The Final School Lunch May 14, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Forever ago—or maybe it was just the other day—I packed a lunchbox for my 4-year-old to take to school.
A surprise painting May 14, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Commentary, The Domestic Church “I love thinking of how God was watching, guiding us toward one another, always knowing how it would come together. He must have enjoyed seeing how we connected over a much-loved painting of a little girl and a dog.”
The Mom Friends You Need May 8, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Before becoming a mother, I had no idea how important my relationships with other mothers would be.
An overnight trip to see an off-off-off-off-off-off-Broadway musical April 29, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Back in the fall, my sister Maureen reached out to tell us that her son, a junior in high school, had landed an actual role in his school musical.
Donuts After Mass, Please, and Make Them Delicious April 19, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window When Seminarian Andrew Chase was assigned to St. Joseph’s in Cockeysville, he learned he would be responsible for the donuts and coffee after Mass.
Fly Me to the Moon (or Fly Someone Else and Let Me Watch) April 12, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window This type of encounter helps us see the beauty and the power and the imagination behind God’s creation.
The Little Girl at the Cross: Our Faith Is Always New April 5, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Easter, Open Window When it was her turn, she walked right up to the cross, carefully leaned down very low, and gave the dark wood a kiss. Then she bounced away.
An Easter Reflection: Winning with Joy April 5, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Easter, Open Window The Easter season is a time for rejoicing—not just for ourselves, but in a way that invites those around us to join in the celebration.
The slow work March 30, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Commentary, The Domestic Church As much as we want to keep trying to fix a problem, maybe this is the time to hand it over to God. We can place whatever is troubling us into his hands, trusting that he will walk with us, moving mountains we cannot move and preparing us for the next step on our journey.
It’s Holy Week and You’re Right on Time March 29, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Easter, Lent, Open Window Whether you have been preparing since Ash Wednesday or are just deciding that you want to shift into a new mode now, the moment is yours.
What I have done and what I have failed to do March 23, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window I’m on a quest to attend 226 Masses during 2026. So, back at the end of January, I decided to try to go to Mass every day of February. February is the shortest month, so I thought maybe I would have a chance at hitting that goal. But going every day is a real challenge […]
Being here March 18, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Commentary, Lent, The Domestic Church During Lent, God offers us a special invitation to recognize his presence in our lives. We can add prayer time or take on more works of charity or give in numerous ways. And maybe we can simply prioritize time with God, listening to him and looking for his fingerprints on our lives.
