Super Bowl Sunday. Food. Family. Friends. Two teams looking to win sport’s most coveted trophy. Does it get any bigger in the sports world than this? Alright, so it does for me; I am a Vikings fan. But you get my point…
As these teams prepare to set foot on the field in Miami on February 7, eye paint smeared, voices raised, adrenaline coursing through their veins, they cannot help but be reminded of all the hard work that has taken them this far. Coaches are proud of their...
Anymore, the phrase, “Live, Laugh, Love” has become all too familiar. The phrase has almost become ‘the’ inspirational quote of our day. We see it on bumper stickers, picture frames, and wall quotes. It surrounds us.
I have to admit that when I first saw this quote, phrase, or whatever you want to call it, I really liked it. I do like simple quotes like this, and this one was pretty straightforward. I mean, it’s not like I reflected on it any longer than the twenty-eight...
My Advent meditation really caught me by surprise this year. Two weeks prior to Advent, I was thinking about what my main focus in prayer during those four weeks of preparation was going to be. I came up with a few: spending more quiet time each week in adoration, deepening my devotion to the Blessed Mother, etc. However, I really could not make up my mind. As time got closer and closer to the lighting of that first candle, I remember panicking. And then, there I was, sitting at Mass on...
On the Solemnity of Christ the King, celebrated last Sunday, we as Catholics heard the most comforting words we could ever hear. Jesus Christ, standing before Pontius Pilate, proclaimed the words, "My kingdom is not here.”
Can you imagine Pilate, standing before our Lord, listening as those words were spoken from Christ’s mouth? Pilate had to have been a little confused. You know that old joke, the one that goes, “you talking to me?” I am sure this is exactly what Pilate was...
Entitlement. Many of us take on the idea that we truly believe we deserve what we have. Often, it doesn’t stop there. We often find that once someone buys into the idea of entitlement, it quickly turns into pity: self-pity. We slide down that treacherous slope, moving from thinking we deserve what we have to thinking we deserve more. We unknowingly train ourselves to think what we have, even though we might deserve it, is simply not good enough. We complain about the way our day...
Picture it: The rich man encountering Jesus Christ face to face. As they look into each others’ eyes, the people around them inch closer and closer. Can you feel the tension? The rich man, feeling quite sure of himself asks Jesus if there is more.
"You follow the commandments, you say? You are a good person, you say? That’s great. But it’s not enough…"
"Give it all – everything. What’s stopping you? You’ve already gone this far in your faith. It’s not going to be easy, but...
Recently I was speaking with a friend who had left the Church and converted to another denomination of Christianity. Growing up Catholic and having a firm faith in the Lord, I asked him why he would convert to another faith. His answer: “My relationship with Jesus was hurting and I needed a faith where it could be strengthened.” I did not understand. We are the one true faith - the faith that Jesus handed on to Peter, the Church that Christ married upon the cross. This faith, the...
“Holiness, whether ascribed to Popes well-known to history or to humble lay and religious figures, from one continent to another of the globe, has emerged more clearly as the dimension which expresses best the mystery of the Church. Holiness, a message that convinces without the need for words, is the living reflection of the face of Christ.” - Pope John Paul II
The quote speaks for itself… eh? Holiness, as John Paul II reflected, is the way in which we bring the living Christ to...
We believe, oh yes, we do believe. And it’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it? It’s an incredible gift of faith, given by a God who wants nothing more than to spend eternity with us. Despite our unworthiness, despite the many times we have turned away, we have a God who continually fills our hearts with this ‘need’- a need that begs us to live as we were created to live. And with this precious gift of faith we are also given something else. Responsibility – a responsibility to go "unto...
"To Toil and not seek for rest. To Labor and not ask for reward, except for knowing that I do your will."
Peace to all! I hope your Labor Day was full of both rest and family fun. Labor Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. It is short and non-commercialized, which for me, propels it right to the top. The physical and mental labor that each of us do on a day by day basis in our schools, jobs and homes should not be ignored, being rightfully rewarded with a day to "catch our...
