Many of us would agree that division in the United States is at record highs these days. It seems as if there is no common ground on so many issues, and that neither side will give an inch toward comprise. Much of this is caused by the media on both the left and right, as individuals and organizations have found a way to capitalize on our division. So much of...
Today is the solemnity of the Assumption of Mary in the Roman Catholic Church. In the United States it is typically a holy day of obligation, marking the event in which Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life. While this is a dogma of Catholic faith, the question of whether or not she died first is purposely not included in the dogma,...
Therefore guard against profitless grumbling, and from calumny withhold your tongues; for a stealthy utterance does not go unpunished, and a lying mouth slays the soul. Court not death by your erring way of life, nor draw to yourselves destruction by the works of your hands, because God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living. For he fashioned all things that they might...
For many of us, the “prayer of petition” is the most common type of prayer, especially for those who are newer Christians (or not even religious at all!) It is basically a prayer that asks something from God. Examples vary from less serious things such as asking for help on a test or good weather, to serious issues such as improved health or safety for a loved one. This is...
Prayer is communication, or conversation with God. In order to maintain any relationship with God, we must pray and communicate with him. This is true for any relationship, friends, spouses, whatever… How fast do relationships fall apart when communication is lacking, or when people don’t stay in touch with each other for weeks, months or years? It is important to pray from the heart, and be honest in our communication. ...
One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little 7-year old Alex staring up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church. The plaque was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it. Now, Alex had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside him and said quietly, “Good morning, Alex.” Alex replied, “Good morning,...
Is it possible to always be a joyous person despite the circumstances in our lives? What does being joyful mean anyway? It is the will of the Father that we be joyful people, but many wonder if this is possible in this day and age, with tension and trouble seemingly always on the horizon. The key to joy lies within our relationship with God. Specifically, we encounter everlasting joy as...
There has been a lot of talk lately about identity. How do we define who we are, by our physical characteristics, or our inner feelings? We can identify as many things, but what is our true identity? Often we define ourselves by the relationships in our lives. We might be a brother, sister, friend, coach or neighbor. Each one of these roles means different things to different people, so these...
In spectacular fashion, media bias and advancement of narrative was on display in this week’s incident at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. At the center were boys from Covington Catholic High in Kentucky, in town for the annual March For Life Rally, who got caught up in an altercation between radical Black Israelites and liberal Native Americans. All the ingredients were there in a perfect set up: white, male,...
As Christians we have come to know that God is “three persons; one God”, better known as the Holy Trinity. This has been revealed to us by Jesus Himself, in his teachings. This is impossible to understand fully, although we do know some things about the nature of God and the Trinity, as well as each of the three persons of the Holy Trinity. Because the nature of God is...