Without the virtue of charity, holiness is nothing more than a moral charade
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
What is Satan's desire for man
As a restless Spirit who denied the Love of God because he chose to be like God, the Devil never tires of seeking to...Read more
Lent is an opportunity to address our sins and progress away from them.
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
The Spiritual Anatomy of a Marriage Proposal
A visible concern resonated from the young lady’s face as she began to express her desire for marriage. Her fiancé equally expressed concern as...Read more
What does the Lord require of us?
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
St. John Bosco reminds us that the soul must be both nurtured and nourished toward a relationship with Jesus Christ
The evangelist St. John the Baptist introduces us to the drama that affects every human being when he reminds both Jews and Gentiles to...Read more
St. Francis De Sales reminds us that the Heart Speaks to the Heart. But how?
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
Is he ready to receive Jesus?
The mother came into my office a bit disheveled; her eyes immediately fixated on me, hoping for a positive answer. She got to the...Read more
Pope Benedict XVI taught us to lovingly seek an encounter with Jesus Christ
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
We are called to be addicted to God
As the young man gazed around the classroom, you could sense his fear and confusion, questioning why he was in this class. Any teacher...Read more
Are you Catholic, yes, but in a different way?
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
Are we ready to welcome Him?
When the first proposition to reject God’s love -original sin was introduced to our first parents, the appeal of this proposition was its focus...Read more
Thy Will be done, but why?
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
What happens when Jesus is no longer relevant in the Church?
George Orwell once said that the “greatest enemy of clear language is insincerity.” This statement's significance is vital if a Catholic educator's responsibility is...Read more
How to walk your child toward Jesus' mercy
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
The Joy of Heaven Awaits
There was a long pause as the Pastor entered the funeral home to prepare the family and those who had gathered to pray the...Read more
True accompaniment to Jesus Christ involves a conversion of the mind.
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
True accompaniment to Jesus Christ involves a conversion of the heart
The recitation of the P rodigal Son [1] brought the man to tears. No one understood the deep spiritual wounds he was...Read more
Accompaniment through the Body
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
How to accompany someone toward Jesus Christ.
The ability to listen is a pivotal attribute of the human being because it is associated with a willful intent to act on what...Read more
Parents as Spiritual Directors-The Development of Trust
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
The role of parents as spiritual directors
Parents were quite dismayed and perturbed that they would now be required to serve as the primary religious educator of their children. As too...Read more
There is a risk in accepting Jesus Christ in your life, are you willing to take it?
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
Simply unveiling God’s love will not do, we must respond and demonstrate it.
Unveiling the dramatic revelation of God’s love for His children I argue is the first point of religious contact a catechist should unleash to...Read more
Was God foolish in offering Christ to man?
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
The task of a disciple is to be Spiritually Vigilant; Jesus demands it.
My Catholic high school accounting professor once shared a story about a homeless man he would often pass by on his way home from...Read more
When you choose to murmur against Christ or others, you do so at the risk of losing a soul.
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
Why are they angry?
There is a scene in book four of Screwtape Letters where Screwtape is quite insistent that Wormwood keep the patient from developing a prayer...Read more
Remember to love your wife more than your demons
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
Do not underestimate a person’s need for Spiritual Healing when proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ
The sincerity of his eyes offered a striking glimpse into the pain he had endured as a child. Left with spiritual scars and wounds...Read more
A First Holy Communion Proclamation
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
Let us not forget, no one is beyond the mercy of Jesus Christ
When Jesus Christ, the Son of God resurrects from his scourged, crucified body and reveals Himself in a glorified resurrected state, we encounter a...Read more
Does the Catechism reveal God's love for his children?
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
The Logic of Evil and Sin
In his masterpiece The Lord , Romano Guardini describes that the logic of evil relies on sin to produce blindness, which leads to fresh...Read more
Remember, the devil wants you to lose your moral integrity
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
Lent is an opportunity to fall in love with Jesus Christ
In his exhortation to the people of Corinth, St. Paul explains how one is to live a life centered on Jesus Christ who was...Read more
The devil offers no one mercy, Jesus remedies this through the sacrament of penance
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
If you want to teach the faith: follow the model of the Annunciation
The progression of sound religious instruction begins with a focus on the nourishment of the student’s soul and culminates with the final end toward...Read more
St. John Bosco reminds us: Teaching children is a labor of love
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
Remember the heart speaks to the heart
Frustrated that her students would not respond to her, she naturally wondered what was wrong. She modeled her teaching techniques after some of the...Read more
Every human life deserves to hear the Gospel and be configured to Jesus Christ
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
The Gift of Silence
There is a distinctive drama that perpetually exists between God and man. The nature of this drama involves whether man in good faith engages...Read more
Starting Over
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
How does one discern a genuine Christian experience?
