It made me feel as if God was saying, “Just keep your eyes on Jesus, and your Lent will be just fine.”

I was so proud of him. I didn’t care whether he made the team. I cared that he would feel good about how he did. I wanted him to be happy he had given it a shot.

It’s hard to believe that Lent starts in just a few days and that Ash Wednesday is this week. I’m looking forward to Lent and have no concrete plan yet—except filling our prayer basket with intentions to pick each morning.

As we look ahead to the start of Lent, I’ve been thinking that that is a question we can ask ourselves about our relationship with God. “How do we show God that we love him, and how does he show us that he loves us?”

Even people who remember not to scarf down a box of Nerds minutes before Mass still have questions left to discern and explore.

Our children love ramen, but I don’t think I’ve ever made homemade ramen before.

The search was continuing. I thought about keeping our son home from school. Schools not far from us had been closed, but ours was open. Our son was eager to go, and I had to believe that he would be safe there. I have to have faith in our school leaders and teachers and law enforcement. We can’t live every day in fear.

Some questions are difficult to answer. What is it like to receive the Eucharist? What is it like to believe that this life we are enjoying is just a part of a whole extraordinary journey that leads us to God?

Dear Marie,
I’m grinning ear to ear. I hear you’ve given up on a tidy house—and that you’re happier for it.

Chinese New Year is absolutely my favorite holiday. It’s a chance to celebrate a new beginning and a special animal in the zodiac by connecting with friends and family and food.