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I used to think that faith was what people believed (or didn’t believe) about God the creator, or that faith was a particular system of religious belief (e.g. the Christian Faith). Some people even use the meaning of trust or confidence: “I don’t have any faith that my team can win this weekend.” But those…
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What are you grateful for? When there is a newborn in our family, a wedding, or a job promotion, it is relatively easy for us to be grateful. In the current age though, as we concern ourselves with wars, economic uncertainties, and divisions between people, it might be difficult for us to stop for a…
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Forgiving is at the center of our faith. Jesus suffered on the cross so that we would be forgiven. God loves us so much that no matter what we have done or will do, through his abundant mercy we will be forgiven. All we have to do is to be sorry for our sins and…
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Previous blog posts have addressed how to pray (How Do You Pray?; February 9, 2026) and how to increase the power of our prayers (The Power of Prayer; August 14, 2026). We learned about three types of prayer (vocal, meditation, and contemplation), to pray from the heart with faith, and to do so in both…
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Scott Hahn (1999) writes that for most Catholics, there is nothing as familiar as the Mass, for its prayers, hymns, and gestures are like home to us. Yet, most of us will not go beyond the surface of memorized prayers, and only a “few will glimpse the powerful supernatural drama they enter into every Sunday”…
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This week I ask that we pray faithfully for more vocations to the priesthood. We have heard calls for these prayers for a long time, but if one stops to think about how crucial priests are in our faith, and look at their declining numbers, we will acknowledge the urgent need to pray that more…
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How do you know Jesus? As a historical figure of the past, or do you also know Him with your heart? Pope Benedict (2009, chapter 7) explains, using St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians (5:16), that there are two ways to know Jesus. We may know Him from a human point of view and…
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Over the last few years, I have seen the prayers of friends and family members being answered in great and resounding ways. I’ve also seen though, that sometimes prayers seem to have gone unanswered. I have experienced both of those outcomes myself as well. Since the mercy of our Lord is endless, how might these…
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Hello everyone. I hope that you all are having a nice summer! This week makes six months that I’ve been writing this blog. I’m taking a little break and will be back next week with new content. I’ve republished my favorite post below (What is the Resurrection of Jesus?). I have learned so much by…
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The Bread of Life is one of the the most prominent of Jesus’ figurative expressions of himself for it is about the Eucharist, which the Church recognizes as “the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself” (CCC 1324). Yet, in an earlier post I wrote that a 2022 study suggests that only 2/3…
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Jesus’ disciples asked Him “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” In response, Jesus called a child over and replied to the disciples, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in…
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Why do Christians honor The Lord’s Day (Sunday) instead of the Sabbath Day (Saturday)? It’s relatively straightforward to see that Sunday memorializes Jesus’ Resurrection, but when and how did the shift begin in our faith? From the third commandment in Exodus 20:8 we know that God told Moses, “Remember the sabbath day — keep it…
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Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of us Your faithful and kindle in us the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. Let us pray. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructs the hearts of the…
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During his lifetime people referred to Jesus by several titles as they tried to comprehend the mystery of his identity: Christ (Messiah), Prophet, Kyrios (Lord), and Son of God. In order for us to better understand Jesus’ earthly path and preaching, Pope Benedict ( 2007, chapter ten) discusses three titles that Jesus actually applied to…
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What exactly is a spiritual or faith journey, and how may we define it? The Simple Catholic blog and Dr. Scott Hahn’s book Holy Is His Name help us answer these questions. We can think of a spiritual journey as our entire life’s pilgrimage toward God. Our faith, a gift from God (CCC 153), teaches…
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A recent study suggests that only 2/3 of Catholics believe that the Eucharist is truly Jesus. Although I was taught about and believed in Jesus’ real presence when growing up, I simply didn’t understand the mystery. I couldn’t make sense of the significance of that doctrine. It wasn’t until my discovery of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Brant Pitre’s…
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What makes us truly happy? What do we need and want to make us so? About 250 years ago the Declaration of Independence proclaimed that God gave us the right to be happy: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain…
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Few Catholics partake in the Sacrament of Reconciliation despite it being something that we must do at least once a year (CCC 1457-1458). A recent survey suggests that 73% of those who have not attended in the past year believe that confession is not necessary to receive forgiveness from God. But the Catechism tells us…
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Recently I started reading the autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux and found great wisdom from the very first chapter. She writes that for a long time she wondered why God did not give the same graces to everyone. For example, some great sinners like St. Paul were given extraordinary graces, while others have never…
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The images, visions, and thoughts of what happened on Good Friday are hard to bear. Why the Cross? What does it mean for me and my path as a human being? Pope Benedict (2011, chapter eight) addresses these questions and shows us how we can understand God correctly. He explains that the mystery of the…
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We pray the Sanctus prayer at every mass, but the prayer is especially meaningful on Palm Sunday when we commemorate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and Earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna…
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Years ago, when I was teaching a tenth grade CCD class one of our students asked our pastor to describe the meaning of the Kingdom of God. To be honest, I don’t remember what he said, but it is one of the truths of our faith that many of us have difficulty explaining. When Jesus…
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Mary, the mother of Jesus, has many titles. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Mother of the Church, Queen of Heaven, The Immaculate Conception, and several others based on the location of her appearance such as Our Lady of Lourdes. One title that is relatively new to me is The Ark of…
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Why do we continue to sin, even after we’ve renounced it in the sacrament of reconciliation? Brant Pitre (2021; chapter six) writes that it is because of humanity’s disordered desire for pleasure, possessions, and pride. These temptations are the root of all sin and were used by the Evil One against Adam and Eve, against…
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From Brant Pitre’s book “Introduction to the Spiritual Life,” chapters 1-3. Have you ever thought much about how you pray? Until not long ago I thought prayer was either 1) saying prayers at mass along with my fellow parishioners. or 2) saying prayers privately in my mind. Dr. Pitre explains that there are three types…
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From Pope Benedict’s book “Jesus of Nazareth, Part Two,” chapter nine. Pope Benedict XVI writes that Jesus’ Resurrection is the very foundation of our faith, and that “whether Jesus merely was or whether he also is depends on the Resurrection.” But what exactly is the Resurrection of Jesus? Jesus’ followers were perplexed at his return. …