I was on retreat Saturday with our middle and high school youth ministry core teams. One of our deacons gave a talk on joy and said it was necessary to have joy in order to share the Good News with…
You are what you eat
Readings for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time A few years back George Gallup conducted a poll called “Religion in America.” He studied two groups of Americans, regular churchgoers from various Christian churches on the one hand, and totally unchurched…
St Teresa of Avila’s Four Waters
In her first book, the book of her life, St. Teresa describes prayer and the spiritual life in terms of a garden and of water, using four types of receiving water to describe the stages of prayer life. St. Teresa…
Red Hot Sinner
Have you ever been to Jerusalem? When you step out in early morn there is a chill in the air and by noon it’s so hot that you can hardly breathe and all you want to do is find a…
From Inauthentic Evangelizer to Witness
How authentic are you as an evangelizer? When people ask you questions, are your responses what you experience? Or a idealistic, textbook answer? Pope Francis writes, “people prefer to listen to witnesses: they ‘thirst for authenticity’ and ‘call for evangelizers…
Hidden meaning of the Loaves and Fish
Readings for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Finding the hidden meanings. Unraveling mysteries. Deciphering symbols. The thrill inherent in all this is partly why Dan Brown’s book, the Da Vinci Code, sold so well. But Brown’s secret code, the…
Living through your Suffering
“Nothing is small that comes from the hand of God. If He sends us affliction or suffering, we should accept it with gratitude; for whatever He permits to happen to us is always for our salvation.” -“The Imitation of Christ”,…
Chastity is a Waltz
A few months ago I was speaking to a friend of mine regarding how we teach chastity to our young people. The frustration she shared with me was that the entire burden of chastity seemed to fall on the women. …
Hungry Sheep, Weary Shepherds
Readings for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Lots of perks come with being the boss, whether you are the boss of a church, company, or nation. You get to call the shots, for starters. Then there is good food,…
To everything there is a season
Our Lord has said it, St. Pio has said it. Even songwriters have said it. There is a time for everything. All things are passing. Bear everything in peace. To everything there is a time and season. Time, what does it…