The Catholic Cafe

For most of us, it has been a long time since we have attended our Church. We may need to pray for some divine assistance with heavenly virtues like patience and humility as we are confronted with potential new realities.

As we shelter at home, we may find ourselves challenged when it comes to our spiritual health. Sometimes we may even feel we are in a desert of isolation.

We can all agree that sometimes, charity is not always the easiest of the virtues to share. But it can be especially challenging in times of crisis.

We all have wished we had more time to accomplish whatever is on we find on our to do lists. Now that most of us have that time, we have to be wise about the choices we make.

Keeping your faith alive and helping it to grow in times of isolation can be difficult. Viruses in the world may be scary, but Easter tells us there is such a thing called viral faith. And that is a good thing.

Sister Bethany Madonna, Director of Vocations for her Religious Order, the Sisters of Life, shares her own vocation story and offers some great insight for all those discerning a call from God.

We must never forget to keep the main thing the main thing. And, we must never forget the WHY of evangelization. We can do so much more when we realize He is our strength and our inspiration.

Evangelization is not only to be considered a public process of sharing the Good News, but most assuredly it is always to be remembered that it is also an intensely personal experience for each and every soul encountered.

Evangelization cannot be separated from the concept and reality of the family. When we evangelize, we must take into account the family dynamics of whoever we are speaking to, as well as the family of the Church and the Family of God.

The old saying that if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for life is true for evangelization as well.

Most folks agree that pretty much all good things that get done, are done with the help of more than one individual. The same goes for evangelization. The most successful evangelizing usually takes place with a collaborative effort.

Many people do not consider God or religion or any kind of spirituality a top priority in their lives. So evangelizing is a lot more successful if we can help them see the relevance of God.

When we evangelize, we will be much more effective in communicating the kerygma and reaching more people when we go back to the basics of our faith.

Realizing that the Catholic Church has been around for 2000 years is one of the most powerful tools in evangelizing. People are more willing to join an institution they know has been here a long time and will be here for a long time more.

Continuing his 10 best practices for evangelizing, the Decalogue for Evangelization, Deacon Jeff suggests we meet people where they are, rather than tell them where they are supposed to be.

Deacon Jeff continues discussion on his 10 best practices for evangelizing, called the Decalogue for Evangelization, with the first principle being to know Jesus and to make him known.

If you have ever struggled with the concept of sharing the Gospel with everyone you know, then you have probably also wondered if there was a list of Best Practices for evangelizing this culture. Now, there is.

If you have ever wondered why the Church has always been so concerned about the dignity of every single human being, then you need look no further than the concept of personhood.

Our baptism is not merely a symbolic sign of belonging to the Church. When we are baptized, our soul is eternally affected and we are joined in the mission of Jesus as Priest, Prophet and King.

Many of us make New Years Resolutions this time of year, and many of us fail at them year after year. Perhaps the problem is that we are not making the right resolution. Perhaps we need to make reasonable resolutions.

Many couples struggle in their marriages as the world continues to bring doubt and division into what was meant to be a holy, sacramental communion. Our guests Bill Donaghy and John Edwards discuss the beauty and gift of marriage.

In the Birth Narrative of Jesus, Joseph has four dreams in the first two chapters of the Gospel of Matthew that speak volumes about how God speaks to us and what He desires for the family.

As we celebrrate the Third Sunday of Advent, The Church reminds us of the coming Joy of Christmas, that Jesus is born for us in this fallen world. But, even amidst our sufferings, we can still find joy.

THe word Advent tells us that something...or actually, some One...is coming. The Church wants us to see the season of Advent as an opportunity to bring hope into our lives, see the potential and possibilities, and even experience a new beginning in life.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of giving thanks with gathered family and friends and the traditional beginning of the holiday season. But it can also be a time where we forget the true and special meaning and purpose of the Advent season.