It’s easy to fall into the trap today of being a passive consumer in the Church. Going to Mass once a week and being a spectator, watching from the sidelines. But, we are not spectators. We are participants, we are disciples, we are missionaries. Whether we see ourselves in this Read more…
Back in college, we used to take 5-8 hour road trips for baseball. Packed on a bus with 30 other guys might not sound that great now, but back then I really enjoyed those bus rides. One of the reasons was that I had nowhere else to be. I had Read more…
Christ invites us to take up our cross and follow Him. In fact, He says to be His disciple, we must take up our cross. But, what does that look like for us, 21st century men in the U.S.? Often times, we think of our cross as the big, special sufferings. And, Read more…
One of the lines from last week that stuck out to me is incredibly simple and profound: Love beyond fear. That’s the challenge, isn’t it? To love God beyond fear. Almost every obstacle to loving God can be boiled down to fear. But, what are we afraid of? Last week, we Read more…
One of my daughter’s favorite books is the Story of Saint John Paul II: A boy who became Pope. Throughout this book, JPII’s mother, brother, and father continue to ask him: Who do you love the most? At the end of this life, we’ll stand before our maker and we’ll Read more…
A few weeks ago, I was able to attend a talk about J.R.R. Tolkien (author of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings). If you didn’t know, Tolkien was actually a devout Catholic, and for a good part of his childhood he was raised by a Catholic priest. He was also friends Read more…
During Lent, you probably notice that Churches offer extra Confession times, Stations of the Cross on Fridays, maybe Adoration, and of course, Daily Masses. The Church does this to help us along on our pilgrimage to Easter Sunday. But, this kind of help isn’t forced on us. The Church offers Read more…
Well, well. It comes up quick! Ash Wednesday is almost upon us. We still have one day, and that means there’s still time to sort a few things out. So, keep thinking about your Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving commitments. Look up Mass times for tomorrow. Daydream about pancakes. You know Read more…
Ash Wednesday is two days away, and before we begin our Lenten journey, it’s important to reflect on the destination. What’s our goal? Where do we want to be in 40+ days? As we said last week, Lent is a season of purification and enlightenment. Purging the bad, and Read more…
What’s the #1 thing we’re being sold? People, advertisers, and businesses sell different products or services, but most of the time what they are trying to sell is happiness. Take a quick look at any magazine, commercial, website etc. We’re constantly being told that in order to be happy we Read more…
Many of us, at some point in our lives, fall into the line of thinking that faith is a series of unrelated do’s and don’t’s. We see what we believe as a bunch of confused facts instead of ‘a symphony of beauty, truth, and meaning’ (Archbishop Chaput’s words). But, how often Read more…
Coming up on four years ago, I heard Phillip Rivers speak at my graduation. I’d never really been a fan of his. After hearing him speak, I am now. Most of us probably know, Rivers is the quarterback for the Chargers, but what you might not have known is that Read more…
Have you ever felt like you’re in a rut? Like you’re going through the motions? Everyday is just part of the routine? Many times we feel like routine is boring and the enemy of fun. Why is that? Well, part of it comes down to the difference between a reactive routine and Read more…
Has anyone ever asked you, “What percent Catholic are you?” It might seem like a silly question – you’re either Catholic or you’re not Catholic. How could someone be 50% Catholic – their Dad was Jewish but their mom Catholic? Maybe the question is a bit ridiculous, but that doesn’t Read more…
Happy New Year! A new year presents us with a unique opportunity to turn over a new leaf. But it doesn’t just happen. At the risk of this email sounding like a pep talk – we need to have a plan. Fortunately, our plan doesn’t have to be complicated. No Read more…