Much of my young adult life I confess that I thought of God in a transactional way. If I did certain things or performed a certain way, I would be rewarded in faith. The Catholic faith to which I converted to was rich in prayers, traditions and practices that can feed into this way of thinking. I was like a good Pharisee.
Continue reading “Making the Better Choice”
We will never be free of trials and temptations as long as our earthly life lasts. Job said it well: “Is not the life of human beings on earth a drudgery?’ (Job 7:1). We should always be on our guard against temptations, always praying that our enemy, the devil, ‘who never sleeps but constantly looks for someone to devour.’ (1 Pet 5:8), will not catch us off guard. No one in this world is so perfect or holy as not to have temptations sometimes.
Continue reading “The Gift of Temptation”
Today is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul the Apostles. It serves as a reminder to us of their pivotal roles in the early Church: Peter as the “rock” upon which the Church was built and Paul as the great missionary who spread the Gospel message. It draws us to consider how we are better together.
Continue reading “Better Together”
How can we be full of joy in times like these? It seems we are truly walking through the valley of tears as we watch the shadowlands of humanity play out on the world stage. We are called not to loose hope, to take heart and find joy. This is the spiritual maturity we are called to pursue with fear and trembling. We cancel our focus on the fleeting joy the world offers and gravitate to the joy found in the moments of God’s presence.
Continue reading “The Source of Joy”
Does it bother you that so many people are no longer being fed? We see the need daily on a physical level but what about on the spiritual? Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi, we are invited to meditate on the desire the Lord has to feed His people and the shocking indifference we are to this fact.
Continue reading “Spiritually Satisfied”
Are you a friend of Christ or a slave to the world? As the Spirit opens my eyes, I see there is no middle ground. This is the narrow path that we hear about that few are able to walk.
Continue reading “Knowing God”
We can’t think our way into relationship with God. It’s only through living the mystery can we know God. The Gospel tells us when the Spirit comes, he will guide us into all truth.
Continue reading “Living Our Way to God”
Do you possess the fire of love and compassion in your heart and soul? Today is Pentecost Sunday in the Catholic Church. This is the 50th day after Easter and a significant feast commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, signifying the birth of the Church and the empowerment of believers to share the Gospel.
Continue reading “The Fire of Love”
I’m in the process of doing Fr. Mike Schmidt’s Catechism in a year podcast. What a gift it is to have support in reading such a rich but dense book about our Catholic Christian faith. Recently on Day 144 we read 1062-1065. It was enlightening to learn about the power of “Amen:”
Continue reading “Power of Amen”
I try and write about things I notice or what spark my curiosity to ponder in hopes to provide a platform for your own contemplation. The following caught my attention this morning:
Continue reading “A Generous Heart”
Smitten With Goodness 