Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened. (Matthew 11:28) This Advent has provided me with a unique opportunity. While the world has been frantically focusing on shopping, decorating, and pushing the Christmas season out of the door…
Come to Me
Evangelization through Handel
Every December thousands of people flock to hear orchestras and choirs perform Handel’s Messiah. These performances are extremely popular, often sold-out. And when you think about it—the popularity is a little bit surprising. I mean, Messiah is Scripture set to…
Rejoice in Hope
Readings for December 15, 2013: Third Sunday of Advent Moses’ mission had taken him quite a distance . . . from the splendor of Pharaoh’s palace, to a stroll through the Red Sea, to wrestling with Israel’s stubbornness for forty…
Four Ways Catholic Churches Differ from Other Christian Churches
Last month I gave four one-hour presentations at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish here in Greenville, S.C. I’m the architect for their new church, and Fr. Longenecker asked me to speak after each Sunday Mass in November about how…
What I Learned from the Year of Faith
The Year of Faith officially ended with coming of Advent this year. It was brought to us by Pope Benedict XVI and was a communal reflection for the whole Catholic Church. It was an opportunity for spiritual renewal, particularly in…
Our Mother the Church
In my first post for New Evangelizers, I wrote the Analogy of Fatherhood – how fatherhood has taught me something about God. In Lumen Fidei, the Holy Father wrote that “The Church is a mother…”. There is another analogy! What can motherhood…
The Immaculate Conception
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. When I ask the question, “What is the Immaculate Conception?” to groups of children, teens, and even adults the first answer is without fail, “When Mary conceived Jesus.” The crestfallen look…
First the Fast, Then the Feast
Readings for December 8, 2013: Second Sunday of Advent Christmas cards speak about it. Christmas carols sing about it. Even the angels at Bethlehem proclaimed it. “Peace on earth.” “The lion shall lie down with the lamb.” (Is 11). “Justice…
Receiving the Gift of Advent
Thanks to a quirk in the calendar, the season of Advent is now well underway. Hopefully we’ve have not broken our promises to ourselves to spend less time stressing about all the things we have to do, and spent more…
Peter and the Papacy
Recently we saw stories in the news that the relics of St. Peter would be on display. Coincidentally (if you believe in that sort of thing) the other day in Bible study we were reading Matthew 10. In this chapter,…