Hey there, Do you remember comedian Jeff Foxworthy’s “You might be a redneck if” routine? Make sure you read these with a thick Southern accent for the full effect. “If you have an Elvis Jell-O mold … you might be a redneck.” “If people hunt in your front yard … you might be a redneck.” “If you’ve ever made change in the offering plate … you might be a redneck.” He had a million …
Continue Reading about Catholic Apologetics: Your Call to Defend Your Faith
Hey there, There are plenty of fascinating phenomena in the Catholic Church, but perhaps one of the most extraordinary is the stigmata. Stigmata refers to experiencing the wounds of Jesus’ Passion, typically involving intense pain and bleeding in the hands, feet, side, and sometimes the head. I’ve also learned that there is such a thing as invisible stigmata, which does not involve any …
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Hey there, I have fond memories of my father driving me to school every morning listening to Paul Harvey on the radio tell us "The Rest of the Story." Here's a brief story from Mr. Harvey. It’s called Jesus and The Bird Cage. Once upon a time, Jesus and the Devil had engaged in a negotiation. Satan had boasted how he’d baited a trap in Eden’s garden and caught himself a world full of …
Continue Reading about Deepening Your Devotion to The Precious Blood of Jesus
Hey there, A package arrives at the doorstep in a day. A movie streams in seconds. Answers are available with the tap of a screen. We live in a world shaped by instant gratification, where speed is often mistaken for success. And yet, in Barcelona, Spain, a very different story has been unfolding. Construction on the Basilica Sagrada Família began in 1882. Generations of architects, …
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Hey there, My thumb is definitely not green. I try to grow plants, and though they do well for a time, eventually they all end up dead. It’s frustrating because I love plants and flowers. And I want to enjoy them in and around my home. But I never seem to know how often to water … or feed … or when to repot them. Is it getting too much sun? Or not enough? There’s so much to know …
Hey there, On Monday we’ll celebrate Memorial Day in the US. It’s a national holiday … so hopefully you’ll get some extra time off work. Sometimes I find people get Memorial Day and Veterans Day confused. Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday in May, is the day we remember and honor all those brave men and women who died in military service. Veterans Day, which is always on …
Hey there, Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Mother as simply “a female parent.” That’s a little underwhelming. Especially given the fact that we also use the term mother to indicate “something that is an extreme or ultimate example of its kind especially in terms of scale.” Like motherlode. Motherboard. Mother ship. You get the idea. The definition also doesn’t seem worthy …
Hey there, Sacred art has a unique way of speaking to the soul. It can lift our hearts, focus our minds, and draw us closer to God in ways words alone sometimes cannot. As we continue through the Easter season, it feels like the perfect time to reflect on the role of sacred art in Catholic life and in our own faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes it this way: Sacred art …
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Hey there, Our parents taught us to listen almost as soon as we could talk. In school, we learned by listening to our teachers. As we grew older, we refined those same skills with friends, loved ones, and in our professional lives. We know that listening matters. We work at being attentive, noticing what is said and what is left unsaid, responding thoughtfully, and giving others our full …
Hey there, There’s often a moment when things start to go wrong … and it’s not always obvious at first. A quiet decision gets made, maybe even justified in the moment, and only later do we see where it led. In the Gospels, that moment happens during Holy Week, when Judas steps away and agrees to betray Jesus. It’s a simple exchange, but it sets everything else in motion. Spy Wednesday draws …
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Hey there, There was a young monk who asked an old abbot why his spiritual life felt like such a struggle. The abbot led him outside at night, pointed into the darkness, and said, “You do not wrestle with shadows. You wrestle with what is real … even when you cannot see it.” Then he handed the monk a lamp and added, “The question is not whether the battle exists, but whether you are prepared to …
Continue Reading about Understanding Spiritual Warfare: Insights from a Leading Exorcist
Hey there, We’re now well into the second week of Lent. For some, Lenten sacrifices are going smoothly. For others, the resolve we felt on Ash Wednesday may already feel a bit thinner. And for a few, the plan never quite took hold at all. If any of that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Lent isn’t about perfect follow-through … it’s about turning back, again and again, toward God. …
Continue Reading about How to Keep Going or Get Going With Your Lenten Sacrifices
