mschmied17

This is the time of year when Christians are most focused on the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Reflection on the Holy Family is more than just the Nativity scene. Naturally, Christmas focuses on the birth of the Saviour, and Mary and Joseph play key roles in this most important event. The Child born in Bethlehem in a stable is, no doubt, what Christmas is all about. But there is a reason the Church incorporates a feast day of the Holy Family within the days of Christmas. There is... Read Full Story

Dear Anthony, I’m getting married in June to the most wonderful man in the world! But we are having a disagreement about how to handle our last Christmas as a non-married couple. We can’t make it to both our families, but we cannot agree on whose family we should be with. I assumed he would want me to be with my family, but I was wrong. I feel guilty about considering going to my parents without him. What should I do? Every year around Christmas time, I get asked by couples how they... Read Full Story

Do you feel that you are dating someone who strikes you as having an overly high moral, education, or even cultural standard?  Do you feel like your every action is being observed?  Is the person overly critical of you?  Are they quick to find fault in you but not in themselves?  Do they make you feel like your level of religious practice or approach to life is not on par with theirs?  Do you get the impression your past sins are interpreted as who you really are now?   If you answered... Read Full Story

Dear Anthony, I just got engaged to a great guy.  I love him a lot, but my sisters both think I am making a mistake.  It bothers me a lot that they don’t approve of him and I am afraid this is going to cause problems both now as well as after we are married.  Do you have any advice about this? Getting marriage is a very personal thing.  It is something you both decide on for yourself no matter what anyone thinks.  However, it is also very public thing.  No marriage is a private matter... Read Full Story

Home is the place where we feel safe, where we can shut out the world, enjoy the people we love and who love us, be accepted for who we are, and always go if something is wrong. Home is the place where we grow into person we are called to be. Those whose home do not offer them these things will have all kinds of personal problems that disrupt their ability to develop. Because it is a fundamental reality in every person to desire God, Who created us for Himself, and to be with Him, all... Read Full Story

“With the Lord, there is mercy and fullness of redemption.” This responsorial psalm is derived from Psalm 130, which has the trembling words “If Thou, O Lord, should mark iniquities, who could stand?” In other words, if You keep a record of sins, who could ever make it to heaven? How true. We are committed to not sinning, yet we sin. God is first merciful because we all sin, despite our desire and efforts not to. We don’t deserve His mercy, but He grants it freely and always. We don’t... Read Full Story

Many unmarried persons are seriously interested in finding love and getting married, and are serious about their religious beliefs and sharing that faith with someone in marriage. However, many of these persons are without the close friendship of God to accompany that which they profess to take seriously. What do I mean? Isn't a person serious about their faith close to God? Well, yes and no. Those of us who love God know very well that we don't love Him as much as we should, nor do we... Read Full Story

Marriage is a practical sacrament and institution. It requires two people who not only “want” to be married, but are capable of living out marriage. Too often, people go into marriage full of love and good intention, but no personal skills to fulfill their role. I continue to observe more and more how the capability aspect of getting married is not typically considered and is disconnected from the aspect of desire for marriage by two people. This disconnection explains why so many people... Read Full Story

We’re like children, we’re not men! Classic line of a favorite Seinfeld episode I got to watch again the other day called “The Engagement.” I can’t help smiling even as I recall it to write this article. Jerry and George are in the diner (as usual) whining to each other about their love life. George ended a relationship because the girl liked to say “Happy, Pappy?” to him. Jerry just broke up with someone because she shushed him. “I’ve got a real thing about shushing”, he tells George... Read Full Story

Dumb guys go for dumb girls, and smart guys go for dumb girls. So what do smart girls get? A cat! That’s a little joke I have come across that’s pretty funny. Like all jokes, there’s an element of truth to it. The first truth is that many smart guys do go for dumb girls. Whether they marry dumb girls or not is another question. But I have heard many women distressed about why these intelligent, devoutly religious men are attracted to what they call “air heads”. Well, needless to say... Read Full Story