Aflame for Christ

Christ calls us to forgive our enemies, but we must remember that we have first been forgiven for infinitely more - a debt that we could not repay has already been paid by Him Who first loved us.

We are our brother's keeper, for if we are called to love our neighbor, we would want to will their greatest good: their salvation and holiness. We can have great influence on others, whether by participating in their sin, or by encouraging them to holiness. Let's look from a moral theology perspective about how to avoid being a negative influence and rather leading souls to Heaven!

St. Paul tells us not to conform ourselves to this age - and we do live in an unprecedented age, the Technological Age. Technology is more than devices - it is a way of viewing reality, and a powerful tool that can do great good...or great evil. We must be carefully formed in a Christian worldview, with virtues and self-control, to learn how to use technology well so that it enhances our humanity - and does not seek to replace it.

The Church is not just a collection of like-minded individuals who gather to celebrate Jesus. Rather, it was founded by Christ on the rock of St. Peter, our first Pope, and will reach is culmination in and through Christ as well, when the Church is cleansed of all stain and glorifies God for all eternity.

We all want to feel close to God. But faith is deeper than feelings. Every saint had to have their faith purified through the darkness of desolation, a time of feeling distant from God where they struggled to pray. When in this time of desolation, we need to trust and surrender, and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ.

St. Paul encourages us today, that we conquer overwhelmingly because of Christ's love. Despite whatever crosses or difficulties we may have, God can use them for our spiritual profit, so that we are able to rise above our life circumstances and find His victory in every moment!

Financial gurus will say that diversification is the key to a successful portfolio - don't put too much money pursuing one type of stock. Sadly, many Christians take that advice into their spiritual lives - they pursue Heaven, but also pursue the things of this world in the hopes that somewhere they will find happiness. But our hearts know that we were made for more than this world, and Christ's guarantee takes away the risk when we decide to go "all-in" for Him!

There are many similarities between weeding a garden and weeding the vices out of a soul. Tune in to hear how we can eliminate the weeds in both, that the fruits of virtue and holiness may grow in our lives!

In today's parable, Jesus explains the sower, the seed, and the ground...but what is the fruit? The fruit is virtue - those "habitual dispositions towards the good" - those character traits that make us like Christ. Three virtues are related to God - faith, hope, and charity. But more mysterious are the cardinal virtues - prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude. What are they all about and how do we live them?

Technology is neutral - but powerful. It must be used wisely and well by those who are well-formed - not only in how to use it, but more deeply, in what sets humanity apart from technology. Fr. Joseph speaks about the Pope's insights into human nature through his recent encyclical on Artificial Intelligence and technology.

Success can be defined in many ways, but at the end of your life, you will be judged on love alone.

We all want to fit in, go with the flow, be part of the "in" crowd. But what happens when peer pressure goes against truth or love? Saints throughout the centuries were unafraid to proclaim the truth of Christ, regardless of social consequences. We'd like to think we would too, but modern society gives us an important litmus test: will we stand up for Christ's countercultural teachings on marriage in the midst of Pride month? We must be bold and courageous as we lovingly say to the world that Christ's teaching on marriage and sexuality is true, life-giving, and authentically loving.

Christ specifically chose ordinary, washed-up, has-been men to become His Apostles, so that the glory goes to God and not to them. Likewise, He has chosen you and me despite our unworthiness or ordinariness, to bring about His Kingdom, to make Him manifest in our holiness, and to bring our souls to Heaven. But how are we to live out this epic mission? We look first to our vocation, which gives us the mission field and teaches us who to love...then we look to our charisms to see the tools through which He wishes to work!

The Evil One has always tried to destroy the Eucharist. In times past, it involved the closing of churches or laws forbidding Mass. But he is wiser now, and uses the distraction of Sunday sports and activities to separate good Catholics from the sacramental graces of the Eucharist. It is time to push back on the sports leagues and stand up for our right to prioritize Jesus Christ in His Eucharistic presence!

We call God "Father" because He fulfills the roles of a Father: to protect, to provide, and to lead. Those who have not had good earthly fathers can look to God to provide the Father they lack; and men are called to make present the love of the Heavenly Father to the spiritual or physical children they beget!

Much of the Christian life is waiting in eager expectation, because many of Christ's promises are not fully revealed yet. The promise to hear our prayers, the promise to make us holy, the promise of His final triumph are ongoing prophesies that unfold in our lives. So we must wait in hope, as the Apostles eagerly expected - and soon saw - the coming of the Holy Spirit in ways they could never have foreseen!

