“Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight.“ In one of his first homilies as Pope, Francis had some strong words for us. He said, “I think we [are] people who, on the one hand, want to listen to Jesus, but on the other hand, at times, like to find a stick to beat others with, […]
Between the Sundays
A Blog by Joannie Watson
How — and why — do we celebrate Mary’s birthday?
The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8) is one of the most tender and natural feasts on the Church calendar. And although we date the liturgical feast to at least the sixth century, we can actually trace the celebration much farther back. After all, don’t you think Jesus celebrated Mary’s birthday? Join Him in the […]
The Gift of Labor
Work is a gift. Perhaps it doesn’t seem that way when we’re growing tired of the monotony of our commute, when the stress of deadlines is threatening our peace, or when we struggle with our coworkers or our boss. But our work is one way we partner with God in our sanctification and the sanctification of the world around us. […]
The Answer is Jesus
He may not remove burdens, but He will help carry them. A bishop was visiting one of his diocesan schools one day, and he stopped in to see the kindergartners. The children sat quietly in expectation, having been well-prepared by their teacher for this special visitor. The bishop tried to break the ice. “Do you know what I saw when […]
Let Yourself Be Duped
It often seems that following the Lord means bigger crosses. How is this fair? A Trickster? The first reading for Sunday’s liturgy might sound a little bold to us. Is Jeremiah honestly accusing the Lord of tricking him? Some translations say “seduced” or “deceived.” Does the Lord trick us? One of my favorite stories about this reading comes from a bishop I […]
The greatest threat in our world today
Are we as concerned about our spiritual health as our physical health? Most of us are doing all we can to limit the continued spread of the coronavirus. We are trying to be prudent and healthy, and we are striving to protect ourselves, our families, and the vulnerable. We have incorporated new habits into our lives in an effort to […]
A Crisis in the Single Life
“Some of us will have a path to holiness through a vowed vocation. But due to fallen human nature, not all of us will.” We speak a lot about a crisis of vocations, the crisis in the priesthood, and a crisis in married life. At their roots, these are all simply crises in holiness. In addition to these, there is […]
Stepping out of the boat… and sinking
“But when it counts, Peter knows his Savior.” I stared into the water which was gently lapping up against the boat. No one spoke, and all we could hear was the rhythm of the ripples – hardly even waves. The sunlight sparkled as the water lightly danced, and I continued to stare into the water, trying to imagine this little […]
If my life was radiant…
“My life, speech, and actions will be those of someone who is living for Someone else.” There’s a famous quote of St. Francis, “Preach the Gospel, and if necessary, use words.” The problem is… he never said that. Even though it’s one of the most ubiquitous quotes attributed to him, there is no evidence of the quote in any of […]
The Pernicious Sins of Calumny and Detraction
“Instead of sharing the news you heard about someone, why not stop and pray for them instead?” In this age of the internet, it is shocking how easy it is to sin against the eighth commandment. Even good-intentioned people seem to think nothing of retweeting or reposting without stopping to think, “Is this true? Is this beneficial? Is this necessary?” […]