Know - Grow - Go

There's a lot of misunderstanding about judgement, hell, and purgatory. So many of us hold an unhealthy guilt and fear of what judgement is going to be; that all the sins you've confessed will be held against you at the end. But God's mercy is everlasting and directed at each of us. Holding firm to that; understanding what hell and purgatory are, as defined by our faith, and practicing now the lan...

We don't have to look far beyond the visible reality in which we live to find God and the hidden truths contained in day-to-day life. What's important is to adopt the practice of thinking about our life and experiences with the conviction that God is present, somehow, in all of it.

As you encounter the little (and the big) things of brokenness in life, remind yourself: This is not heaven. . . but heaven is going to blow my socks off.

So much of what we’re exposed to every day is geared to provoke fear or outrage or insecurity or guilt or inadequacy. The saints and their stories present us a very different picture, because they see life through a different lens. This month, make some time in your life for their stories. Learn to see through their eyes. Invite them to be part of your own walk. To get you started, click here for...

How many of us can really see, spiritually speaking? In one sense, we're all blind beggars like Bartimaeus; we're blind to the light of faith. Like Bartimaeus, we need to ask the Lord for the gift of faith - not just for ourselves and our families, but for the world and all who walk in the darkness of not knowing who Jesus is.

We are not powerless when it comes to anxiety. Jesus is with us when we call on Him, and He gives us timely help to help us live fully and not get sucked in to that black hole of anxiety, fear, and depression.

When we read scripture, we encounter Christ in His inspired word. There is an infinite, inexhaustible character to it; it's deep. But there's also a quality in it that adapts to the person hearing or reading it. You'll be able to see what you need in it at a given time, but its contents will also grow with you as you grow in your spiritual life.

Every single one of us, as disciples of Jesus, are called to die to self; to take up our cross; and to live our lives fully and deeply, honoring God, because God is the one who has given us that life. Everything in each of our lives is entrusted to us and belongs to God; it came from God and is to be used in a way that honors God. Sit quietly with that word entrust and ponder how that fits with ev...

The world thinks of wealth as ours; something we’ve earned; something we possess. But in God’s eyes, money is ultimately not a possession, but a trust. A trust is something given to me for a purpose; something for which I’m accountable. God entrusts us with wealth, but He then expects us to use it for His glory and for the welfare of His children - for our neighbor and those most in need. Revisit...

Ask God for the grace to see the world as He sees it, to give you the vision to deal with the world as He would want you to do.

Genuine faith doesn’t allow us to run and hide from what’s uncomfortable or painful. This week, pay attention to anything that might be troubling, worrying, or frustrating you - especially if it’s something you’re trying to avoid, minimize, or put a wall between you and it. Ask yourself: "What might God be calling me to in this? What might He be asking me to do?" And then pray for courage and wisd...

If we are going to listen clearly to the Word of God and let it shape our lives, that's going to dramatically affect the way we relate to the people around us and the way we accept our own foibles and weaknesses. Identify a person in your life that annoys you. Pray for their well-being, and pray for a softening in your heart, to have greater compassion and patience with yourself and those around y...

Spend time with any small piece of scripture (e.g., the Lord's Prayer, since so many of us know it by heart anyway). Read it and pray with it slowly, intentionally, allowing it to sink in and become part of you. Actively listen to the Word of God, allowing yourself to be shaped by what you hear and letting that guide your present and future actions.

There is a decision point for each of us in our faith, but we much consciously and deliberately choose to make that decision again and again, each and every day. This week, pray the Morning Offering (below) slowly and deliberately each day, pausing to specifically consider your prayers, your work, your joys, and your suffering, and be really intentional about offering all of that to God as a way o...

Mary paves the way to her Son, and knowing her better leads to a deeper love of Jesus.

We need our faith to be strong, and to do that we have to be anchored in the very food that Jesus gives us: His very self.

When God loves, He gives - and He gives us Himself. We in turn are to give ourselves to our brothers and sisters. We become what we eat, and in that way we take the Bread of Life to the world.

Consider the following quote, attributed to Rev. Hugh L. Hollowell: "Every time we use religion to draw a line that keeps people out, Jesus is with the people on the other side of that line." Jesus chose to associate with those who were marginalized; those who were broken and wounded; those who were unpopular and scorned. It's so important for us, it we're to be faithful to Jesus, to be really ale...

To argue in good faith, with conviction, but also with respect - this is a gift that we as Christians can offer the world right now, when we're so divided and at one another's throats. Remember that you are one in 700 trillion, chosen very particularly by God, and so when you run into one of those differences that seem so threatening and insurmountable, remember that God is with you. Create the sp...

Just as God sent Amos and Jesus sent his 12 disciples, so too are we sent out on the same mission: to preach repentance and the truth with courage, to banish evil with prayer, and to help the sick with our presence and healing love.

It is in our weakness and discomfort that we can more fully rely upon and experience God's strength.

Fr. Dave asks three questions: Why are we here? Where are we going? How do we get there? The answer to each question evokes the same response: wow.

The backdrop to accepting change with grace, and to being filled with Grace through the process of change, is recognizing and relying on a God who doesn't change - a God who is more powerful than the storm, and who cares for each of us, and who we can trust.

Memento mori – remember that you must die. Remember that your life here is passing. That, ultimately, you’re accountable only to God. That you have a destiny beyond this world.

We have a community around us, we have sacraments, we have the Word of God, we have the Holy Spirit - all of these equip us so that we are ready for whatever comes our way. We don't need to fold over or give in or give up. Instead, we hold true to Jesus Christ - a faithful presence in a less-faithful world.