The question teenagers constantly ask is, “Why does this matter?” And if they don’t feel it matters, they won’t participate. (Or at best, they will drag their feet.) Math homework and cleaning often fall into this category. And unfortunately, prayer, Mass, the...
Who is Our Lady of Good Help? Listen to the story in this video from Champion Shrine in Wisconsin. Our Lady of Good Help is the United States' first and only approved Marian Apparition Site. In 1859, our Blessed Mother appeared to a young woman named Adele Brise,...
What are Sacramentals? "Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church....
We are living in unprecedented times. The tension has become palpable. You can see it on our roads, in stores, even within our churches – people are stressed beyond belief. We live with the media shouting their respective agendas at us 24/7 – pandemic, civil unrest,...
A book with all the milestones you’d want as a Catholic parents? Impossible, you say… But, it does exist, thanks to Kate from Thy Olive Tree! It can be overwhelming how many milestones, photos, and memories you want to record for your children. You could fill in a...
“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” - Matthew 6:24. How true that is! The Church and money have always had a challenging history and sometimes it has...
The world will attempt to give you infinite reasons not to be Catholic, but in reality, there are infinite reasons to be Catholic. Here are only fifty brief reasons for us Catholics to remember when we are tempted to give in to negativity: 1. ...
The eternal debate: receive the Eucharist on the tongue or in the hands? The great debates Catholics get into can be rather heated (and honestly quite entertaining at times), but let's start with this - Receiving the Eucharist on your tongue vs. in your hands isn't...
The search to fulfill our many desires is what leads people through their lives in one direction or another. We live in a time where the dominant belief is that life is short and we should fulfill those desires by any means necessary. That mentality leads people...
As Catholics, we are required to go to Confession once a year, but why stop there? We know Confession can be daunting or difficult, and there might be many reasons why you don’t want to go. However, regular Confession, whether it be monthly, every two weeks, or...
Why is it so important to get your baby baptized? From the moment of conception, parents begin to experience all of the emotions that come with welcoming a new life into this world. Though there is plenty of joy and excitement, there can also be feelings of...
As a teacher, one of the primary things I try to instill in my students is the notion that whether one is a professed Catholic, or running away from the Faith, one cannot avoid talking about (and even glorifying) the Faith... if only accidentally. In other words, to...
If you’re thinking of going to Confession, but it has been a while, this post is for you. Going to Confession is never pleasant or enjoyable, but it is always worth it. However, it can feel so much worse if you’ve not been in years. Maybe it has been so long ago since...
“Let us not be consumed with haste, as if time dedicated to Christ in silent prayer were time wasted. On the contrary, it is precisely then that the most wonderful fruits of pastoral service come to birth. There is no need to be discouraged on account of the fact that...
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a crucial part of the Catholic faith. It is a gift from God that we can use to repair our relationship with Him and repent from our sin. Though many fear going to Confession, it is there that God gives us an abundance of mercy. "Let...
My second grader is preparing to make his First Holy Communion next month. It is such an honor to be able to help your child get ready to receive Jesus for the first time. I know that Tobias is very excited about the Sacrament, but several times over these...
Do teens understand what Confirmation is all about? We pray that all those receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation are being prepared to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the gifts that He has to offer them. The resources we have today will help you...
Give me your fear and I´ll give you peace. This is the thought which came to my mind after having seen this beautiful video on the sacrament of reconciliation. We are all sinners, all of us need forgiveness, we have all felt in our hearts the weight of our faults and...
There’s a certain extra potency when the radical message of the Gospel – the good news – comes from someone with a story like John Pridmore’s, a man who was once so rotten – so dead – that his rescue was truly as dramatic as a last-ditch heart defibrillation. I will...
Father, you want me to be what? A Eucharistic minister? Oh no, Father, I am not worthy! There were my responses – thirteen years ago – when my parish priest approached me to consider serving the People of God as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist (the more...
Our baptismal promises – promises that were made at one particular and special moment in our lives, yet through this sacrament’s indelible spiritual mark, do and must continue to shape our life. As Catholics, by way of reminder, we situate our reflection on the...
This six-minute video that comes as part of the Sacraments 101 Series by Busted Halo excellently presents a basic catechesis on the Sacrament of Baptism. During my transitional diaconate, I had the wonderful opportunity to serve the Filipino Community in Rome at Santa...
The Sacrament of Reconciliation… Hmmm, just what do these ‘big’ words actually mean? Let’s take this time to unpack their meaning. A Sacrament First, “sacrament”. Do you love somebody – parents, spouse, children, and friends? Now, how do these persons experience your...