I wonder what Mary thought about the gifts the Magi brought, which were odd for a baby, but not so odd for the Savior of the world. Did Mary know what they foretold or did she just accept them graciously…
Mary’s Yes and Mine
Give the Gift of Epiphany
The end of the Christmas season is upon us. We first waited and prayed, preparing ourselves for the coming of our Lord at Christmas. We celebrated with friends and family with great joy, attended our favorite Mass, praised our children’s…
I Confess
A friend of mine, a believing Catholic, told me he hasn’t been to Confession in a long time. After all, God forgives sins, so there’s really no need to go to a priest. If people need the emotional crutch of…
The Importance of the Incarnation for the New Evangelization
The great solemn feast of Christ’s Birth, and thus the entrance of God’s Son into human history, coincides with the Winter Solstice. The Epiphany of God’s Revelation to his people, the light to all the nations, coincides with deep dark…
A Reason, a Season, a Lifetime
“People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.” As the Christmas season gives way to Valentine’s Day and Lent approaches, how do we relate to our friends? During this season, new people bump into our…
Reflecting on 2012
As 2012 comes to a close, what will we remember about this year? Before we move onto 2013, let’s take some time reflecting on 2012. Remembering 2012 The HHS Mandate took center stage early in the year, the USCCB held…
Evangelizing in the Face of Dissent
“I’m hesitant to evangelize, because I know that I’ll have to steer new Catholics so carefully, just to keep them away from the all the dissent within the Church.” That’s what one faithful Catholic confided, when I brought up the…
Saying or Praying?
How many times have you been lost in prayer? I do not mean lost in ecstasy, emotion, and spiritual bliss. I mean lost as in you are reciting a prayer but in your mind, you are contemplating what to cook for…
WWJD: The John 8 Test
Whenever I start to feel high and mighty about my faith and my Catholicism, I use the John 8 Test. This passage from John, chapter 8, is the “He who is without sin…” Bible story. I used to think was…
Keeping Christ in Christmas: Our Family’s Approach
“Actions speak louder than words.” “One picture is worth a thousand words.” “Talk is cheap.” There are lots of different sayings in the English language that generally express the same thing–words alone don’t do the necessary job of communicating, especially…