The word of God teaches us that our life on earth is warfare and the Lord reminds us that if we have decided to follow the Lord we must be prepared for combat. The Sacrament of Confirmation strengthens the Gifts of the Holy Spirit within our souls and transforms us into “Soldiers of Christ” the King. With the “Cristero” martyrs of Mexico our battle cry must be “Viva Cristo Rey”—long live Christ the King!
The devil exists, has keen intelligence (in a perverted way), is exceedingly sly and crafty, and is constantly at work and persistent in his work (temptations). However, God, Mary, His angels and saints are far more powerful than the devil. Two extremes must be avoided with respect to the devil. These were warnings given by the Servant of God Pope Paul VI. The first extreme to avoid is to deny that the devil exists. Indeed this is one of the tactics of the devil. On the other hand, we should never give the devil too much importance. Individuals, fearful alarmists, speak more of the power of the devil than of the Omnipotence of God Himself. Let us avoid the two extremes!
Read moreWhat does normal really mean? What will your new normal look like after Covid-19? Father Meyer poses a challenge to move forward, not backward.
Read moreThe accusation hurled against those who advocate peace over violence is that of cowardice, weakness, or effeminacy. But the truth is the exact opposite. Anyone can give in to his lower impulses toward violence and anger. That is really quite easy, for they are powerful feelings, and indulging in them is the most natural thing in the world. But restraining your tongue, your fist, your social media comments, even your thoughts—now, that is difficult. It takes a tremendous amount of strength and self-control to harness the impulse to destroy, especially for us men who are naturally aggressive. This is the strength Christ possessed, for he had more power than any being in the universe but never once used it to kill, inflict violence, or destroy his enemies.
Read more“True freedom comes from a complete surrender of our lives to the Holy Spirit” ~ Bishop Gruss
Read moreThe current political, moral, societal and economic environment appears for some to be a barren wasteland. Things we used to take for granted-faith, marriage, family, morality, truth-appear to be relics of the past. Even within the Church we constantly hear about the crisis of vocations, the growing number of unaffiliated Catholics and the general lull in people who are practicing the faith. … What is the role of the Church amidst such erosion? What is our task in a world torn by violence, hedonism and strife?
Read moreGod repeatedly tells us in His Word, Holy Scripture to not be afraid. He knew we needed this message so much that it is there 365 times. Once per day, God tells us, “Be not afraid”. Why not?
Read moreWell, here are the three things that continually fill me with wonder and awe and are daily becoming the tripod on which I stand to view God, Life and Everything in Between…
1. The body is holy.
2. Marriage is an appetizer.
3. God is a Lover.
Read moreSt. Joseph is the man chosen by God to be the earthly father of Jesus and the husband of Mary. He is the Head of the Holy Family; the guardian and protector of Our Savior and Our Lady. Always and especially in these most trying times, we must go to Joseph. Learn about the hidden life of St. Joseph in this brief homily illustrated with beautiful art.
Read moreSt. Joseph has long been seen as a role model for husbands and fathers. This is surprising for some people to learn. After all, Jesus’ true father is God the Father, and Joseph served as His foster father during His earthly ministry. Yet, despite Joseph’s unconventional fatherhood, this holy man proved to be the best role model that husbands and fathers could ask for.
This Father’s Day, if you are a father, we invite you to follow Joseph’s example of fatherhood in the following ways.
Read moreThe Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen describes hunger for the Eucharist --- In the Mass, the Words of the Gospel, in the Poor, and in our Common Prayer.. Christ is present, really present. While watching this 25 minute video, keep in mind that Archbishop Sheen passed away while adoring Christ in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.
Read moreWe have too much stuff, too many plans, and too many things to do. Which makes us too busy, too stressed, too distracted, and too tired. We worry too much about the wrong things and never get around to the things that matter — constantly tied up with the urgent and never quite getting to the important. Rather than living our lives, our lives seem to just be happening to us. We often feel overwhelmed and helpless.
The truth is that 90% of the things we spend our time doing, worrying about, buying, maintaining, working toward are not going to give us what we really need. In fact, they keep us from what we need.
Yet, we do them anyway. Why?
Read moreWho is God? What does that matter for us? How do we respond to the answers?
Read moreHope is the virtue that expects God’s help. It places it’s trust in Him, looks to heaven as our final end, and waits patiently for His answer to prayers for help here in this life. Because hope anchors us in heaven it anchors us in God’s mercy, because without mercy we are without heaven. And, similarly, hoping in God’s help here on earth is also to ask for His mercy, because we don’t deserve His help here either. Without mercy no prayer is answered.
Read moreIn this 12-minute video Bishop Robert Barron discusses how you can know you are living in the Holy Spirit and doing the will of God.
Read moreOne of the most common questions I get asked in spiritual direction is, “How do I know God’s call for me?” So often we are looking for a quick answer and magic bullet to this question. There is not a quick answer to this question, because when it comes down to it, it takes time to discern God’s call for us. It is a discovery well worth our time, though. Let’s look at a few key starting points.
Read moreWhat does it mean to live a life of heroic virtue? Do we truly understand what the Catholic faith offers each and everyone one of us? We should be shouting it from the rooftops! Join Matthew Leonard and Bear Woznick as they explore the riches of the Catholic faith.
Read more“St. Joseph was an ordinary sort of man on whom God relied to do great things. He did exactly what the Lord wanted him to do, in each and every event that went to make up his life.” ~ St. Josemaria Escriva
Recently, I have been growing in devotion to St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus. St. Joseph is the model for every man.
But, you might say, we know so little about him! How can we imitate a man we barely know? Actually, we know more about St. Joseph than you might think. Here are 5 attributes of St. Joseph that we can imitate.
Read moreFather Larry Richards' tells men what it takes to be a man of God during the opening talk at the 2017 Esto Vir Catholic Men's Conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin. March 4, 2017.
Read moreIn everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. ~ Philippians 4:6
Effective intercession does not depend on the holiness or maturity of the people praying. It may help, but it is no guarantee. Much more important are virtues like sincerity, humility, and persistence—virtues that we can all take up.
Read moreBear welcomes Peter Herbeck, Vice President of Renewal Ministries and the host of the Ave Maria Radio show “Fire on the Earth” to discuss periods in our lives when we don’t feel very spiritual.
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