Do you ever lament the consistent or occasional impurity of a dream? At some point in our life, we learn what triggers nighttime temptations. For some it is the Facebook scroll through that one person’s profile. For another it might be flirting through text or phone conversations or Snapchat. For someone else it might be… [Read More]
Pentecost, Inspiration, and Hope
It’s almost Pentecost! I developed a great relationship with the Holy Spirit when I was in undergrad, so Pentecost is one of my favorite feasts. For some reason, it pulls other people who like to dress liturgically out of the woodwork: we all wear red. Join me on all the other Sundays! It’s awesome! In… [Read More]
Stretch of the Heart: Why You Need Hope
Think about the fact that you have a desire to love God and follow his will. Consider the difficulty of being faithful to him when it is tiring or inconvenient. How could it be that the saints before us were like spiritual and charitable super heroes? Is there a saint medicine we’re missing out on?… [Read More]
God always wins.
“If you are what you should be, you would set the whole world on fire.” – St. Catherine of Siena By now we are all quite aware of the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. I think this is the first time in my life that I’ve been nervous about being Catholic (I am so blessed because… [Read More]
Why Jesus Said, “I Thirst”
“I thirst” (Jn 19:28). Jesus said this on the Cross and before he gave up his spirit. This phrase reminds us of the pain and anguish he endured for our sake. It reminds us of the death of the just for the sake of the unjust. The language and wording associated with the redemption of… [Read More]
Sunday Says – March 15, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflection
March 15, 2015 Fourth Sunday of Lent Lectionary: 32 (NAB Translation) (Jerusalem Bible Translation) This is another week where there are 2 different readings depending on whether there are scrutinies happening at the mass you attend this weekend. Those readings come from year A, and we are currently in year B. The fourth Sunday of… [Read More]
The Necessity of Hope (Review: The Children of Men)
Dystopia is hot right now. Perhaps, seeing how situations that were once born of slippery slope fallacies are becoming recent history, more and more people are drawn to depictions of worlds gone terribly wrong. How bad could it get? How would humanity be saved? Since we live in a culture where many people have separated… [Read More]
The Psychology of Terrorism and What We Can Do About It
Unless you’ve been living under a rock without cable or wifi your entire life, you have most likely heard about and been horrified by the plethora of terrorist attack stories lately (and since the dawn of mankind, really). Barbarism – acts that include severe cruelty, not the male hair-cutting profession – have daunted us from… [Read More]
A Husband in Good Times and in Bad
There’s a real beauty to the cycle of life. Some are at the point where their friends are retiring, others, where they’re reaching the peaks of their professional careers. I’m in the time in my life when all my friends are getting married and having kids. It’s so common, that sometimes the excitement can be… [Read More]
What C.S. Lewis Taught Me About Grief
“Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape.” ― C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed Grief seems to me a confusing, unpredictable thing. You cry over someone’s death, then laugh about the memories you shared. You have moments of soaring hope, and longer moments of bone-weary depression. You… [Read More]
Lumen Fidei: Part I, Illusion and Illumination
With all of the excitement from World Youth Day in Rio, we’ve been receiving fresh doses of inspiration from our dear Pope each day. Pope Francis has been building a deep and coherent message for all of us these past few weeks, starting with the publication of Lumen Fidei, his first encyclical. Even as he… [Read More]
When to Receive the Anointing of the Sick
One of the seven sacraments that is the least talked about is the Anointing of the sick. The Anointing of the sick is especially intended for those who are baptized Catholic and are ill physically and/or emotionally. “It is especially intended to strengthen those who are being tried by an illness.” (CCC 1511) The Priest… [Read More]
Trust issues? I got ’em.
Trust. Now there’s a fun buzz word. We hear this all the time: “What? Don’t you trust me?” “Dude, trust me!” “You have some serious trust issues.” But what is that word, really? According to Webster, trust is the “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something,” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trust). Okay, so… [Read More]
In All Circumstances Give Thanks
That’s all for today, friends. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
I’m not afraid anymore…
I’ve just realized it. Just now. I’ve been sitting here at my computer, attempting to design a stunning website for a client, listening to my two little girls (ages 4 and 6) playing in the living room next to me. They’ve been playing ‘Getting Married’. This entails putting on pretend make-up, going dancing and finding… [Read More]
No Greater Love: 3 Heroes from Aurora
When I was sixteen, I had a boyfriend. My young heart was madly in love. I had also spent some time reading the Bible, inspired by my Baptist friends. One day, I came across this verse: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 In a… [Read More]
Light at the End of the Lenten Tunnel
If I said Lent this year was easy, I’d be lying. Lent this year has been ridiculously difficult. Despair, acedia, and doubt have all flooded my Lenten journey. I won’t go into the detail of what exactly my plight has been, but rather, where it’s brought me and what I hope the next 27 days will… [Read More]
