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 …
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 …
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 cauldron filled to the brim with candy, handing out treats to all the trick or treaters. And enjoying some …
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When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Hey there, 18 years ago today, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists commandeered four commercial airplanes and attacked the United States with them. And our lives were forever altered. Some 2,750 people were killed in New York City, 184 more were slaughtered at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and 40 brave people perished in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania while trying to retake the plane. Add …
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A Year Later, Genuflect is Taking Bigger Steps
Genuflect.net was first launched on August 18, 2018 … beginning a new, wonderful Catholic journey. The first email newsletter went out the following week on August 29th. I didn’t know exactly where the path would lead, but I knew I had to follow it. It seems like the year has gone by so quickly. But surprisingly, everything about Genuflect has been relatively quick … and easy. [click_to_tweet …
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Top Resources For Understanding Our Catholic Symbols
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 …
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This Week’s Top Resources For Recognizing God’s Hand
Hey there, The night of July 20, 1969 I was so tired. I just wanted to go to sleep. You’d think my parents would have been happy about that. But that one night, they made me stay up to watch TV. And boy, was I bored! And tired. Of course, I eventually grew to realize the magnitude of what I watched that night. And I appreciate that my parents made me stay up. So I can proudly …
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This Week’s Top Resources For Honoring Our Fathers
Hey there, Sunday we celebrate Fathers. There are actually many fathers in our lives. Of course, there’s our dad. Or stepdad. There are grandfathers and fathers-in-law. Priests who we call Father and the Holy Father, the Pope. And the greatest of them all … God the Father. They all play an important role in our lives, our families, and in the world. And they are deserving of our …
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Top Resources For Honoring Our Fallen Soldiers
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 …
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Jim Caviezel: Take up Your Cross and Become a Warrior for God
Hollywood and Catholicism do not go together. But actor Jim Caviezel is not afraid to combine his lifelong devotion to Catholicism with his acting career. He has accepted roles in several religious movies, like Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” … and he uses his celebrity to spread the Lord's message. Like in 2018 when he spoke to a group of college students at the FOCUS (Fellowship …
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Top Resources for Beginning a New Catholic Journey
Hey there and welcome to the inaugural issue of Genuflect. This project is just beginning and though it's a small step, I pray that you'll enjoy it each week and we'll both do great things. Genuflect's mission is to 1) help you deepen your relationship with God, 2) live the Catholic life you desire, and 3) equip Catholics everywhere to go out into the world and share their faith. We’ll …
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