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
