We Are All Called to Lives of Holiness
This time of year can present challenges to all of us as we approach the Christmas season. More and more Catholics are trying to slow down and enter into the period of waiting and preparation in the Advent season. As the secular Christmas season continues to spiral out of control, a lot of people are …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: When Advent Feels More Like Lent"
Recently I have had discussions with my husband and a close female friend of mine who is also married with children. We've been talking through the differences between the way men and women communicate and understand the world and relationships with other people. I've worked with a lot of men over the years and many …
Continue reading "Bridging the Divide Between the Sexes on Our Worldviews"
A few years ago, when The Benedict Option was becoming popular in certain Christian circles—primarily through the writings of Rod Dreher who is influenced by Alasdair MacIntyre—I was initially intrigued and drawn to this approach. The culture was, and continues to be, in a downward spiral. Anti-Christian sentiments and policies continue apace throughout the Western world, while …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Re-Thinking the Benedict Option in Light of Lumen Gentium"
In the past few weeks I have come into contact--both in person and in social media--with people who have felt the need to lecture me on their individual learning in areas of the Catholic faith. I stepped in at a Catholic bookstore when a man was telling a woman in full communion with Rome that …
Continue reading "The Dangers of Isolationism and the Need for Holy Guides"
I wish that I could say that I have submitted and relinquished my will entirely to God. I can’t say that, yet. I’ve spent more days sitting beside my husband in hospital rooms than I care to count. Hospital visits are a monthly, weekly, or bi-weekly occurrence for us. I have had to stand by …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: What Does It Mean to Want to Be a Saint"
The world we live in is broken. The Fall has wounded us deeply and those wounds and sins tend to fester and grow as we live in community with one another. Anyone who has paid much attention to world news is aware that these wounds cause massive bloodshed on a daily basis. Anger and violence beget …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Changing the World Means Growing in Holiness"
For those who are interested here is the audio file from my interview with John Harper on Morning Air this morning. I start at about 16:25. Pax. http://relevantradio.streamguys.us/MA%20Archive/MA20170726a.mp3
Death comes to us all. It is a hard reality, but it is a reality that we can face with hope through our faith in Christ Jesus. Meanwhile, we live in a culture that largely ignores death. We hear mantras such as “You only live once” or “Live today like it is your last”, but these …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Confronting Death in a Culture of Avoidance"
We are now in the final days of Advent. These last days are a good time to fully prepare ourselves for the coming of Our Lord at Christmas. If we have not taken the time to enter into prayerful quiet, now is a good time to do so. If we do not enter into the …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: What Will We Give Jesus for His Birthday?"
Every year a discussion about the startling rise in suicide rates during the holidays makes national news. More often than not, the cause is relegated to mental illness, stress, or family situations. While all of these may be true, they betray a purely materialist view of the human person. Mental illness in itself is a …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Seeing Our Neighbor and the Long Loneliness of December"
Swimming the Depths 