Dying is not a popular topic for discussion. But considering that everyone who dies leaves some kind of legacy behind, maybe we should at least all think about death a little bit more. Have you ever stopped to consider that one day you will die? That you’ll no longer be in the land of the […]
Prayer is how I began to know God. Before that, my relationship with Him was mediocre at best. I was raised Catholic, and God was very much central in our lives and in my upbringing, but formal prayer was not something I even thought about. I prayed a few prayers before bed out of respect […]
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John: 6:33) Do you have a cookbook by you or a family member that made one by collecting favorite recipes? I […]
I have a vivid memory from my freshman year of college. One of my professors, a Catholic, exclaimed, “Oh my God!” I, being rather sensitive about that sort of language, went to him privately and asked if he could please not swear as much, since it put the temptation to curse into my consciousness. He […]
In 1 Corinthians 15:45, St. Paul compares Jesus to Adam, Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. This is one of those very simple scripture verses that packs a wallop theologically. Let’s take a look at other verses of scripture and see how […]
Sister Christina Sister Christina Marie Neumann, a Franciscan sister serving in Grand Forks, North Dakota, works at St. Anne’s Guest Home for the elderly and is an active blogger at Our Franciscan Fiat. She offers a peek into her life: People often wonder what a typical day is like for a religious sister. In the […]
After a fruitful breakfast conversation with a searching friend, I realized that almost all the questions that he asked were in some way connected to the four marks of the Church, its holiness, oneness, Catholicity, and Apostolicism. In these marks, the Church finds its authority and its right to call herself holy—two points that are […]
I have come to see my Catholic faith as a life-altering journey, sometimes tearing down the strongholds of selfishness and pride, sometimes lifting me up to the heights of heaven, but always, always turning me into the man God expects me to be. Every once in a while I find myself reflecting on this faith journey […]
Those in today’s present darkness cannot comprehend the crucified Savior. It is the same today as it was in the first century A.D., those who live in the darkness of evil cannot comprehend, they do not know, they do not “get” God on a cross; nor do they want to. Tenebrae Eam Non Comprehenderunt St. […]
“A full-blown war on the Korean Peninsula will be horrific by any stretch of the imagination, no one has any doubts about that.”- US Army chief, General Mark Milley, October 9 “There is no time to waste by hesitating. A safe tomorrow cannot be promised.”- Our Lady of Naju February 2, 1995 The Military Exhortation […]
People hurt one another emotionally every day. And all too often when we should forgive, bitterness festers. A close family member betrays another. A wife or husband walks out and files for divorce. A trusted friend stabs you in the back. Hurtful words are said to us in a fit of anger. At some point […]
Ever since the public release of Pope Francis’ exhortation Amoris Latitia last year, the Catholic media has been full of stories about the errors that are perceived within it’s writing. These errors have been widely written about by scholars, priests, bishops, and laypersons. I have written about them many times since immediately after the exhortation’s […]
As we look at Holy Spirit in the life of the Virgin Mary I want you to think about what our Catechism says at the start of its section on Mary “What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines, in turn, […]
It’s curious how people who claim to have faith in science criticize Christians for believing in God based on faith. Yet, what science has to offer has become a belief system, itself (e.g. religion.) And this “religion” fails to offer any sound, unchanging, and omnipotent foundation. While science is supposed to be based upon logic, […]
In my previous post (Athletic Spirituality and Competition, Part I), I discussed the idea of “The Competitive Christian” and God’s call to use our competitive nature on our journey towards heaven. We recognized our opponent, identified the importance of practice, emphasized the transference of competition to the spiritual realm, and touched on the idea of striving […]
Christianity has had a somewhat rocky relationship with science these last few centuries. While many people would argue that there are no real contradictions between our faith and genuine scientific findings, not everyone agrees. There are some who believe that several tenets of modern science, such as evolution and heliocentrism, contradict the teaching of Scripture. […]
Satan is the father of lies, clever yet deceitful, hating God and all God loves. He leads the charge in the spiritual battle that exists for our souls with Satan always opposing God at every turn and trying to turn us against God. But God has given us a glimpse of Satan’s playbook in the […]
When is the last time you tilled the soil on your property or someone else’s? For some, tilling is a regular activity. For others, the word has little to no meaning. In times past, when life was agriculture-based, tilling the soil was part of everyday life. To till the soil was to prepare the dirt […]
You Are Peter Last month I had the honor of witnessing my mother and stepdad’s marriage in the Catholic Church. They were both raised Catholic but were never confirmed, and have been married civilly for fourteen years. They began their journey back to the Church shortly after I began my own conversion process, and it […]
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, this is our Triune God. He is One and inseparable. Where the Father is, so also is the Son and the Holy Spirit. This dynamic holds true for each person of the Trinity. Jesus tells Philip, “He who sees me sees the Father.” (John 14: 9). “The Father and I […]
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and and I love You! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You. After repeating this prayer three times the angel rose and said to us: Pray in this way. The hearts of Jesus and Mary […]
Note: This first portion was written in Fall 2014, but not widely published. The Day I Met Jesus A little over a year and a half ago, I was riding my bike when I saw what appeared to be a homeless woman walking hers. She was quite disheveled and had various grocery bags hanging from […]
This is the second part of the hardest story I have ever told. It is my story of struggling with anxiety, panic attacks anxiety and depression. To read Part I. Soon after my ectopic pregnancy, I became pregnant with my second child. I followed all the medical advice to keep postpartum at bay. I gave birth […]
The last four summers have been a time period where I have experienced many deaths of very close friends – two within the past month alone. It’s as if I have entered a new “normal” where it seems that deaths and memorial services are now a regular part of the summer season. On a practical […]
Ever since the public release of Pope Francis’ exhortation Amoris Latitia last year, the Catholic media has been full of stories about the errors that are perceived within it’s writing. These errors have been widely written about by scholars, priests, bishops, and laypersons. I have written about them many times since immediately after the exhortation’s […]
Understanding the Holy Spirit Through the Life of the Virgin Mary
As we look at Holy Spirit in the life of the Virgin Mary I want you to think about what our Catechism says at the start of its section on Mary “What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines, in turn, […]
Athletic Spirituality and Competition, Part II
In my previous post (Athletic Spirituality and Competition, Part I), I discussed the idea of “The Competitive Christian” and God’s call to use our competitive nature on our journey towards heaven. We recognized our opponent, identified the importance of practice, emphasized the transference of competition to the spiritual realm, and touched on the idea of striving […]
The last four summers have been a time period where I have experienced many deaths of very close friends – two within the past month alone. It’s as if I have entered a new “normal” where it seems that deaths and memorial services are now a regular part of the summer season. On a practical […]
From Panic Attacks to Freedom in God- Part I
This is the hardest story I have ever told. It is my story of struggling with anxiety, panic attacks anxiety and depression. My story will contain references to counseling and medical care and I want to be clear- I am not here to tell you to change any protocol with counselors or doctors because we […]
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