2015 is here! I love turning to a new calendar page, using fresh notebooks with no markings, and looking ahead to limitless possibilities in the coming months. But the minute that someone suggests I make a New Year's resolution, I start to feel adrift. I become increasingly aware of all the things I am […]

[…] one that has been niggling at my heart for some time. And ladies, most of us are in this boat. Most of us are wealthy by the world's standards. Do you make $35,000 a year? Then you are in the top 4 percent of wealth in the world. $50,000? Top 1 percent. In the […]

[…] Lent in a few days—I say this knowing full well that I haven’t yet checked the box for putting away all of the Christmas decor! The good news is that whether we are ready or not, our Church is here to prepare us. So grab your checklist and let's go! As we enter into […]

[…] sends back to John a message of consolation: the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor receive the good news (Matthew 11:5). In other words, John, I am who you hoped for. I am who you believe me to be. My kingdom is breaking through into […]

[…] us of who we are and who we are called to be. Strengthened by God's Word and nourished by the Eucharist, we are sent forth into the world to be "living stones" like Christ Himself, building one another into spiritual homes, into temple-houses, offering God the sacrifice of our very lives (1 Peter 2:5).  […]

[…] It would do our souls some good if we marinated our inflated egos and disordered self-love in this truth, putting credit where credit is due. In a world that feels like it's constantly shifting beneath our feet, we can cement our shoes to this reality: God is worthy of praise, not us. Try as […]

[…] this Sunday's gospel before. I've heard sermons on it. And I've been consoled and encouraged by the fact that following Christ will result in conflict; that the world will hate His followers because it hated Him first (John 15:18–20). As a young college student choosing a path that differed significantly from many of my […]

[…] peace. And it is this peace that Christ longs to leave us with: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid" (John 14:27). When we welcome the Holy Spirit into our […]

[…] he is capable of: the boats, the nets, the fish. It's a safe decision, one that offers comfort and a sense of control in this foreign post-resurrection world. Certainly, it is a life where he is shielded from the demands of responsibility and the sacrifice of personal risk. But in turning away from the […]

[…] of fish ever could.  The song "Give Me Jesus" by Fernando Ortega comes to mind, and the refrain echoes throughout the song: "You can have all this world, but give me Jesus."  Simon Peter didn't just see Jesus and leave everything behind. He had a true encounter with the Divine, and that changed everything. […]