10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle…
Spiritual Warfare: The Full Armor of God
How St. Thérèse Draws Me Closer to the Heart of Jesus
I first learned about St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus when I was 15 years old, a sophomore in a Catholic high school. In English class, her autobiography, Story of a Soul, was one of the options on our required…
Scheduling Evangelization into Parish Life
If you want to make something happen, put it on the calendar. Want to exercise more? Set days and times aside for exercising. Can’t seem to find time for prayer or Bible study? You can’t just hope you’ll “find the…
Lessons of the Sower, Part 4: The Good Soil
Previous posts in this series: Part 1: The Path, Part 2: The Rocks, Part 3: The Thorns. The final part of our series reflection on the Parable of the Sower is the happy ending. Now, I am a firm believer…
Creation in Me
In every human being there is a curious trait. Have you ever made, directed or organized something? You know, not necessarily a great work of literature or Fortune 500 Company or a breathtaking work of art. Anything: a finger painting,…
Do’s and Don’ts of Evangelization
A few weeks ago, I spent 30 hours with 40 8th graders in our parish’s Confirmation Boot Camp. Every year, one of the topics we bumble through is evangelization. Seriously: can we just strike that from the topic list? Plllleeeease?…
The Body of Christ?
Readings for June 22, 2014: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) The Catholic Church teaches the doctrine of transubstantiation, namely, that in the Eucharist, the communion wafer and the altar wine are transformed and…
From Catholic School to Prison
Recently, I began corresponding with a young man who once walked down a dark, destructive path. Eric is sentenced to twenty years in a Jamestown, ND prison for his third drug offense. He tracked me down through my publisher after…
The God Particles: Part Two
The God Particles: Part One can be found here. Fact & Belief “Objective knowledge provides us with powerful instruments for the achievements of certain ends, but the ultimate goal itself and the longing to reach it must come from another…
Why Call God “Father?”
This June not only the USA but 55 other countries around the world will honor the roles fathers play in the family and the community. This modern secular holiday invites us to ask a very important question – what does…