LifeCraft Read-Alouds

This essay is a cornerstone of our observance of the changing of the leaves in autumn. You might just discover something about yourself, and realize more deeply what your heart has been saying to you, each fall. 

This is a powerful sketch of an early Bishop in French Canada (he was declared a saint in 2014) and his interaction with an illegitimate boy he encounters on the streets of Quebec. (Cather's portrayal is historical fiction about a real man.)

An exciting and moving tale set in western Ireland of a unlikely canoe race involving a father and his daughter’s suitor trying to win his approval. Suitable for all ages (though perhaps a little beyond younger children).

In this heart-stopping sketch, a spiritual master retells one of the most dramatic moments of the Passion of the Lord: the interchange with the good thief. It offers a unique angle into the Divine Mercy and will emblazon on your heart the words, “This day you will be with me in Paradise.”

This essay has no soft edges. Peguy is controversial and minces no words. “Today, an artisan is no longer an artisan.” “Those bygone workers… had an absolute honor.” Writing at the dawn of the twentieth century, Peguy is a Frenchman recalling pre-Industrial France; yet his trenchant reflections raise issues that have only become more pressing.

In this provocative essay Belloc offers a conception of pilgrimage as a unique kind of journey that speaks to the deep desires of the heart. And though pilgrimages have become rarer today, what Belloc describes remains very much within our reach. This essay calls for a couple of listens.

This famous excerpt from the novel Dostoevsky called “a flawless work of art” is a stunning account of the beauty and power of real manual labor.

Just a few unforgettable lines from Peguy's great poem on hope The Portal of the Mystery of Hope, reflecting on a father's work in his home.

This is a classic and inspiring story that illustrates how the Gospel message of serving others applies in everyday life. Suitable for the whole family.