Wise Words from Titus for Advent (and Beyond)

A reading from Titus at daily Mass this week really caught my attention. As it bounced around inside my head, my brain struggling to make sense of it, Paul’s words hit me as being an excellent guidepost for living as…

A Little Faith

Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1, NAB) Faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain. This seems a little hard to wrap my mind around. Maybe…

Parish Bulletins with a Purpose

Is the bulletin something we just do in Catholic parishes? Or something we do with a mission, a sense of purpose, a strategy? It’s not a stretch to say that most parish bulletins are treated as nothing more than routine maintenance…

The Parable of the Talents

Readings for November 16, 2014: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time I’ve seen it time and time again.  Someone decides to seek a better paying job, or pursue and investment strategy, or launch a new business.  Invariably some pious person in…

Two Soul Mates: Perseverance and Conversion

One thing about being down; there’s nowhere to go but up.  What gives us the strength to “go up”? Perseverance. Athletes have it! Parents have it! Our forefathers had it.  Why shouldn’t we as Christians have it? The fact is…

Your Family Feast Days

The Catholic Church has taught that salvation is an ongoing process.  St. Paul, for example, uses past, present, and future tense at different points (c.f. Rom 8:24, 2 Cor 2:15, Rom 5:9). We have been saved, in the past, by…

Food Miracles that Support Church Teaching

Here’s a 7-minute podcast I produced showing how Bible food miracles support Church teaching that Jesus spoke literally at the Last Supper. Copyright 2014, Christian LeBlanc

Infectious Sin

We had an Ebola scare in my region of the country.  Before all of the facts were out, there was a lot of confusion and nervous laughter as people joked about the disease all the while masking their fear. I…

The Grace of Yes: Eight Virtues for Generous Living

In a time when so many people are so busy and overwhelmed by the tasks of their daily lives; at a time when there is an abundance of articles written on how to say no Lisa M.  Hendey writes a…

Who Needs Church Buildings?

Readings for November 9, 2014: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome As a rebellious teenager, I thought that Catholics should stop wasting their money on expensive churches.  We ought to sell them all and buy food…