The Apostles doubted the Resurrected Christ because it was so extraordinary they couldn't understand it. But we doubt Christ because our Catholic Faith has become so ordinary, hum-drum, average that it loses its power to transform. Let us consider, not only what we believe, but the consequences of this belief - that it may shock us with its extraordinary, transformative way!

The world offers us the standard American Dream - but Christ offers us a better way to live. This means, however, that we have to reject the lies to find the Truth of Jesus Christ - but in doing so, we find a happier and more joyful life than we could ever imagine!

Many people think that life is a mystery. Why are we here? Where are we going? Why do we suffer? How can we find happiness? But these questions that arise in our hearts deserve a rock-solid answer - through the interpretive lens of our Catholic Faith. We can know what this life is all about, because Christ came to reveal man to himself!

The early Church did not think that Faith was a Sunday-only thing. Rather, they lived every day in and through Christ - their work was an offering to the Lord, they attended to the daily prayers and "breaking of bread" (Eucharist), and enjoyed fellowship with other Christians. This is how all Christians are meant to live their lives - so what are some ways that our faith can become a lifestyle and not just a "part" of who we are?

Jesus Christ came to save souls. If we love Jesus, we also ought to be filled with a zeal for souls. Our Scripture gives us the mission: making disciples through prayer and fasting, invitation and explanation, and through the witness of our sacrifice.

The Washing of Feet on Holy Thursday, and the giving of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, highlight the two greatest virtues of the Christian life: charity and humility. They are the cornerstones of what we must practice, as Catholics, if we are to live like Christ!

Jesus returns and shows His wounds to His Apostles - because a scar shows that He has fought for us, and conquered. From that open wound in His Heart flows all the mercy that the world could ever need!

Perhaps the craziest thing we could ever believe is that a Man has risen from the dead. Yet, paradoxically, it is rational to believe it - and far more sane than believing in the empty promises that this world has to offer us!

At times, we will indignantly cry out to God, "What did I do to deserve this?" But today, we reflect: "What did I do that Jesus deserved this suffering?" And, in awe and wonder, think, "What did I do to deserve this mercy?" We could do nothing to deserve it - it is a free gift of love!

Tears ran down the Face of God. Does this not fill us with wonder? And yet - why did He weep? Precisely because He is human, He has a human heart that is grieved by the death of His friend, by the faithlessness of those around Him, and by the very necessity of death itself. And yet, as the Resurrection and the Life, He alone can wipe away tears and bring about hope and healing!

We use many candles in our Catholic Faith - at Easter, at our Baptism, at our death. But candles are even fitting during Lent because they show us how we are to live our Catholic faith during this holy time: by drawing close to the flame (prayer), by letting ourselves be consumed (fasting), and by giving off light (almsgiving). A Catholic ought to become like a candle this Lent!

This story of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman is an intriguing one. It teaches us to think of spiritual realities rather than earthly ones; it teaches us how to give God true worship; and it shows us the infinite love of God even for the outcasts. Let's dive into this famous story from John 4 to see why it was necessary for Christ to encounter this woman...and change her life forever.

One of the greatest truths in the spiritual life is that the road to glory always leads through the Cross. But why is that? Can't it be any other way? Yet, in the Christian view, suffering isn't a tragedy but an act of love and detachment that God may be our all-in-all. So don't run from it, but embrace it...and keep your eyes fixed on the glory that awaits.

Cicero said that it was better to be, rather than to appear. Jesus says something similar in the Gospel - it is far more important to truly be a Christian rather than to appear to be one based on the ashes on our forehead. This Lent, make the resolution to take the steps necessary to actually become a follower of Jesus Christ through repentance of sins, Confession and Mass, and making Jesus the center of your life.

Today we conclude our three-week series on Christ's Rules for Happiness - the Beatitudes, as we look at the blessedness of being pure of heart, peacemakers, and persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

As we continue our discussion of Jesus' eight signposts of happiness (aka the Beatitudes), we ponder what it means to be meek, merciful, and to hunger and thirst for holiness!

Jesus gives us eight rules of happiness - the Beatitudes. These are not things that merely "happen" to us, but virtues that we can seek to cultivate. Hear how the first two Beatitudes can be lived out - that we may find a fulfilling life!

Throughout history, God has raised up a remnant from seeming disasters - whether it be the Fall of the Roman Empire (making space for Christendom), the Protestant Reformation (which helped purify the Church), or even our current day, when we are witnessing the eclipse of Western Civilization (yet God is still on the move!). This is true in history - and in our own life, when God can turn the biggest disasters into a true testament of His glory.

