There is a reason hope is a supernatural virtue along with charity and faith.We live in a Fallen and broken world. Every single one of us will be hurt, suffer, and face death. There are dark days for each one of us in which hope keeps us on the path and points us to our …
A Short Introduction to the Cardinal Virtue of Fortitude
Fortitude is the cardinal virtue which aids most in perseverance in daily living. In the Christian life, fortitude is tied to the willingness to be martyred for the Faith. It is not a desire for martyrdom, but rather, a willingness to conform one’s life so closely to goodness and truth that they are willing to …
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Saint Philip Neri: The Humorous Side of Humility
We live in a world that takes itself too seriously. I would hazard a guess that many people reading this piece struggle with this taking of one’s self to seriously, just as I do. It turns out, there is a saint to help us: St. Philip Neri. Today the Church celebrates this humorous, charitable, obedient, …
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On the Cardinal Virtue of Justice
A while back I began a series on the cardinal virtues taken from a term paper I wrote for my Moral Theology class last semester. I realized in the busyness of final exams that I never finished that series. So here is the section on the cardinal virtue of justice. Justice is seen as the …
A Note on Your Emails
Dear Readers, Hello! I wanted to let you know that if you leave a comment here or email me from Catholic Exchange, I do read all of your lovely notes. Unfortunately, life does occasionally keep me from responding to all of them. I greatly appreciate your encouragement, questions, and thoughts on my writing. I pray …
Being Too Busy Impedes the Spiritual Life
There is a trend in our thinking that can lead us to believe that we must be busy all of the time. This busyness can easily mask our own self-importance, fear of silence, over-extension, or be a sign of our own spiritual restlessness. American culture, and increasingly many other cultures, has a default setting of …
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Abandoning Ideology: The True Breadth and Depth of Catholicism
My reversion back to Catholicism took place back in 2009 after a few years of wandering, confusion, and self-worship. I was living in Washington, DC for an internship at The Heritage Foundation. I had decided to try my hand at conservative politics. I didn’t know it then, but God was beginning a radical change within …
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On Being a Graduate Student Theologian and a Stay-at-Home Mom
In the coming weeks, the editor at Catholic Exchange will post a podcast interview we did together that focuses on my life as a graduate theology student and a mom, as well as my increasing interesting in abandoning ideology for the full expansiveness of the authentic Catholic Faith. I will post a link when it …
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What is Ideology and How is it Infecting the Church?
When I began to research a clear definition of ideology, I came across varied explanations for this word. It can simply mean a set of values (I don't like this term. It's Nietzschian. My dad has been teaching me this for years and now I have a grad school class on the topic this semester), …
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Practical Lessons from St. Athanasius
Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Athanasius of Alexandria who is a Doctor of the Church, as well as a great theologian who united the Eastern and Western Churches. A great deal of his work and mission was responding to the Arian heresy running rampant in his day. In fact, the Arian heresy …
