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In: Christian, selfworth, value

When I first had my back surgery I struggled with my identity.  Especially as a man who grew up in a place where a man’s worth was directly tied to his ability to provide for his wife, I floundered to find a new way to be a husband, father, andContinue Reading

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In: Assisi, battles, beatitude, Catholic, choose, Christian, Eucharist, faith, Francis, Heart, Jesus, love, pick, Pure, truth

Many years ago, my dad taught me a lesson that I am still learning today.   He said: “Son, sometimes you have to choose your battles.”  He meant that you need to examine every situation to see if what you are about to argue about or correct someone about isContinue Reading

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In: blame, Christian, forgive, Jesus, LGBT, love, Mass, Nation, Norman, orphan, other, refugee, seven, seventy, them, widow, Wirzba

This morning at daily Mass, Father Don Ahles mentioned an article by Norman Wirzba in which he mused on the thought that we might be able to now “declare the end of ‘Christian America.’”  The article speaks of the fact that we in America often portray ourselves as Christians throughContinue Reading

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In: Catholic, Christian, Jesus, King, love, Mary, master, needy, poor, sacraments, servant, serve, silence, teacher, Universe

Tomorrow is the last Sunday in the liturgical year.  Soon we will begin the season of Advent, leading up to Christmas.  We will begin to think about the ways we can bring Christ into the world, and how we can celebrate his birth from day to day.  This Sunday though,Continue Reading

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In: Catholic, Christian, communion, community, ego, faith, Jesus, love, Mass, mercy, Parish, sacrifice, self, Spanish

Tonight I attended a Spanish Mass at our Parish.  Both to work on my Spanish listening skills and toattempt to build some friendships and familiarity with a part of the Parish that I often do not get to see.  I have several friends who come to daily Mass or whoContinue Reading

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In: asceticism, christ, Christian, church, complacency, complacent, cross, Jesus, key, knowledge, love, mysticism, Pharisee, scribes, to, woe, you

In Tomorrow’s Gospel we see Jesus again speaking gloom and doom to the Pharisees and Scribes. It’s easy for us today to look back and almost cheer him on, ‘get those bad Pharisees!’  We like to have an enemy, a they, to place all the blame on.  We want toContinue Reading

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In: Cana, Casey, Catholic, charity, Christian, dishes, Feast, Jesus, Mother, servant, serve, Solanus, Teresa, Wedding, work

I looked into the kitchen this morning, after spending the day in bed in pain.  I lifted too much yesterday and was just unable to get up this A.M.  The dishes weren’t done.  I for some reason expected to magically get up at noon and find them washed.  There theyContinue Reading