God comes to us October 13, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window I love a celestial phenomenon, but I never thought I would see the Northern Lights. I certainly didn’t imagine I would see them from my front porch, not far outside Baltimore, in a neighborhood full of light pollution. But then Thursday night happened. A colleague sent a message and encouraged us to look outside. There […]
Thinking of Eric today October 10, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window It has been seven years since my brother-in-law Eric died. It doesn’t feel that long, and yet it also feels like longer. Time can be so odd. Today, as we are missing him, I am thinking of how we never really lose the people we love. But I also know that there is an Eric-shaped […]
A father’s arms October 9, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Commentary, The Domestic Church Through their lives and actions, our fathers teach us about love – and especially about God’s love for us.
St. Thérèse: We have only today September 30, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Over the years, I have come to marvel at St. Thérèse’s “little way.” I love the idea of taking simple, small steps on the road toward sainthood.
A Trip to the Book Barn September 29, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window, Uncategorized The books I brought home may have had one owner or 10. They may have passed through dozens of children’s hands or been treasured by a single person who kept them intact.
Angels Surround Us September 29, 2024By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window There’s something truly special about your guardian angel, your own personal companion through life.
A Little Less Like Me September 23, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window, Uncategorized Sometimes when a message comes my way, I don’t know whether God really means to send it to me.
The baby at Mass September 23, 2024By Rita Buettner OSV News Filed Under: Commentary, The Domestic Church Each of us has times when we are that squirming, fussing child at Mass.
Pray and Do Not Worry September 16, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window It was late afternoon, and my son and I were running late for an appointment—again. As we walked across the parking lot, a woman approached us. “Would you help me?” she said. I could see the distress in her eyes, and I could tell she really did need help. She pointed to her car, which […]
Sadness after the closing of adoption from China September 8, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window I learned last week that China has closed its international adoption program. The closing is a blow to a program that has brought so many families together.
10 tips for new working moms September 1, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window The other day I was chatting with a colleague who is a relatively new mom. We were talking about the challenges of working while raising a child. Her baby boy had started walking while they were on vacation, and she was relieved not to have missed seeing that happen for the first time. She mentioned […]
Holding Onto Summer August 31, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Summer is my favorite time of the year. I love everything about it—the heat, the long sunny days, and the lack of routine. This summer we didn’t plan much for our teens, and that only enhanced the time off. It was a season of freedom—no bedtimes and no early mornings. It was glorious. And we […]
