Our whole family was on the way to dinner with friends—I was behind the wheel. Andrew rode shotgun, exhausted from work, and our crew almost filled the back of the van. Almost. Its eight-passenger occupancy accommodates our family of seven with room for the occasional tag-along. With my oldest approaching …

From the time my kids were babies, I wanted our family to live in a way that was massively distinct from the secular world, a way that was marked by faith and deep, abiding joy. In my holiest fantasies, my family culture was so steeped in devotion you’d be able …

The gas pump was irritatingly slow; and for a mama with a rare hour to herself, I was not excited about how long it was taking to fill my tank. Using this opportunity to clean out the van, I stepped away to toss the trash, and he approached. “’Scuse me …

As I recently walked through a retail store with my kids, we saw the whole place decked out in snowflakes, North Pole signage, toy cars with trees strapped on top and, most puzzling, Star Wars Pez in candy striped boxes. So, I nonchalantly quizzed my kids. “This stuff looks fun. …

When my family moved into our home almost five years ago, we liked the sweet quiet of the neighborhood and the charm of our little house. We had yet to realize the very best part of living here: our neighbors. The Neighborhood Family, as we all call it, consists of …

“Behind each priest, there is a demon fighting for his fall. If we have the language to criticize them, we must have twice as much to pray for them.” – St. Teresa of Avila I was the new kid in fifth grade. My family had just moved to a small …

As a theology major, I earned my degree turning thousands of pages of spiritual reading—saints’ reflections, papal documents and biblical analysis. I remember highlighting lines that pierced my heart; whole paragraphs of intricate wording that went right to my soul. There is no end in the Faith to the number …

The idea of joy in suffering is a pretty tough pill to swallow. It’s one I’ve wrestled with for years because, although it’s hard to perceive light in the dense fog of trials, Jesus and the saints say it is possible. I’m challenged to search beyond formidable sadness, grief, confusion—everything …

My 14-year-old son, Liam, fixed his eyes on mine and tearfully choked out, “Mom I want to go home.” On the surface, his comment made no sense. We had just returned home the day before from Tennessee, where Liam got to visit his long-distance best friend. I never saw that …

FIRST PLACE Best Book Review Section Kenneth Craycraft, Fr. Kyle Schnippel, Matt Swaim, Fr. Jacob Lindle and Margaret Swensen SECOND PLACE Best Photograph – Sacramental Being Christ to Others Danny Schneible Best Reporting on Vocations to Priesthood, Religious Life or Diaconate The Long and Winding Road Patricia McGeever THIRD PLACE  …