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Jan 17, 2025 | 
catholicmom.com | Merridith Frediani
Merridith Frediani considers what we can learn when we embrace our wait for Christ, not only during Advent, but throughout our lives. Christmas is past. I am returning to my regularly-scheduled life and I can do this with joy because Jesus is born, reminding me again of what a miraculous thing this is, what a generous gift His birth is. It’s true we often take what we have for granted. In her wisdom, the Church ensures that we have reminders that it wasn’t always like this.
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Nov 26, 2024 | 
catholicmom.com | Merridith Frediani
Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel. Today's Gospel: Luke 21:5-11In this somewhat confusing Gospel passage, Jesus says two things in particular that stand out to me: “See that you not be deceived” (Luke 21:8) and “do not be terrified” (Luke 21:9). These phrases are comforting. There is much masquerading that can lead us astray--the pursuit of wealth, fame, or attention; a desire to be liked by others; wanting to be included instead of excluded.
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Nov 18, 2024 | 
catholicherald.org | Merridith Frediani
“By his obedience to Mary and Joseph, as well as by his humble work during the long years of Nazareth, Jesus gives us the example of holiness in the daily life of family and work.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 564)My life is pretty ordinary. I wake up, pray, eat breakfast, make a lunch, get dressed and head off to work. While there, I do my accounting thing until it’s time to come home. Then I exercise, eat dinner, tidy up, watch a little TV, crochet, shower, read and sleep.
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Nov 13, 2024 | 
catholicmom.com | Merridith Frediani
Merridith Frediani's children have grown up, and she ponders God's grace and treasures her memories as she learns to accept that. When they were littles and the days were still long, they needed me and I, them. I fixed the bad and in my arms they knew they were safe. I played car track, airplane until my legs ached, and so many games of Sorry the cards were bent from shuffling. Our days were spent as a pack, moving from room to room.
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Oct 18, 2024 | 
catholicmom.com | Merridith Frediani
Merridith Frediani reflects on receiving roses from Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and God’s creative generosity. When I was in third or fourth grade, my school library had a book about the Little Flower that I checked out and read several times. I learned about Saint Thérèse from that book and was fascinated that such a young girl could have such strong faith. I vividly remember that book and even the shelf it lived on in the library.
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Oct 9, 2024 | 
catholicmom.com | Merridith Frediani
Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel. Today's Gospel: Luke 11:1-4It never occurred to me to ask Jesus to teach me to pray. I thought I should just know how to pray. I don’t think I understood what it is to pray until a friend shared that the Lord's Prayer is the perfect prayer. It comes from Jesus Himself and offers a plan for prayer. It begins with praise. God doesn’t need our praise, but we need to remind ourselves how good He is, how hallowed His name is.
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Sep 30, 2024 | 
catholicherald.org | Merridith Frediani
It was to be a meeting of the minds. The youngest earned his driver’s license and was itching for more freedom. He sees our use of Find My Friends (a location-tracking phone app) as a statement of nontrust. We decided to negotiate. Raising toddlers involves physical endurance — sleepless nights for both child and parent, temper tantrums that call for jumbo vats of patience, battles over clothes, toys, pottying, everything. With toddlers, I was physically drained most nights.
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Sep 20, 2024 | 
catholicmom.com | Merridith Frediani
Merredith Frediani considers how our mundane work, even when it often goes unnoticed, can still be sanctified by God. It is the lament of accountants. We spend our days in the background, in the weeds. Behind the scenes of the business, we do the unnoticeable. Everyone gets paid, their 401(k) is funded, their insurance is secure. The lights go on each morning and in the cold winter months, the heat works, and the parking lot is plowed.
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Sep 9, 2024 | 
catholicmom.com | Merridith Frediani
Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel. Today's Gospel: Luke 6:6-11Suppose a new employee at your company was struggling. She is overwhelmed and not completing her tasks. Recently, she burst into tears and went home in the middle of the day. She was out sick for the next few days. What to do? According to company policy, the administration would not be wrong to fire her. There have been enough complaints. She’s not doing the job she’s paid to do.
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Sep 5, 2024 | 
catholicherald.org | Merridith Frediani
When I learned about the abortion van at the Democratic National Convention, I was heartbroken. It seems our society isn’t content with merely allowing abortion, we now celebrate it. That this follows so closely the Olympic opening ceremony mocking Christianity makes it even more important that in this post-Christian world, we speak truth. A few years ago, an adage (wrongly attributed to St. Francis) was going around that we should proclaim the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.
