CNA—The SEEK24 Catholic conference, put on by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), wrapped up this week in St. Louis, having attracted some 24,000 people for talks, workshops, and worship, including a massive session of Eucharistic adoration. As impressive as it was to have a group that size gathered to adore the Eucharistic Jesus,…
“You cannot do anything with your hands if you do not do it with your knees,” Pope Francis CNA—The presence of Jesus in every tabernacle points us to how we can serve our suffering brothers and sisters who share in Christ’s passion today, Pope Francis told American priests this week. In an audience with the…
CNA—“Every parish” of an archdiocese in Cameroon is building a perpetual adoration chapel to celebrate a local year of the Eucharist observance, the prelate of the archdiocese announced this month. Andrew Nkea Fuanya, the metropolitan archbishop of Bamenda in Cameroon, told attendees at a press conference at the Vatican on Oct. 12: “This year in…
There are times when you observe things that simply take you aback; knock you for a loop. Actions or occurrences in our everyday lives that hit a nerve; sometimes for the good, like a gratuitous kindness, and sometimes for the bad, like palpable selfishness. These lived reminders are usually stark memorable and instructive – they…
This year, 2023, is off to an exciting start! Rather than focusing on New Year’s Resolutions this year I was captivated by the writings in the Word For You Today: “With God all things are possible.” (Mt: 19-26) Many things that are possible remain undone because of doubt and unbelief. So, this year, think “possible.”…
CNA—Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer of Atlanta dedicated and blessed his archdiocese’s newest chapel while on his way to catch a flight Monday. Airline workers and travelers flying through the busiest airport in the world can now spend time in the real presence of Christ thanks to the efforts of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s chaplains and…
CNA—One convert’s journey to Catholicism began with an invitation to an ice-cream social. Another says he instantly believed in the Real Presence the moment someone explained what the round object was that everyone was staring at during Eucharistic Adoration. For a third, the poems of T.S. Eliot — and a seemingly random encounter with a…
CNA, with CBJ edits—On April 16, 2016, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador, killing at least 676 people, including a young religious sister called Sr. Clare Crockett. Two years after her death, her order released a film about her remarkable life in both English and Spanish. “All or Nothing: Sr. Clare Crockett” now has more than…
If you are like most people, it is very likely you have made at least one New Year’s resolution to kick off 2010. The typical list may include losing weight, quitting smoking, drinking less and exercising more. Sound familiar? But, how often do we make firm resolutions to help us become better Catholics? What can…
December 23, 2009 As we rapidly approach the Christmas Eve vigil of 2009, I am reminded of another Christmas Eve just 10 years ago, a Christmas Eve that I had spent six years preparing for in a special way. The late Holy Father, the recently named Venerable John Paul II said the Great Jubilee 2000 was the event…
October 13, 2009 This is the second half of a talk I gave to the Catholic Business Leaders Breakfast at Sacred Heart Parish on October 9th , 2009. The first part of the talk was on my conversion into the Catholic Church in 2006 with my wife and sons after I spent 23 years in the “spiritual wilderness”—a…
September 2, 2009 Friends-good morning. In Eucharistic Adoration this week I read a meditation from In Conversation With God, by Francis Fernandez, which absolutely got my attention. Here is an excerpt which I hope will resonate with you and make you reflect on your actions as it has with me. EXCERPT FROM In Conversation with God, by Francis…
August 13, 2009 Friends-good morning. I am currently reading a wonderful book by Archbishop Charles Chaput titled “Living the Catholic Faith: Rediscovering the Basics.” I highly recommend the book and have shared below an excerpt from Chapter 4 on the Eucharist that I strongly encourage you to read, reflect on and share. I hope you find it meaningful…
July 8, 2009 “Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly.” — St. Ignatius Loyola What is the connection between surrender and strength? Surrendering to Christ and putting His will before my own for the first…
I went to the Sacrament of Reconciliation a few days ago with a lot on my mind. I have been weighted down for the last few months with work stress, concerns about money and a myriad of other issues big and small. As I went through my examination of conscience, I couldn’t get past the…
December 29, 2008 I would like you to join me in a different kind of commitment for next year. This is the kind of commitment that will cost us something for sure, but the reward is great. In the coming year let’s make every effort to acknowledge Christ before others and defend (as well as follow!) in a…
December 23, 2008 I lit a candle today and prayed during Eucharistic Adoration in our parish chapel for a man I know who was hospitalized yesterday for the second time in two weeks. He is suffering from emphysema and an infection after recent surgery. The candle burned brightly, more brightly than the others, for the hour I was…
October 8, 2008 When I imagine a fortress, it invokes thoughts of strength, security and protection. The image is comforting, particularly when used in relation to one’s faith. I was speaking with someone I met recently about my faith and learned that he, too, was Catholic. After hearing my story, he explained to me the role faith played…
September 18, 2008 Before I began my RCIA classes in the Fall of 2006, I studied the Catholic faith in earnest. I tend to intellectualize everything and my first thoughts were to learn everything I could about our faith. I quickly realized there was more to our wonderful Faith than knowledge, history and tradition! I then began to…
