Archives - Faith and Family

This column, written by Sean Gallagher, has been published monthly in The Criterion since 2002. The columns below are in order from newest to oldest.

• 2012

  • Holiness is won through detachment

• 2011

  • Make the baby Jesus’ manger soft this Christmas
  • Want faith-filled children? Take them to Mass
  • Let the love of Christ shine brightly in you
  • Prayer can help us see God in daily life
  • Dig into the feast of grace!
  • Dive into the life of grace
  • Lessons of faith and love found in the midst of suffering
  • ‘Stay in my hands and give me yours’
  • How John Paul II taught me to be a good father
  • Seek the help of the angels during Lent
  • Pray to God in secret in the middle of the world
  • Praying for children is an important duty for parents

• 2010

  • Grace: The best Christmas present we could ever receive
  • Have a ‘holy impatience’ this Advent
  • Be mindful of those still taking baby steps
  • Parents carry a heavy cross when their children suffer
  • Be youthful in your life of faith
  • Fathers: Become more like the Father
  • Seek out silence to nurture a deep relationship with God
  • Family life is one commencement after another
  • Children can grow close to Christ in Communion
  • Pray on Palm Sunday to be faithful, not fickle
  • Broaden your spiritual horizons during Lent
  • Families can help and be helped by Haitians

• 2009

  • Find joy in hardships during Advent and Christmas
  • Appreciate your common priesthood in the Year for Priests
  • Both parents and children teach and learn in lots of little ways in the home
  • St. Thomas More - A man for all husbands and fathers
  • Get equipped at parishes to pass on the faith in your family, the world
  • Jesus shows fathers the Father
  • Forget yourself in serving others
  • Rejoice in the gift of life during the Easter season
  • Don’t grumble when carrying your daily cross
  • Make Lenten sacrifices for the right reason
  • Older parents give younger ones perspective

• 2008

  • The birth of a child is at the heart of our faith
  • Learn to wait patiently this Advent
  • Become a saint by changing your heart
  • Parents nurture holiness in hidden ways
  • Getting up again and again to climb God’s holy mountain
  • Living as a child of God
  • Be ready!
  • Plan to take a spiritual journey this summer
  • Be happy like a child playing in the waves
  • Family homes - Outposts of God’s kingdom
  • See the sick and caregivers as Christ
  • Children teach us about gratitude

• 2007

  • Families can spread Christmas joy
  • Past and future come together at end of year
  • We’re all called to be saints
  • Beauty will save the world
  • Make Labor Day a holy day
  • True love is found in caring for babies
  • Let Christ live through your uniqueness
  • The challenge of seeing children as a blessing
  • Pain, anguish lead to new life
  • Reflections on Mary for Palm Sunday
  • Discipline is the path to virtue
  • Celebrate God’s gift of variety

  2006

  • Cherish the gift of Providence at Christmas
  • Bringing Thanksgiving and Advent together
  • Saints can help families grow in love
  • Take a pilgrimage with family this fall
  • Commitment - It’s the chance of a lifetime
  • Celebrate the gift of life
  • Dive into God’s love this summer
  • Life is the greatest legacy of all
  • Make the Bible a bedtime storybook
  • Building up fortitude in Lent
  • Living Lent continuously? It’s a joy
  • Baptismal anniversaries can be special celebrations

  2005

  • Family life was redeemed at Christ’s birth
  • Focus on the future in Advent
  • The Eucharist links us to our ancestors
  • Expectant mothers share a sacred bond
  • Prayer helps families balance busy schedules
  • Family life can be transfigured before our eyes
  • Celebrating our interdependence on July 4th
  • Families loving the Eucharist and learning about it
  • A lesson for parents from Pope Benedict
  • Families living out of sync in the world
  • Christ's Passion is lived out in family life