All around you, wherever you live, there are quiet heroes. I’m sure you could come up with your own personal list: A mother struggling to maximize the potential of a child with autism, a husband tenderly caring for a dependent and querulous wife with Alzheimer’s disease. Or perhaps you know people whose love for Christ moves them to do something out of the ordinary—say, a gifted scientist who leaves a lucrative corporate job to teach in an inner-city school. More »

Prayer is not a last resort. It’s not what we do after we read the self-help books, after we go to the specialists, or after we surf the Internet. Prayer is our lifeline to God. This is why Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you” (Matthew 6:33). It’s why he said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (11:28). More »

Every now and again, God’s mercy touches a person in a way that cries out to be shared with others. My mother, Adeline Lapierre, had an experience like this and told about it often. More »

We tend to think that our life experiences or what other people say or do make us feel good or bad. We think that situations determine our moods and our reactions. On the surface, it seems like a reasonable assumption: Gary is depressed because he lost his job. I am angry and frustrated because my kids are misbehaving or my husband works too many hours. More »

The gospel really does have the power to save and redeem. It’s something that each of us can experience. And it’s something that each of us is called to proclaim. As we try to respond to the Lord’s call to go out into all the world, it’s important for us to see how much the Lord wants us to evangelize. More »

When I was eighteen, I found out I was pregnant. My boyfriend said he’d kick me out of our apartment if I didn’t have an abortion, and my employer agreed that this was the only logical option. She even offered to make the arrangements. More »

What is the key to good relationships? Trust, acceptance, respect, and love are certainly necessary. But every day we face sins and temptations that threaten to prevent us from giving and receiving the love and respect that are so vital. And experience tells us how easy it can be to give in or surrender to these temptation—and hurt the ones we love in the process. More »

In Thérèse’s day, many people had a mistaken idea of holiness and thought that sanctity was a matter of willful effort well beyond the ordinary person. The mistaken idea of holiness often suggested was that sanctity was a matter of willful effort well beyond the ordinary person. More »