Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25) But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are […]
There is a great old popular jazz standard written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons titled All of Me that is one of my favorite tunes. I particularly like the rendition performed by Louis Armstrong and another done later by Willie Nelson. The song is about a fellow who lost his heart to a girl who left him, so he […]
I once heard a comment from a friend who was preparing a homily for today’s passage from Luke’s Gospel (see Luke 13:22-30). He was finding it difficult to “preach that there will be so few in heaven.” He has no problem on preaching about death, judgment, Heaven and Hell; but, he is disturbed and sad that, in his understanding, there will be […]
“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Luke 12:49). The Growth and Spread of the Christian Faith At a time when God’s Chosen People had been living under an oppressive spiritual darkness for well over five-hundred years, He sent His divine light – the light of men and women […]
Marriage is in trouble everywhere, especially in our country where over half of marriages end in divorce. Our culture, so influenced by Hollywood and materialism, has set about creating a society which no longer values marriage and the family, but instead favors one which glorifies selfishness, greed and offers false idols for us to worship instead of God. As an […]
Our behavior will be the proving ground of our deepest convictions. This firmness in the Faith is often an excellent testimony to the beliefs of the Christian. In some cases it can cause people to begin their return to the House of the Father. – Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God Several weeks ago I had lunch with one of […]
I gave a talk one Sunday morning to the men’s club of a large Atlanta Methodist church at the request of an old friend. When he asked me to speak to this group months before the talk, I responded with a question which I would ask him repeatedly every time we got together: “They know I’m Catholic, right?” I engage […]
It is a gross understatement to say that we live in trying times. The Church and religious liberty are under attack around the world, our country is divided, atheists are one of the fastest growing groups in America and our families are under siege. My intent is not to depress you, but focus your attention on today’s realities. In times […]
“The measure of our prayer life is not the feeling we have when we pray, but the way we live our lives.” My pastor used to lead our youth group in prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament, having us repeat after him: “Jesus, I love you. Help me to love you more.” Help me to love you more. It’s […]
“It’s time to recognize that Christianity is not a comfortable religion. The doctrines we profess are stumbling blocks, and the demands are uncomfortable.” We have gotten too comfortable. Walking around as baptized Christians, we probably don’t often think about what that means. Christianity is radical. If we really profess what Christianity professes and live what Christianity demands, we will not […]
“As a tentmaker, you have a unique role to play in the Church – that of evangelist, of disciple, in the nitty gritty of life, in the ‘temporal order.’” In his memoir, A Severe Mercy, Sheldon Vanauken details his conversion to Christianity, a journey in which the writings of C.S. Lewis played a part. After readings the works of Lewis, […]
“In the end, a life that radiates His truth, His love, and His glory is going to do far more to spread the kingdom than an argument on Twitter.” A friend emailed me recently, after finding out that his friend had left the Church. I look forward to his emails – they’re strikingly perceptive and usually make me either laugh […]
Are you willing to sacrifice all for the Lord? In Luke 14, Jesus speaks some very disturbing words to anyone who wants to be his disciple. He sees the call to discipleship as requiring people to renounce not only their possessions but also their own life and family. The example of Thomas More shows us that this is radical, but […]
“Nice guys finish last,” says the world. “The last will be first,” replies Jesus. In the topsy-turvy world of the Kingdom of God, the last shall be first and the humble and meek shall inherit the earth. Meekness is not weakness, & pride is a symptom of insanity. This post explains why all the virtues hinge on humility and why the […]
Strive to Enter by the Narrow Door Jesus’ call to enter through the narrow door seems to conflict with the idea that God wants all to be saved, that the universal, Catholic Church means “here comes everybody.” But a deeper look resolves the inconsistency. The Mass readings for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) are Isaiah 66:18-21; Psalms 117:1, 2; […]
Faith or belief is more than conviction that God exists. True Christian faith is a dynamic journey, a quest of trust, confidence, and commitment that involves no small amount of risk taking. The Mass readings for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) are Wisdom 18:6-9; Psalms 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22; Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 or 11:1-2,; Luke 12:32-48 or […]
This week’s poem in the Catholic Poetry Room is by Doug Taylor-Weiss. […]
Dear Sister Timothy Marie, Sister Timothy, are you a nun? Dear Friend, Well, I do wear a long brown habit and I have professed three vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty, in consecration to God forever. But am I a nun? My name is SISTER Timothy Marie. But am I a nun? Here is the answer. In a practical, everyday […]
This week’s poem in the Catholic Poetry Room is by Rita A. Simmonds. […]
I have been following George Will’s thought for a long time. I’m old enough to remember when his column occupied the last page of Newsweek magazine every other week and when he sat in the chair of conservative thought on David Brinkley’s Sunday morning political talk show. I have long admired his graceful literary style and his clipped, smart manner […]
“…The devils fear the Queen of heaven to such a degree, that only on hearing her great name pronounced, they fly from him who does so as from a burning fire.” (Fr. Thomas à Kempis) September 12 is the Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary. Please share this post on Facebook and other social media below: Print this entry
“But when he says: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit,’ he shows that the kingdom of heaven is to be given to those who are distinguished by their humility of soul rather than by their lack of worldly goods.” (Pope Saint Leo the Great, from a sermon on the Beatitudes) The Memorial of St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor […]
Your Daily Bible Quote “…through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79) Please share on Facebook and other social media you choose below. Print this […]
“Mary, Woman clothed with the sun, help us to fix our gaze on Christ amid the inevitable sufferings and problems of everyday life. Help us not to be afraid of following him to the very end, even when the cross seems unbearably heavy. Make us understand that this alone is the way which leads to the heights of eternal salvation.” (Pope […]