The Wisdom of St. Damien of Molokai
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It’s hard to believe, but 2026 is upon us, and if you’re like me, you have taken some time over the past few days (or more!) to examine the last year and determine what you can do better on many fronts in 2026. Most people make resolutions that revolve around health or finances, and those are great, but we can’t stop there. We have to also take stock of our spiritual health and see what we can do better—for ourselves and for our families.
Just as the flight attendant tells adults that, in case of emergency, they should put on their oxygen masks before they put on their child’s, parents must take care of their own spiritual well-being before they can be equipped to take care of their children’s. If we don’t strengthen our own relationship with God and learn to treat others with love, we cannot serve as the proper role models for our children.
So I encourage all parents to do something to boost their spiritual well-being this new year. Maybe it’s reading some good Catholic books each day. Maybe it’s praying the rosary or going to Adoration. Or maybe it’s listening to The Bible in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz.
I have been a huge fan of this podcast since it debuted in 2021, and now it’s celebrating its five-year anniversary with some bonus material. In determining how I want to spend my time this new year, I put this podcast at the top of my list. I have already listened twice, and then I listened to The Catechism in a Year as well. But this year I want to get back to The Bible in a Year. I want to hear God’s word on a daily basis.
In one of the intro episodes, Fr. Mike challenged listeners to find out their why—to ask themselves why they want to listen to The Bible in a Year. He said he is going to listen, and his why is this: “I want to see the way the Lord sees. I want to love the way the Lord loves.”
I want that too. And I want that for my children. I venture to say that most people want that for their children. So this year, take time to build your relationship with God. Model that for your children. And then do something as a family to not only learn about our faith but to build compassion and love for others. To help get you started, we have created a list of six things you can do as a family.
Every day, take some time to think about the people in your life or in our wider world who need prayers. Then pray together for them.
Read books about the saints and discuss how you can emulate their actions. You can also download booklets about the saints from the Culture of Life Studies Program and read them together. All include bios and questions and answers, so you can have great discussions together.
At the beginning of every month, sit down with your family and determine how you can help the vulnerable in your community. Maybe it’s donating to a pregnancy resource center. Maybe it’s volunteering there or at a homeless shelter. Maybe it’s making meals for parents of children who are hospitalized. There are countless things you can do. Helping your children identify and then serve those who need it will increase their compassion as they learn to look outside their immediate world.
The growth of a preborn baby is incredible! You can learn about the science with CLSP booklets about the developing baby, through great books that teach the correct embryology to kids, or by watching videos like American Life League's Baby Steps that show a preborn baby. All of these things will help even young kids see the humanity of the baby in the womb.
One of the things many families forget to make time for in today’s busy world is having important conversations about pro-life topics. You may talk about your day or about school, but those conversations that deal with topics related to life issues often fail to come up. Or maybe they seem too hard. Don’t be afraid; you can ease into them. A few times a week, begin a discussion about an age-appropriate pro-life topic. Ask your kids their opinion, then talk about what the Church teaches and why it teaches that. If you want to dive into Church teaching with your older kids, listen to The Catechism in a Year podcast as a family. In one year, you will hear the entirety of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Knowing what the Church teaches will help your kids (and you!) understand the reasoning behind Church teaching and will help you defend it.
Find a large jar and decorate it together. Then each day, have family members write down one or two things they did that day to help another person feel valued or special. It’s a great way to develop behaviors focused on others.
Let 2026 become a year where your entire family sees the way the Lord sees and loves the way the Lord loves. If we all do this, it will be a fantastic new year!
Susan Lochner Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame and an MLS from Indiana University. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2003; nearly 17 of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently, she is the editor of American Life League’s Celebrate Life Magazine—the nation’s premier Catholic pro-life magazine. She is also the director and executive editor of ALL’s Culture of Life Studies Program—a pre-K-12 Catholic pro-life education organization. Susan has written hundreds of Catholic and secular articles and has edited nearly two dozen books.
