Hey there, I’m pretty sure you know what that means. And this: We use emojis like this all the time in our text messages, social media posts, and our emails. These symbols express a thought quickly and easily. There are lots of other places where we see and use symbols. Like on road signs … outside doors to tell us what a room is for … and in advertising. Symbols are a …
Making The Most of Holy Week
Hey there, Did you know that the largest sporting event in the world based on viewership is the FIFA World Cup? Followed by the Tour de France. Other big events include the Superbowl, the Wimbledon Championships, The Olympic Games, and The Masters, which was played last week. This week is another big event. It’s like the FIFA World Cup, Tour de France, Superbowl, and all the other big …
Reflecting on Palm Sunday of The Passion of The Lord
Hey there, Palm Sunday is always a popular Mass. Who doesn’t want to get some palms to wave around at Mass and take home? Or to weave into a cross? We celebrate the triumphant arrival of Jesus to Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. We usually focus on Jesus’ experience. Or maybe the crowd of people welcoming him with palms in the air. But there’s another unexpected character in the …
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Exploring the Catholic Vision of Heaven
Hey there, Someone recently asked me what heaven is like. After a little contemplation I came up with an answer, though it was mostly what heaven is not. But it did get me thinking. As Catholics we want to go to heaven one day. And here we’re always talking about how to get to heaven. But what is heaven? Or at least, what does the Catholic Church say that heaven is? This issue of …
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Preparing For a Robust Lenten Season
Hey there, Preparation is important for any task or undertaking. Jock, the painter, often would thin his paint so it would go further. So when the Church decided to do some deferred maintenance, Jock was able to put in the low bid, and got the job. As always, he thinned his paint way down with turpentine. One day while he was up on the scaffolding -- the job almost finished -- he heard a …
Holiness For The Rest of us
Hey there, The first thing that comes to mind when I think about holiness is Jesus Christ. Then Mary and Joseph. The Apostles and disciples. The Saints. Even Priests, Deacons, and others in religious life. I don’t think about “ordinary people” like me. But that’s not right. We are all called to holiness. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “All Christians in any …
Walking Through The Holy Door
Hey there, It’s been 86 years since the original “Wizard of Oz” movie was released. It’s one of the most popular movies ever and is still just as enjoyable today as it was back then. Though I was not around when the movie first came out, one of my favorite memories growing up was the anticipation and excitement of watching the movie when it aired on TV every year. And later I loved sharing …
Keeping Christ in Christmas
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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