Love Builds Security: Follow God’s Plan For Marriage

Last updated on: February 23, 2024 at 10:00 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

Love builds security. Follow God’s plan for marriage. One of my discoveries about human behavior is that everybody suffers from personal insecurity. This is one of my secrets for interpreting human behavior. I assume that everyone is insecure. Now, obviously there are different degrees of insecurity. Some people may be crippled practically from their sense of security. Others are highly functioning. But we are all insecure about something. Marriage is an opportunity that God gives you to grow in your... Read more

Help Youth Encounter The Lord, Hear His Voice And Follow Him

Last updated on: January 10, 2024 at 3:14 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

0 Comments

Help youth encounter the Lord, hear his voice, and follow him. Pope Francis holds young people in a special place in his heart, as is evidenced in his message for the upcoming World Youth Day. Youth is a time full of hopes and dreams, stirred by the many beautiful things that enrich our lives: the splendor of God’s creation, our relationships with friends and loved ones, our encounter with art and culture, science and technology, our efforts to work for... Read more

Pope Francis Condemns Freemasonry In The Philippines

Last updated on: January 4, 2024 at 8:45 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

0 Comments

Pope Francis condemns Freemasonry in the Philippines. We live in a society that is increasingly open and tolerant. It seems that the Church has shifted in the same direction. So, how is it that we just saw a prohibition for Catholics belonging to the Freemasons? It is surprising how clear the recent document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is about Philippine Catholics being prohibited from taking part in the Freemasons. Aren’t the Freemasons just a fun-loving... Read more

How Augustine’s Response to Fundamentalism Helps Us Today

Last updated on: January 10, 2024 at 1:53 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

0 Comments

Augustine begins his prologue of De Doctrina Christiana addressing fundamentalism. Fundamentalism is present today in the Church in some sectors. It takes the form of a certain anti-intellectualism and seems to be present in the traditionalist and charismatic sectors. Augustine argues for deep Christian formation that will help overcome anti-intellectualism and lead to a deeper grasp of the mysteries of the faith. He writes the work in two different moments. The first three books come from his early years as... Read more

Starting Anew, In Christ, Under The Maternal Gaze Of Mary

Last updated on: January 4, 2024 at 8:45 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

0 Comments

We are starting anew. We enter the New Year with hope and expectation. There is something mysterious about starting over. It inspires in us a sense of awe and wonder. In the Church, we celebrate something very special. The first day of the year is dedicated to Mary, Mother of God. It is also the World Day of Peace. Finally, we celebrate in a special way the Church herself. Meaning of the New Year So much of our culture is... Read more

Form Christian Culture: 3 Keys According To Saint Augustine

Last updated on: January 13, 2024 at 9:53 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

0 Comments

Augustine tells us what we need to know to form Christian culture from the remains of a pagan one. Perhaps his work De Doctrina Christiana is a road map for our own times. I do not want to seem alarmist, but many elements of our current world point to a great decline. I believe that Christians are called upon to be witnesses to hope in this world. The best way to do this is to put forth the truth of... Read more

Pray like a Professional: Pray like John the Evangelist

Last updated on: January 4, 2024 at 8:45 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

0 Comments

Pray like a professional. We can look at so many aspects of life where we expect a lot of effort and constancy to be successful. Some may think that it is outrageous that a baseball player can make 700 million dollars, like Shohei Ohtani, but we know we cannot hit a fastball nor throw one like he can. We know that lawyers and doctors take years to complete their degrees and get the proper licensing. So, why do we assume... Read more

The Holy Family, Model for Holy Families

Last updated on: January 4, 2024 at 8:45 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

0 Comments

The Holy Family is a model for holy families. We need to commit to building a culture of family in a hostile world. Within the Octave of Christmas, we celebrate the Holy Family. This helps us deepen our understanding of these three persons and how they intervened in salvation history. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph lived in a special way that changed the course of history forever. It invites us as well to meditate on the importance of family as the... Read more

We Must Do 3 Things to Hear God, Says Pope Francis

Last updated on: January 4, 2024 at 8:45 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

0 Comments

We must do 3 things to hear God. Pope Francis gave his annual Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia. I always love reading this speech, because it often serves as a type of “State of the Union” Address from the Pope to the governing body of the Church. The Curia is made up of the officials from the various Dicasteries (formerly Congregations) and other organizations based in Vatican City-State. Pope Francis proposes 3 actions that we need to hear God,... Read more

Pope Francis Wants a Welcoming Church

Last updated on: January 4, 2024 at 8:45 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

0 Comments

Pope Francis wants a welcoming Church. But he did not just change the Catholic doctrine on same-sex unions. Much confusion surrounds the latest declaration from the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith. A declaration sets a truth as something firmly taught. It emanates from the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, so it has to be important. Often, such documents would have at least one degree of separation from the Holy Father. In this case, however, due to... Read more