The Agony in the Garden is one of the most powerful scenes from the Gospels. Emotion, drama, doubt, and pain, all within these few verses. It must be an important event in the life of Christ, since it is covered…
Let This Cup Pass
Tenebrae: A Light in the Darkness
Anyone who does not see darkness in the world is blind. Think of the darkness in the world. Conflict and wars all over the world, with the nation’s military spread thin throughout the regions. And the more there is military…
Choose the Cross
And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27,KJV) Imagine you are applying for a job. You’ve gotten through the interview process and are now negotiating your contract. Everything you’ve heard about…
Seeking Truth and Sacraments
I am continuing my discussion of Evangelical Catholicism by George Weigel. Previous post is here. The second characteristic Weigel lists is, “Evangelical Catholicism affirms divine revelation and embraces its authority, which continues through history in the teaching authority of the…
Hitting a Wall on My Own
Did you catch the reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans at Mass yesterday? It was easy to miss, with the absolutely life-changing declaration from Jesus in the Gospel, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me,…
Psalms: The Prayer that Fits Any Situation
Well, here we are at the halfway point of Lent. We have all been working hard on our acts of penance and of charity. Hopefully we have been able to attend some of our parish prayers, such as Stations of…
Are You a Clone?
I grew up in the shadow of my sister who was 18 months older than me. I followed her around, copying her every preference and obeying her every request. She convinced me that her likes and dislikes, friends and fashions…
Lenten Fasting and Feasting
Some think Lent is a time for fasting. I see it as a time of feasting. I come to this conclusion based on the story of the fig tree in Luke 13. Three years without bearing fruit. What could be…
Five Steps to Helping Your Pewmates Improve Their Spiritual Fitness
If Jesus were on Facebook, he’d be the guy who sends friend requests to everybody. This creates a thorny problem, because you end up with a Church full of horrid slackers. Weak, pathetic, “spiritually flabby” as one Ash Wednesday sermon…
Eternal Moment
The Lord our God gave the ultimate sacrifice for humankind – He was hung on a cross and experienced every real moment of that sacrifice as would any human going through the same experience. In those moments, Jesus Christ our…