THE MARRIED LIFE The parish priest was looking for someone to baptize on Easter Sunday. The catechumens were to be baptized at the Easter Vigil, but he thought that baptism was such a significant way to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ, he asked if our infant son could be baptized Easter morning. We were thrilled. […]
Mary Duddy: The power of forgiveness
THE MARRIED LIFE Pope Francis says three phrases should always be spoken within a family: Please. Thank you. I’m sorry. And the hardest of these, says my husband, is to say, “I’m sorry.” How true this is. Recently I had a hard time sleeping because I knew my husband was mad at me after a […]
Mary Duddy: Gratitude after a COVID-19 crisis
THE MARRIED LIFE We recently noticed that one of our neighbors had not been outside in a while. Neither had his wife. We began to wonder if they had COVID-19, and after several days we left a note on their door but got no response. Two weeks later an ambulance came and took the husband […]
Mary Duddy: Dance with me
THE MARRIED LIFE In marriage, each spouse’s unique personality and temperament contributes to the richness of the relationship, but these differences can also be a source of irritation. In our house, arriving at an event “on time” means arriving early to my husband; not so to me. The pandemic can highlight these natural differences between […]
Mary Duddy: Thank God for small miracles
THE MARRIED LIFE Our grandson Elijah’s last request before he started third grade this year was to go fishing. Not like in Aunt Dorothy’s backyard canal where you catch small kine and throw them back. He wanted to catch a fish you could take home and eat. His Papa (father) assured him that if he […]
Mary Duddy: The good with the bad
THE MARRIED LIFE My mother wrote poems, mostly about the family. They were insightful and funny: Grab a chair and sit down dear, While I tell you of our trip up here. Hot, hot, hot as it could be Tempers flared — I’m speaking of me, Ten back seat drivers shouting at Phil, It’s a […]
Treasuring the elderly during this pandemic
THE MARRIED LIFE By Mary Duddy During this pandemic the plight of our most vulnerable elderly has come to the fore. Some are in nursing homes; others are in family homes; all are precious in God’s eyes. I admire and honor those who give of themselves to care for these beloved ones. Many come to […]
Mary Duddy: Peace in a pandemic
THE MARRIED LIFE During the coronavirus pandemic many people are taxed in ways they didn’t expect. I especially have compassion for young families who have extra duties thrust upon them such as working from home and social distance learning for their children. We decided early on that our youngest daughter and her family were considered […]
Mary Duddy: Family prayer
THE MARRIED LIFE “The family that prays together, stays together.” Let’s take this wisdom to heart. When our children were little we had family prayer every night after dinner. It usually involved a Bible story, appropriate for children, maybe a song, some thank you prayers and some petitions. Children’s prayers are so without guile. Children […]
Mary Duddy: Humor at the dinner table
THE MARRIED LIFE My mom used to say it was the Lord’s sense of humor that she had to cook for a large family since she never liked to cook. She had the one-hour rule for dinner. That is, it had to take one hour or less to prepare. She didn’t want to spend all […]