Recently, I spent a week on Cape Cod with my family, and after my wife and I returned home we went to Sunday Mass. As I sat in the church waiting for Mass to begin I realized that I hadn’t really thought much about God while on vacation. I hadn’t prayed or read scripture. I… Read More Going Through the Motions
For the many of us who have attended Catholic schools, we may wonder what makes a Catholic education different than a public one. As my wife and I have been re-watching episodes of The Wonder Years and Boston Public, there have been many moments we’ve paused and said, “In a Catholic school, a teacher would… Read More Shaping Men and Women for Others in Catholic Schools
When I was a child I never understood when someone would tell me that I had to listen to God. No matter how hard I tried, I could not hear any voice. Why did the characters in the Bible hear God’s voice but I couldn’t? As I grew into a more mature spiritual life I… Read More The Prayer of Listening
The Catholic Church is changing, and it’s not just because of Pope Francis. After Vatican II introduced a profound theology of the laity, lay people have been discovering that their purpose is more than to “pray, pay, and obey.” In fact, the Vatican II understanding of the laity taking their place primarily in the secular… Read More Why We Should Formally Recognize the Vocation of Lay Ecclesial Ministry
A new year is a great chance to take a look at our human tendencies and perhaps move outside of our comfort zones. Saint Ignatius knew our human tendencies well. He was a lover of the world and fell easily into lust and vanity. The pull he felt toward such things he called the “evil… Read More A New Path: How St. Ignatius’ Agere Contra Can Help Us Step Outside of Our Comfort Zones
Saint Ignatius’ life and personal reflection opened the Catholic Church to a rich approach to discerning both life’s smallest and most daunting choices. I find Advent offers a great parallel to Ignatian discernment and decision-making. It’s a time of preparation and pondering, ending with the glorious incarnation. As we prepare to celebrate the incarnation—the coming… Read More Choices Made Sacred
My parish does not offer the cup at communion. Unfortunately, this issue has been the cause of some division in the Catholic Church at large. Rules and norms vary from parish to parish. Yet for the first thousand years of the church, the Precious Blood was indeed distributed to all the faithful, not just consumed… Read More No Cup for You!
Millennial 