We often speak about "glorifying God", but what does that mean? It means that God's attributes are revealed in us - His holiness, wisdom, love, faithfulness. Christians are responsible for the good name of God - if we reflect Him, then He will be known and believed; if we do not live like Him, then unbelievers will have reason to persist in their unbelief. May Christians always live like Christ, the Man "fully alive", that all may see us and believe in Him!

God became incarnate and left us an incarnate Church - His love comes through visible, tangible means in the Sacraments. This is one of the greatest antidotes to the digital world in which we all live - the fact that God uses "real-world" stuff to communicate His invisible grace in the Sacraments!

To love is to lay down your life for another. But you can't give what you don't have - so one must possess oneself in order to give oneself away. So many men are slaves to many things, though: lust, pride, pleasures, money. We need self-control, developed through self-denial, to break free from these types of slavery so that we experience the true freedom of Christ, which will allow us to give of ourselves to Him!

It's far easier to stay comfortable on your couch than to embark upon an arduous search for Truth. But the Magi did just that, realizing that their Zoroastrian faith, incomplete in itself, hinted to a richer and deeper fulfillment in Jesus Christ. So, too, we must be willing to search for how best to know and worship God - in the fullness of Truth in the Catholic Faith.

All parents want their kids to be safe and secure. But are we as concerned with our children's spiritual safety as we are about their spiritual safety? There is an Evil One who wants to corrupt the innocence and holiness of our children - how can we as parents and grandparents be the vanguard of protecting their precious souls, purchased by the Blood of the Lamb?

A monstrance is a golden vessel with a clear center meant to make God visible to the world. So it is with Christ - He is a window into the divine. But every Christian is called to become like a monstrance - a vessel with Christ at the center, revealing Him to the world.

Joseph is the quiet, little-known member of the Holy Family. Yet his virtues shine brightly as a witness to all Christians: virtues such as mercy, reverential awe, embracing his vocation, and prompt obedience. Hear how his example is worth meditating on for every Christian!

Every man is created in the image and likeness of God, Who is strength. As such, he is called to use his strength for laying down his life. Our world is full of men who are aggressive or passive, but strength is something different - it is an ability to protect, lead, defend, and provide for those under us - especially in the spiritual realm against the Evil One and sin.

The Christian Life lives between two feasts - the Feast of the Eucharist, commemorating the great work of our Redemption, and the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, when God returns victorious to destroy sin and death forever. Advent straddles both feasts - helping us celebrate what God has already done and looking forward to what God will do when He comes again in majesty!

An ancient and beloved prayed to Our Lady is the "Salve Regina" ("Hail, Holy Queen"). We pray it at the end of the Rosary and sing it at the end of the Liturgy of the Hours. But where does it come from? Who wrote it, and how is it borne out of tragedy - and still a prayer of hope and glory? Tune in to find out more about this powerful prayer!

We live in enemy-occupied territory - the Evil One has oppressed and enslaved us since the beginning of time. But a rescue mission is afoot - a Man has come in disguise, behind enemy lines, to rescue us by dying in our stead. Advent celebrates the beginning of this great sabotage, where our Enemy is defeated by his own tactics (by death), leading to our great liberation!

St. Jude lived a unique, unrepeatable life with both blessings and challenges: an Apostle, a missionary, a martyr. Your life, too, is unique and unrepeatable. As much as we may look at others with envy, we ought to embrace our own unique path to holiness and find God's Hand in both the blessings and the challenges - for we have an unrepeatable role to play in the Kingdom!

You may never have heard the name of Aleister Crowley, but you are certainly familiar with the one commandment of his religion "Thelema": "Do what you will." We see this "commandment" everywhere today, from how we approach religion to how we approach our daily lives. But Christ the King demands a different path: obedience to the life-giving commands of the Lord. Hear how we can overcome the legacy of Crowley through the authority and power of Christ the King!

How quickly does the glamour and pride of the world vanish! All the vanity, the riches, the fame of the world means nothing in light of eternity. This is a truth that should be pondered frequently by Christians: how the world as we know it is passing away.

Why do we build beautiful churches? Is it necessary since God is everywhere...and after all, shouldn't the Church be poor and simple? Ah, but beautiful Churches are important - they are a visual demonstration of our Faith, a foretaste of Heaven, and a powerful recognition that it houses God Almighty in the Holy Eucharist. Beautiful Churches glorify God, make incarnate our love for Him, and help us desire to be with Him!

November is the month dedicated to praying for all the holy souls in Purgatory. But what is Purgatory? Is it in the Bible? Why is it a great act of God's love? And how can we help the souls - and ourselves - with this difficult but graced time in the afterlife? All the questions you ever wanted to know about Purgatory!