I recall when taking courses as an undergraduate, it was common to ask professors about the syllabus: “Are all these required reading?” “How long does the final paper need to be?” Such questions are intended to identify the bare minimum required for us to pass the course. Obviously, by doing the bare minimum, one would usually end up with a C for the course, which means “satisfactory.” Even in relationships, we sometimes find ourselves saying […]
In the movie Ghost, Sam (Patrick Swayze) never says the words, “I love you” to Molly (Demi Moore), instead opting for the response, “Ditto.” His inability to say the words, “I love you,” cause Molly to question Sam’s commitment to their relationship. She rightly wants him to say the words as an action that confirms his commitment to her. The truth is, some words we speak are “efficacious,” which means that speaking the words achieves […]
When St. Joan of Arc was on trial for heresy, the Inquisitor mocked her for claiming that she heard God’s voice speaking to her. He said, “It’s only your imagination!” Joan responded, “Of course! How else would God speak to me but through my imagination?” This story teaches us that we need to pay attention to how God is speaking to us through our thoughts, feelings, desires, hopes, dreams, imagination, and memories. Our vocation, or […]
I have to laugh when I see TV shows called Secrets of the Bible or Bible Secrets Revealed or some such title. The implication is that the Bible was written in code and needs to be deciphered by experts to reveal deep secrets that are hidden from plain sight. I laugh because the Bible is the complete opposite of a collection of secrets; it is revelation! In other words, Scripture is one of the most powerful […]
As Catholics, we are accustomed to the phrase, holy days of obligation. What exactly does it mean to refer to a day (or an hour or a week) as holy? And what do we mean by the word obligation? In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore the meaning of holy days as days set apart for God. For more information about holy days of obligation, check out the following links: Helping Young People Understand […]
It’s nice to be invited to take the lead on an exciting project or to accept a new job offer that has come our way unexpectedly. It can also be very frightening! Such invitations always come with a fair amount of unknowns that cause us to hesitate and perhaps even doubt ourselves and our capabilities. This often happens when we sense that God is calling us to move in a new direction in our life. […]
Being humble is definitely not in vogue these days! In fact, quite the opposite is true as celebrities, athletes, and politicians all seem determined to toot their own horns as loudly as possible. Unfortunately, humility too often gets bad press in our contemporary culture, which tends to view it as a belittling of oneself. Humility, however, is “not thinking less of yourself, but thinking about yourself less.” (C.S. Lewis) Humility is simply seeing ourselves as […]
Part of my growing up included working in my dad’s drugstore. As I grew older, I began to strategize ways to increase sales. I learned about the reality of impulse buying and proceeded to surround the check-out area with impulse items such as gum, disposable lighters, snack bars, breath fresheners, travel-size beauty items and sundries, and so on. The truth is, we do a lot of things on impulse, which means that we act without […]
Our brains are wired to take the path of least resistance. Now, that can be a good thing, since we all strive to avoid unnecessary conflicts and obstacles. However, there are some things in life that are worth fighting for, such as striving to end injustice and oppression. For situations like that, we need the virtue of fortitude—a virtue that helps us strengthen our resolve, resist temptations, and overcome obstacles in the moral life. In […]
One of the most well-known and cherished Scripture passages is Micah 6:8: “What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” But what exactly does it mean to “do justice”? Too often, justice is thought of in legal terms and is equated with punishment or even vengeance. However, justice is a positive thing and refers to holding up our end of the […]
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