Today’s Gospel reading reminds us of the importance of child-like faith.  God reveals Himself to us in so many ways, but we need to have eyes of faith.  We need to have trust and open hearts, willing to recognize all the ways He is showing up in our lives.  Are our eyes open to everything around us that is a sign of God’s love for us?

The Father reveals Himself to us through the Son.  That is a great gift and privilege that we have.  In the Gospel passage, Jesus tells His disciples, “blessed are the eyes that see what you see.  For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it” (Luke 10:23-24).  If we live with the trust and faith of a child, paying attention and keeping our eyes open, we too can see Jesus throughout our days, in the people around us and situations we experience.  And that is a huge blessing.

Recognizing the presence of Jesus in our lives takes faith and trust that is pure and simple, like that of a child.  Many times, we can allow different obstacles in our lives to prevent us from seeing.  Maybe it’s doubt, the thoughts and opinions of others, distractions, or many other things.

To see how Christ is working in our lives and hear what He is speaking to us is the way we continue to grow in our faith.  We are each invited to see more clearly and listen more closely to how Jesus is revealing the Father to us.  My prayer for today is that our eyes and ears would be open and we would recognize how blessed we are to experience Jesus in our midst!

Memento mori.  This latin phrase means “remember your death.”  Sometime in college, I came across the twitter account of Sister Theresa Aletheia, a sister with the Daughters of St. Paul.  She used this phrase as a hashtag daily and shared reflections on what it means, while also keeping a skull on her desk.  Her daily reminders to remember death kind of changed the way I think about death.  We all know we are going to die.  But the practice of memento mori, or remembering your death, helps us to live differently.  It helps us to keep in mind that our death can come at any time and to be ready.  With November being dedicated to praying for the souls in purgatory, I wanted to wrap up the month reflecting on death, specifically our own deaths.

As Christians, we should not fear death.  If we believe that Jesus is who He says He is, then our faith leads us to have hope in the resurrection and the possibility of eternal life with Him.  Ever since coming across Sister Aletheia’s memento mori tweets, I started thinking about death, specifically my own, more often.  And it’s not in an obsessive and morbid way, but rather, an acknowledgement that I am going to die and to strive to live for heaven.  It is a reminder that life on earth is temporary and to place our hope and trust in Jesus.  It is a reminder to live virtuously and to always be prepared.

The Gospel passage we will hear at Mass this weekend for the first Sunday of Advent also gives us the message that we need to be vigilant and prepared.  The passage is about the second coming and how we do not know when Christ will come, signifying the importance of living with a continual awareness of our words and actions, working always to deepen our faith.  The passage says, “therefore, stay awake!  For you do not know in which day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42).  Are we spiritually awake, living in a way in which we are keeping the end in mind?  We are reminded to “be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come” (Matthew 24:44).  This passage helps us to remember that our lives here are temporary and that we must  keep our eyes fixed on Christ, so that we are always ready.  It is much like the phrase “memento mori.”

If I’m being completely honest, there are times that I fear death.  There are times that I cling too tightly to the things of this world.  In these moments, I recognize the need for my heart to be purified.  In these moments, my prayer is, “Lord, rid me of any worldly attachments and help me to love you above anyone and everything.” When I love things and other people more than God,  I know that I have work to do in order to be more prepared. 

We will die.  And we do not know the day or hour.  But staying focused on God, frequenting the sacraments, and striving to live virtuously helps us to be prepared.  And taking time to remember our death allows us to live with the vigilance and preparedness that is required of us.  Are we ready?  May the practice of “memento mori” help each of us to live with eternity in mind. 

In a confession I had last month, the priest talked about writing down 20 different things I was grateful for and doing that for a week.  I think this practice, even just thinking of these things and not writing them down, is something that would be beneficial for all of us.  A huge part of our relationship with God is acknowledging Him for all of the blessings in our lives and taking time to thank Him.  Are we doing this often throughout our days, every day?

With Thanksgiving being this week, it’s a day many people take more time than usual to reflect on what they’re thankful for, and this sometimes extends into the following weeks too.  But this should not be limited to just one day or season out of the year.  Our whole lives should center on gratitude.  God has blessed us with so much.  So, we should ask ourselves, how do we respond to the blessings He has given us?

There are so many different ways we can pray and acknowledge the blessings in our lives.  It doesn’t have to be complicated.  Simply saying, “thank you God” in moments throughout our days, especially when we wake up and before going to sleep, is an easy way to incorporate gratitude into our lives and to remember that everything and everyone in our lives is a gift from God.  Another way to acknowledge our blessings is to sit in His presence in eucharistic adoration, thanking Him and sitting before Him, with open hearts, to receive the love He wants to pour out on us.  Then there is the Mass.  The greatest and highest form of worship, it is the best place to praise and give thanks to God, showing gratitude for Jesus’ sacrifice.  The word Eucharist even means “thanksgiving.”

