No Neighbor, I’m Not Carrying Twins

by 16 Comments

Pope Francis Blesses Baby in Womb

Some folks just say the darndest things, don't they? Here was my exchange with a man and his wife after Mass yesterday. "So how much longer you got?" the man asks while pointing at my belly. "Oh I still have three months to go. I'm due October 22." His eyes got a little bigger and then exclaimed, "Woah! Are you sure you don't have twins in there?" I'm thinking, Hey buddy, I don't think you'll be blowing away in the wind anytime soon yourself there! "Yeah, ha ha ha, last time the doctor … [Read more...]

“Why I Love My Wife” St. Valentine’s Day Link-Up Event

by 4 Comments

Why I Love My Wife

Got a wife? Tell the world how awesome she is! My wife rocks, and I bet yours does, too. Let's get together and make some noise! Announcing our St. Valentine's Day 2013 "Why I Love My Wife" link-up event. Join me in rejecting a culture of locker-room talk that objectifies and degrades the women we love. Instead, let's proclaim the Divine Gifts that they are to us. Here's how it works: This Thursday, February 14, 2013, I will publish my "Why I Love My Wife" post at midnight. Got a … [Read more...]

Forget Not Love: Advice from St. Maximilian Kolbe

by Leave a Comment

Saint_Maximilian_Kolbe

Celebrating the life of Saint Maximilian Kolbe He was an active media evangelist who published Catholic magazines. He led efforts to build a whole town called “Town of the Immaculate” outside of Warsaw, Poland where both religious and laity studied to become apostles of Mary. He sent missionaries to Japan to open a Marian publication apostolate. And in 1939 the Nazis who had taken over Poland arrested this man, a Franciscan priest, named Maximilian Kolbe. Two years later he died at Auschwitz, … [Read more...]

Indivisible: Jay Richards on Personal Holiness and Public Witness

by 2 Comments

Indivisible: Restoring Faith, Family, and Freedom Before it's too Late

"We’re commanded to speak the truth in love." Congratulations to last week’s giveaway winner Marsha Johnson! Enter to win a your own copy of Indivisible! Simply leave a comment here. Next Wednesday, August 8, we will randomly select this week’s winner. Giveaway sponsored by The Maximus Group. You also can buy Indivisible from Ignatius Press (with Voting Guidelines for Catholics bonus CD). This is the fifth installment from our interview with Dr. Jay Richards; click the links below to … [Read more...]

Indivisible: Jay Richards on Morality and Economics

by 16 Comments

Indivisible: Restoring Faith, Family, and Freedom Before it's too Late

Distinctions between social and economic issues are artificial. Congratulations to last week's giveaway winners Jessica Kiesling and Rita Rawson! See details below to enter this week's Indvisible giveaway. You also can buy Indivisible from Ignatius Press (with Voting Guidelines for Catholics bonus CD). This is the second installment from our interview with Dr. Jay Richards; read Part One here. In the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision regarding the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), it … [Read more...]

Reconsidering the Seamless Garment

by 5 Comments

You Look Fine

Well-intentioned axiom has out-lived its usefulness, should be retired. We’ve all been there. You’re way behind on laundry so you dig deep into your closet, rummaging through clothing you haven’t worn in years. Amid all the outmoded items you find what appears to be a gem, something you used to wear all the time. Okay, it is a bit outdated. “But that just makes it funky, retro hip,” you say to yourself. As you put it on, it feels kind of awkward, but you tell yourself that's precisely how … [Read more...]

Do You See What I See?

by Leave a Comment

Little Drummer Boy

Seeing & recognizing the true presence of God in our lives Remember the song: “Do you hear what I hear? Said the night wind to the little lamb. Do you see what I see? Way up in the sky, little lamb?” As I get ready for Christmas, what do I see? Do I see myself setting out boxes of decorations, or recognizing the beauty of a single shining star? Do I see myself bustling around shopping for the perfect gift, or recognizing the joy in a small child’s delight of a glittery bow? Do I … [Read more...]

The Illusion of Ownership and the Slavery of Sin

by 2 Comments

Respect Life 2011

October 2, 2011: Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Your life is not your own; being a good tenant means giving up ownership to God. Home ownership the cornerstone of the American Dream, isn't it? Yup, that's the goal. Ownership means self-sufficiency and independence, two of the qualities we Americans value most. Ownership means we don't have to rely on anyone else; we can provide for all our own needs, take care of ourselves just fine, thank you. Ownership gives us the one thing that … [Read more...]

Putting on the Mind of Christ

by Leave a Comment

To whom do you bow down?

September 25, 2011: Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Most of us live in a world of extraordinary luxury. We can have pretty much whatever we want whenever we want it. We have multiple fast food options at any hour. Satellite TV with DVR and on-demand movies is almost standard. Many stores offer instant credit with little or no criteria to allow us to indulge our shopping whims. When the rest of world fails to cater to our over-busy schedules, which are often more focused on … [Read more...]

Holding Back and Hurting Ourselves

by Leave a Comment

Who are we really hurting?

September 11, 2011: Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Have you ever held a grudge? C'mon, who among us hasn't? When we have been wronged, our first instinct is usually to get angry. Our second instinct then is to hold onto our anger, because we somehow feel justified in doing so. Forgiveness comes later, much later if we've been deeply hurt. Sometimes, forgiveness never comes. In contrast, "The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion" (Ps 103). So, what is the price … [Read more...]