The Lord’s Prayer, Part 3 – Thy Kingdom Come

Continuing our reflection of the “Our Father,” it is now time to turn our attention to the phrase “Thy Kingdom Come.” Essentially there are two things we are praying for when we say these words. First, we are praying for…

Catholic Pop Culture of 2015

As I have for the last two years I shall recall any good things from the popular culture that are harmonious or helpful to Catholic culture. There were many things past year and many things coming up in 2016 that…

The Lord’s Prayer Part 2: The Holiness of God’s Name

When he spoke with God through the Burning Bush, Moses asked God what Name he should give the  people when they ask what God has sent him.   Moses might have been trying to be a bit too clever. It is…

Response to Prayer-Shaming

I have no idea if this is a growing trend or only the reaction of a few sad individuals, but in the last few days there have been more and more examples of prayer shaming. In the wake of the…

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…

Secure in Insecurity

For those who are advanced in the spiritual life and have learned to place God above all things leaving behind the cares of this world: this article is not for you. But if you are like me and you find…

Loving Virtue

In the Gospel of Luke, the Rich Young Man went to Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus quoted to him the commandments, which the young man said he kept since he was a boy….

On the Necessity of a Magisterium

I was asked a question recently by a good friend about the content of what Muslims really believe. In other words, he asked me what true Islam was. This is actually a more difficult problem than it first appears. Mohamed…

The Pope and Practical Politics

It is no secret that we live in very politically polarized times.  And perhaps you are like me in that not only am I devoutly Catholic, but I also have very strong political convictions. But as Catholics, what do we…

Do I really believe God loves me?

Have you ever asked yourself the question: “Do I really believe that God loves me?” This is not the same as the question: “Does God love me?” The latter is a question of objective truth or falsehood. Either God is…