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 …
Removing Blasphemy From Your Vocabulary
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 …
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Delving Into The First Commandment’s Deeper Meanings
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 …
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Being More Charitable Every Day
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 …
Getting Into The Rhythm of The Liturgical Year
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 …
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Prepare For Advent Now For a More Joyous Christmas
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 …
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Forgiveness For Serious Sins
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 … …
Deepening Your Love For The Mass
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 …
Celebrating The Transfiguration And Witnessing God’s Glory in Your Life
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 …
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The Catechism Isn’t Just For Catechists
Hey there, We often hear that to grow in our faith, we should pray every day, go to church every Sunday, and read the Holy Scriptures. But what we don’t hear is that we should read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Catechism, or CCC as it’s referred to, is the compilation of the beliefs of our Catholic faith. It’s what Priests and Deacons reference for their homilies. And it’s …
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Looking Beyond The Roman Catholic Church
Hey there, In Catholicism we talk about the Roman Catholic Church. And you may hear the term Latin Rite. Then there’s the Eastern Church ... the Western Church ... and the Universal Church. If you’re like me, your head starts to spin when these terms are thrown around. I was recently told about a mutual acquaintance who grew up Catholic, but it was not a Roman Catholic church. So we …
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Beware of The Antichrist
Hey there, Do you remember back in the 1990s when people were wearing those bracelets with the letters WWJD? It stood for “What Would Jesus Do.” And it was a constant reminder to emulate Jesus in your life. There was a follow-up movement called FROG, which stands for “Fully Rely on God.” Also a good one! Those WWJD bracelets and that phrase have disappeared from our culture. But it’s an …