The moment he witnessed the birth of his son, he knew right there and then his life had changed. The journey with his bride...Read more
If you desire a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then know why He died and suffered for you.
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
Remember, His mercy is greater than your sins
There is a long-standing sacramental fallacy amongst Catholics that if you ask God to forgive your sins, he will. This is not to say...Read more
Remember, do not ignore the dignity of your neighbor
The last chapter of the letter to the Hebrews introduces a unique command; do not stop loving your brother (13:1). If one were to...Read more
The Incarnational Element of Evangelization
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
How do I know it's God's voice?
There is a seductive voice that lurks amongst us as a result of the sin of our first parents. When faced with a choice,...Read more
How is our Christian life driven by Dogma?
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
Jesus was not a pacifist
The gentleman in the audience gave me an incredulous look as if he had just heard blasphemy. What drew his ire was the explanation...Read more
What does God do when I sin?
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
Remember, you made a vow to guard her soul
Many years ago, a high school youth group had asked my wife to talk about her experiences on relationships, dating, what the Church taught...Read more
I love you more than my sins
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
I don't know if God loves me
When I first encountered Michael, he was very well spoken and had a natural gift for asking questions which fed his natural curiosity about...Read more
They're looking at you
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
The Gentleness of Conversion
The simplest of gestures often yield the most unsuspecting results. This was the case of encounter between a very good priest friend and mentor...Read more
Does the heart speak to the heart?
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
Is Jesus your Savior or your Friend?
Catholicism as a viable religion is an objective reality that owes its identity in the Trinity. More specifically, it is Jesus Christ who instituted...Read more
Our responsibility is to preserve the memory of the Church
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
Admitting our faults is a work of grace
Can you recall the first time you lied? This was the first question I asked my class as we dove into the doctrine of...Read more
Don't be discouraged by your faults
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
How do you make amends for your sins?
The moment I mentioned that the doctrine of sin and reconciliation were the lessons for the week, my students did not miss a beat...Read more
Be careful, the Devil enjoys a good dialogue
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
Go ahead, teach me, I dare you!
As I scanned the classroom it was obvious that some of my student’s spiritual mindset was not on class participation. This behavioral phenomenon is...Read more
When you teach about Jesus Christ, be urgent
In the book of Deuteronomy God goes to great lengths to emphasize the importance of the “Shema” - Profession of Faith to the...Read more
A relationship with Jesus Christ is never static, it is active and passive
What happens when a person decides to believe in God? How did the person in question arrive to such an important decision in his...Read more
The Coherence of Fatherhood
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
I have an issue with Jesus Christ
A disdained look flashed across the face of the department chair of religion after I clarified that anyone who teaches the Catholic faith has...Read more
Christ is not a Hypothesis
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
When does Christ become an impediment to faith?
One of the chief uses of religion is that it makes us remember our coming from darkness, the simple fact that we are...Read more
How do I know if my child is prepared?
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
I desire the bread from Heaven
Everyone is called to enter the kingdom. [1] The significance of this statement introduces us to the intention God has for his children; the...Read more
A distorted catechetical narrative
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
What happens when you teach toward heaven?
The mystery of Christ is the most principle of all religious education and instruction because it involves the introduction of the Trinity through God...Read more
Wow! Never underestimate the faith of a child
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
Our Easter journey compels us to walk away from our sins
The great philosopher Joseph Pieper describes sin as a human doing an act of man and not a condition. It disturbs the ordering of...Read more
Does Christ matter in a marital blessing?
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
How does the body complement the soul?
A distinctive feature of the human body is the complementarity between body and soul. This visible reality should come as no surprise if one...Read more
What can we learn from the repentant thief?
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
If Heaven is our aim, why refute the Creed?
There is a specific chapter in the book of Deuteronomy [1] where Moses prepares, proclaims, and instructs Israel to obey God. The Shema ...Read more
The devil desires to isolate you from Christ, don't let him
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
How would St. John Bosco treat the narcissistic child?
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
How do you provoke belief in Jesus Christ?
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
Did Jesus ever use questionable language?
The use of language can serve as a very comical or destructive proposition when developing a pattern of thinking aimed to redefine a word...Read more
How does one teach with a Catholic sense?
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
How do we liberate ourselves from evil?
John Senior in his noble work; the death of Christian Culture describes how the educated class views Christianity in the following way(warning long...Read more
The Resolution of Prudence
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
Are there consequences for believing in God?
The Advent of the Incarnation is nearly upon us and as human beings created in the image and likeness of God, the birth of...Read more
Do personal devotions distract us from Christ?
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
Do not let the Advent of the Incarnation pass you by
The art of communication one may argue rests on the ability to deliver and demonstrate objective truth. If we take this premise at face...Read more
Why Thanksgiving is a perfect example of the Common Good.
