What is our job, as Catholics, when our nation tumbles into chaos, violence, and political mayhem? This is a fair question to ask, especially for anyone living in the United States these days. Unfortunately I do not hear a lot of people asking it. Everyone seems to think they know exactly what their job is. [...]
Hear the words of St. Paul: “rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:4-7).
First, we need to know who we are. We need to know where we are. We need to know the situation we are in. This is the knowledge of self which the Fathers taught us was so important. This is the message of the Old Testament. It is the call to "repent!" (Acts 2:38). It [...]
In his first Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul addresses prominent divisions that plagued the Church during his time. He calls out the problem by saying, "there is jealousy and strife among you" (1 Cor 3:3). Many people belonging to the Church at Corinth were splitting into separate groups based on which preacher inspired their [...]
I was very distracted during mass today. There were a number of things happening around me that made it hard to focus on what was happening at the altar. They were the typical things. The kids behind me were restless and vocal. The sign of peace was awkward. The music selections were questionable. I was [...]
Many of us are aware that Friday is a "day of penance" in the Church and that, for a long time, Canon Law required Catholics to abstain from meat on all Fridays. If you know this, you probably also know that the Canon changed, and Catholics are no longer bound to this practice under pain [...]
We all have difficult decisions to make in our lives, and perhaps the most important decisions pertain to our vocations. In the beginning we ask whether we're called to marriage or the religious life. If we decide we're called to marriage, we wonder who we ought to date. If we start dating, we begin discerning [...]
Perhaps we're humble enough to admit that we sin. After all, the Bible is pretty clear when it says that "all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The smallest ounce of honest introspection will force us to admit that we are no exception to the rule. We aren't perfect. [...]
What is the first thing you say each day? What is the first thing you think of? For most people, it probably varies quite a bit. Some days it might be, "what a nice morning!" Other days it might be, "this is going to be a very busy day." Most days it's probably something like, [...]
I remember one afternoon I was walking to a college class alongside a friend. He confessed that he was bored, and he wasn't sure what to do with a couple hours of spare time that he had. With humor I said the following: "You know...I know this secret little room. It's over on the other [...]
