Rise from The tomb of Sin on Divine Mercy Sunday

As my grandma lay sick in the hospital, she struggled.  Nana struggled to keep her health and to feel comfort and hope.  Then my brother placed a Divine Mercy image on the bulletin board in her room. She said it…

Total Consecration to Mary: “A Challenge We’re Up For”

While Fr. Joshua Waltz prepared his homily for the All Saint’s Day Mass at St. Mary’s Central High School in Bismarck, he recalled a phone call from his brother Fr. Justin. “Don’t forget, if you plan to make the Total…

Let This Cup Pass

The Agony in the Garden is one of the most powerful scenes from the Gospels. Emotion, drama, doubt, and pain, all within these few verses. It must be an important event in the life of Christ, since it is covered…

Tenebrae: A Light in the Darkness

Anyone who does not see darkness in the world is blind.  Think of the darkness in the world. Conflict and wars all over the world, with the nation’s military spread thin throughout the regions.  And the more there is military…

Choose the Cross

And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27,KJV) Imagine you are applying for a job. You’ve gotten through the interview process and are now negotiating your contract. Everything you’ve heard about…

Seeking Truth and Sacraments

I am continuing my discussion of Evangelical Catholicism by George Weigel. Previous post is here. The second characteristic Weigel lists is, “Evangelical Catholicism affirms divine revelation and embraces its authority, which continues through history in the teaching authority of the…

The Victory of Humility

Readings for April 13, 2014: Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion When a conquering hero of the ancient world rode into town in triumph, it was in a regal chariot or on the back of a stately stallion.  Legions of…

One Ark, One Captain

Darren Aronofsky’s  Noah movie seems to be doing well in theaters, and with some Catholic critics, even if it didn’t get the papal thumbs-up they’d hoped for. To my knowledge, churchmen aren’t in the habit of making sponsorship deals–though I…

Babies and Metaphysics

I (56) was at lunch with my father (80) earlier this week, we were discussing a favorite subject: God.  Somehow we got around to contraception, and that in neither of our marriages was there any contraception, natural or artificial. We…

Hitting a Wall on My Own

Did you catch the reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans at Mass yesterday? It was easy to miss, with the absolutely life-changing declaration from Jesus in the Gospel, “I am the resurrection and the life;  whoever believes in me,…