It’s summertime and the cousin visits are starting! Four cousins were in town for the weekend, and four more arrive tomorrow. We live in Baltimore because we love Baltimore, but it’s nice that we have one set of grandparents, two aunts, an uncle, and two cousins who live here.

We are morally obliged to accept treatment that offers benefit without entailing greater burdens. Catholic tradition does not teach a “vitalism” insisting that everything possible must always be done to prolong life.

It was a long summer evening, and I had a few errands to run. Both our boys wanted to come along with me, and I always enjoy having company.As we were walking between stores, the boys saw a long open stretch of sidewalk ahead of us, and they took off running. “Wait for me!” I […]

Last May, I earned a master’s degree in theology from St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute in Roland Park.  It was a new field of study for me, and I admit that I wasn’t really clear on the meaning of “theology” when I embarked on this endeavor. What kind of things would I be studying?  Would all […]

With organ, guitar, drums or silence, it is our unity with the Lord that should be the pulse we quicken to. 

I always remember the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel because my brother Ricky married his wife, Christina, 12 years ago that day. They had a gorgeous wedding. But John and I often laugh remembering that day.You see, their wedding was supposed to be a breeze for us. Neither one of us was in […]

~1~ Our sitter from last summer started back with us this week, and the boys have had a blast. They are staying busy at playgrounds, riding bicycles, baking, building ropes out of duct tape, getting snowballs, going to the library and the dollar movie, and doing who knows what else. The other day they caught […]

When our souls are stretched, even if to their breaking points, carrying our crosses, may we come to Jesus, who repairs, renews, restores and refreshes our souls.

When I came home at the end of a full day, our children were stalking the kitchen, looking for food. And I had no idea what I would be making for dinner.It’s a good thing I always have chicken in the freezer, I thought. As I pulled it out, though, I noticed the date on […]

~1~ Do you call those flying insects that light up fireflies or lightning bugs? I call them fireflies, but my mother says they are lightning bugs. I can’t decide why I don’t use the same term she does. ~2~ I have been off from work this week and enjoying my staycation with our boys. This […]