Hey there, Noah was taking the animals into the ark in pairs as he had been commanded by God. He took in elephants, giraffes, cows, bears, monkeys and all the animals. Finally, he tried to take in a donkey. He told the donkey to go in, but the donkey would not go in. He tried pushing the donkey in, but the donkey would not move. He tried pulling the donkey in, but the donkey would not …
Continue Reading about The Fifth Commandment’s Call to Respect Human Life
Hey there, A few years ago I was visiting one of my kids at college and I decided to take advantage of confession that was offered ahead of Mass at the campus Catholic church. I sat face to face with the Priest and he asked me how my relationship was with my parents. Sadly, I reported to him that my parents were both deceased. And we moved on to another topic. I thought at the time it was …
Hey there, I remember when I was young, there were certain items you couldn’t purchase on Sunday. More than one Sunday we were told we couldn’t purchase some items in our cart. That’s because there were “blue laws” in place that allowed stores to only sell items that were necessities. Like medicine, food, and some beverages. And apparently even further back in the 18th century, the …
Hey there, My father never cursed … ever. Well, truthfully, there was one time shortly before his death when he was hospitalized with an illness, suffering from dementia, and highly agitated. In his anger, he threw out a curse word … and I was shocked. It was the only time I ever heard foul language come from his mouth. He was a member of the “greatest generation” and a true gentleman. I …
Continue Reading about Removing Blasphemy From Your Vocabulary
Hey there, Have you ever found out years later that a song you love has a deeper meaning? One of my favorites, “Hotel California” by The Eagles, with lyrics about checking out, but you can never leave … is a veiled reference to the greed of the music industry that traps musicians. John Lennon said that his timeless hit “Imagine” is actually a Communist Manifesto. Lots of things can …
Continue Reading about Delving Into The First Commandment’s Deeper Meanings
Hey there, When I was growing up, we never put our Christmas decorations up until after Dec. 13th. I recall this so clearly because that’s my birthday. We always waited until after then to get our live tree, put our lights on our house, and hang our stockings with care. I spent the first part of December anticipating my birthday, and then the second half celebrating Christmas. And you know …
Continue Reading about Making The Most of Catholic Advent And Christmas Seasons
Hey there, Wherever you look you see someone asking for a handout. It may be a person on the side of the road, or a charitable organization calling your house, or your niece’s school fundraiser. There’s no escaping it. Don’t get me wrong, these are people or organizations in need and it’s great to donate when we can. But financial contributions are not the only form of Charity. There …
Hey there, It’s well documented that when we hear music we like, we experience a physiological reaction that’s involuntary, exciting, sometimes unexpected, and often enjoyable. We may not know the reason … or even be conscious of it, but we enjoy the way we feel when we listen to music, and we instinctively believe that listening to music might be one of the only ways to feel those …
Continue Reading about Getting Into The Rhythm of The Liturgical Year
Hey there, Did you see all the Christmas stuff in the stores before Halloween? They get earlier every year. It’s not even Thanksgiving and stores are already promoting black Friday sales. There are even some houses in my neighborhood who have their Christmas lights up and on at night. And I’ve seen a Christmas tree in a window. At the risk of adding to the pre-Thanksgiving Christmas …
Continue Reading about Prepare For Advent Now For a More Joyous Christmas
Hey there, Occasionally, a Genuflector will ask a question or suggest a topic. (I love when that happens.) A few weeks ago I received the question, “Can you really do something terribly wrong and be forgiven through Confession?” We’ve covered Reconciliation before, but not necessarily this specific aspect of it. And at the time, I felt this would be a great topic to cover during Lent … …
Hey there, This week’s topic is one of the most important in our faith, but one that is sometimes overlooked … the Holy Mass. If you’re like me, there have been periods where you weren’t so good about attending Mass. For a variety of reasons. I rediscovered Mass when I was in college … and again later when I felt the responsibility to get my children to Mass. But truth be told, I’ve …
Hey there, On August 6th we'll celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration … one of the key events in Jesus’ life. Just to refresh your memory, this was when Jesus took Peter, James, and John up the mountain and He was transfigured with His face shining bright like the sun and his robes a dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared, and the Lord spoke to them as well. There’s more to the …
Continue Reading about Celebrating The Transfiguration And Witnessing God’s Glory in Your Life
