by Theresa CavicchioEach year on May 1st, we peer into the workshop at Nazareth to view the daily life of Saint Joseph the Worker. Added to the liturgical calendar by Pope Pius XII in 1955, this feast calls our attention to the humility and everyday practicality of the manual labor performed by a unique man among men.
by Theresa CavicchioThe final days of Lent call us to reflect more deeply on the Sorrowful Mysteries – key scenes in the climax of Jesus’ earthly life from Holy Thursday night through the Friday we call Good. As Pope Saint John Paul II writes, “the Rosary selects certain moments from the Passion, inviting the faithful to contemplate them in their hearts and to relive them” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 22).
by Theresa CavicchioAs the feast of Saint Joseph arrives, several weeks of Lent have passed. At this point, our Lenten efforts toward prayer, fasting, and almsgiving may be beginning to pale. Now could be the perfect time to focus on some sterling qualities of Jesus’ earthly father as they relate to these traditional Lenten practices. We may find therein some fresh ideas to carry us spiritually through the remainder of Lent.
Margalita Poletunow, LPCMHis not unusual for a woman to experience a variety of negative emotions about her body when being unable to become pregnant or carry a baby to term. Her mind will be bombarded with thoughts and emotions trying to understand her current situation. However, two particular feelings can lurk and can easily weigh her down and make her heart heavy.
by Theresa CavicchioThe rarified atmosphere of center city Philadelphia was the privileged milieu into which Katharine Drexel (1858 – 1955) came into the world. The second child of wealthy financier Francis Drexel and Hannah Langstroth, sadly, Katharine and her sister Elizabeth suffered the loss of their mother in Katharine’s fifth week of life.
by Margalita Poletunow, MA, LPC, LPCMHDuring pregnancy, certain medical issues beyond the woman’s control can lead to the death of the child before it is born. The baby will die, for example, if a woman has a miscarriage, a stillbirth, or an ectopic pregnancy to mention a few.
by Theresa Cavicchio“The presentation of Jesus in the temple shows him to be the firstborn Son who belongs to the Lord. With Simeon and Anna, all Israel awaits its encounter with the Savior … Jesus is recognized as the long-expected Messiah, the ‘light to the nations’ and the ‘glory of Israel,’ but also ‘a sign that is spoken against.’ The sword of sorrow predicted for Mary announces Christ’s perfect and unique oblation on the cross that will impart the salvation God had ‘prepared in the presence of all peoples’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 529).
Margalita Poletunow, LMHCWhen facing miscarriage or infertility the feelings such as confusion, shock, frustration, irritability, or for the woman to see herself as having less value than other “fertile women” may make sense. A woman may begin to internalize statements such as “God does not love me or does not care for me. Surely He knows that I am open to life, to be fruitful, to raise children and He has not made it happen.” These initial feelings are expected because a woman never dreamed of having reproductive challenges.
by Margalita Poletunow, LPCMHWhile facing miscarriage and infertility, are you struggling with setting New Year’s resolutions?
by Margalita Poletunow, LPCMHFrom the beginning of Advent and throughout the Christmas season, a woman facing infertility challenges or who has experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth may be filled with sadness and sorrow. At a time when all around her is brimming with excitement and joy, she may be bracing herself to swim against the waves of loneliness and a sense of emptiness. While family and friends may expect her to display the same seasonal euphoria as others around her, her heart may be aching over a desire that is unfulfilled or a baby that has died too soon.
