Many times when we're not in a Christian environment we find ourselves stuck between a rock and a hard place in terms of sharing or defending our faith. We know this can be a challenge so we are providing 11 ideas that you can use when talking about God to others,...
A Girl, A Telescope and An Old Man – What Do They Have To Do With Advent?
The video we are presenting in today’s post, #ManontheMoon, offers us a beautiful story that helps us to remember some of the essential attitudes for this Advent Season. This is the story of a girl named Lily. One night, when she looked at the moon through her...
Overwhelmed: What to do When You’re Paralyzed By Your To-Do List
Have you ever been so overwhelmed that you just took a nap? Memes on Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media sites reflect this common experience. Many people, it appears, default to napping when overwhelmed, but is napping really the answer? Father Mike Schmitz...
Advent is a Time for Happiness, But How Can We Find It? | Catholic Bible Study
Gospel of the Luke 3: 10-18 The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they...
Don’t Go Alone – 5 Tips for Walking In Faith With Others
Reality check: life is as beautiful as it is complicated. More often than not, difficult situations can shake us to the core, but fear not, faith comes to the rescue of those in need. Saint Augustine said it best when he said, “Faith is to believe what you do not...
Is Christianity Just for the “Good Guys”? Who Belongs in the Kingdom of God?
I once asked a friend why had they stopped coming to Mass – their response – they were “taking a break from religion to sort their life out”… And I had to ask, doesn’t this miss the point of religion – of our relationship with God? Isn’t it God who wants us to come to...
Pope Francis Explains: The Holy Year of Mercy
Today we begin the Jubilee of Mercy which is an Extraordinary Holy Year that officially commences today, December 8 – the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – with the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica. It will close Nov. 20, 2016 with the Solemnity...
Is It A Sin To Be Bored At Mass?
This short video from Mark Hart, “Bored at Mass?”, will most likely speak to each and every one of us since it hits upon a very real struggle that many face – not only in the past, but also presently, and potentially in the future. But why? Why is it that we can...
The Heartbreaking Christmas Ad that Shows the Lonely World the Elderly Live In
Does your Father Have To Die for You to Visit Him? Do not watch this video! Unless, that is, you have armbands on and are ready to swim your way to safety through a pool of your own tears. But once you have watched the video and stopped crying long enough to read...
5 Tips for Spending Alone Time with your Girlfriend Without Having to go to Confession the Next Day
Imagine this (it’s pure fiction): It’s never happened in real life, so I doubt you’ll be able to identify with this scenario, just imagine it… Your parents are running errands, so you know you’ll have the house all to yourself for a few hours. Your girlfriend is on...
Is It True That “We Are All Addicts”?
“We are all addicts.” I was told this four years ago and have never forgotten it. It was a comment addressed to a group of young Catholic adults by a priest who worked with people who had drug and alcohol addictions. When he said it, I couldn’t believe what he was...
4 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Saying “I Love You” To Another
When I like you is enough, hope is enkindled with the possible fulfillment of reciprocal like. The fulfillment of that like springs forth new hope from this newfound mutual likeness, possibly turning into love. What an exciting time with endless possibilities, can't...
When Chaos Brings Fear And Anxiety|Catholic Bible Study
'There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the turmoil of the ocean and its waves; men fainting away with terror and fear at what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the...
Quotes From Saints Who Have No Reason To Be Thankful (but found one anyway)
This time of year, throughout the holiday season, we tend to hear a lot about the importance of being thankful. Some of us may ask, though, what about those moments or seasons in life when we just don’t feel like we have anything to be grateful for? Often our trials...
9 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Got Married (Catholic Edition)
This past November my wife and I celebrated our seventeenth wedding anniversary. Seventeen blissful years that I would not trade with any other stage in my life. Today, I can say these have been years of conjugal peace and harmony, and I’m not talking about a...
6 Tips To “Keep Holy the Sabbath Day” When You’re Stuck Working
We are called to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy (and as Catholics we have a moral obligation to attend Sunday Mass). For many of us, however, our job or station in life may mean that Sundays are just as busy as every other day of the week, maybe even more...
10 Things You Can Do When You Love Your Family…But They Drive You Crazy During The Holidays
Do any of these words describe your family : Aggravating, Irritating, Dysfunctional, Crazy, Weird? I'm betting that most of us can circle one that fits at least some of the time. "We put the 'fun' in dysfunctional" is a popular saying around this time of year....
11 Things You Stop Doing When You’re Stuck In Front of A Screen
More often than not, it seems time flies by. We constantly complain about lack of time, yet we spend an incredible amount of time sitting in front of computer and telephone screens. Surfing the web, social media and online shopping have left us static and ironically...
Accepting Suffering | Benedict XVI Quote
"We can try to limit suffering, to fight against it, but we cannot eliminate it. It is when we attempt to avoid suffering by withdrawing from anything that might involve hurt, when we try to spare ourselves the effort and pain of pursuing truth, love, and goodness,...
A Short Film Reminds Us Where To Find “Validation”
This is a great short film which is described simply as being about ‘the magic of free parking,’ but you soon realize that this is about much more than free parking. It follows the character of Hugh Newman as he sets about giving compliments to people, one by one,...
Moving Beyond Beer, Beards, and Sports: Why You Need To Add Prayer Time To Your Man Time
As men living in the world today, we can feel isolated in our faith. We look around in search of inspiration, but the state of the world can leave us uninspired, dry, and alone. Why? Because, “every guy needs a brother.” Our culture today almost seems opposed to this,...
What We Can Learn When A Teenage Social Media Star Calls It Quits For Good
It has probably not escaped your notice in the last few days that a highly popular teenage internet personality has decided to quit social media and this has been a big deal. If this is news to you, here’s the lowdown. Essena O’Neill is an nineteen year old from...
10 Best Quotes About Family Life From The Popes
"What can a Pope teach me about family and married life?" This is a remark I frequently hear from those who have not read any of the Papal teachings on family. Some of the most insightful advice and life changing words of wisdom on marriage have come to me through...
6 Steps Of Temptation That Neither Adam Nor Eve, Nor You Or I Completely Understand
Evil. What is the source of evil? For some, the answer is simple: the source of evil is the devil. For others, the answer focuses on the human being: we are evil by nature. Is our flesh what makes us sin? Deepening a little bit, it would be a mistake to think that our...
Recommended Movie: The Good Lie (2014)
The Good Lie is an eye opening, inspiring and heartwarming film based on the true stories of some of "The Lost Boys" of Sudan. From the years 1983 to 2005 over 20,000 boys were orphaned during the Second Sudanese Civil War. This film does an excellent job of...