The Old Testament in Relation to Christ

Young Christians are often introduced to the Gospels before the rest of Scripture. There is a good reason for this. In the eyes of the Church, the four Gospels have always been revered above all the other books of the Bible because of their direct account of the life and words of Christ. It makes [...]

Mass Distractions

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 [...]

Wait…It’s Friday

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 [...]

Prayer and Discernment

Prayer and Discernment

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 [...]

Are You in Control?

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. [...]

The Morning Offering

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, [...]

A Secret Little Room

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 [...]