Blog

There is a distinctive pause the moment a parent witnesses their child's Baptism. This momentary pause of pure awe and wonder is quite natural...Read more

An interesting point is worth noting about the danger of placing complete trust in oneself and one's actions above the power and authority of...Read more

In the Bread of Life discourse, St. John writes reveals an important sequence after Jesus had proclaimed one final time that his flesh is...Read more

There is an important echo in St. John’s Gospel that reminds us of the primacy of things. He begins his discourse by proclaiming that...Read more

When Christ ordained Peter as the very first Vicar of Christ on earth and thus instituted the Papacy, he imparted two significant characteristics: the...Read more

As the world now knows about the death of Pope Francis on the first Monday of the Octave of Easter, it is important to...Read more

There comes a time when the ability to accept reality, or even more, the truth about a subject, becomes too unbearable to some because...Read more

In a particularly striking conversation between Jesus and his disciples, the disciples ask Jesus why he uses parables (stories) to explain what he is...Read more

If you were to ask someone if he is the cause of his own sins, you would think that the answer might seem obvious....Read more

In the book of Revelation, St. John the Apostle, whom we attribute as the author, describes the New Jerusalem as a holy city, reminding...Read more

The practice of holding a student accountable for his behavior is an action one would describe as normal and affirmed by most. As a...Read more

In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul makes the bold claim that everything associated with God works for the good of man and...Read more

At one time or another many of us have expressed a desire for something or someone. Whether the desire entails a specific food, location,...Read more

In his second letter to St. Timothy, St. Paul with great urgency reminds him to follow the pattern of the sound words he received...Read more

As we prepared to enter the prison facility, I could easily sense the awkwardness and bewilderment of the prison staff wondering what in the...Read more

As he walked the earth after his resurrection for forty days, Jesus provided the gift of his presence to everyone who encountered him....Read more

In his second Epistle, St. Peter reminds his brethren that he and his fellow Apostles were eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus Christ. His...Read more

Some time ago a message was forwarded to my attention about a gentleman inquiring about the OCIA process. The message in itself was nothing...Read more

The Catholic Church proposes many spiritual claims that to the common man defy reason and common sense. One such tenet is that the Son...Read more

In the infamous Prodigal Son discourse, St. Luke describes the moment the youngest son, already in a dire predicament after having squandered his inheritance,...Read more

There is a particular sequence in the third pillar of the Catechism under the tenth commandment that describes the process of how you and...Read more

Are you sure you are prepared to make those sacrifices during Lent? Giving up your favorite television show, swearing at others, eating chocolate, or...Read more

There are many significant graces one receives, I argue for choosing to serve as a teacher of religion, specifically a teacher of the Catholic...Read more

A central claim God made after Adam and Eve's fall is that he would return. The anticipation of this claim I propose left Adam...Read more

There is a particular song from the British rock band The Who, entitled: W on’t get fooled again , that describes those who...Read more

In his second discourse to the Corinthians, St. Paul describes the transformative effect of Jesus’ death: anyone who is in Christ is a new...Read more

Steve-not his real name simply stared at me for thirty minutes as he thought about my question. Fifteen minutes before this fateful encounter, Steve...Read more

The infamous Psalm 23 Davidic discourse I argue, provides us with a serene and loving description of the Psalmist-David and the Lord-Shepherd. From the...Read more

When people gather to discuss the will of God in their lives, it is important to ask how we can become a partaker in...Read more

When Jesus spoke of the need to take up our cross and follow Him [1] , several events had already taken place as written...Read more

Anyone with a neophyte understanding of the Word of God should not be surprised that the language encountered in Sacred Scripture is self-revealing. This...Read more

Whether fashioned through a secular or a Judeo-Christian worldview, the human condition ultimately intersects with the concept of a divine being. The idea of...Read more

As we moved into the question-and-answer portion of my in-service to the staff of the Catholic school, one of the teachers asked how she...Read more

He was pretty content with his life that he never gave it a second thought that his actions would have consequences for himself and...Read more

There is a temptation, I argue, among contemporary evangelists and theologians alike to dispel the need to introduce the Rule of Faith or...Read more

