The In-Between
I have a friend who unintentionally became part of world history a few weeks ago. My friend, a professed brother in the Marianist order, had the amazing privilege with the rest of his community to …
Habemus Papam: My Journey with Pope Francis
I was in Spanish class in 2013 at my Catholic college when the church bells all around campus began to ring and didn’t stop. My good friend in that class and I exchanged looks and …
The Importance of Non-Catholic Friendships (Part 2)
This is part two of a series on friendship. Part one can be found here. A few weeks ago, I wrote some reflections on the importance of cultivating Catholic friendships, friendships with people who challenge …
Reflections on Spontaneous Prayer
I will never forget a conversation which I had with an elderly lady at a nursing home a few years ago. Normally, the nursing home, run by religious sisters and housing elderly people with certain …
Mary Magdalene and Evangelization
Life in the Bible belt of the United States is definitely unique. The western USA has the Spanish missions; the northeast has a decently strong Catholic culture, with statues of Mary in almost every yard. …
The Importance of Catholic Friendships (Part 1)
This is part one of a two part set of reflections on friendship as part of the Christian life. Last month I got to do something which I hadn’t done in a long, long time: …
Why You Should Consider Praying the Liturgy of the Hours
For Lent this year, I decided to do something which I hadn’t done since I was in college: I wanted to reinvigorate my languishing prayer life, and so I pulled from my bookshelf a four-volume …
Choose Joy, Not Bitterness Today
Our world today is an angry one. Not a single day goes by without some news story working up our emotions, causing us to get angry over injustice or someone’s foolish decisions (like a gas …
Meatless Meal Ideas for Fridays
Most people know that on Fridays in Lent, we Catholics abstain from eating meat. But did you know that, until a few decades ago, not eating meat was required on normal Fridays throughout the year …
Faith, Evangelization, and Relationship with God
“Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?” How often have you heard that question in the context of evangelization from a well-meaning Evangelical friend? Our Protestant brothers and sisters often criticize us Catholics …