The Christian life is difficult, but why? Is the difficulty because God doesn’t want people to be saved? Are we to think that he will reluctantly save only the few who make it through his “obstacle course”? Sometimes some of…
Jesus Wants to Save
See the Good in Others
I don’t know if you are like me, but I constantly have to fight against making snap judgments. For example, at my church, there is one non-handicap space towards the front of the building. In the morning, I try to…
Why I Need Confession
Very often you hear the question, “Why do I need to go tell my sins to a priest? Why can’t I just go to God directly?” There are many wiser and holier people than me who have handled this subject….
Want Jesus More
One of the most difficult things about the Christian life is that it comes at a price: we may have to let go of things to which we are very attached, in order to attach ourselves to Jesus. What if…
A Divided Mind At Prayer
I have many, many faults. This should not be news to anyone who knows me. This is especially true when it comes to my spiritual life. I have been graced with a number of mentors and spiritual directors that have…
St. Ambrose, Bishops, and Abortion
Towards the end of the 4th century, St. Ambrose took his life into his hands. Ambrose was a man who did not want to be bishop. In fact, in the city of Milan when the previous bishop died, there was…
Understanding the Love of Jesus
As Christians, we believe God loves us, and Jesus shows that love. We look at the cross to remind us: it shows us how much he loves us and to what extent he will go for love of us. So…
Why Can’t I See God?
As my school year is drawing to a close, I reflect on one particular class that I had. There were three students that insisted that God should show Himself to them. They said that they asked God to make Himself…
Pentecost: A Return to Unity
Yesterday was the Feast Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down upon the Disciples. Most of us are familiar with the story, but I wanted to take a moment and look a little deeper. St. Luke gives us…
Being Alone
Modern life is increasingly an experience of being alone. Modern social media has supplanted face-to-face interaction with online interaction, alone in front of a computer screen or smartphone. Our friends who used to call, now just post on Facebook or…