Devotion to the Blessed Mother

November 1, 2014
November 1, 2014
Categories

An End-of-Life Experience

deathcertificateYou may have heard about the incident a couple of weeks ago (October 22) in Ottawa, Canada, when a Canadian soldier was gunned down by a homegrown terrorist, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau.  The soldier’s name was Corporal Nathan Cirillo, and at the time of the incident he was on duty as a ceremonial guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Canadian National War Memorial.

Do you like it?0
1 Read more
April 5, 2014
April 5, 2014
Categories

Dealing With The Dirty Laundry

Laundry RemovalI was born on the same day that my grandfather, Harry LaHood, was buried.  My grandfather died on May 17, 1957.  My mom and dad attended his funeral Mass on May 20, and then went to the cemetery for the burial service.  Mom’s contractions had started earlier in the day and became more intense while she and Dad were at the cemetery.  After the burial service was finished, Mom told Dad that she needed to go to the hospital.  I was born later that day, and Mom gave me the same name as her father.

Do you like it?0
1 Read more
March 29, 2014
March 29, 2014
Categories

The Burial of a Loved One

Burial of JesusWhen I was 13 years old, a cousin of mine died as a result of a tragic accident.  He was 11 years old at the time of his death.  The day after he died, my parents and I went over to his parents’ house to visit his family.  I went with my parents because I had been a good friend of my cousin and still was a good friend of his older brother.

Do you like it?0
1 Read more
March 22, 2014
March 22, 2014
Categories

A Heart-Wrenching Experience

Pieta - Jesus and MaryI’ve previously shared some of my experiences in growing up in a family of 17 children.  All of my brothers and sisters are still living, except for Kathryn Mary, my parents’ 15th child.  At the time of her death, Kathryn was 13 months old.

Do you like it?0
1 Read more
March 15, 2014
March 15, 2014
Categories

The Queen of Martyrs

crucifixionAbout 15 years ago, I met a couple whose 20-year-old daughter was instantly killed when her car was hit by a train.  She died five minutes after she walked out of her parents’ home.  She was on her way to class at Illinois Central College.  When she left the house, her mother told her goodbye and told her that she looked beautiful.

Do you like it?0
1 Read more
March 1, 2014
March 1, 2014
Categories

An Unplanned Interception

InterceptionI’ve written before about how I broke my leg when I was a boy.  The events leading up to my broken leg began during the summer of 1967, when I was 10 years old.  While holding onto the end of an old rubber garden hose, I climbed the weeping willow tree in the back yard of my parents’ home.  When I got about 20 feet high, I climbed out onto a thick branch and tied the end of the hose to the branch.

Do you like it?0
2 Read more
February 22, 2014
February 22, 2014
Categories

A Reason to Panic

Stress MeterIt happened during the summer of 1990.  Georgette needed to go to the grocery store, so she asked me to keep an eye on our four children while she was gone.  At that time, Harry was nine, Anna was seven, Maria was six, and Laura was three.

Do you like it?0
1 Read more
February 15, 2014
February 15, 2014
Categories

An Order for the Death of Your Son

Death OrderAbout 20 years ago, I was hired to represent a young man in his mid-20s who had been charged with the crime of arson.  He had set fire to the house of a man who had “stolen” his girlfriend away from him.  (For the purpose of this article, I’m going to call my client “James.”)

Do you like it?0
4 Read more
February 8, 2014
February 8, 2014
Categories

Something To Cry About

Mother Holding Sleeping BabyI met my wife, Georgette, on August 4, 1978, a few weeks before starting my senior year in college.  We dated for almost two years and we got married on June 15, 1980, a couple of months before I started my second year of law school.

Do you like it?0
1 Read more
Load more
Contact