To the degree that we are able to model ourselves after the blueprint [Mary] set before us in that journey to Ein Kerem - Elizabeth's home in Judea - to that degree, we will be effective in sharing the good news with the Elizabeth in our world. Read more
Let go of your pride, stop looking at Lent as a win-or-loose situation, and take an honest look at yourself and your relationship with God. Stop telling yourself what you should do (I once heard a motivational speaker say, "Never should on yourself") and starting asking the Father what he thinks you should do. Read more
Again and again, I hear folks say, "Everybody's Irish on St. Patrick's Day!" I daresay that's true in a very different way today - at least for me. It's great to celebrate the culture and heritage of the Irish people (that includes me - for real - I have Irish blood). I want to do that, also. I'll even have corned beef and beer later today in honor of this amazing saint, But, I think on this St. Patrick's Day, everybody should be Irish for a different reason. Read more
That's exactly what I do each Lent. My own sinfulness and need for repentance get me to feeling sad, lonely, even lost, and I have to seek refuge. I need to realize my weakness and then seek out my heavenly Father so that I can tell him I'm "all mixed up inside." Read more
True, we still have to live our lives - we still have to go to work or school, we still have to shop and pay bills, we still have to carry on all the daily tasks required of us. All of that is inescapable. But we can go into the desert of our hearts, that quiet, solitary place in which only God and ourselves exist. With practice, we can remain there for extended periods of time despite the activity around us. Read more
So, as I'm ready to head out for my day – including receiving ashes – I'm thinking about the victims of the Chapel Hill shootings. I'm praying that I can be courageous in openly demonstrating my Faith as they were. Yes, I'm taking some risk, perhaps not risky enough to get shot, but risky enough to get some odd looks and weird comments. Read more
Disciplining myself to spend 10 minutes each day contemplating Scripture and conversing with my Lord will be like a penance in the sense that I'll have to be strict with myself and refrain from whatever might stall or prohibit me from growing closer to Christ this Lent. Read more
The story of the missions is fascinating, and I'm delighted that friend and colleague Diana von Glahn (aka The Faithful Traveler) and her husband David will be producing a 10-13 episode series about them, The Faithful Traveler: Exploring the California Missions. An amazing and huge endeavor! Read more
Granted, the choice is yours whether or not to watch the video of Muadh al-Kasasbeh's death. You have free will to do or not do that. Regardless of what you decide, let me make a request. Pray. Please pray for all involved, and pray for an end to such evil. Of all the tactics and weapons in the world, prayer is the most powerful one we have. Read more
My observation has been that the Pallium investiture tends to be confined to the elite, a type of division between the haves and the have-nots. Generally, the dioceses make a pilgrimage out of it, inviting along those who can afford to pay for the trip. Those who don't happen to have a few grand on hand don't get to participate, at least not in person. Depending on the size of the diocese, I realize that some still may be left out if it's held locally, but at least more folks have a chance to attend... Read more
Catholic to the Core
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