Struggles
Universal Church
One of the things I appreciate most about being Catholic is the universality. You can go to Mass anywhere in the world and it will consist of the same prayers and scripture readings. I have been listening to and praying with the Hallow app for a couple of years now. Recently, as part of the […]
Difficulty of Priesthood
A friend of mine shared something he read that gave insight into the difficulties of being a priest. As I read it, I thought about how true these statements are. I was remembering when I worked in a parish and how so many times people expected the pastor to be a certain way or act […]
Christs’ Kingdom
Today is the Feast of Christ the King. I always feel a special sense of joy on this day as it is the name of my previous parish where there are many wonderful memories and still very faithful friends. At Mass today, the priest talked about our mission to share the Kingdom of God here […]
Stories and Gratitude
Today I visited a friend and her mother who is 90 years old. I told them about my trip and showed them pictures. I’m not sure how much the elderly woman was able to see, so I explained what was in the photos. She explained to me that her eyesight is getting worse and her […]
Struggling Priest
This morning, I went to Mass to celebrate All Saints Day. The 2 priests and deacon processed up to the altar at the beginning. I noticed the priest leading the way was struggling a bit. That would typically be the pastor. During the Mass, he didn’t read any of the scripture, or share the homily […]
Compassionate Friend
A friend of mine works for a home rental company inspecting their properties to make sure they are being well maintained. He told me a story today about one of the homes he visited. The resident was there and had recently been through a surgery. While my friend was going about his business and chatting […]
God Won’t Forget
Today I was talking with a young woman who is in college. At the end of the semester last Spring, she was having a very hard time trying to schedule the classes that she needed. At that time she was very upset and struggling. When I asked her about it today, it took her a […]
Faith or Fear
A friend of mine shared a quote that I thought was very profound, “Faith and fear both ask you to believe in something you can’t see. The one you choose writes your future”. I don’t know exactly who wrote or said the statement, but I find it to be absolutely true. I have personally been […]
Encouraging Words
Today I read an article that quoted Arnold Schwarzenegger. There was a line that reminded of what I was thinking yesterday. “If you find yourself falling for the anger, go out in the real world and make yourself human again.” Then I saw an encouraging post by TobyMac that speaks to our spirituality. “Focus on […]
Generous Love
This evening I watched a program featuring a woman who talked about having an abortion when she was a young teenager. She was only 15 years old when she found herself pregnant. Her mother didn’t want her to have the baby and didn’t want the baby to be born under those circumstances. So the young […]