Only God knows precisely why things happen. For our part, we will always have the privilege of offering comfort to those who grieve great losses and even livelihoods.

As one of my own daughters prepares to receive her first Communion this spring, my wife and I try to explain that in the Eucharist we encounter the God of the universe. Just as food feeds and nourishes our bodies, the Eucharist feeds and nourishes our souls. It gives us the strength to resist sin and to be Christ’s presence in the world.

Greatness doesn’t just happen; it’s the result of daily dedication and effort.

Perhaps “just-us sessions” initially could lead to discussions of ways to uphold the dignity of others without being torn down for atrocities that took root long before many were born.

Managing Editor George Matysek Jr. shares some personal reflections on welcoming a sixth child to his family.

We need support poles and decking to give our faith life some structure. Those are other sacraments, including reconciliation/confession, and devotionals such as praying the rosary, the Angelus, Divine Mercy chaplet or morning and evening prayer.

God will never dishonor himself by going back on this tremendous gift of free will. And when our choices cause us pain, God never stops encouraging us to “confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help” (Heb 4:16).

The things that weigh us down in this life – fatigue, difficult jobs, pain, injustice, our sins – will all be gone in heaven.

Through their three-year eucharistic revival, the U.S. bishops are calling on Catholics to “enter more deeply by faith and love” into the mystery of mysteries, the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

We must be humble and open to new ways that express the reality of LGBT Catholics within the loving embrace of the church.