And for this reason, we too give thanks to God unceasingly. (​1 Thessalonians 2: 13)Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. Don’t get me wrong, Easter and Christmas celebrated according to our faith are definitely near the top of my list, but in the worldly sense of holidays, Thanksgiving is #1 for me. Growing […]

Every year Build the Faith organizes spiritual retreats for men and women. This year the women’s retreat, in which I participated, took place on the first weekend of October. In my case, the call to participate in this retreat was to serve. Even though there were forty women to serve, […]

I’ve always been a planner. From an early age, I meticulously charted out my life’s course. I had my career path and goals all neatly laid out. I thought I knew what was best for me, and any deviation from my plan was met with resistance. As I ventured into […]

This past week I traveled on pilgrimage with fifty-five pilgrims to the small village of Medjugorje in the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina (southeastern Europe), where tens of millions of pilgrims have visited from the four corners of the world since 1981. Many of these pilgrims have come with a […]

Chapter 25 of Saint Matthew lists the works of mercy that Jesus asks everyone who would follow him to perform and, the last of them is this: “because I was imprisoned, and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:36) The reality is, when one feels called to do something for one’s neighbor, […]

We are almost at the end of the “Season of Creation” for 2023, but were you aware that such a thing existed? Between September 1st and October 4th (Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology), Catholic faith communities are encouraged to celebrate the Season of Creation. […]

The “domestic church,” a term that we hear a lot from our pastors today, is not something new in the world of the Catholic faith. Yet, thinking about what it is and what it means generates a thrill in our souls. It is like a special call from God given […]

With last month’s meeting in Lisbon, I have now completed nine World Youth Days. My firstwas over 30 years ago. Each one brings many surprises. When a million or so young people are added to a city’s streets almost overnight there are always trials, chaos, and a bit of confusion. […]

The year 2022 was one of the most challenging years of my life, if not the most difficult one. Luckily the year 2023 has been one of the best of my life, filled with family time, fun and good news. Even though these years couldn’t have been more different, God […]

Jesus asked his disciples, “And you, who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15) There is a reason that after Peter’s response to Jesus that he is the Messiah, Jesus gives Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  It’s because Peter gets it.  He understands that Jesus is […]