Semen est sanguis Christianorum – “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church”

 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him.  Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a…

Black Friday thoughts on greed

…Their hearts are trained to be greedy… 2nd Peter 2:14 (GNT) Greed is something we learn, maybe without even realizing it. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting or enjoying nice things, when we demand more than our share, when we…

A Seeking Heart – Where I’d put Jesus

I absolutely love that tradition of waiting to put Baby Jesus in the Nativity Scene until Christmas Morning. I, however, have never followed it because I am truly worried I will forget where I hid Baby Jesus. In addition, my…

Five Mercies we can Learn from and Pray

I’m counting the days. Why? Because this Extraordinary Jubilee Year is exactly what I need when I need it. Of course, mercy is pretty much what everyone needs every day. We’re all miserable sinners, after all. And if we’re not…

Crisis Management with Padre Pio

Most faithful Catholics, at one time or another, have experienced the anguish of a loved one walking away from the Lord, the Church, or both. Some live through the daily heartache of children who have strayed from the fold; others…

The Lord’s Prayer Part 1: The Heavenly Family

The Lord’s Prayer, also commonly known as the “Our Father” is the perfect prayer of Jesus Christ. When His disciples asked Him how we should pray, Jesus did not give a vague subjective answer. He said, “This is how you…

Christ the King

Sunday Readings for Nov 22, the 34rd Sunday in Ordinary Time From the dawn of civilization, kings have arisen who have dreamed of possessing a world-wide dominion, a universal kingdom that would last forever. Some have come close to conquering…

Mercy Sakes!

“Be merciful, just as your father is merciful.” – Luke 3:36 Mercy. We plead for it at every mass with the “Lord, have mercy” of the Kyrie. We often ask for God’s compassion and forgiveness in the form of His…

Not Quite Perfect

We all go through our trials and tribulations. At different ages the trials and tribulations change. It sometimes seems that the more grown up we get, the more complicated our trials get. The more stuff we have, the more things…

Does the Bible Inspire Your Pastoral Work?

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has dubbed this week “National Bible Week” in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum. I’m generally skeptical as to what positive outcomes…