Four Ways Out of Emotional Quandries Helen Syski finds Mortimer Alder’s four criteria for points of criticism helpful for parenting. There are many moments as a parent where the swirl of emotions in front of you threatens to engulf your reason and understanding. So many words, so much angst, and you so desire to cut through …
5 Great Family Read Aloud
Helen Syski shares five favorite family read alouds whose humor and creative twists will leave your family inspired. It’s that time of year for cuddling up on the couch by the fire for a family read aloud. Discovering a shared family canon makes memories and creates a literary legacy for your family. There is nothing like reading …
Three Ways to Use those Christmas Cards
Helen Syski shares three ways to use your pile of Christmas cards to augment your family’s spiritual life and relationships. Christmas season comes to an end, whether I take down my tree after Epiphany or after the Presentation. But the hardest thing for me to put away is my basket of Christmas cards. So many people I …
A Gift Freely Given: Why We Have No Christmas Lists This Year
Our family tries a new experiment to keep the true gift in Christmas. Wham! The basement door slammed and a little someone lingered near the top. I turned from the breakfast dishes and prayed to the Holy Spirit. My heart sank as I approached my child and became aware that he was, at that moment, …
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Crowned with Grace– New Book!
I am so excited to share with you my newest writing, this time in an anthology of titles of Mary! In my chapter I share what transformed my intellectual belief in the Eucharist to something heartfelt. This book is full of amazing stories of Mary's intercession in the lives of her children by a skilled team …
Mommy Mary’s Birthday
What presents would Mary like best? (Published on CatholicMom.com on the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, September 8th, 2025). “What do you want for your birthday Mommy?” My son looked up expectantly. What would Mommy choose? Paw Patrol action figure? Remote control car? Lights for her bike wheels? I closed my eyes. Birthday? I could hear …
Goals: A Battleground for Virtue
Worldly goals can be means to heavenly ends. “If I ask God for courage, will He give it to me, or will He put me in more situations where I need it?” Earnest teenage eyes looked at me across the table. It was the final night for our confirmation students, and this young man stunned me …
The Three Trusts
Pondering what it means to trust yourself, God, and others. Tears carved down my cheeks as I washed the bowl and utensils. For some reason I had been dizzy and bone weary since waking. I had recently bungled multiple communications and the weekend had brought many delicate social situations with consequential decisions. I was depleted and anxious. In five …
Rerouting: When God Asks Something Unexpected
Reflecting on the importance of Jesus' words, "Thy will be done." Wrestling with a difficult and important decision for months, I was feeling anxious and overwhelmed by the path revealed. Could it possibly be what God wanted? As I poured out my soul to God, the crescendo ended with a cry of my heart: “This is not …
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When You Hit Bottom, It’s a Good Thing
There’s treasure at the end of your rope. I knew I was lecturing. Worse, I was yelling. Rushed, unrealistic schedules, overbearing workloads, lack of sleep, and lack of family time had led to disobedience, bickering and nothing accomplished at the end of the day. Knowing we needed to reset, but with no time to prepare, I finally …
Discernment: It’s Not All in Your Head
My quest for a sofa speaks to the oneness of body and soul in discernment. Glancing at my husband, I plunked down on the sofa. Nope, too firm. Popping up, I tried another. Too square. The next was too… something. Like Goldilocks, I spun from one to the next throughout the store, but unlike Goldilocks, “just right!” …
Patience is More Than Waiting
Contemplating the roles of becoming and timing in the virtue of patience. “Oh!” Surprise was quickly replaced with clarity as I looked at the pamphlet with the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. The mysteries were all paired with a virtue… Agony in the Garden with contrition, the Scourging at the Pillar with purity, the Crowning …
God’s Game of Peek-a-boo
When God hides His face, is He playing Peek-a-boo? "God hides His face in order to draw our attention away from ourselves, to stop our navel-gazing, to draw us once again closer to Himself. He is playing a game of peek-a-boo, reminding us of what truly matters." -Helen Syski Click here to read the full …
Wait, Watch, Wonder
Helen Syski realizes we are never outside of God's plan. Click here to read the full the article on CatholicMom.com.
Don’t Pray in Caveats
Helen Syski looks to the psalms to un-stopper her prayer. Click here to read the full article on CatholicMom.com.
Saint Elizabeth, Friends, and the Mercy of God
We can imagine many reasons for Mary's haste in visiting her cousin Elizabeth after the Annunciation. Helen Syski shares her favorite. Click here to read the full article on CatholicMom.com.
Boundaries and the Sheep Fold
Helen Syski explores the question of whether setting boundaries is a Christian act. Click here to read the full article on CatholicMom.com.
What Exercise Class and Sunday Mass Have in Common
Helen Syski finds parallels between God's commandment to keep holy the Sabbath and the benefits of exercise class. Click here to read the full article on CatholicMom.com.
Gratitude, Not Grabitude
Helen Syski realizes that teaching chastity begins from day one, helping children learn to graciously receive gifts rather than grab for more. Click here to read the full article on CatholicMom.com.
Banality of Bread and Marriage
Helen Syski sees the secret to marriage contained in Jesus' vulnerability on the altar. Click here to read the full article on CatholicMom.com.
Adequate Anthropologist 