• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe

A sweet reminder from our son during Mass

April 24, 2017
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

As we arrive at Mass, we slip into the pew to pray. When Daniel finds himself sandwiched in between his parents—his favorite spot—he reaches over for my hand. Then he reaches over for my husband’s.Just as he has done many times before, he takes our hands and wraps them around his, gathering a cluster of hands in his lap. Then he looks up at me and smiles.

His simple action melts my heart.

Every time I look down at our hands intertwined on his lap, I am struck by how important our marriage is to our little boy. My love for his father and his father’s love for me don’t just matter to both of us, but also to our children. This child who brings so much joy to our lives sees that—and wants to be part of it.

As I look down at our hands, I remember back to a pre-Cana conversation where the married couple we were paired with told us that our marriage had to take priority over our other relationships—over raising children and all the rest. At the time, as we counted down to our wedding, that seemed so obvious. But, in the busyness of life, it can be easy to lose sight of that.

Seeing our 7-year-old drawing our hands together and then grinning up at us brings it front and center. And time and again, he provides a simple, sweet reminder that our marriage, our love, is a cornerstone for all the rest.

“Pure love … knows that only one thing is needed to please God,” St. Faustina wrote, “to do even the smallest things out of great love—love, and always love.”

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Rita Buettner

Rita Buettner is a wife, working mother and author of the Catholic Review's Open Window blog. She and her husband adopted their two sons from China, and Rita often writes about topics concerning adoption, family and faith.

Rita also writes The Domestic Church, a featured column in the Catholic Review. Her writing has been honored by the Catholic Press Association, the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association and the Associated Church Press.

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

Last week, I got to just be Mom

Farewell and thank you

In June, let your garden honor the hearts of Jesus and Mary

Question Corner: Must I make my confession at the altar, as my pastor asks?

The Beauty of Mass in the Gym

| Recent Local News |

‘God’s Scribe’: Father Breighner retires popular column after more than 50 years

Bishop Victor Galeone, former Archdiocese of Baltimore priest and bishop of St. Augustine, dies at 87

Assault outside Planned Parenthood office leaves pregnancy center employees shaken

RADIO INTERVIEW: The Prosperity Gospel

CEO, authors, NFL coach take part in Catholic college commencements

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Dodgers’ faith night ‘not enough’ to address controversy over LGBTQ+ group, anti-Catholic concerns
  • Last week, I got to just be Mom
  • Nevada’s Catholic governor who campaigned as ‘pro-life’ signs some abortion protections into law
  • Pope names Cardinal Farrell next head of Vatican City high court
  • Senate approves House-passed debt ceiling deal, avoiding default
  • Profit-at-all-costs is not a good business model, pope says
  • Farewell and thank you
  • ‘God’s Scribe’: Father Breighner retires popular column after more than 50 years
  • Expertos esperan avances en salud, discapacidad y ministerio hispano en la reunión de junio de los obispos de EE.UU.

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED