A friend of mine, a believing Catholic, told me he hasn’t been to Confession in a long time. After all, God forgives sins, so there’s really no need to go to a priest. If people need the emotional crutch of…
I Confess
The Importance of the Incarnation for the New Evangelization
The great solemn feast of Christ’s Birth, and thus the entrance of God’s Son into human history, coincides with the Winter Solstice. The Epiphany of God’s Revelation to his people, the light to all the nations, coincides with deep dark…
Our Number One Priority
What’s the most important thing you want to give your children? A college education? A generous inheritance? How about eternal happiness in heaven with God? Consider what is absolutely the most important thing in your children’s lives. When…
A Reason, a Season, a Lifetime
“People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.” As the Christmas season gives way to Valentine’s Day and Lent approaches, how do we relate to our friends? During this season, new people bump into our…
Reflecting on 2012
As 2012 comes to a close, what will we remember about this year? Before we move onto 2013, let’s take some time reflecting on 2012. Remembering 2012 The HHS Mandate took center stage early in the year, the USCCB held…
Feast of the Holy Family
Readings for December 30, 2012: Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Every year right after Christmas, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. There is an important reason for this. It’s easy to think the…
On the Necessity of Heaven
“You only believe in God because you want to go to Heaven.” This is the basic accusation leveled at many believers in this skeptical age. Heaven is the ultimate wish fulfillment fantasy. As Karl Marx called it, it is the…
Evangelizing in the Face of Dissent
“I’m hesitant to evangelize, because I know that I’ll have to steer new Catholics so carefully, just to keep them away from the all the dissent within the Church.” That’s what one faithful Catholic confided, when I brought up the…
Not So Obvious
The miracle of Christmas Day celebrates so many things that are familiar and comforting to us: Jesus among us, God’s generosity, peace on Earth, joy, comforting tunes, familiar traditions. Like all of the lessons of scripture, though, the occurrence of…
The Deeper Meaning of Christmas
Readings for December 25, 2012: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas, Mass at Dawn) In the days of Caesar Augustus, an era of peace was established in the Mediterranean world after centuries of strife. But this peace was…