Holy Spirit
-
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…
-
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…
-
I wrote in a previous post that we are all individuals created for God’s purpose, but how do we determine our purpose? This question was on my mind after completing the Cursillo weekend and participating in a Discipleship Quad. With my renewed faith, I thought about what person God wanted me to be. St. Paul…
-
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…
-
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…
-
We are all familiar with the sign of peace offered to those sitting around us right before communion. Before COVID-19 we typically would offer a handshake, but today it is more likely a nod, a fist bump, or a peace sign. We might still offer a kiss or handshake to close relatives. I’ve wondered how…
-
Let us all pray for America on the 250th anniversary of her founding. I don’t think any of us would disagree that there is so much division among her people at this time. Abraham Lincoln said on June 16, 1858 “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” I pray that we would live as founding…
-
St. John the Baptist holds a special place in our faith as both his birthday (June 24) and the day of his martyrdom (August 29) are celebrated and memorialized (Diocese of Baton Rouge). He is an enigma for many, past and present, due to the way he lived his life in the desert (Matthew 3:1-4). …
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
As we begin this Lenten season, in addition to giving up something, we should also consider doing something that honors this Holy season. The St. Paul Center argues that although almsgiving is the most neglected pillar of Lent, it is better than prayer and fasting, because it is prayer and involves fasting. Almsgiving is prayer…
-
From John 3:1-21 — Nicodemus. I’m sure that most of us reading this post know the Gospel verse John 3:16 very well. However, a prayerful reading of the entire Nicodemus section reveals many of our foundational beliefs and truths. It includes one that is also a core truth of our Christian brothers and sisters. There…