When I was a child, I spent the whole year anticipating Christmas and all that came with it. By comparison, Easter was a rather dull holiday after the long boring season of Lent. When I got older, I began to…
Lent: A Season of Hope
Baptism and Belonging in Lent
What is belonging? When we belong, we experience fitting in, just as we are, right now. We experience being a part of something bigger than ourselves. We are able to share and give of our unique gifts, and know that…
The Truth About Love
This year, Valentine’s Day, the secular holiday of romantic love, falls on the same day as Ash Wednesday. Valentine’s Day is usually celebrated with gifts of chocolate and candy, while Ash Wednesday is celebrated with fasting. For a chocolate lover…
Proof and Belief
In my last two posts, we’ve thought about the words “absolute” and “relative”, as well as “objective” and “subjective”. Another word that gets thrown around lightly is “proof”. “Set forth your case, says the Lord; bring your proofs, says the…
Are you a bridge to Catholicism?
Did you know that 45 percent of Americans (about 112 million people) have some meaningful connection to the Catholic faith in some way? Some bridge of trust? Only 20 percent of them – 50 million — are Catholic. This statistic…
Reaching “Nones”
I recently read Christel Manning’s book, “Losing Our Religion: How Unaffiliated Parents Are Raising Their Children” and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in better understanding the nuance, diversity, and experiences of “Nones” when it comes to religious beliefs and practices….
Come Away With Me
In today’s Gospel, the disciples have just returned from a mission that Jesus sent them on. They were excited, and eager to tell Jesus everything that had happened, but they were also tired. Knowing their need for rest, Jesus invited…
How Do We End Abortion? We Get There First.
This past January, men and woman, young and old, Catholic, Protestant and other, marched for the Right to Life for all people, especially the unborn. Their purpose was to defend men, women and children from an evil called abortion by…
Arrogance vs. Self-Esteem
Many people become increasingly arrogant when honors are given to them and favors are done for them. They do not know what to do with so much good fortune… Esther E: 2-3a Too much of a good thing is not…
From Small Talk to Life Talk
Spreading the love of God is inevitably a personal, relational experience. We know as Christians that–if we stay at this “evanglism” thing long enough, we’re going to have to talk to people. And this can seem like a burden for…