We Are All Called to Lives of Holiness
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 …
There are periods in our lives that feel like a raging storm. The winds swirl up at high speeds, the clouds darken to a night sky mid-day, and rain pours down. The torrential downpour comes in unrelenting waves and we feel like St. Peter standing in the boat staring in fear and awe at Our Lord …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: When Life Feels Like a Raging Storm"
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"
**I will be on Al Kresta's radio program, Kresta in the Afternoon, on Wednesday, October 19th at 4pm EST.** To be a Catholic is to live paradox. We may not be consciously or intellectually aware of this fact, or refer to it as paradox. Our Faith is centered on the greatest paradox of all, namely, …
Continue reading "The Strange Ways God Heals Our Sufferings"
Grief is an arduous journey for all of us to walk. It is also a process we have very little control over and we have no choice but to walk it; often only relying in trust and hope that God walks beside us. Grief is a lot like being in a dingy in the ocean. …
Continue reading "Miscarriage Grief: No We Aren’t Going Crazy"
My daughter is my greatest teacher. This seems strange in a world where children are reduced to a means to an end or even viewed primarily as accessories. In the West, children are something we have on our own terms. They do not exist for their own sake; they only exist if we will it. …
Continue reading "The Wisdom of Children and Hope in Suffering"
One of the dangers of our weakness in the face of suffering, is the propensity to cave in on ourselves. We can turn inward and isolate ourselves from the people around us and the world. This is a natural response to pain. We want to lick our wounds and deal with the pain on our …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Reaching Out to the Suffering"
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 …
I have been in the Outer Banks for the last few days spending some time with the family on the beach. I haven't had a chance to post my most recent Catholic Exchange article so here it is: I am writing this article because I know that I am not alone. I know that even …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: The Profound Agony of Miscarriage"
Swimming the Depths 