“How can we reclaim our Catholic culture?” a friend asked recently. Like so many millennial Catholics, he wanted to offer his kids more than the
“I give up! I’m done! I’m through!” Giving up, in the context of these statements, usually means letting go of something for good. After trying
We know that the season of Lent is a time of penance (prayer, fasting, and almsgiving). Truly, these exercises in faith provide much good for
The day after the events at Capitol Hill occurred, I received my first email about Lent for this year. Looking at the subject line in
Stewardship and sloth are two words not likely to come up in daily conversation around the kitchen table or office water cooler. Furthermore, they are
For most Catholics, fasting is a foreign concept. The closest most of us get to practicing it is during the Lenten season. We give up chocolate or
In the process of seedtime and harvest, there are many steps necessary to produce “bumper crops.” Bumper, as it pertains to farming, refers to a
The humility God has shown to humanity never ceases to astound me. The Incarnation of the Lord is the poignant foundation stone of that spirit
There is a deep and abiding beauty to the journey of Lent that many in our modern era have forgotten. For some, Lent has been
In our family, the 6th of December is a magical day. Shoes set out in anticipation the night before are found laden with joy in
It’s hard being Catholic these days. The enemy continues to push, pull, and agitate, taking our minds off what is true and offering wonderful things
Seasons of fasting have breathed life into the Church for millennia. These days, most Catholics just stick to Lenten devotions but other seasons of fasting
There are several “new” traditions that our families can adopt in order to bring more meaning to Lent. As we will see, these traditions are
As we approach Lent, we tend to think about what we’re going to do this year: give something up, take on some spiritual practice, etc.
“Why are dust and ashes proud? Even during life man’s body decays … a king today – tomorrow he is dead,” writes Sirach (Sirach 10:9).
In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter
As one looks across the Catholic landscape right now, one would think that we were in Lent. The Church is reeling right now from the
These days, it’s difficult to be Catholic. And now more than ever it’s hard to evangelize the Faith. I don’t think anyone will argue this.
During my thirties, I began putting on extra weight. Since I was a tiny, skinny child I really paid no heed until it was ‘too
If you’re Catholic, you’ve probably heard at least once in your life that you should pray, fast, and give alms. These are the three traditional
Just over a year ago I was still living a life of hedonism, iniquity and the nihilistic, numbing pursuit of pleasure. But I was saved
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) Poor in spirit. It is amazing how easy it is
“Happy is he who does not have sadness in his mind, and who has not fallen away from his hope.” -Sirach 14:2 Finding Hope in
As we near the end of this year’s journey through Lent, I would like to lead with my favorite joke involving this special time of
