We Are All Called to Lives of Holiness
In the Mass readings right now we are working our way through my favorite epistle, the First Letter of St. John. It will play a key role in aspects of the book I'm working on. If there is one word that describes this letter it is love. The Beloved Disciple whose deep spiritual friendship with …
I have been in active ministry for over ten years. I've had occasional breaks as my vocation has required, but I've worked with a variety of people and priests over those years. In all of my time serving in the parish and local community I have observed--as Pope Francis has said many times--that gossip is …
Continue reading "We Need to Stop Gossiping About Our Priests"
It happens to every penitent who frequently seeks forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance. We trudge, once more, to the confessional door and upon our entry, lament to the priest that we are once again confessing the same sins. It’s been a week, a month, a year, and it’s the same sins. We are tired …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Healing the Wounds of Rejection"
I realized that my writing may make people think I have it more together than I actually do. The thing about writers is, we see great truths--especially in the grips of suffering--and want to share those insights with others. That doesn't mean we've actually mastered what we write about. I am no exception. I have …
Anyone who has been reading my blog over the last couple of years knows that I battle being addicted to Facebook. Yes, addicted. I think a lot of people are addicted, but we don't like to admit it, myself included. Social media is a part of the post-modern experience. At face value it is indeed …
Continue reading "Confronting Hard Truths About Facebook and Myself"
A Trump victory, if anything, only slowed down the speeding train of our secular culture. Lord willing, Catholics and other like-minded people will be given a reprieve after the last 8 years of open attacks and vilification by the Obama Administration and his fellow ideologues. Christian businesses have been destroyed, sisters working to help the …
Continue reading "The Election is Over: It’s Time to Stop Being Lukewarm Catholics"
Dear University Students in Need of a "Safe" Space, Today is Veteran's Day. On this particular Veteran's Day, university students and their professors across the nation are crying that they are traumatized by the results of Tuesday's election claiming they need "safe" spaces to deal with the horror of Donald Trump's election (There are dictionaries …
Continue reading "A Letter to University Students in Need of a “Safe” Space from a Veteran"
A little over a week ago I reactivated my Facebook account after a year away. I have one of those personalities that gets easily sucked into the news feed. I have been watching the news since I was 5 years old, so old habits die hard. My problem is I become immersed in it. It …
I know that it is hard to understand me. Things I say and do are maddening. It is easy to push me away and to reduce my actions, words, and love, yes love, to hatred or envy. Often when we make choices out of fear, power, ignorance, or even apathy, we turn on others because …
Continue reading "Miscarriage and Abortion: To my Interlocutors"
In the past week, I have received more emails and comments from readers than I have in the last year and a half as a regular contributor at Catholic Exchange and in my years as a blogger. People from all over the world have written to me about their experiences with miscarriage. More often than …
Swimming the Depths 