Is there something wrong with your life? Maybe something is missing. Maybe you’re depressed. Maybe you’re overwhelmed. Maybe you’re trapped by compulsive behavior. Maybe there’s a particular sin you haven’t been able to overcome no matter how hard you’ve tried? Maybe...
Freedom
Lightning McQueen: What To Do With Freedom
A few days ago I was feeling a little down and wanted to find a movie to lift my spirit and provide some encouragement and hope. I went with the Pixar classic Cars, and as you may guess, it did not disappoint. I’ve always thought Lightning McQueen had a brilliant...
The Virtue Of Patriotism
The Virtue of Justice Before we can begin to understand patriotism as a virtue, we have to first look to the broader virtue of piety. And before we can begin to understand piety, we have to understand the broader cardinal virtue of justice. The word “cardinal” comes...
What The Ascension Can Teach Us When We Feel Abandoned By Christ
Ascension seems the silliest solemnity. Jesus spent thirty years preparing for His mission, three years preaching His mission, three days suffering, dying, rising to complete His mission, and many days thereafter appearing to His apostles so that they would believe in...
Why Did God Give Us The Power Of Free Will?
One of the greatest gifts that God has blessed us with is the gift of freedom. Freedom allows us to choose our actions and proves to us that we are not bound by some predetermined plan for our lives. God granted us this gift as part of the dignity he bestowed on human...
Jim Caviezel Inspires 8,000 College Students At SLS18 Conference in Chicago
"The name Saul means 'Great One', the name Paul means 'Little One'," began "Paul, Apostle of Christ" star Jim Caviezel. He surprised eight thousand college students attending SLS18, a FOCUS conference this past weekend in Chicago and inspired them to become little in...
How to Free Yourself From the Desire to Control Everything (Gospel Reflection, Matthew 11:25)
One of the best ways to enrich your spiritual life is to pray with scripture. A great way of doing this is using the technique of Lectio Divina, a powerful method which we explain here. The following is the Sunday Gospel reading with a reflection that is especially...
8 Points For Addressing The “Safe Space” Mentality In Colleges
Before I begin, I would like to make it clear that support, help and sensitivity for those who have experienced trauma or difficulties in life is so important and necessary. Providing or receiving support for those struggling at college or university is vital and a...
The Day I Told Jesus I Was A Porn Addict It Led To Freedom
I remember the day that I told Jesus I was a porn addict. I remember the fear. I remember my body shaking, and my words trembling. For myself, it was an honest realization and a total admission. I remember kneeling before Jesus Christ in Eucharistic Adoration, and...
Who Can Receive God’s Mercy? (and how to receive it in just 2 easy steps!)
Who can receive God’s mercy? Who is eligible to attain this great gift? “I have decided to announce an Extraordinary Jubilee which has at its center the mercy of God. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy. We want to live in the light of the word of the Lord: “Be...
3 Virtues That Help Me Thrive As A Military Spouse
Being a military spouse is not for everyone. We endure many unique struggles and sufferings. I have found that living out my faith is the most reliable way to thrive in - and not merely survive - our lifestyle. The Three Theological Virtues of Faith: which is trust in...
The False Abyss Between Faith And Life: “Freedom to Flourish”
The division between faith and life, between Sunday and every other day, between God's time and our’s, is one of the greatest and most harmful misconceptions of our age. So many people have come to regard their faith as another "interest" checked off when subscribing...
Moments of Mercy: The Embrace of Forgiveness.
In this video entitled “Momentos,” directed by Nuno Rocha, there is no dialogue; however, the actions that take place speak louder than words, which led this video to awards such as the Cinematic Achievement Award at the International Short Film Festival in Greece and...
Ben Stein Debates with Atheist Richard Dawkins: Freedom from God Means Freedom for Man?
We owe a certain debt to Dawkins which I suspect has until now gone unrecognized. Dawkins, one of the world’s foremost figureheads of atheism, coined the word “meme” in his 1976 book, The Selfish Gene. These days, tech-savvy tweeters know a good meme when they see...
“I knew that I didn’t ever want to live like that again.” – The Pain that Comes When You Can’t Forgive
Many of us undergo moments in our lives that sting. They leave us furious, hurt, shocked by the absurdity and injustice of the situation. And, often, when that occurs it makes it incredibly difficult to forgive. Such a reaction is many times legitimate in itself, yet...
Why You Should Look At Yourself With The Same Gaze Of Mercy God Does
When you look at yourself what to do you see? Is your gaze one of love and truth, or judgment and despair? Do you understand the significance of God’s mercy? Or, have you rejected it from your heart? The video tries to tap into the drama of every human heart that...
How Will This Man Respond When His Dentist Tells Him God Doesn’t Exist?
This short video comes from Vision Fudge, an organization which makes films in order to help people explore life’s big questions. Whether or not God exists is definitely one of those questions. In the video they ask three questions about belief in God: Does...
What Does it Mean to Truly Have Freedom? Do You Have it?
“We’ve been lied to, and somehow we are okay with it. Have you looked around? I mean, really seen what is happening? The pain is real. We got used to it. Let me ask you something: why are you here? … Do you think someday freedom will just come? What if, one night at...
“Beheld” – Are You a Slave to Vanity?
“It shall even be as when a hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite” (Is. 29:8). Vanity is a...