Category Archives: Uncategorized

It seems like a lot of Americans have a sort of fascination with the royal family.  Many people are intrigued by and invested in the lives of those in line of succession to the British throne.  I think one of the main reasons for this interest in the royal family is that we don’t haveContinue reading “King of the Universe”

This past Saturday, I attended a young adult Catholic conference in Milwaukee.  It was only a one day conference that lasted 12 hours but it was so impactful.  It was one of those experiences that was very refreshing and much needed.  One of the speakers in one of the sessions spoke about how we oftenContinue reading “Hit with Reality”

At work on Monday, I was so focused on my computer and the emails and tasks I was working on that I didn’t even notice how dark it had gotten when 5:00 PM hit and it was time to leave.  It seemed to come out of nowhere, but it was only because I hadn’t noticedContinue reading “Noticing the Darkness”

In a podcast of a homily I listened to a few days ago, the priest was discussing how there are two different relationships that cannot have any rivals, one being marriage and the other being a relationship with Jesus.  The way Fr. Mike defined rivals to demonstrate his point is “a person or a thingContinue reading “The Rivals in our Lives”

I used to hate driving on interstates/highways.  I would avoid taking routes that required big highway roads as much as possible, because multiple lanes, merging, faster moving vehicles, exit signs, and a lot of traffic were things that I did not want to deal with.  I would always go through town, even if that meantContinue reading “The Best Route”

We’ve all heard the parable of the prodigal son countless times.  In a book I started reading, the author brought up this story to demonstrate a point about trust.  She explained that neither son truly knew their father.  The younger son thought he had lost his father’s love due to leaving and disobeying him.  TheContinue reading “Love that Can’t be Earned”

I recently listened to a homily from Fr. Mike Schmitz where he talked about how comfort breeds complacency.  This is something we’ve probably all heard before.  However, when it comes to our spiritual lives, it can be so easy to fall into this way of living without thinking too much of it.  When we areContinue reading “Rejecting Complacency”

A few weeks ago, I was at a meeting and was struck by some words from the person leading us in the closing prayer.  We were sitting outside and she prayed, “Lord, thank you for these mosquitoes, because being able to feel these bites means that we’re alive.”  Wow- what a powerful perspective. She tookContinue reading “Rooted in Gratitude”

I’m currently reading a book called, Heart of the Christian Life: Thoughts on Holy Mass, by Pope Benedict XVI.  The book has been filled with countless pieces of wisdom and many statements to reflect on.  One passage towards the beginning of the book that jumped out as I was reading is, “The Sunday precept is not,Continue reading “Nourishment for the Journey”

Last Wednesday was the first session of faith formation.  As we worked through the first class of the year, the moments of quiet were few and far between.  Most of the students just kept talking and having side conversations.  Eventually, we began working through the first lesson in “Encounter: Discovering Jesus”, which is an exercise/experienceContinue reading “Breaking Down Walls”