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
A Message to my Seminarian Son; Part Two
When placed in a position to make an educated decision, whether moral or otherwise there is a common denominator involved, the act of free...Read more
Unmasking the Devil in Religious Education
Unmasking the Devil in Religious Education
The virtue of assent applied in a religious education context is a distinctive...Read more
What is the aim of teaching religion?
In his First Catechetical Instruction-De Catechizandis Rudibis St. Augustine places great emphasis on the virtue of joy as a central tenet of any sound...Read more
How does one address doctrinal confusion?
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
A Collaborator for Christ must have a desire for the Divine
Pope Benedict XVI once said: “that man needs an appeal addressed to his soul that can carry and sustain him. He needs a place...Read more
If you want to guide someone to Christ, then you must collaborate with Christ
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
Would Jesus deserve a performance improvement plan?
It is the understanding and teaching of the Church that everyone is called to enter the Kingdom of God. If this premise which...Read more
How do the Archangels guide us through Spiritual Combat?
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
How do I renew my Universal Call to Holiness?
There is a distinct command Christ offers to both Jew and Gentile, disciple and Apostle that summarizes the entire premise of the beatitudes; be...Read more
Why Did Jesus Appear?
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
Is Christian teaching a work of mercy?
A tenet of Christian teaching is that it is a work of mercy. Why would this be? It is important to identify the need...Read more
How do I invite my Child to God?
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
Christian Dialogue and the Word of God.
The ability to dialogue with another human being is truly a remarkable gift because it provides an opportunity for mutual communication, investigation and understanding...Read more
Does Catechesis have a place in Evangelization?
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
How would St. John Bosco speak to his students?
The great Catholic educator St. John Bosco was known to suffocate his students with love. This meant that he identified and affirmed his students...Read more
What St. Francis De Sales Can Teach us about Charisms
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
How does one develop a proper sense of Reverence?
G.K. Chesterton in his work the Everlasting Man describes the story of Christ as a journey, in the manner of a military march;...Read more
What happens when Christian dialogue ignores the Creed?
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
Why did my child leave the Catholic faith?
The idea that someone would propose to walk away from a relationship with Christ may not sound unreasonable if the premise behind the proposition...Read more
What should my child know about his Catholic Faith?
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
Why we should not surrender our moral integrity.
Several years ago a former student of mine was involved in a situation that brought him to question his own masculine-moral integrity. The scenario...Read more
What I taught my son about his masculine vocation
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
Faith or Culture: Is One More Important than the Other?
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 Seven Things I Would Tell My Son as He Enters Seminary
One of the most endearing gifts we possess as human beings is an imprint of God’s image. We hold a distinctive anthropology rooted out...Read more
What Happens When You Pray for Your Child
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
Is There Virtue in Controlling Your Tongue?
If you ever wondered what might be a good way of keeping our thoughts from becoming verbal assaults on another person, place or thing...Read more
How Does One Invoke God in a Proper Way?
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
How Do We Gauge Our Child's Spiritual Progress During Lent?
As parents one of the most unique challenges we face is attempting to measure the spiritual progress of our children. Even though gauging the...Read more
Is Holding Someone Accountable a Virtue?
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
I Absolve You
In the book of Proverbs Solomon urges us to trust in the Lord with all of our heart and not rely in our insight...Read more
Did Jesus Really Sin?
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
Why St. John Bosco Desires to Save Souls
Imagine someone immediately coming up to you and without hesitation tells you: I desire to save your soul. This is exactly what St. John...Read more
How Would St. John Bosco Teach the Narcissistic Child
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
Are You Spiritually Neglecting Your Marriage?
Our human desire for both spiritual and physical affection is two of the strongest and most potent aspects of our human existence. It involves...Read more
What Can a Catechist Learn from St. Thomas 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
Do Not Make Sin Your Heritage?
If someone were to ask you; “how would you like to be remembered by when you pass on” it’s probably not that “he really...Read more
Are You Isolating Yourself from Your Children?
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
Why the Catechism of the Catholic Church Matters
G.K. Chesterton once said that to be inside Christendom one has to be near enough to love it, (pg. 10-11 Everlasting Man). The same...Read more
Are You Ashamed of Telling the Truth?
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
Why Do We Renew Our Baptismal Promises?
Our human identity is intimately linked to the sacrament of Baptism. This may come as a surprise to some but the reality of our...Read more
Does Intercessory Prayer Really Strenghten a Marriage?
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 Teach With Grace?
A consistent challenge most parents face in raising children is revealing our own habitual sinful habits right in front of them. Our human condition...Read more
How can Parents Strenghten the Moral Conscience of their Child?
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
How Does a Parent Teach With Grace?
A consistent challenge most parents face in raising children is revealing our own habitual sinful habits right in front of them. Our human condition...Read more
