It seems to me that in one of about every ten confessions people touch the heart of key issues in their union with God and leave the confessional determined to change detrimental attitudes and patterns in their lives. In the other encounters, penitents basically present a laundry list of behaviors that are merely symptomatic of […]
In Jesus’ time, wooden yokes got placed upon oxen to plow fields. First, however, the ox was taken to a local carpenter to be fitted. If not, these notoriously harmful contraptions could pinch nerves and severely damage the animals—even kill them. According to a legend, Jesus-the-carpenter created the best ox-yokes in all of Galilee and […]
According to Ignatian Spirituality, our singular goal in life is to be with God. It is our first principle and foundation. According to this guidance system, we should utilize all that we encounter in this world in ways that move us toward that goal. Of course, we also encounter many distractions that divert us along […]
There was once a man who seemed to have it all. He came from a good family, married a lovely wife, had tremendous children, maintained a good job, owned a nice house in a lively neighborhood, and had lots of friends. But he also abused alcohol. It got so bad that he lost his job […]
Pope Paul VI once stated: “The world of our time is searching, sometimes with anguish and sometimes with hope, to receive Christ’s Good News. But it will not be received from those who appear dejected, discouraged, or anxious. True evangelizers are those who glow with fervor, who embrace the joy of Christ, and who are […]
A story is told about an old man resting under a huge oak tree with his young grandson. The grandfather picks up an acorn and hands it to the boy, telling him that the massive tree was once that very size. The boy, looking up at the tree and down at the acorn, then asks: […]
This weekend members of a small faith-based community called Regnum Christi are at Saint Charles Parish to help cultivate the very essence of our religious belief, which we commemorate during the annual Triduum rituals. It is the third consecutive year that this group whose members range from infant to elder, though mostly families with school-aged […]
