Do you ever find it difficult to be courageous in this complex, ever-changing world?

For several years, my children and I have been wearing the brown scapular....

Do you want to stick together or do you want to split up?” This is a conversation that happens....

About two years ago I made the decision to see a doctor about chronic stomachaches. They had been occurring for about nine months on and off and were....

By Charla Spalluto MISSE, NOLA Catholic Parenting January is recognized by the Catholic Church as the month of the Holy Name of Jesus. In a column last summer, I encouraged a renewed reverence for the Lord’s name....

Many people may not realize that the Christmas season extends until King’s Day, Jan. 6. So, in our family, there was a gift in our Christmas stockings throughout the 12 days of Christmas. In years past, I would stuff everyone’s stocking, but mine would be empty, unless I filled it.

“The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light.” This line from Isaiah captures many moments for me. Embracing the fullness of the faith in high school was a moment for me of seeing a great light. Laboring for the birth of my children ended in a great light of their births. This Advent journey is a time of hopeful darkness to the moment of the Incarnation. I desire to see the light of Christ made manifest Christmas morning. Advent is a time of waiting, of longing, of truly begging “Come, Lord Jesus.” Those who genuinely wait upon the Lord will not be disappointed.

Of all the gifts the Holy Spirit offers us, one of the most overlooked, and perhaps most delightful, is the gift of wonder and awe. Particularly in this season of Advent, it would serve us well to ask God for a fresh outpouring of this gift of childlike wonder.

As Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday) has come to an end and the Advent season is upon us, I can truly say we have reached what I consider to be “the most wonderful time of the year.”

During the days prior to my sister’s and brother-in-law’s wedding, our children had many questions about the sacrament of marriage, and, of course, about their roles as ring bearers and flower girls. We were very happy to see their excitement and, most importantly, to see them witness their stunning aunt and her groom exchange vows.

As we navigate the “holiday season” here’s our David Letterman style “top 10 things families can do to observe advent. Beyond our Catholic churches and schools, Advent is a lost season. In our “25 Days of Christmas” world where Christmas décor overtakes our stores well before the Thanksgiving turkey is carved, it is a challenge to observe Advent, but we, as families and as individuals, try.

I was setting up a booth at my son’s school fair. It was a beautiful day, and I was happy to have the time to volunteer at his school in the first place. Some days it can be challenging to juggle a full work day and school volunteering.

Kanye West’s new album, “Jesus is King,” dropped recently, and it’s got everybody talking about it, from non-believers to believers. I gave the new album a listen, and I liked what I heard. I liked all the songs on the album, but one song in particular spoke to me.

Today, as I sat down to write for the NOLA Catholic Parenting blog, I noticed that the charge on my laptop battery was at 29%. I got up and wandered around the house looking for a charging wire to solve my problem. In my pursuit, I walked right past a sweet little pile of rosaries sitting on a shelf, and then found what I was looking for.

I’m always in awe at the uniqueness of each woman I see. Each one is stunning in her own, unique way. You can see her style reflected in her clothes and her hair. It’s truly marvelous.

Increasing policies to protect the unborn are inspiring times, bringing more awareness and value to the sanctity and advocacy for life, not only for babies in their mother’s womb but also for the aging and in the prevention of suicide.

School shooting. Ethnic persecution. Government shutdown. Church massacre. Check the news on your phone or TV, and you are instantly bombarded with evil. In the interconnectedness of our world, we know about tragedies on the other side of the world as soon as and as often as they happen.

Have you ever had one of those days when it seems that everything that can go wrong does go wrong? Doesn’t it seem like our families seem to get the brunt of the backlash? Things that wouldn’t normally annoy us tend to be glaring flaws.

After work, I was looking forward to playing with my son. When he saw me and enthusiastically asked me to join him, I was just thrilled. Before we could begin, however, I got a message there was a work issue to be handled from home and would take a good deal of time.

Raising little humans is hard work! I start to think of the importance of my faith and how there was a time when I did not practice my faith and the consequences of being adrift in the world.