Aflame for Christ

Did you know that YOU are in the Bible? Yes, you! You make a cameo appearance in the Book of Revelation...if only we practice worship here on earth so that we can be ready for an eternity of joyful worship in Heaven! This All Saints Day, we rejoice that we can worship the Lord here, to prepare ourselves for the everlasting joy of worshipping Him in eternity!

No one wants to be anonymous, yet our world so often wants to assign us a number: form number, patient number, social security number. But our hearts yearn to be seen, known, and loved as an individual, made in God's image. When Jesus encounters Zacchaeus, He sees him as a soul with a past - and with a future. How does He see you?

So many saints needed a friend to help them on their journey - Francis had Clare, Ignatius Loyola had Francis Xavier, and the list goes on. As we celebrate the feast of St. Simon and Jude, we realize that even the Apostles needed a brother in Christ to help them accomplish the monumental task God has appointed for them: to bring the life-saving Gospel to all the world! Tune in to hear how WE need...

Continuing our conversation, we look at the "gates" we ought to guard in order to avoid temptation, as well as the other ways in which the Evil One influences our thoughts and actions - while keeping in mind the good news that Jesus Christ has already won the victory!

We live in a world at war - God and Satan are contending over our souls, each one wanting to win them for eternity. What are the wiles of Satan, and how do we overcome him? Tune in to hear why this world is under the dominion of the Evil One, and how we can guard ourselves against the temptations that afflict us daily!

Catholicism is incarnational - our five senses are engaged in the Mass and the Sacraments and the many other ways that we encounter our Catholic Faith. We encounter God's invisible love through our flesh-and-blood. But why is this so? And what do WE have to do to worship with our bodies? Tune in to find out how Eucharistic Reverence isn't just an idea, it's an action!

A recent article in a secular magazine decried the "weaponization" of the Rosary - but it has always been a weapon in the spiritual realm! As we approach October (the month of the Rosary), what makes it so powerful? It has overcome armies, liberated people from sins and addictions, given comfort and hope to millions. The Rosary is more than just a tacky car decoration or a way to pass the time - i...

This weekend's Gospel features the mysterious parable of the Dishonest Steward. Is Jesus praising dishonesty? Quite the contrary! He is praising a man who is trying to right his wrongs, to finally live in integrity. Integrity is a virtue needed by all Christians - to live authentic lives, penetrated fully by the Gospel. Tune in to hear the awesome spiritual gifts that God has in store for those Ch...

All of us are the Lost Sheep; all of us are the Prodigal Son. No matter how good we may be, we fall short of the ideal of life-in-Christ. But the Lord, knowing our weakness, provides a simple remedy to bring us back to spiritual health, increase our holiness, and shower His mercy: the Sacrament of Confession. Although Confession has fallen out of favor in recent decades, there are six main benefit...

Our lives are often a mess. All of us struggle with something - addictions, loneliness, illness, sin. It can be discouraging - why does God allow such suffering? Because it gives Him an opportunity to shower His Mercy upon us all! His mercy is greater than our struggles and can transform the darkest hours (such as the Cross) into His glory - all we need to do is trust in such lavish mercy!

So often, our acts of kindness, our generous donations, are tainted with self-love. We give to others, but secretly desire thanks or recognition. But Jesus urges us to give secretly, so that our Heavenly Father alone knows our good deeds - and He lives out that perfect example in His lifetime.

God invites all to be saved, but still gives us the freedom to accept or reject His offer. Many of us believe that everyone goes to Heaven when they die, but that is not the testimony of the Scriptures, the saints, and the Lord Himself. This life matters, because through it we choose our eternal destiny - but thankfully God has given us every spiritual help needed to choose Heaven!

Some see the world as created by God, with Him as the center of all things. Others see mankind as the ruler of the universe - with enough progress, we will become masters of everything. These competing visions cause di-vision, a division that Christ warns us against in the Gospel. In a world full of lies, truth is controversial. But standing for truth - as Jesus is Truth Itself - often costs a gre...

Every human being is searching for their identity. Who are they? Where do they fit into this world? We find our identity in our talents (the athlete, the smart one, the funny one), our jobs (the accountant, the truck driver), our bank accounts, our physique, or any number of other external factors. But who does GOD say that we are? Let's dive into six Scripture verses which reveal to us an identit...

Most Americans live comfortable lifestyles - we have everything we need, and most of what we want. But when we spend our money on self-indulgent luxuries, we gain no long-term benefit. However, we can eternally profit from our money by giving it away, thereby storing up riches in Heaven...and the Bible gives us a good template for how to do that!

Sometimes well-meaning people will say, "Everything happens for a reason." But when tragedy or struggles or suffering comes, we want to know what that reason is - especially when it seems like God is silent and does not respond to our prayers! But the reason for it all is very simple: everything God does is for our sanctification, to make us saints. Even the difficult times, when it seems like God...

Much of our prayer life is asking God for stuff - healing, a new job, bringing someone back to the Faith. Although that is good, true spirituality begins when we stop seeking God's blessings and start seeking God, as Mary did. How can we sit at His feet and learn from Him? Tune in to hear how His Word can offer us an opportunity to draw closer to the One Who loves spending time with us.

More than likely, we don't regularly encounter people beaten up by the side of the road. But all of us encounter people who are lonely - perhaps an elderly person shut away in their house, a fellow student who has no one to sit with at lunch, or a fellow parishioner who aches for meaningful relationships. Hear how Mother Teresa can teach us a few things about the poverty of loneliness - and the cu...

Every year graduates hear all sorts of accolades - "You can do it!"..."If you believe it, you can achieve it!"..."Go out and conquer the world!" But why do they still struggle to overcome their challenges? Because they are led to believe that they are the ones to conquer - when in the Scriptures, it is God Who comes through in our weakness. The truth is, "We can't do it!" - and that's okay, becaus...

There are certainly some perks to hanging around with Jesus - He heals us, comforts us, gives us strength...and He also demands something of us. Can we embrace the demands along with the comfort? Are we a casual fan of Jesus, or a committed follower? Tune in to hear the distinction and how we can turn our admiration of Jesus into discipleship!

Many Catholics view Mass as entertainment - they come to "get something" out of the Mass. But what if Mass was about giving, rather than getting? We come to Mass to worship, and to unite our lives to Christ's ultimate worship on the Cross. Hear how the Mass is the ultimate form of worship and how we can GET by GIVING ourselves to God at every Mass.

Our Catholic Faith is based upon the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Multiple times each day, Catholics begin prayers by invoking the Trinity with the Sign of the Cross. But the Sign of the Cross isn't just a prelude to prayer. It is a powerful prayer in its own right, confessing the Trinity and invoking the Cross upon ourselves. Hear how the Sign of the Cross is one of the most powerful p...