So often in meeting with guys or hearing their vocation stories we hear that their call was first recognized in seeing a devout priest celebrate a beautiful Mass. This is no accident as it is truly the place where Jesus transcends time and space to be truly present with us on the altar and to enter into our very bodies.  Pope Benedict XVI said it this way once, “Jesus wants to be so close to us as to become nourishment for our bones.” This is made possible at the hands of the priest in the … Continue reading →

With a tip of the hat to Rich Leonardi for regularly pointing us to the wisdom of our Holy Father, my latest article over at Catholic Lane looks a little deeper into Pope Benedict’s choice of words in giving us three simple rules for living our universal call to holiness. These simple rules are as basic as they are compelling as they are difficult! The first rule, to experience Christ in the Eucharist every Sunday could have easily been worded, “Go to Mass on all Sundays,” and yet that doesn’t cut it for the Pope. … Continue reading →

Today, the Holy Father continued his walk through great Doctors of the Church with today’s reflection on St. Francis de Sales, also Patron of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Under the title of ‘Great Master of Spirituality and Peace,’ the Holy Father focuses on the tumultuous time of St. Francis’ life as bishop of Geneva, Switzerland, in the immediate aftermath of the Protestant Reformation.  Even more difficult, Geneva was the center of the Calvinist movement, forcing Francis to spend many years outside his home diocese in exile. Yet, despite the turmoil, he was a great master of … Continue reading →

Ever wonder what you can do to increase vocations to the priesthood and religious life?  Serra Clubs are built around the ideal of: Pray Affirm Invite Educate These four pillars certainly help, but unless there is something deeper present, it is just wheels spinning.  What is that source, the spring of water, that empowered Mother Theresa of Calcutta to do what she did?  How did John Paul II work so tirelessly in the mission of the Gospel?  What transformed a simple parish priest into a draw for hundreds of thousands in the person of St. … Continue reading →

Today is the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, known alternately as the Angelic Doctor and the Dumb Ox.  I think he prefers the former, eh? At Mass today, I wondered that it is not his intellect that makes him great, as great as his intellect was.  It is not his volumous writings that earned him the prize of heaven, and his writings fill bookshelves. Rather, it was his holiness and his humility, which form the basis and directed his intellect to produce such great works delving into the depths of theology, philosophy, natural sciences, metaphysics, … Continue reading →

We are exactly one week late in passing along this story, but for all those in the Catholic world who have been living under a rock, here is a wonderful article with the most exciting news: John Paul II will be beatified on May 1st (Divine Mercy Sunday). For more information on the significance of this chosen date, see Emily Bissonnette’s brief reflection. For an in depth look at the impact of Pope John Paul II on the Catholic Church, click here.  For those who don’t have the time to read all this, here’s a … Continue reading →

The Catholic Moment: The prophetess Anna as a model for Advent. My thoughts for the Catholic Telegraph, paper of record for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, on the importance of using Advent as a time of preparation for the Birth of Christ, by using the Prophetess Anna, who meets the Holy Family in the Temple during the Presentation of Jesus, as a guide.