We are rich in life because God has and continues to bless each of us with so much.  When thinking about what I am grateful for in this moment, there is so much that comes to mind.  I am grateful for my Catholic faith and the Church, for the love of Jesus, the ability to practice my faith freely, all of the faith opportunities I have that help me deepen my faith, for my family, for the ability to write about and share my faith, for everyone who is a part of my faith community and journey and has supported me with prayer and encouragement, for the beautiful sunrises and sunsets God gives us as well as the beauty in the world around us, for the ability to work, and so much more.

May we all live with spirits of gratitude, always thanking God for who is in our lives and for all that we have!  What are you grateful for?

Last weekend, working on a TEC retreat, it was a powerful reminder that there is nothing or no one except for God who can transform people in such a short amount of time, in a matter of three days. To watch the retreatants arrive on Friday morning and to see their transformation as the weekend went on, truly points to the Holy Spirit at work.

There are always at least a few people who don’t really want to be at the retreat, a few who maybe think it’s not cool to be spending a whole three days on retreat, others who would rather be anywhere else. This past weekend was no different.  And one of the best parts of the weekend was watching seemingly hardened hearts being cracked open and softened.

By the second evening of the retreat, it was easy to see Jesus at work.  Walls were being broken down.  A powerful experience of eucharistic adoration led many of the retreatants to tears, with some having more than just a few tears and fully crying.  This included high school boys, which seems like a group of people who are not known to cry in front of others.  It was a beautiful sight, in the sense that I know it was Jesus who was touching their hearts.

To see other people have an encounter with Christ is always amazing.  One of the best parts of being part of a faith community is that we are able to have these experiences with others and be a part of others’ experiences too.

When you are serving on a retreat, you are doing it for God and for those who will be attending the retreat.  But God always pours out countless blessings, and you receive so much from giving.  You also may be impacting the people around you in ways you will not know, and helping them to grow in their faith.

When the world seems bleak and without hope, remember that God is always working. God is in the business of changing and transforming lives and hearts.  Keep your eyes open to how He is working around you! 

The Sunday mass readings from this past weekend had a temple theme, providing some powerful messages.  While there is a lot to unpack from the Gospel, it is the second reading that I want to reflect on.  The second reading that we heard from Corinthians is one of my favorite scripture passages.  It reminds us of the fact that each of us who are baptized are temples of God.  This should impact the way we view ourselves and also the way we treat others.

The second reading that we heard ends with these lines; “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).  At the time of baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit.  The fact that God dwells within us is amazing.  It also means that we need to act like temples of God, calling us to a higher way of living.

If God dwells within us, we need to act appropriately.  We must not defile our bodies, meaning we must strive for purity in body, mind, and heart.  We need to take care of our bodies, not drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, using drugs, or participating in other reckless behaviors.  What kind of language are we using?  The way we speak and the words we choose to use matters.  What forms of entertainment and media are we taking in?  What thoughts do we have?  With anything we do, say, and think, we should keep in mind the reality that we are temples of God.  This should change everything for us.  And when we fail to honor God, He welcomes us to come to Him and cleanse our temples, to be forgiven in the sacrament of reconciliation.

Do we recognize the presence of God, dwelling within others?  This should impact the way we interact with and treat the people around us.  We can and will encounter God through other people.  Do other people recognize the presence of God within us?  We can ask ourselves this question, reminding ourselves that we need to live in a way that honors God.

We are called to bring the presence of God wherever we go, remembering that the Holy Spirit is within us.  That God would choose to remain within us is a powerful reality that should impact our daily lives.  My prayer for today is that each of us would remember that we are temples of God and that He is calling us to honor Him by our lives.  

Last week, vice president JD Vance was answering questions from students which included a question about religion.  In answering the question, Vance shared that he hopes his wife will someday be moved by the Church like he was and come to be a Christian.  People in the media lost their minds and Vance has faced intense backlash from his comments.  However, Vance was not out of line in his comments.  As Christians and Catholics, we have the faith we do because we believe it to be true.  And if we believe something to be true, we should want everyone, especially the people we know and love, to have what we have.  The Gospel gives us The Great Commission, where Jesus tells us to “go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19).

We can respect other people’s religious beliefs or lack of while also hoping that they may come to embrace the faith that we have.  The media seems to not be aware of this concept.  Our faith is meant to be shared.  Jesus has tasked us with sharing the Gospel by the way we live, through our words and actions.  When we let our faith be reflected in our lives, it is not to force anyone to convert, but rather to hope that they might one day be drawn to Christ and come to believe.  We hope and pray that people’s hearts are touched and transformed, coming to make a decision for themselves.

