholic Faith. She challenged me to learn more about our Faith. Through the lens of Theology of the Body and seeing the union of the human person as body and soul inspired me to want to help promote this to others. 

The theme “spiritual warfare” appears in your content. How do you help families understand and engage with this concept in practical, everyday ways?

I think spiritual warfare is very real. We live in a time when people might downplay the reality of the Devil. They might think about how everyone goes to Heaven and downplay the reality of evil. With Christ on our side, we ultimately don’t have anything to fear. As parents raising kids in their formative years, we can adequately equip them with the tools when they face temptations. 

Knowing the tools and having the proper wisdom from the Holy Spirit is how I am thinking to equip parents on this issue. 

Christ has the final victory, but our individual battles are still ongoing. 

Exactly! On an aside, the Barricade Guard, some people might think that the word barricade means leaving the world or turning away and closing yourself off in a fortress. It is more like protecting your family. Father Boniface Hicks on an episode of Pints with Aquinas talked about righteous anger as the barricade holding proper boundaries between the sin of wrath and permissiveness. It’s the virtue that lies in the middle of the two extremes. 

What do you believe are the biggest challenges Catholic families face today, and how does The Barricade Guard specifically address these challenges?

I think the secular world is recognizing we are living in a post-Christian world. One challenge is to raise our children in the faith and to instill a sense of gratitude for our Catholic faith. 

Secondly, the increase of technology and how to protect our children and teaching them how to use and navigate this technology (AI, social media). 

On the physical side, being prudent with how to discern the best way to protect your physical health (with the constant change of various diet trends). There are common elements that work.

All of these topics I try to address throughout the videos and content on The Barricade Guard.  

Where can my audience learn more about The Barricade Guard?

Please Like and Follow on:

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@BarricadeGuard

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/BarricadeGuard

Instagram – barricade_guard

X – @BarricadeGuard

Locals – barricadeguard.locals.com www.barricadeguard.com

About John:

I am a Catholic husband, I.T. Specialist, and father of six young children (ages 2 to 14).  My wife and I have been married for sixteen years, are involved with marriage and vocation ministries through our parish and diocese, and homeschool all of our children.  I also serve on our parish’s security team, and am a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Thank you for sharing!

Finding Comfort in the Communion of Saints and Hedgehogs

/ chicoinematt / 1 Comment

Editor’s Note: Post originally published on May 3, 2023.

The Catholic Church has a teaching called the “Communion of Saints,” which is basically a fancy way of saying that all believers are part of one big spiritual family. To put in modern-social-media terms, it’s like a massive WhatsApp group chat, except without any annoying notifications (all the notifications are prayers of intercession!).

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 962, “the communion of saints is “all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church…in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always [attentive] to our prayers.” The Communion of Saints is a vital part of Catholic theology because it offers support, guidance, and intercession for all the members of the Church, whether they’re alive or deceased.

Holiness Comes in Many Shapes and Spines

And speaking of devotion and admiration, I’m reminded of my oldest daughter’s (Amelia) obsession with hedgehogs. The girl is absolutely smitten with these spiky little critters. She’s got a hedgehog-themed tape dispenser, hedgehog toys, and even draws pictures of her imaginary pet hedgehog. It’s like she’s a walking, talking hedgehog-encyclopedia.

Goldy the Hedgehog. Medium: Pencil on paper. 🦔🙂

But here’s the thing: Amelia’s love for hedgehogs is a lot like the way Catholics feel about saints. Just like Amelia has a special devotion for hedgehogs, Catholics have a similar devotion to the saints, who are believed to have lived holy lives and to be in the presence of God.

Sacred Objects Prick Your Heart Open to God

Amelia’s hedgehog-themed tape dispenser reminds me of the physical objects Catholics use to help us in our devotion, such as rosaries or holy medals. It’s like a cute and fuzzy version of a saint medal. And just like Amelia’s pretend game of climbing a mountain with her hedgehog toy, Catholics believe that the saints can help us in our spiritual journey towards God.

My daughter loves her hedgehog-shaped tape dispenser. 🙂🦔

Running the Race

The Communion of Saints is like having a group of friends who are always there to support you, like Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends Tails and Knuckles. My kids love the Sonic movie, and we even have a Sonic-themed board game that we can’t wait to play. In Saint Paul’s letter to Timothy, he talks about running the race and finishing strong. He wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 TImothy 4:7). Similarly, the Communion of Saints can give us the encouragement and guidance we need to finish our spiritual race with perseverance, just like Sonic and his friends run through obstacles to reach the finish line. And just as Amelia finds comfort in her love for hedgehogs, the belief in the Communion of Saints can bring comfort and hope to all Catholics.

In conclusion, the Communion of Saints is a significant aspect of Catholic theology that unites all members of the Church, alive or deceased. And while my daughter Amelia’s love for hedgehogs may seem like just a childhood fascination, it’s a reminder of the power of devotion and admiration. So, whether it’s a hedgehog or a saint, let’s all find something that brings us joy and comfort in our spiritual journey.

Thank you for sharing!

Why April 29th is One of my Favorite Days of the Year

/ chicoinematt

I look forward to April 29th now.

This is a special day for my family as my wife and I asked for Saint Catherine to intercede for the safety of our daughter in May 2018. Signs were pointing to another impending miscarriage.

By the grace of God my daughter was safely born and is energetic.

We named her after the Sienese saint.

There hasn’t been a day since then we haven’t asked for the intercession of this amazing Saint and Doctor of the Church.

Saint Catherine of Siena pray for us!

Thank you for sharing!