In the last few years, my husband and I have labored to observe the sabbath more fully. We will be working on this for many more years to come, I'm sure, but here are some things that have helped us reserve Sundays for rest.

Catholicism claims that our labors do not remain empty or servile but should be tended to in and for love. When this happens, work makes us more of who we really are. We are molded by the constancy of our work. We are purified by its repetition. We are delighted in its completion. However, as worthy as work is in our development as human persons, it must not be entered without also entering into rest. The Church is clear on the boundaries between work and rest. Let's dive together into this.

As Moms, we know how to lay down our lives for our families. But sacrificing without nurturing our basic needs, and specially our spiritual lives can lead to burnout, bitterness and exhaustion. Investing in personal prayer time can make a big difference.

We want to be happy as a mom. We want our family to be happy. This is natural and good (more on that below). And yet we know that, in this valley of tears, Christian happiness dwells deeper as a supernatural joy that isn't contingent upon natural occurrences. Here are some reflections to help us dive deeper into the question "how to be happy as a mom".