As Catholics, we believe that Jesus Christ and His Church have the truth and have the power to transform lives.  After all, we’ve experienced it ourselves.  The beliefs we have do not mean that we hate other people who don’t have the same beliefs.  We can disagree with others and still love them.  Each and every single person is included in Jesus’ command to us to make disciples.  We should not be ashamed of our faith and should always be open to the ways God might use it to touch others.

A lot of people out there disagree with Catholics.  And they have the free will to do so.  But that should never stop us from living and sharing our faith and what we believe.  If we love Jesus, we likely have a deep desire for others to love Him too.  That’s what our faith is all about.  May we all continue to live and share our faith, praying that Jesus may draw others to Him through it!

In today’s Gospel, Jesus chooses his 12 apostles.  The names of each of the 12 apostles is listed in the passage.  But before that, it says, “when day came, he called his disciples to himself” (Luke 6:13).  How does this line apply to our own lives?  We too are called to be disciples, and Jesus calls us to Himself.

Jesus loves each one of us as individuals and in a personal way.  He knows us by name.  And He is continually calling us, wanting to draw us closer to Himself.  He calls us to know Him, to serve Him, to love Him, and to share Him with others.

Are we listening?  Do we respond to the ways Jesus calls us each day?  In order to do this, we need to remember that Jesus is the reason for our lives and gives our lives purpose and without Him, nothing else really matters.  We will surely fail to listen and respond how we should many times, but if we keep this reality in the forefront of our minds, we will be able to better do what He asks of us.

Jesus calls each of us to Himself.  As disciples, we are called to follow Jesus and bear witness to Him in the world around us.  It is only with His grace that we can listen and respond.  May we all be drawn closer to Jesus, becoming more like Him so we can do the work of being His disciples! 

October is Respect Life Month in the Catholic Church.  It is a time to reflect on the gift of life more deeply, to renew and increase our commitment to promoting a culture of life through prayer and action, and to recognize the dignity of every human life, from conception to natural death.  Every week of the month, I will be sharing a post on one of the many life issues in our world today.  

Assisted suicide, also commonly called physician-assisted suicide is a practice that is increasing  throughout the world and throughout the United States as 10 states plus Washington DC have legalized it, with the potential for more to move in this direction.  This evil and sad practice, disguised as something compassionate speaks volumes to the culture of death.

When I was in high school, there was a story in the news and media that I vividly remember, as it spread across the country.  The name Brittany Maynard quickly became known to many people all across the nation.  And what followed her name was the phrase “death with dignity.”  This was the first time I can recall hearing about physician assisted suicide.  Brittany was a young woman, only 29 years old, suffering with terminal brain cancer.  Her story was truly heart-breaking and I cannot imagine the pain and suffering that came with her brain cancer.  She went to Oregon, a state that has a “Death with Dignity” law, allowing terminally ill individuals to end their lives with medication from a physician.  She unfortunately made the choice to end her life in 2014.  Her choice was applauded by countless people, she was lauded as a hero and elevated as someone with great bravery and courage.  As I followed this story, I felt sad that this was an option in parts of the country.

Our lives are not ours to take.  God is the creator and author of our lives, which means life must always be respected and protected from conception to natural death.  When a person ends his or her own life through suicide, no one celebrates that.  So why do people accept assisted suicide and see it as good?

Suffering is a reality of life.  Some suffering takes away a person’s ability to do the things they used to do, to care for themselves, and to enjoy different activities.  But this does not diminish the person’s value.  A person’s value and dignity does not come from what they can achieve or accomplish, but it comes from God, and the simple fact of one’s existence is what gives that value.  There should be a greater focus on palliative care, medicine, and treatment options wherever possible and helping a person through their suffering in however much time they have left.

A few days ago, I read a story about a young woman in Colorado who had an eating disorder.  Instead of being treated for that, the doctors gave her lethal drugs to end her life.  (Thankfully, her dad was able to intervene and destroy the drugs.). This is the dangerous path that the legalization of assisted suicide can and will continue to go.  The elderly, seriously ill, and disabled may start to be seen more as burdens.  But as Catholics and Christians, we know that people are blessings and not burdens.  

People in our lives who experience any sort of suffering, whether major and long term, or minor and temporary, give us the opportunity to love and to serve, to be Christ to them and also see Christ in them.  Let us pray often for those who feel like choosing to end their lives is their only choice and for those in the medical field who agree to assisted suicide, that they would instead respect life in each and every person in front of them. 

This is another topic that comes with a lot to learn, especially as it has become more prevalent.  A great book to read is On Assisted Suicide by Stephanie Gray Connors.  It is another book of hers that is part of The Dignity Series through Word on Fire.

“Each of us is called to be a witness to the Gospel of Life, proclaiming in word and deed the innate goodness and dignity of every human person” (Thomas).

Thomas, Daniel E. 2025 Respect Life Month Statement. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Oct. 2025, https://www.usccb.org/resources/2025-respect-life-month-statement.

