In an Instagram and Tik-Tok world, we can be led astray by the many marketing offers that lead us to perfection. But what if I told you that perfection is not something you find externally, but it’s the pearl just waiting to be found within you.
Continue reading “The Pearl Beneath the Surface”
In Catholic spirituality, nondual thinking doesn’t discard clarity—it transcends rigid either-or categories and opens us to the sacred mystery pulsing through all things. It’s not vague or mystical fluff; it’s a deeper wisdom that unites heart and intellect, intuition and reason. Jesus lived this way of seeing, and Scripture continually nudges us toward it. Nonduality invites us to follow that inner ache for more—more truth, more presence, more God.
Continue reading “Finding More God”
I believe God longs for everyone—including you and me—to be saved and to share in His kingdom. This isn’t a distant or abstract truth but deeply personal once we learn to receive His love. But I also know that the gift of free will means we have the power to accept or turn away from that love. And when I pause to consider Saint Ignatius’s advice—to ponder with deep affection how the Lord wishes to give Himself to me—something in me softens. It reminds me that His desire isn’t just for the world, but for me personally.
Continue reading “Learning To Receive Love”
The black-and-white thinking our western culture conditions in us may offer a sense of control—but it often chains us to extremes. AA calls it “stinking thinking,” the kind of distorted mental loops that fuel addiction and disconnection. Romans 12:2 points to a way out: “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” That renewal isn’t just about clarity—it’s about freeing ourselves from mental habits that divide rather than unite.
Continue reading “A Freer Way of Thinking”
We all experience different seasons in life, and our faith journey is no exception. As a convert to Catholicism, I hadn’t truly grasped the depth of redemptive suffering until recently. Suffering is never without meaning. When united with Christ, it becomes a channel of grace—a way to participate in His saving work. As Isaiah 53:5 affirms, “By His wounds we are healed.” Through the Cross, Jesus gave suffering eternal significance.
Continue reading “Redemptive Suffering”
In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to think of life as what we see, touch, and plan for today. But the Gospel offers a deeper reality—eternal life is a gift that begins now and lasts forever.
Continue reading “What Is Eternal Life?”
Wow….when I read this quote this morning, my heart was pierced and gratitude flooded in. A sign of healing in melting my heart. I had a personal encounter with Christ and a moment of divine intimacy:
Continue reading “In This Moment”
Yesterday, I was home, recovering from Covid following the doctor’s orders to isolate until tomorrow. I was sad that I was unable to attend mass in person. However, it was the responsible choice as I don’t want to impact others if I’m possibly still contagious. I was loving my neighbor.
Continue reading “Every Moment Holy”
In the following scripture, we are reminded of the vanity of laboring, toiling, and acquiring. It is an expression of what life would be like apart from the presence of God. Sorrow, grief, and restlessness would seem to be all there is. It’s a poetic way of expressing the futility and fleeting nature of human pursuits.
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,/ vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and yet to another who has not labored over it, he must leave property. This also is vanity and a great misfortune. For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun? All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest. This also is vanity.
The word of the Lord.
Ecclesiastes1:2; 2:21-23
In this context, “vanity” doesn’t mean pride or self-absorption (as in modern usage), but rather emptiness or meaninglessness.
The writer reflects on life’s pursuits—wisdom, pleasure, work, wealth—and concludes that none of them bring lasting fulfillment. It’s a philosophical lament that everything “under the sun” (i.e., earthly life) is temporary and cannot satisfy the soul.
Ecclesiastes isn’t nihilistic—it’s realistic. It urges us to recognize the limits of worldly pursuits and seek meaning through reverence for God and live with humility and gratitude, knowing life is short.
On the other hand, Jesus teaches us to be “rich in what matters to God.” What does matter to God? That we number our days right and grow in wisdom of heart. We do not have to do that on our own, for we receive those graces at baptism, by which we have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God. He asks one thing of us, “Follow Me.”
Life’s richness, then, consists in seeking the One who is above, and claiming the new self that we receive through him, for Christ is all. Our treasure lies in claiming Christ our life, who has appeared.
Let us live for an audience of one, for God today. Amen
The other day I sent my sister this photo and said: A reminder God sent to me yesterday on the freeway.
Continue reading “Sharing Our Faith”
Smitten With Goodness 