We were present when the children were lead in for a school Mass and captivated by how many were enthralled by the Advent altar cloth and decorations. We were struck by what Jesus meant by “be like the children”. In their minds, they may have been seeing the presence of Jesus in the simplest but … Continued

As always, if we familiarize ourselves with the saints, we can discover pathways to holiness by these remarkable men and women who had infused their lives with Gospel-derived values and acted accordingly, most often heroically. No matter our situation in life, there are saints who emerged from similar backgrounds, who conquered the same, seemingly intractable, … Continued

I heard this quote not long ago and it stopped me in my tracks. It spoke to me in a very honest and open way, and caused me to reflect on my life, and how I was filling it up. We seem to think that being “busy” is a badge of honor in our society these … Continued

Last Advent I was given the gift of preparing for Christmas in a new, very real way. I was very pregnant with my second child and due not long after Christmas. Being pregnant along the same timeline as Mary gave a whole new, very real meaning to what we are preparing for: a real human … Continued

This Friday is the The Immaculate Conception of The Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a Holy Day of Obligation. The Blessed Virgin Mary is such a part of the fabric that makes us Catholics we can sometimes forget the magnificence with which she came into this world. For that reason, The Immaculate Conception of The … Continued

Sacrifice in Jesus’ time was part of the Jewish tradition.  Jews would make trips to the temple with money, harvest and animals to pay homage to God as a show of their faith.  And, they believed God would reward their faith and sacrifice.  Abraham was even willing to sacrifice his son to assure God of … Continued

According to data released by Facebook last year, the average American user of the popular social media site spends 50 minutes a day perusing the site either on desktop of mobile device, or browsing one of its other associated platforms. 50 minutes a day. I can actually believe this because I spend time for both … Continued

A Baptist minister once spoke to a Catholic congregation and acknowledged he did not believe that the presence of Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist.  However, he respected the Catholic belief and commented on what a wondrous event it must be during the Mass. The minister went onto comment about how great God is … Continued

As Catholics, we have learned the spirit of giving and reminded of it often as we approach Thanksgiving and the Christmas Season. We are blessed and called on to share our blessings in our “Service to Others”. There are two corner stones to our Catholic beliefs, though. “Service to Others” and “Community”. In addition to … Continued

After the death and resurrection, the Apostles, the men who walked with Jesuss, were afraid and locked themselves in the Upper Room. I cannot help but think this is where most of us are in our spiritual lives. The Apostles were not meant to stay here. We are not meant to stay here. What occurred … Continued