Tag: prayer
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The Practice of Tithing vs Financial Insecurity
Lent has begun! What a glorious time to take stock of our spiritual health and reassess our relationship with God and neighbor. Lent is a penitential season in the Catholic Church and other denominations. A quick lesson, penance is not meant to be a punishment though it usually follows after some sort of crime or…
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Prayer is Like a Combustion Engine
Good Prayer? Bad Prayer? Sometimes it seems like its outside of my control. The Average Catholic must have a prayer life. A life of prayer keeps us connected to God; the God of the living not of the dead. Prayer, in the long term, fills us with the fruits of the Holy Spirit such as…
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Holiness is like … Nuclear Radiation
I know I know I know. Nuclear radiation does not have any good connotations and should not be used as a metaphor to holiness. I know. But nuclear radiation is what I think of when I am thinking of proximity to holiness. The etymology of holiness deals with separation. To be holy means to be…
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At least one time God was not in control… The Annunciation.
“Let it be done according to Thy Will.” That is the Magnificat, the statement of faith made by Momma Mary in Luke 1:38. It is a profound moment that was the lynch pin moment in Salvation History. The feast of the annunciation is also known as the day of the Incarnation. Jesus of Nazareth was…
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How your whine and complaints become God’s Instruction.
Has anyone whined and complained before? Probably. I have had multiple periods of frustration and impatience where I felt I was stuck. I was so focused on what was missing in my life. It is a dark place when we are fixated on what could be or what I imagined would be a better life.…
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Should Insults be Insulting to an Average Catholic?
It is an important self-reflection; what is insulting about insults? Of course, all humans are made in the image and likeness of God. Of course, insults should not be an everyday occurrence and is not acceptable in polite society. Of course, there are better ways to convey your point or express your anger without insults.…
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The Beauty of Red Lights
Call me Crazy, but I love me a good red light. Driving has its demands. Your attention is on the road, other drivers, and whatever may be happening inside the car. Your thoughts can vary from focusing on your destination, future plans, the song on the speakers, or even quiet meditation. A nice red light…
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The Beauty of Sociopaths
Jesus told many stories in the bible about a Samaritan. The cultural context is often loss on us Americans in the 21st century. However, painting Samaritans in a positive light was scandalous for Jesus’s Jewish disciples. The story of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) was supposed to shock the disciples into realizing our actions towards…
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Nothing says family like limited resources
I pray to the Lord Almighty to combat perhaps the greatest cause of terror in the world: running out of resources. Too often, I hear people mention running out of “this” or not enough of “that.” We don’t have the “blank” for it. That could be money, time, energy, patience, care, votes, room, jobs, and…
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The First step to becoming king is to play the harp.
King David is one of the most fleshed out characters in the bible. We see his youth and old age. His growth and his downfall as well as his redemption. This ruddy youth with beautiful eyes was chosen by God to become king of Israel. One problem, Saul was king and had no intention to…
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