The Fourth of July always seems to make people stop and reflect on the core values of our culture. One of these values is freedom. We talk about political freedom, religious freedom, and economic freedom. Listen to or read any…
True Freedom
Conversion: Moment and Process
This week our Church celebrates two great missionaries–Peter and Paul. Often when we talk about conversion in the Christian life, there can be almost a rivalry between the idea of our life-changing conversion as a particular moment (i.e. I remember on such-and-such…
I DARE YOU!
You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are…
Spiritual Decoys
“[Hezekiah] did what was pleasing to the Lord. He destroyed the pagan places of worship, broke the stone pillars, and cut down the images of the goddess Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze snake that Moses had made,…
Who’s in Charge of Me?
As Catholics, many of our faith have learned the rules at the knee of a teacher, parent, or grandparent without ever having a disagreement, difference of opinion or question of anything. To be sure, there is an encyclopedia of information…
Remember Who You Are
There is important liturgical concept called “anamnesis.” Literally translated it means “remembering.” It is so fascinating to me how important this concept is in the Scriptures. In the Exodus, God says of the Passover, “This day you are to remember;…
The Eucharist: The Body of Christ?
The Catholic Church teaches the doctrine of transubstantiation, namely, that in the Eucharist, the communion wafer and the altar wine are transformed and really become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Have you ever met anyone who has found…
A Question of Intimacy
“Remain in me, as I remain in you.” John 15:4 Okay. I know that I over-think things, sometimes to an obnoxious degree, but I just couldn’t understand the morning Gospel. It might have been the word “in”. I could see…
Jesus is the Person Behind the Words that Christians Use
We Christians sometimes use special words to talk about what we believe. We talk about faith, grace, and works, and love, and hope too. These are all things that we need, things related to salvation. For instance, in hope we…
Introducing “Living as Missionary Disciples”
Have you ever wanted a CliffNotes version of doing evangelization in parish life? Look no further. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) recently released the leadership resource Living as Missionary Disciples, a rich, yet concise, guide to the theological foundations…