At some point in life each of us finds ourselves at a loss for what to say to God. It is usually at a time of intense trial. The pain of disease, agony of loss, or sting of betrayal leaves us overwhelmed. Our sadness and anger are so acute that we fell abandoned, as if […]
“As long as you believe in God and try to be a good person, your religion doesn’t matter.” “There are different paths up the same mountain, but they all lead to the peak.” How many times have you heard people speak this way? This is the prevailing wisdom. It’s politically correct. Tolerant. Reasonable. But it’s […]
A reflection on today’s Sacred Scripture: “I have told you this so that My joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.” (John15:11) Complete joy sounds unattainable in today’s world; after all, who really has it? People do. Jesus says it’s ours if we remain in His love by keeping His Commandments. As Catholics, […]
The ancients knew we were made for it, we moderns are constantly seeking it: Happiness. It’s often associated with peace, rest, contentment, or completion. It’s the nunc dimittis we all hope to whisper at the end of our day. No matter who you are, where you are, it appears as the Lode Star for all human activity […]
Whenever someone insults us, we usually come tearing back, ready to defend our reputation, our honor, or whatever it was that we perceive was insulted. We might even grant that on some level we deserved the insult, but not from them. “Only God can judge me,”we say. But for as much as this is true, […]
Back in the mid-1990’s, before the internet ruined our lives (I’m kidding. Kidding) I was in the seminary, discerning a possible call to the priesthood. They were amazing years, and gave me a solid faith formation, an opportunity to come to know the beautiful heart of the Church from a unique and powerful perspective, and […]
“The Son of God who became Son of the Virgin also learned to pray according to his human heart. He learns the formulas of prayer from his mother … He learns to pray in the words and rhythms of the prayer of his people.” (CCC 2599) Until five years ago, when I began an intense […]
In Three Persons, One God: Growing in Relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Leonine Publishers), Allison Gingras offers a primer in developing a personal relationship with the three persons of the Blessed Trinity. In her introduction, Gingras refers to the Gospel passage of Luke 8:4-15. That parable is about the farmer who went […]
There are few things as toxic as envy. Schadenfreude, envy’s cousin, is close. To envy means to mistrust Jesus. It is to say, in effect, that God has erred in what He has given you, where He has placed you and what He has made you. When I am the object of someone’s envy, I […]
In October of the Jubilee Year 2000, a World Mission Congress was held in Rome. Hundreds of missionaries and mission educators from around the world gathered in the Eternal City to celebrate the fundamental call of all Christians: to be the soul in the body of the world. To breathe a spirit of peace and […]
Eric Mahl has always loved a challenge. In his youth, it was the prospect of being the best football player ever. This desire drove him to bench press 450 pounds, earn an NCAA Division I football scholarship and later a place on the Cleveland Browns’ roster. The 30-year-old Ohio native’s challenge now, however, is sharing the […]
In this Octave of Easter celebration, we contemplate God the Father’s gift to us, His beautiful Son, Jesus, and the gift Jesus gave to us – His life. Consider the abundance of gifts Jesus left behind so that we would know He is still with us. The gift of faith, which moves us to seek […]
The average wait to see him was 13 hours. The line was over 3 miles long. Over 150 cardinals concelebrated, 700 archbishops and bishops were present, and 3,000 priests participated. It was the largest gathering of statesmen in human history. It was the first time an Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church had attended a […]
“As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back”. Big mistake. Lot’s wife looked back and remember what happened to her? She turned to a pillar of rock salt. What did the Israelites do? They looked back as well. What do we do when we are trying to leave our former lives of sin? We look back with […]
Easter Vigil Reading 5 Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked man his thoughts; let him turn to the LORD for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are […]
Hey, where are you going? It’s not Easter, yet. “Stay a while. Do not hurry by the cross on your way to Easter joy, for we know the risen Lord only through Christ and him crucified.” (Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, Death on a Friday Afternoon). Jason Hall reminds us that, “It is common, and entirely appropriate, for us to […]
Terrorism is nothing new. It’s probably as old as the human race. In fact the cradle of civilization, now Iraq, was the home of the most infamous terrorists of antiquity, the Assyrians. Their goal was to conquer their neighbors in a way that would minimize initial resistance and subsequent rebellion. To do this, they knew […]
Praying the Stations of the Cross on Fridays in Lent and on Good Friday is one of the most beautiful devotions in our Catholic tradition outside of the Mass and the Sacraments. This particular devotion helps the faithful to deeply ponder what Christ did for us that Friday. He submitted and opened not his mouth. […]
The Gospel of John today tells us the last hours of Jesus’ life. He speaks of the agony in the garden, when He was betrayed and arrested. The story is told of Jesus being brought before the high priests, questioned, mocked and insulted. He was then brought before Pilate, scourged and crowned with thorns. Finally, […]
“Having Loved His own …He loved them to the end” (Jn 13:1-15.) Jesus knew that it was His time to enter into His Passion and in His love for His apostles Jesus wanted to spend this memorial feast of the Passover with them. He wanted to bequeath to His apostles one last gift and proof […]
It is Holy Thursday, and during the daytime we celebrate the Chrism Mass. Tonight we will celebrate the Liturgy of the Lord’s Supper. During this liturgy, churches around the entire globe will wait in prayerful vigil, with lights dimmed, all images covered and the congregation adopts a tone of respectful and somber silence. The Church is remembering […]
Today’s readings center around the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot. I have been thinking as I go through the trials of having an ill spouse: how easy it is to betray Jesus by losing hope? How often do I want to escape from my daily duties? It can be difficult to accept prolonged suffering, especially […]
How many of us can relate to Simon Peter’s desire to stand beside Jesus, steadfast and true? Those very same people can, I am sure, also relate to Peter’s denial of Jesus. As St. Paul would say, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. As we grow in our own discipleship of Jesus Christ, […]
The Epistle to the Hebrews tells us something truly astounding: Christ’s prayer at his incarnation. The inspired author heard his prayer captured in the words of Psalm 40, “When Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and [sin] offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me … I have […]
