Marge Fenelon

Strength for the Family “Unlimited opportunities to practice the little virtues arise in daily life, especially in our domestic church. While they’re considered the smallest of the virtues, they’re certainly not the easiest.” ~Strengthening Your Family: A Catholic Approach to Holiness at Home, Chapter Seventeen: Detached Attachments St. Francis de Sales wrote beautiful passages about the “little virtues” – humility, … Continue reading →

Strength for the Family “The sacraments are part of the privilege of our royal heritage, and so we receive them as often as we can. Jesus stressed the importance of the sacraments when he said: “Abide in me and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless … Continue reading →

Strength for the Family “The root of holiness – the attitude of the saints – is a constant awareness of the presence of God. He isn’t a nebulous power that hangs around in outer space getting his jollies by manipulating the lives of human beings. He’s truly and completely a father, and he’s not just a father, he’s our father.” … Continue reading →

Strength for the Family “True fathers help women to be true mothers, and true mothers help men to be true fathers. There’s a polar unity between the two and our children – the entire generation, not just those who reside within our homes – need both motherliness and fatherliness in order to develop into fully-rounded personalities.” ~Strengthening Your Family: A … Continue reading →

Strength for the Family “The Eucharist also is the sacrifice of the Church. We are members of the Mystical Body of Christ, and with him, we offer ourselves whole and entire, uniting ourselves in Christ’s intercession with the Father for all of humanity. Our lives – our praise, sufferings, prayer, and work – are united with Christ on the altar … Continue reading →

Strength for the Family “Of course, things happen in spite of our best efforts. Marriages break up, circumstances change, and negative influences affect our families. Regardless, we can never allow our view of marriage, or our belief in it, to be altered. Marriage is a sacrament instituted by Christ and advocated by the Catholic Church.” ~Strengthening Your Family: A Catholic … Continue reading →

Strength for the Family “Married or single, we have many duties in life and many distractions that can deter our own spiritual growth and our children’s spiritual growth. We cultivate real sanctity when we allow ourselves to be moved by the Holy Spirit, obey the voice of the heavenly Father, and worship him in spirit and in truth.” ~Strengthening Your … Continue reading →

This morning began as any normally abnormal one around the Fenelon Clan abode – with me taking my handful of horse-pill vitamins, one agonizing swallow at a time. They say you can’t buy health in a bottle. Maybe so. But, I figure it’s like taking out an insurance policy: You go for years wasting your money because you don’t want … Continue reading →

Strength for the Family “What is holiness really? It’s the result of living in the peace and joy of the beatitudes. The Eight Beatitudes are the heart of Jesus’ preaching. [...] Christian families are called to live the beatitudes in and outside of the home.” ~Strengthening Your Family: A Catholic Approach to Holiness at Home, Chapter Nine: Church in Miniature … Continue reading →

Strength for the Family “It’s good to have sacramentals that remind us to pray, but it’s even better to have a place in our home in which we can pray. ~Strengthening Your Family: A Catholic Approach to Holiness at Home, Chapter Nine: Church in Miniature Most of us have a place in our homes that’s geared toward entertainment. Some of … Continue reading →