October is Respect Life Month in the Catholic Church.  It is a time to reflect on the gift of life more deeply, to renew and increase our commitment to promoting a culture of life through prayer and action, and to recognize the dignity of every human life, from conception to natural death.  Every week of the month, I will be sharing a post on one of the many life issues in our world today.  

An issue that there are a lot of misconceptions around is In vitro fertilization.  It seems to be an issue that many people even within the Church do not understand or do not know Church teaching on.  Within the last few years, it became a big topic as it was discussed frequently during the election cycle. And it’s been making headlines and getting attention recently too.  Unfortunately, the current presidential administration has really been making a big push for IVF and promoting it as something good.  The Catholic Church stands firmly against IVF and whether people know or not and whether they want to accept it or not, it is always morally wrong.

One thing we must always be clear on is that the way in which a child is conceived does not determine the value and dignity of that child.  This is to say that, if you were conceived through IVF, your life is a gift and valuable.  If your kids, family members, or friends were conceived through IVF, their lives are gifts and valuable.  But the end doesn’t justify the means.  In other words, wanting to have a baby does not justify the process of IVF.  We can denounce the process without denouncing the people who are here as a result of it. 

I can only imagine how deeply painful and confusing the cross of infertility would feel.  To desire and want children is a good and normal desire.  But we must always remember that life is a gift.  And it is only God who can give that gift, because He is the author of life.  To manufacture babies in labs and in petri dishes makes babies commodities.  They become like “products” that people believe they have the right to, rather than seeing them as a gift.  We do not have rights to other humans.  The IVF process also goes against the way that God intended for new life to begin. As we know, God can always bring good out of evil, bringing forth a beautiful baby, made in His image, from the unethical practice of IVF.

The ways that IVF is most often and commonly practiced kills countless lives.  Multiple embryos are typically created, to increase the likelihood that one will implant, grow, and lead to birth.  Embryos are often frozen for years, used for research, or permanently abandoned and discarded.  There are also times when embryos are deemed “genetically unfit” and they are immediately discarded like trash.  Other times, parents desire certain traits or want to choose the gender.  This becomes a very dangerous game of eugenics.  As we know, life begins at conception, meaning human embryos are new and unique human lives.  IVF kills innocent human lives, yet, this is so often not talked about.

This barely scratches the surface of why IVF is morally wrong.  It is an issue with many layers to it.  The answer to infertility is not IVF, and it doesn’t even really get to the root of the issue and solve it.  There are some great resources to learn more and to help understand how to respond to common questions people have.  I highly recommend the book called On IVF, by Stephanie Gray Connors.  She is one of the most profound and knowledgeable Catholic and pro-life voices out there.  She shares the truth with clarity, conviction, compassion, and love and does a deep dive into the topic and has an answer to every reason someone may give for supporting IVF.  She also is a guest on an episode of the Pints with Aquinas Podcast with Matt Fradd where they discuss this topic in depth.

May we not be afraid to share that life is always a beautiful gift from God, not a product to be created based on desires. 

“Each of us is called to be a witness to the Gospel of Life, proclaiming in word and deed the innate goodness and dignity of every human person” (Thomas).

Thomas, Daniel E. 2025 Respect Life Month Statement. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Oct. 2025, https://www.usccb.org/resources/2025-respect-life-month-statement.

Today’s first reading comes from Romans.  The first line is a bold and striking statement.  The reading starts with, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel.  It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for Jew first, and then Greek” (Romans 1:16).  Paul writes this statement, showing his confidence in the Gospel and his willingness to share it.  Do we have the same faith and confidence?  Can we say that we are unashamed of the Gospel?

To the world, the Gospel and our faith appear foolish, unintelligent, and useless.  But if we truly believe, our faith must be everything and that must be reflected in our lives.  Are we willing to stand up for our faith when we are the only ones standing, when it is unpopular, when we will face ridicule and rejection?

Paul knew that sharing Christ would bring hardships and suffering.  Yet, he persevered because he was confident in the transformative ability of the Gospel.  He knew the power that Jesus had to change and impact lives.  It should be the same with us.  Do we fully recognize the power that Jesus has to change and transform lives?  We cannot keep that to ourselves.

The Gospel contradicts the world and what the culture says we should value and how we should live.  So, if we are living our faith, we will probably stand out at times.  And that is uncomfortable.  It can be so much easier to keep our faith hidden, to not let others see or know that we have faith.  But if we value our faith and are living it out daily, we will be uncomfortable.  We must ask ourselves, is our love for Jesus greater than our desire to be comfortable?

Each day is a chance for us to increase our commitment and confidence in our faith.  We will fail at times, but that must never be a reason to stop or back down from sharing or living our faith.  My prayer for each of us today is that, like Paul, we would be able to say, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel” and that we would allow it to continue to transform our lives!