We Are All Called to Lives of Holiness
The Internet and mainstream media have been set ablaze with the latest outrage that seems to be manufactured every five minutes. Each side rushes to judgment and paints the other group as the villain. Meanwhile supporters canonize the person or persons they agree with and the vitriol reaches an intensity that should startle every person …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Turning the Other Cheek in a Digital Age"
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"
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 …
A good many of us live busy lives. This busyness can become burdensome as we pack our days with activities, work requirements, family engagements, and especially during periods of illness or suffering. Our service to our families and our neighbors can become a source of resentment, exhaustion, and spiritual malaise. This is precisely why Our Lord …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Learning Balance Alongside St. Martha"
Being a writer on the Internet is tough business these days. The criticism that is leveled at writers on a daily basis can be demoralizing and downright inhumane. Much of the criticism I see is from people who have not even read the piece that I wrote on that particular day. They make a comment …
Continue reading "Dear Readers, Writers Have to Make Choices and So Do You in Your Comments"
I want to share with you some insights that I have been given as I have grown in my faith and participation in the Mystical Body. Some of them have come with great pain, anger, and frustration that I still struggle with through the power of Confession and the Holy Eucharist. Some of these insights …
Continue reading "6 Realizations About the Catholic Church to Help You Mature in Faith"
Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. St. Matthew 18:21-22 Forgiveness is one of the …
My title selection may be a bit shocking, but it is not far from the truth. No I am not talking about some form of violent pornography. I want to talk about our culture's addiction to rage. Keep in mind that anything I write about is a reflection of my own struggles. You can see …
Today I am going to take a break from my series on sinful anger to participate in CatholicMom.com's Small Success Thursdays. I will say that beginning my Lenten series on sinful anger is a small success for this week. For those of you who have struggled with anger at different periods of your life, I …
I have a confession to make: I really struggle with sinful anger. I don't just mean that I get angry in the sense of the passion. I mean that I struggle with rage and the desire for vengeance at certain times. It is one of the reasons that you will find me in the confessional …
Continue reading "Lenten Journey: Dealing with Sinful Anger Part I"
Swimming the Depths 