I was talking to one of my good, Muslim friends this morning. Today is a major Muslim celebration called the Eid al Abha. Since he knows I am a novice he explained that it is the celebration to recognize the sacrificial lamb provided to Abraham to save his son...
I saw beautiful rainbow one time. The pictures definitely didn’t do it justice. It made me think about all the symbols for God‘s covenants in our lives. The rainbow was the first sign of the first covenant that God gave us (via Noah). I tried to take a crack at the...
Some recent experiences with friends and colleagues led me to think about the word ‘reciprocity.’ When I hear the word I initially think of debt, obligation, or a transaction. We give something. So we want something back in equal amount. Pretty simple. We receive...
One of my kids plainly asked me, “Dad, why do you go to mass?” I said “Good question!” So I simply took a few minutes to write down my reasons. Perhaps some of these will resonate or make sense; others may not. But I find it best to just be raw and honest for things...
To read Part 1 “OK…Can we talk about the Communion of the Saints?” click here. To read Part 2 “OK…Can we talk about Mary?” click here. For these posts it would be important to read the preceding parts. A quick repeat disclaimer and confession as I go into this post...
To read Part 1 “OK… Can we talk about the communion of the Saints?” Click here. For these posts it would be important to read the preceding parts. A quick repeat disclaimer and confession as I go into this post (as I did for Part 1). I have not done much formal...
A quick disclaimer and confession as I go into this post series. I have not done much formal research surrounding the communion of the saints, Mary, the rosary any other adjacent topic. These posts are purely a reflection of the experiences that I’ve had firsthand. As...
There are two pretty critical disciplines in my life: Praying and running. And they are not separate. They are integrated. Because when I run, I pray. And when I pray, I run. I’ve also learned a lot lately about prayer and memorized several litanies. Most of them are...
It’s often heard, “I’m a member of St. Francis Church” or “I’m a member of First Baptist Church” or “I’m a member of a non-denominational church.” We focus on our membership. We focus on what ‘choice’ we have carefully made of the church to which we belong. This is...
When someone asks how I am doing, I respond often without even thinking, and with a very expected response. This is true in our culture. I reply by offering a quick assessment of circumstances in my life. I often give a rundown of other family members and what they’ve...
Sometimes the best way to cut through the tension is to start with a clean slate. So, let me do my best to explain my exploration of the mystery of the Eucharist itself. As a reminder, I have only been in full fellowship with the Catholic Church for about 5 years. So,...
“Should I go forward for communion? Can I go forward for communion? Why did someone tell me I can’t go forward for communion? What the heck is going on here? Maybe I won’t even go to mass if I’m going to be denied communion! I certainly wouldn’t deny a Catholic...