In the Book of Hebrews, we are reminded that the way to Spiritual Growth requires the delivery of spiritual milk first and then...Read more

Whether you consider yourself a child of God or not, we all possess a common characteristic often overlooked; we are neophytes to the world...Read more

One of God’s most profound gifts is the ability to communicate. There is a sense of truth and beauty when two people can share...Read more

Civility is fundamental in developing human relationships, especially within a communal family structure. From the onset, exercising a visible and genuine respect for the...Read more

The notion that someone would view the death of a human being as liberating may sound strange, but depending on the context of how...Read more

Our ability to communicate with others often involves an interaction of the mind, heart, and body. All three modes of communication are essential when...Read more

St. John Marie Vianney once said: “those who say: ‘I have committed too many sins, the Good Lord cannot forgive me’ is a...Read more

There is an interesting yet profound requirement the people of Israel are told to follow written in the book of Deuteronomy. The last book...Read more

A consistent question I have been asked over the course of my ministry is how important is the use of one’s personal experience in...Read more

As we continue to celebrate the life of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger-Pope Benedict XVI as expressed through the gift of the Papal funeral rite that...Read more

In one of his most important works, A Grammar of Assent , St. John Henry Newman describes the development of thought in one true...Read more

There is a solemn anticipation, a stillness of the day and night where all humanity if they so choose, await the coming of a...Read more

At one time or another, many of us, I argue, can relate to the sinful woman who seeks forgiveness from Jesus for her sins....Read more

One must be careful to describe the act of accompaniment as a formula to develop a belief in Jesus Christ. Several weeks ago, I...Read more

The gentleman was tired and somewhat discouraged at the thought of attending the presentation. He was upfront with me that he had no intention...Read more

Children require a sense of protection, acceptance, and the reassurance that the child is loved by his parents or legal guardian. The virtue of...Read more

Entering a Catholic Church for the very first time, Michael did not know what to expect. There was a visible fear across his face...Read more

The novelty of the Catholic Church as viewed or understood by a person with no explicit or implicit faith would argue that Christianity represents...Read more

It is not often that we encounter a prophet of God completely lose his senses when it comes to proclaiming God’s message to His...Read more

The young man was insistent that he understood what was required of marriage. As he and his fiancé half-heatedly prepared themselves for the pre-cana...Read more

Every year we encounter an unfortunate sacramental rite of passage. I dare say unfortunate because this is how many parents view or worse understand...Read more

There is an interesting paragraph located at the very beginning of the Catechism of the Catholic Church , that describes its origin, purpose, and...Read more

Custody of your desires is a phrase not often heard when speaking on the value of moral integrity. In the book of Sirach, we...Read more

Many of us at one time face what I call Our Prodigal Opportunity . What I mean here is that there will come a...Read more

Intention is an important attribute in teaching because it proposes a deliberate act of the will to do or act on something or someone....Read more

In his marital masterpiece, Love and Responsibility , St. John Paul II describes the love between persons as a mutual relationship, a particular form...Read more

In his masterpiece, The Introduction to the Devout Life , St. Francis describes God’s intention for creating His children in the following way:...Read more

Sometime ago, I was invited to give a presentation on the importance of developing an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. The irony of this...Read more

There is a genuine sense of awe and wonder when you witness your own child take their first unassisted steps and usher in a...Read more

John was a somewhat disgruntled young man in his late twenties who really didn’t care to hear about religion under any circumstance. He was...Read more

The way man relates with God can first be identified by the image and likeness God gave man, and second, by how man freely...Read more

Awareness of your sins I argue is perhaps one of the most valuable charisms a person can possess. The ability to renounce sinful behavior...Read more

An acquaintance who wasn’t particularly affiliated with any faith tradition once asked me how the Catholic Church defines love. I asked him what his...Read more

Ben was a very young and endearing student. His natural shyness at times mischaracterized as an introvert invited unwarranted ridicule and isolation from his...Read more

There is no better way to get students excited about the faith than to discuss the doctrine of sin and confession. For some reason...Read more

The late Cardinal Francis George once commented that we need to be precise in our education. What he meant by precision is both the...Read more

In his Confessions, St. Augustine describes the struggle of memories and illusions that pervade on his soul from his life of fornication and debauchery....Read more

