[…] way. Girls are mean and unpredictable, and can’t be trusted—I’d rather just be around my guy friends.” Now, as an adult, I could try to laugh off the silliness of that comment and the ignorance of “my youth.” But the truth is, I bet many of us have felt, or still feel, the same […]
There's a lot to be said for playing it safe. It's predictable, comfortable, and doesn't cause ripple effects. It gives us the impression that we aren't hurting anyone. We're neither hot, nor cold-we're coasting in neutral. But playing it safe can also leave us stuck in situations that are stifling for our souls and […]
Many years ago, I agreed to attend a healing Mass with a friend. To be honest, I was afraid. I wasn’t sure I belonged there, or had the right to ask to be prayed over because I wasn’t physically sick. There was no terrifying diagnosis, no broken bones. I didn’t even have the sniffles. […]
Are you wrestling with a decision you need to make, and aren’t sure what you should do? Do you wish the right choice was obvious, but instead feel that each of your options look equally viable? In James 1:8, we are warned against being double-minded. This means having two opposing views in your mind […]
[…] each would make an excellent reflection. For example: Jesus' healing in the Greek Decapolis symbolizes that salvation goes beyond the Jewish faith and extends to the whole world. Jesus healed the man far from the crowds, physically touching his ailments, reminding us that Jesus deals with us uniquely and personally. “Mogilalos” is the Greek […]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 1:40–45 I have a confession to make. About confession. I took a 15-year hiatus from participating in the sacrament of Reconciliation. Having grown up attending Mass and going to Catholic school, I intellectually understood the consequences of this choice. At the time, however, confessing my sins just […]
[…] will be devastating challenges. Can you trust that the Creator of the universe, the One through which all things came to be (John 1:10), who holds the world together (Colossians 1:17), and who breathed life into you (Genesis 2:7), desires to stand there alongside you through it all? He can see into the future […]
Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Mark 7:1–8,14–15,21–23 Whenever Jesus addresses the Pharisees in Scripture, my conscience is pricked, and my heart is stirred. My love for tradition, ritual, and rules can lead me to be overly scrupulous of myself and others, to be pharisaical. And if there is one thing I detest, it […]
We sat in the last pew at the back of the Church. Knees to the ground, beads in our hands. This was her idea. “I know this sounds crazy, but would you meet me before Mass tomorrow and pray the Rosary? Will you let me pray for you?” And when we completed our meditation, […]
[…] sounded to her like I was treading water while trying to keep a bunch of balls in the air, which sounds pretty much impossible. That description wasn't news to me. It didn't feel particularly insightful, just observant. But then she went on to say something that really stopped me in my tracks. “I think […]
