Readings for August 10, 2014: 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time One of the most famous stories of the New Testament is the one about Jesus walking on the water. If there is any gospel story we never tire of hearing,…
Walking on Water
Smells & Bells
A common poor joke during my childhood was the “Catholic aerobics” we did at Mass: stand up-sit down-kneel-stand up-sit down-kneel. Now, I know that each posture has a meaning: we stand for the Gospel because it is Jesus speaking to…
Zumba and The New Evangelization: 3 Lessons Learned
On the day the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision was announced, I had a decision to make. I could stay at home and add my voice to the many other Catholic bloggers who would be weighing in on this major…
Big-Hearted Families
“I joined with (cancer survivor) and mother of nine Theresa Thomas to write Big Hearted: Inspiring Stories From Everyday Families,” Patti told me. “This collection of 22 stories is a recipe for happiness and love for families of any size….
The Miracle of the Loaves
Readings for August 3, 2014: 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Only one miracle of Jesus is recorded in all four gospels–the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. I once heard a homilist give what he said was the real meaning…
Simplify Your Spiritual Life
I love a good holiday and all the attendant decorations, special foods, and parties. With the 4th of July past, and Labor Day still a month away, I’m ready for an event fix. Luckily there are plenty of unofficial celebrations,…
Making the Gospel Sticky
He [Jesus] spoke to them another parable. “The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flouruntil the whole batch was leavened.” (Mt 13:33) Just a single verse from the Gospel of…
The Old vs. the New
Readings for July 27, 2014: 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time “Liberal” and “conservative.” The definitions of these terms are seldom stated. Usually they are just presumed. Often people call “conservative” those who like old-fashioned things and “liberal” those who favor…
St. Paul’s Conversion and My Own Conversion Story
St. Paul’s Conversion Paul was the most ferocious enemy of the Church, who as a zealous Jew and Pharisee was persecuting Christians during the first century. He rooted out Christians in the synagogues, taking them into Jerusalem in chains to have…
Anatomy of a Liturgically-Centered Evangelizing Ministry
Last month I wrote in broad terms about how scheduling decisions affect our ability to evangelize. This month I’d like to look at a case study to show how these principles can be applied in real life. Background: The Apostolate …