The first time I heard this, it hit me like a ton of bricks! “Let us commend ourselves, ONE ANOTHER, and our whole life unto Christ, our God. To You, O Lord.” “One another?” How do I “commend” someone else to “Christ, our God?” Aren’t they responsible for themselves? What does this mean?
Well, of course,…
One of the most difficult realities I’ve had to face as an adult, as a priest, as a husband, and as a father is waking up to the reality of the complexity of each human person I encounter, including myself. This continuous process of discovery has me regularly seeing places of spiritual progress and immaturity…
Asking for help isn't really my strong suit. Frankly, I hate doing it. And I hate doing it not because of pride or ego, but because of fear. I'm afraid of appearing weak. I'm afraid of being vulnerable. And yet, most of the times in my life where I've finally overcome my fear and asked…
"This world is not my home. I'm just a'passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven's open door. And I can't feel at home in this world anymore." That's an old spiritual that I use to sing as a boy in church. And it strikes me…
I never will forget the first time I heard the phrase "paper pope." Frankly, it both startled and offended me. But I couldn't figure out just why. I was still a Protestant at the time and was in a conversation with another Evangelical that was on his way out of the Protestant world. He was…
Ralph Waldo Emerson once suggested that the greatest invention of humanity is friendship. But Emerson is mistaken. Friendship isn't man's invention. It is God's. And a man is truly rich indeed when he has friends! That makes the current pandemic of loneliness all the more terrible and soul-crushing for this generation. We weren't meant for…
All of us come to moments in our lives that turn out to be crossroads in our future. Many times we can see these moments coming, like a marriage proposal, or that first purchase of a home, or career advancement, some (maybe even many) of these moments sneak up on us and surprise us with…
OK, I've got good news and bad news, and, it turns out it's the same news.
Confused? Don't be. One man's Good News is another man's bad news, and, as usual, it depends on the condition of your desires and your perspective.
Take the financial markets, for instance. When bonds are cheap and the market is down, some…
Christ is born!
"To Make the Invisible Visible." These were the words of a catechist to a catechumen when he was asked why would God become a man? The Christian Faith is unique among all world religions in this mystery of God in the Flesh. Oh, to be sure some religions have gods they can…
Alexander Graham Bell once said, "Before anything else, preparation is the key to success." And that is so very true.
Why do you think the Church always has us prepare for the great Feasts of the Faith with a time of fasting and preparation? Because you truly miss the depths and profound wisdom of these feast…
