Hey there, I went on a road trip over the July 4th holiday. On Sunday I found myself in a beautiful Catholic church in a small Texas town. My husband and I were not the only visitors that day. The presiding priest was Reverend Greg Gerhart, Vocations Director at the Diocese of Austin, and 12 of his first year seminarians. Father Gerhart's homily really spoke to me. It was about the Law of …
Living a Life Prepared For Death (In a Good Way)
Hey there, I’ll never forget Thanksgiving Day 2001. I was standing in my entry way with my Mom, waiting for my Dad to leave for the Dallas Cowboys game. My mother was admiring a new piece of furniture I had acquired, a buffet. She added, “Who's going to take my dining room set?” I told her we didn’t need to worry about that for a long time. And quickly changed the subject. We said our …
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Following God’s Directions: The Ten Commandments
Hey there, “The first sign of intelligence is the ability to follow directions.” I can’t tell you how many times Sister Mary Brian Bole repeated this over the years at my Catholic high school. I don’t know if she borrowed the phrase from someone else. But it came to be one of her signature statements. Whenever one of us was not doing what we were supposed to do, you’d hear Sister Mary Brian …
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Ringing in a Catholic New Year
Hey there, When I read about the lives of many of our Saints, I must admit it’s intimidating. The saintly lives they lived, the religious orders they founded, the time spent in isolation and prayer. But not all of our Saints lived their whole life in holiness. Saint Matthew was a tax collector before he left everything behind to follow Jesus Christ. A youthful Saint Augustine was …
Do You Know The Difference Between a Basilica And a Cathedral?
Hey there, Today, November 9th, the Catholic Church celebrates the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. And then on November 18th we celebrate the Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles. So this got me wondering. What’s the difference between a Basilica and a Cathedral? And for that matter, a Shrine? I’ve visited a few Cathedrals and Basilicas before, but I must …
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Deepening Your Devotion to The Precious Blood of Jesus
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 …
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Cultivating Your Spirituality
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 re-pot them. Is it getting too much sun? Or not enough? There’s so much to know …
Live Like Your Afterlife
Depends on it
Hey there, We spend a lot of time and energy over the course of our life in preparation. We go to school. We learn a trade. We practice driving a car and learn the rules of the road before we get our driver’s license. Before our baby is born we “nest.” But the question is, what preparation are we doing now for our eternal life? No Time For God By Skyler Beet I knelt to pray …
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Depends on it
Honoring The Blessed Virgin Mary
Hey there, Mothers are special. Their unconditional love for their children means they’ll do just about anything for them. Mothers sacrifice their own time, treasures, and even desires to ensure their child is happy, healthy, and successful. But it doesn’t take physically giving birth for maternal instinct to kick in. Sometimes a woman we consider to be our mother is not the woman who …
The Best of Genuflect (so Far)
Hey there, We love a winner. And when winners are all gathered together in one place … even better! That’s why musicians produce a “Greatest Hits” album. Long running television shows create a “Best of” show. And after almost four years and close to 200 issues, I bring you the most popular Genuflect issues. I collected the most popular issues over the past year and also the most …
Recommitting Through Reversion
Hey there, I remember as a youngster going to Mass on Easter and the church was standing room only. During his homily the priest laid a guilt trip on all the Catholics who came just for that day. I thought to myself that was no way to make them feel welcome! And it really didn’t do much for those of us who had been attending Mass. Truth be told, in some years past I was one of those there …
Get Closer to God Through Inclusiveness and Kindness Toward Others
Hey there, The divide in our world is growing. Man vs. woman. Black vs. white. Christian vs. Muslim. Democrat vs. Republican. There’s no end to the labels we apply to those who are not like us. We focus on what separates us. And are driven even further apart. The real tragedy is the discord, anger, and insults opposing sides hurl at the other. In person. In the media. In social media. …
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