There was a distinct irony that always persisted with some of my students in the classroom. Instead of mastering their ability to learn they...Read more

In the book of Deuteronomy God goes to great lengths to emphasize the importance of the “Shema” - Profession of Faith to the...Read more

It was a cool and sunny fall day so I decided to take my youngest daughter to ride our bikes and play at one...Read more

The teacher was insistent that her students would not be able to understand the subject of Jesus Christ without viewing him as a friend...Read more

Words carefully structured together express a meaning that produce a sentence. When multiple sentences are associated with one another then what is conveyed is...Read more

The great doctor of the Church St. Francis De Sales placed great emphasis on the importance of reaching the hearts of souls for Christ....Read more

There is a particular article in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that states the desire for God is written in the human heart....Read more

In his sixty-ninth sermon St. Augustine of Hippo describes the deepest desire of the human heart is to see another and be seen by...Read more

The anatomy of a good question is meant to awaken both the intellect and will. Regardless of the topic, the aim of a good...Read more

The basic identity of civilization is built on an understanding of family and the community built from it. Man’s ability to know and understand...Read more

When someone comments that “change is in order” whether its directed to themselves, others or situations, there is an immediate “how dare you” look...Read more

The aim of learning involves an attraction that appeals to the senses of the person. Whether its children, adolescents or adults, a charism if...Read more

If there was ever an opportunity to renew your walk with Christ, the book of Sirach provides us with ample spiritual resolutions that we...Read more

A significant and often ignored gift of the Advent season is that of deliverance . What I mean by deliverance is the renunciation of...Read more

A natural precept attributed toward the dignity of the human person is to seek the good of another person through the act of community....Read more

Unmasking the Devil in Religious Education

The virtue of assent applied in a religious education context is a distinctive...Read more

Saint John Henry Newman in his Bilietto speech describes liberalism in religion as the doctrine where there is no positive truth in religion, but...Read more

In his encyclical on Evangelization-Evangelii Nuntiandi, St. Paul VI describes the purpose and content of evangelization as the means to bear witness, in a...Read more

The Church teaches that the existence of Angels is a truth of the faith because they are part of the created order of God....Read more

There is an important tenet that tends to bind a community together and that is the deliberate exercise of respect and dignity toward your...Read more

There is a unique passage in Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians where he proclaims to his brethren that God chose them from the...Read more

How does one ransom one’s soul? It’s an important question anyone involved in the ministries of evangelization and catechesis should discern. The premise of...Read more

Identity I argue is a very important term within the context of leading a person to Jesus Christ. Whether the intention is to introduce...Read more

Soon to be Saint Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman once commented that “true development occurs when Christianity is able to assimilate the surrounding environment,...Read more

A predicament I often discover with how parents raise their child is the question about the child’s overall development. I argue most parents want...Read more

There is a genuine sense of truth, beauty and goodness when a parent witnesses the development of their own child especially their understanding and...Read more

Culture can be a unique obstacle when associated with the process of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. More often than naught it’s the...Read more

The art of effective communication often implies the willingness of the parties involved to genuinely respect each other’s position and recognize their dignity as...Read more

What’s in a Name?

Within the annals of secular expression “God” is often evoked in a disrespectful manner e.g. “Oh my...Read more

One of the most challenging situations a human being can face is holding someone accountable for their actions because rarely does someone want to...Read more

Did Jesus really sin? Apparently nearly 60% of all practicing Catholic within the Diocese of Camden, NJ believe so. This was the findings of...Read more

Imagine for a moment that you’re a Catholic school teacher and you suddenly realize that all of your students have a very high value...Read more

One of the most significant attributes we find in the lives of the Saints is their undying devotion to God the Father regardless of...Read more

There comes a time when parents simply want some quiet time to themselves. Handling the rigors of parenthood by meeting the temporal and spiritual...Read more

When engaged in conversation it’s not out of the ordinary to assume that the discussion would be sensible and truthful. The last thing we...Read more

Imagine if everyone around us came to the realization that praying for someone is actually quite a simple act. We would all be constant...Read more

How does a parent strengthen the moral conscience of his own child? Much has been said over the last year about the development of...Read more