And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27, KJV) Imagine you are applying for a job. You’ve gotten through the interview process and are now negotiating your contract. Everything you’ve heard…
The Reward of the Cross
Evangelization IS Action
Catholics are not big on evangelization. When I speak to groups I work with about this topic, even in passing, they are uncomfortable. The word is too close to “evangelical,” I am told. Sounds like we are going to go…
Are YOU Feeding His Sheep?
Readings for April 14, 2013: Third Sunday of Easter On many occasions I’ve heard non-Catholics object to the papacy. Often, they say something like this: “I just can’t believe that one man on earth, the Pope, is holier than everyone…
Faith: Substance and Evidence
We are halfway through the Year of Faith which began October 2012 and ends November 2013. During the last few months, our faith has certainly been challenged and, hopefully, has grown. Hebrews 11 defines faith as substance and evidence: “Now…
Transsubstati-what?
I can read something in the Bible a hundred times and still bump into something new. For example, on Palm Sunday I was browsing Luke’s Gospel before Mass started. For the first time, I noticed that at the Last Supper,…
Lasagna Ministry
Comfort food is usually described as food with a high sugar or carbohydrate content, and which gives a sense of well-being. Maybe it’s because I’m a food-loving Italian, but my own definition of comfort food has a broader definition. To…
The Need for More Creed
“They will know we are Christians by our love,” as the song goes. Or as Jesus put it, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:35 RSV) The…
Highlighting New Evangelizers: The Catholic Laboratory
There are many things I love about being Catholic, and one of the big things is how scientific the Catholic Church is…and how Catholic science is. Look no further than the Catholic Laboratory, a website that deals with all aspects…
Finding (and Sharing) Your Faith
The vowed religious at the wedding In between the awkwardly drunken apology—”Father, nothing bad happening over here!”—and the even more awkwardly inappropriate woman’s misplaced flirting, I can understand why most priests I know prefer to stay away from wedding receptions….
Making the Case for Sacred Tradition
I often have an overzealous detachment from tangible objects. Whether they are books, children’s toys, décor, or clothes, I find myself almost instinctively letting go of any item that seems to have run its useful course. It should be no…