A saying that is often associated with Saint Francis is

“Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”

There are many saints out there that started out as soldiers or aspired to fight in great battles. Saint Francis aspired to fight in many great battles, such as the Crusades or battles going on in Assisi.

The idea of completely submitting ourselves to someone or something else usually fills us with a sense of dread or disgust.

Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us together today.

Something I learned from my Catholic school days was the Catholic tradition of The Four Last Things: death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell. However, I didn’t learn about these things from any textbook or class, but in a conversation I had with the principal.

One book that I often read during high school, that I still love reading today,  was The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis.

Since when did words like “virgin” and “chastity” become ugly? We live in a world where sex is constantly in our faces. 

I love the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Something interesting about the pirates in these movies is that even though they are thieves, they keep to a code.

When it comes to being a Catholic, you can’t always get what you want or do whatever you want just because it feels good. We may not see ourselves as vain or self-centered, but the desire for approval,  or ways to boost our own ego can come when we least expect them.

There are two questions we often get asked as a kid: 

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” and

“If you could have any superpower, what would it be?”

I often hear this said in Mass: 

“Look, we pray, upon the oblation of your Church, and, recognizing the sacrificial Victim by whose death you willed to reconcile us to yourself, grant that we, who are nourished by the Body and Blood of your Son and filled with his Holy Spirit, may become one body, one spirit in Christ.”

Whenever I go to Mass in one particular parish in my diocese, the pastor of this church always starts his homilies with

“Jesus Christ is our joy and our strength.”

One of the paradoxes about having a life in Christ is that in order to be leaders, we have to be willing to serve.

One wonderful thing about having a life in Christ is that we are no longer defined by our pasts.

You’ve probably these questions in relation to salvation: Are we saved by faith alone? Do Catholics believe that if they do all these good things, you’ll get into heaven?

I still remember the retreat that changed my life. I had spent most of the year recovering from a traumatic anxiety attack that I experienced in the spring.

This first chapter lays out what a life in Christ consists of. For one thing, through choosing Christ, we have become part of His chosen people.

I think one of the biggest lies we can ever believe is that the universe is indifferent and that there is no purpose or meaning to life.