Hey there, As the song goes: It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s a time of hope, faith, joy, and peace as we prepare for the coming of our Lord. We spread our holiday spirit with our loved ones … our neighbors … and even with complete strangers. There’s no shortage of traditions. Baking, decorating, praying, volunteering, and more. Growing up, I loved our annual trip to …
Going Beyond Thankful to Grateful
Hey there, Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States when we pause to reflect on all the things we’re thankful for. Merrium-Webster defines thankful as “conscious of benefit received.” It’s great to recognize the blessings in our life. But is being thankful enough? I propose that we should take it a step further. To go beyond thankful to grateful. Gratitude encompasses the …
The Catholic Origins of Veterans Day
Hey there, Monday is Veterans Day … a time to honor all the brave men and women who have served … and currently serve … in the Armed Forces. Of course, this day differs from Memorial Day, which honors those who died in service to our country. In the US, the holiday began as a celebration of the end of World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. It was called Armistice …
The True (Catholic) Meaning of Halloween
Hey there, I’m looking forward to Halloween tomorrow night. The individually wrapped candies. The kids in creative and colorful costumes. The chocolate. (Yes, I did mention candy twice.) My neighborhood is pretty busy on Halloween, so I’ll be sitting on my front porch with a large cauldron filled to the brim with candy, handing out treats. And enjoying candy … more than I …
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Avoiding Hell And The Devil’s Recruitment Tactics
Hey there, Here at Genuflect we talk a lot about how to get to Heaven. What we can and should do. That’s our end goal, right? To become a saint. To see the face of God and to live out eternity in communion with Him. We talk some about Purgatory too. And the process of purification before we can enter Heaven. But the flip side of going to Heaven … is not going to hell. Some people …
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Renewing Our Hope With Jubilee 2025
Hey there, I live in Texas where summers are long and hot with days often reaching 100+ degrees Fahrenheit. It can be unbearable. We Texans hope for Autumn to arrive to bring relief. It’s hard to describe the feeling you get the first day when the high temperature dips down to 85 degrees and the night is a low of 65 degrees. You have a little more pep in your step. Fortunately, we’ve …
Being Jesus’ Disciple in The 21st Century
Hey there, When I hear the word disciple, I tend to think of the brave men and women during Jesus’ life who heard Him preach and became His followers. And truthfully, I’ve always been a little confused as to who was an Apostle vs. a Disciple and what the difference is. I thought others might also share this confusion so this would be a good topic to cover. As I began my research though, …
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Feeling The Power of Sacred Music
Hey there, You know when you hear a certain song and you’re instantly transported back to a specific time? And you have the feeling of being back there again? That’s the incredible power of music … it can evoke such emotions. When it happens, even for the most mundane memory, it’s special. I love it! So I thought it would be fun to look into the history of music in the Catholic …
Responding to Blasphemy With Reparations
Hey there, Last week the spotlight shone on Paris for the Opening Ceremony of the summer Olympic games. The Opening Ceremony was advertised as different from any other we’ve seen before. It would not be held in a stadium, but along the Seine with the parade of nations arriving in boats. Unfortunately, the beauty, artistry, and pageantry of the show was overshadowed by a performance that …
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Bringing Loved Ones Back to The Church
Hey there, As Catholics, we believe our life here on Earth is preparation for our afterlife with our Heavenly Father. Jesus laid the groundwork for us. He’s given us all the information we need to prepare. But of course, it’s on us to do the work to get to heaven. Unfortunately, all the studies indicate that fewer and fewer of us are practicing Catholicism. Gallup surveys show that …
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Perfect Practice Makes Mass Perfect
Hey there, When my son was 4 he took Karate lessons. I think he thought it would help him become a Power Ranger. What I loved most about those classes were the life lessons the instructor passed along. One of my favorites was a variation on the phrase “practice makes perfect.” The instructor explained that “practice makes perfect” is not accurate. In order to be perfect, you have to …
How Catholics Should Vote (Without Losing Your Seat in Heaven)
Hey there, Four years ago, in the lead up to the 2020 Presidential election, I received an email from a Genuflector suggesting a good subject to cover would be how a Christian/Catholic could support <insert political figure name here> and not be struck by lightning. The candidate name doesn’t really matter. Regardless of your party affiliation, or lack thereof, I suspect everyone has …
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