First Sunday of Advent. An apocalyptic setting..Beware, Prepare, Be Ready…with Joy

We’ve already been inundated with commercials from every source since before Thanksgiving about the days leading up to the big event, this wonderful time of the year…Christmas! You thought I was going to say the Ford, or Kia or Land Rover or VW end of year event didn’t you? The readings from last Sunday, the […]
Do Nice Guys Finish Last?

“Nice guys finish last.” This is what the parents of my girlfriend when I was in college told me. I didn’t know how to articulate the conflicted feeling I had when they dumped that bit of wisdom on me. I was then and still am a “nice guy” so there was no ducking this flaming […]
Only A Dead Fish Goes With the Flow

Only A Dead Fish Goes With the Flow. It’s true. Satan wants you to go with the flow of secular life. In order to do that your spiritual life dies a bit. Here’s the order of the importance of our vocations; Love God, then love others (be a gift to others), then our work. The secular […]
No Peace, No God. No God, No Love

A peaceful heart is receptive to the action and movement of the spirit. “The devil is ever solicitous to banish peace from your mind, knowing well that God only dwells there in peace and that it is in peace that he works his wonders.” Saint Francis de Sales said the same thing to one of […]
The key to happiness is to understand that your spirit is so noble that no perishable good is able to satisfy its cravings.

The problem with pursuing temporal happiness. We’ll never achieve it. “This is the lie we tell ourselves our whole lives: as soon as we get the next meal, party, vacation, sexual encounter, as soon as we get married, get a promotion, get to the airport check-in, get through security and consume a bouquet of Auntie Anne’s […]
How to Upgrade Your Life

If you have no more than 3 seconds today then cutting to the chase – just follow this – “Love what God loves, hate what he hates.” If you have 1 minute then read the rest from St. Catherine of Siena. She was on a tear… don’t let her call you stupid!! “Oh boundless […]
Who does God say you are?

Who does God say you are? Here’s a hint. In the last chapter of the Gospel of John. There’s what has got to be a very awkward meeting between Peter and Jesus on the shore of the Sea of Tiberius. At least for Peter. They meet for the first time since Peter boastfully stated that […]
Our Inability to Trust God

There’s a section in St. Paul’s letter to the Romans entitled “Children of God Through Adoption” which I never thought of much when I heard it or read it over the years. It took on a deep significance after my wife and I adopted two children 20 years ago. There’s a physical aspect of adoption, […]
On Authentic Development

Less than 3 minutes read. Development in Proper Perspective Man’s personal and collective fulfillment could be jeopardized if the proper scale of values were not maintained. The pursuit of life’s necessities is quite legitimate; hence we are duty-bound to do the work which enables us to obtain them: “If anyone is unwilling to work, do […]
Confession is like weeding a garden

Confession is like weeding a garden. It’s got to be done on a regular schedule! Otherwise vices, like weeds will take root, grow and choke out your sanctity. If you’ve ever weeded a garden you know you can’t take a break because the weeds are relentless! If you weed out your sins early and often, […]