Have you ever been in a crowd—shopping mall, parish gathering, park, or family event—with lots of little kids around? At this event, did any of the children become lost or get into a tight spot and call out to their mothers for help? I’ll bet as soon as the child called out, the mother recognized the voice and rushed to the child’s aid. It happens all the time and in all kinds of situations.

Why? Because every good mother recognizes the voice of her child, even if it’s mixed with a multitude of other voices.

Childish or childlike: Which one are you?

We all have someone in our lives who throws his or her weight around—figuratively speaking – to get their way. Perhaps it’s a coworker, family member, or even someone in our parish. Maybe it’s the person in front of you in the checkout line or the impatient driver on the highway next to you. It even could be you.

Yesterday, I had a conversation with a friend about the notion of “forgive and forget.” Although it’s one often quoted, I believe it to be a false notion.

Forgiving is not the same as forgetting. While we must always forgive, there are times when we must not forget. Forgive and forget implies that we exonerate the one who has offended us and never again call to mind their actions. By all means, exonerate the other! Our Lord expressly told us that we are called to forgiveness and that we will be forgiven by our heavenly Father in the same measure that we forgive others.