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The Pope has a prayer group, and it's called the Apostleship of Prayer. The  international Apostleship of Prayer website  has a map of the prayer group's offices around the world: Praying with the Pope around the world! These offices serve the Church by uniting people in prayer for the Pope's personal intentions. I love clicking on the links to Apostleship of Prayer sites from various countries. Just a few minutes on these sites helps me work on my foreign language skills and provides a glimpse into the vibrant prayer lives of our brothers and sisters around the globe. When Pope Francis visited the US last month, he asked at  every  stop for people to pray for him. The worldwide Apostleship of Prayer gives us a concrete way to do exactly that. Find out how to become a member of the prayer group St. Therese of Lisieux joined at Praying with Grace !

When we talk to children about suffering, it's unhelpful to discuss WHY bad things happen. Suffering--a result of the Fall--makes no sense in and of itself. What children need to hear is that our suffering can be a powerful source of good for others. Jesus shows us how. Children can learn to be sensitive to suffering. When adults empathize with them ( I'm so sorry you tripped and scraped your knee. Oooh, I know that must hurt! ), they learn to share others' sadness. And when empathetic children grow up, they become courageous citizens who defend the weak and the suffering. I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.   (Ezekiel 36:26) Please click on over to Praying with Grace to read more of today's article and to see the reflection & activity sheets for children.

Jubilant crowd cheers His Holiness Pope Francis as the Papal convoy arrives for the welcome ceremony at the Kalayaan Grounds of the Malacañan Palace for the State Visit and Apostolic Journey to the Republic of the Philippines on Friday,  16 January 2015. Robert Viñas, Malacañang Photo Bureau, PD, Wikipedia Commons Papa Francisco! MAHAL NG PILIPINO! Papa Francisco! MAHAL NG PILIPINO! Papa Francisco! MAHAL NG PILIPINO! The rhythm of this energetic chant is stuck in my head. It's my own fault, really, since I keep playing videos of the Pope's visit to the Philippines last week. YouTube has hours and hours of "Pope in Philippines" footage, including a nearly  three-hour video  of Sunday Mass and a surplus of videos of joyous chanting. My friend Rena says the best translation of the chant's second part is "Love of the Filipinos."  Pope Francis, the love of the Filipinos . How beautiful, to be beloved by a country, an entire people. "I...

Her name is Fiat. That cute little goldfish--her name is Fiat. Fiat , of course, is Latin for  let it be done . In Lisa Hendey's brand-new book,  The Grace of Yes , Fiat is both the charming little goldfish on the cover as well as the simple yet profound theme guiding readers through the pages of the book.  The Grace of Yes  explores eight virtues that help us build a habit of generosity. The goldfish name surfaced (ha! fish pun!) after CatholicMom.com hosted a "Name the Goldfish" contest. The goldfish is essentially just a decoration, I realize, but the community goldfish-naming phenomenon is no mere ornament; the CatholicMom.com clever fish-naming campaign epitomizes the way Lisa--the site's founder-- habitually reaches out to others. Since the year 2000, when Lisa launched CatholicMom.com out of her California home, Lisa's work has connected countless moms (and other people) seeking to integrate faith into daily life. Read more as part of today...