Laura Kelly Fanucci

Families deserve to be seen and supported not for whether they measure up to anyone else’s expectations, but because they are formed by humans created in the image of God, striving to love each other through their struggles.

One of our older kids was in a weekend tournament, and a priest from one of the Catholic school teams offered to say Mass for anyone who wanted to attend. So we trooped downstairs to a large conference room, where we sat in uncomfortable chairs under drab fluorescent lighting — and one of the loveliest moments of my motherhood unfolded.

Think about what already nudges you to pray: the daily news, a friend’s request, the sound of church bells or an ambulance racing by. Then think about the routines you do without thinking. What could you pair with prayer, to give yourself an easy-to-remember nudge at work or home?

Five boys in the midst of becoming men.
They are the reason why the short line tucked within the Nicene Creed catches me with a lump in the throat.

You may recognize these oft-quoted words from St. Teresa of Kolkata: “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” Beautiful, right? Except — does that really sound like the Mother Teresa we know?

“You have to expend energy: Family life requires give and take. At every age, we offer what we can to fill each other’s needs.”