Americans want larger families

Tomorrow morning I’ll be on Relevant Radio’s Morning Air program to talk about a recent Gallup poll that showed Americans increasingly want larger families, in the form of three-plus children. Isn’t that something! It’s certainly a sign of hope.

However, in practice, Americans are continuing to have few, or no, children. Why is this? My take is that there a few reasons, including the cost of living which makes having a family difficult. Additionally, marriage ain’t what it used to be, and if fewer marriages are happening, most likely so are fewer children.

Catholics have an opportunity here. We know the trope about Catholics having large families isn’t always true anymore. But whether you have 11 kids or 1 child, if you’re Catholic, you know what we believe about the beauty and sanctity of the family and have the opportunity to live that, and be a sign of hope.

These are the things we’ll be discussing tomorrow. Tune in online, find your radio station, or listen in the app at 8:40 am eastern.

Jonah, the gourd, and losing

Given that today’s first reading is the amusing and relatable story of Jonah and the gourd plant, I am re-sharing something I wrote in 2019, “‘The Art of Losing’ is About Trusting God.”

Every time this passage comes up throughout the years, I can’t help but pay attention. Jonah is such a strange ambassador for God to choose; he seems unpleasant, unlikeable, and actually really doesn’t like that God takes mercy on Nineveh. The perceived slight, combined with the demise of the shade provided by a gourd plant, is enough to make him “angry enough to die.” Yikes.

As I outline in the article, there are many things that draw me in, including when God says, “You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor and which you did not raise…” How humbling. It is a response we should remember when we lose the things we did not ourselves earn - or even that we did earn - in recognition that all is actually God’s, anyway. It will all, always, go back to Him.

So anyway, have a read. And try not to judge Jonah too harshly, because we may be more like him than we would at first guess.

Feasts of October

Dear friends, I joined John Morales earlier this week on Morning Air to talk about how to get into the habit of preparing liturgically each month. And this month, in October, we have some truly wonderful saints’ days and of course the focus of the Holy Rosary. Listen to the conversation here, starting around 15:00. Enjoy!