As I have in years past, I shall recall any good things from the popular culture that are harmonious or helpful to Catholic culture. There were many things this past year and many things coming up in 2020 that are…
Catholic Pop Culture 2019
Butterflies at Wal-Mart?
“I love your dress!” came at me like a chant from a cheerleader. A second voice echoed, “I love your dress!” I look up to see two joyful women. “Do I know them?” I asked myself. I didn’t come to…
When It Doesn’t Feel Like Christmas
We are told that this is the most joyous holiday of the year. But for many, Advent and Christmas conjure feelings of sorrow. For most of us, we have magical Christmas memories from our childhood. The bright colored lights filled…
Sweep Aside Notions That Get in the Way
Our destiny as human beings is to have a life-relationship with Jesus, to love him and be loved by him. But too many things get in the way. There are the day-to-day things in our life that distract us and…
The Freedom of Forgiveness
In my last essay, I wrote about the importance of forgiveness. We are called to never stop forgiving those who have hurt us. But I would like to take time in this article to talk about the benefit to the…
Kendra’s Dilemma: Am I Catholic?
Am I Catholic? A Struggle with Faith, Humility, and Surrendering to God by Kendra Von Esh Kendra was a cradle Catholic but without understanding or practicing the doctrine or engaging in the sacraments. This gifted, rich party girl, whose career…
Never Stop Forgiving
One of my favorite stories about the Sacred Heart revelations is when St. Margret Mary Alacoque told her confessor, Fr. Claude de la Colombière, that she was seeing visions of Jesus. Fr. Claude asked for proof. He told her to…
Connection
Human beings crave connection. It is part of who we are. We are not isolated individuals, we are connected: parents with children, spouses with each other, friends with friends. But is connection real? Or is it an illusion, a mere…
Clarity and Confusion
There is a song that was particularly dear to me many years ago when I came to my conversion experience. One of the lyrics goes “Lord, take the darkness from my min, when confusion makes me blind, come renew me…
Growth Beneath the Snow
“The plants were hidden under the snow. And the farmer…remarked with satisfaction: ‘Now they’re growing on the inside.’ I thought of…your forced inactivity…Tell me, are you also growing on the inside?” St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, #294 The plants cannot…