Hey there, Ash Wednesday is just one week away … and year after year, it remains one of the most widely attended liturgies we celebrate. Not because it’s a holy day of obligation, because it’s not. But because something deeper draws people through the church doors. Perhaps it is the simple yet striking gesture of ashes traced on the forehead … a visible reminder of who we are, where we come …
Revisiting The Holy Mass
Hey there, When the Coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, our lives quickly changed. We self quarantined. We learned how to work from home. How to buy what we needed online. And even how to worship Mass online ... thanks to a dispensation from our Sunday Obligation. It’s been different for everyone, depending on what part of the country you live in. But everyone has adjusted to a …
Honoring The Most Holy Name of Jesus
Hey there, Happy New Year! And Merry Christmas (since it’s still Christmas)! The month of January is dedicated to the Most Holy Name of Jesus … and we celebrated the feast day on Monday. We take great pains when naming our children. And our pets. And then there’s the all important “handle” we give ourselves in social media. We recognize some people by a single name. Like Madonna, …
Learn And Live The Precepts of The Church
Hey there, I’m sure you’re aware of practicing Catholics' obligation to attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation. And to go to Confession at least once per year. But did you know that we Catholics are also required to receive Holy Communion at least once during the Easter season? And we know we’re supposed to tithe, but did you know it’s a requirement? These are examples …
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How to be More Generous Every Day (And Why)
Hey there, As we make our way through this life, doing our best to earn a place in heaven, we know to steer away from the 7 deadly sins: lust, greed, gluttony, envy, anger, pride, and sloth. To aid us in our efforts, the Holy Spirit has given us the 7 Capital Virtues: chastity, generosity, temperance, brotherly love, meekness, humility, and diligence. We’ve covered some of these virtues …
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Diligence: The Key to Overcoming Acedia, Sloth, And Procrastination
Hey there, We’ve covered several virtues before and the intention was to cover the Capital Virtue of Diligence. But what I found was that there are a lot more resources on the vices and sins that Diligence combats than about diligence itself. The sin takes several forms from acedia (a new term for me) and sloth, to procrastination, laziness, and idleness. The subtleties between these …
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The Three Nativities we Celebrate And Why
Hey there, Have you noticed how elaborate birthday parties have become? There’s the theme on the invitations, the cake, the food, the games, the decor. It’s often held at some type of event venue. Even some adults get in on the birthday hubbub. I see people posting on Facebook about their “birthday week.” We’ve not always put so much emphasis on birthday celebrations. But there are …
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How Jesus Teaches us to be Meek (Hint: It’s Not Weak)
Hey there, Meekness is one of our Catholic Virtues that gets a bad rap. Probably because the meaning of the word has evolved. Merriam-Webster defines meek as: 1: enduring injury with patience and without resentment : MILD 2: deficient in spirit and courage : SUBMISSIVE 3: not violent or strong : MODERATE In today’s push-back, loud culture, being mild and submissive is considered a …
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The Many Lessons of The Visitation of The Blessed Virgin Mary
Hey there, On Monday, May 31st, we will celebrate the Feast of the Visitation of The Blessed Virgin Mary. You know how this story goes. Upon hearing of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Mary travels to visit her cousin. When hearing Mary’s greeting, John leaps with joy in Elizabeth’s womb. It’s a seemingly simple event … one might even say it’s fairly routine. But a closer examination reveals there are …
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Appreciating Jesus’s Ascension
Hey there, We’re fascinated with rising up. Maybe it’s because it’s so easy to get knocked down. Coach Vince Lombardi famously said,“It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.” We love a good Cinderella story and root for the underdog. We all know the ancient story of the phoenix that rises from the ashes. It reminds us that it’s possible to come back even stronger …
The Spiritual Powers of Almsgiving
Hey there, Of the three pillars of Lent -- prayer, fasting, and almsgiving -- it’s the latter that gets the least amount of attention. Truly understanding what it’s all about is something I’ve taken for granted over the years. So before this Lent ended, I wanted to focus our attention on this important Lenten activity. Monetary donations are typically associated with almsgiving, but it …
Uncharted Times Call For Brotherly Love
Hey there, No doubt we are living in uncharted times. The worldwide pandemic has touched each of us, altering some aspects … if not all aspects of our lives. Then throw in the November election and ... if we wrote this as a Hollywood script, they would say it’s too far fetched. Everywhere you turn, we are pitted against each other. BLM vs. Back the blue. Mask vs. …
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