Today’s memorial of St Monica particularly tugs at my heart because our three sons in their own ways are not as close to Jesus as I would desire for them. Am fairly certain that ALL parents have desires for their children that have yet to come to fruition. Therefore, we can probably identify with St Monica’s deepest desire and longing for her son, St Augustine, to come to know the reason for her (and our!) hope and joy–Jesus Christ. On a personal note, my prayers (and tears) are similar ones for our sons–that not only may they come to know […]
holiness
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If, in light of the latest Pew Research Study, you have been wondering why so few Catholics actually believe that the Real Presence of Jesus–His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity–is actually present in the Most Holy Eucharist, then you’ll appreciate this article by Dr Anthony Lilles that was posted on SpiritualDirection.com. Here’s just a short excerpt: “Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of the Risen Lord because teachers, ministers, and public voices have winked at evil and rejected the demands of the Gospel. We wanted the comfortable and the reality of this Presence was inconvenient.” Vivo Christo Rey! […]
I just finished reading a great book by Anthony Moore, a personal growth and self-improvement author on Medium, entitled, What Extraordinary People Know: How to Cut the Busy B.S. and Live Your Kick-Ass Life. I personally think Anthony knocks it out of the park in his straightforward and no-nonsense presentation about what is necessary to live the life you truly desire. He does this by brilliantly breaking down the process of how to discover the life you’ve always imagined into three parts–where you are now, how to break free of your current circumstances, and then concludes with how to continue […]
Was reading a really well researched article about Montessori education and it caused me to wonder why, in the wake of our failing education system, are there not more Montessori schools in our communities? Our youngest son was the beneficiary of attending a Montessori school from age 3 through kindergarten, and I would advocate for every parent to at least consider Montessori if it’s an option in your area. Anyway, enjoy the article, and would love to know your thoughts about it! https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2018/06/29/montessori-schools-are-exceptionally-successful-so-why-arent-there-more
For your inspiration and encouragement on the journey towards holiness… Say Yes to Holiness Newsletter #21 Greetings, my Fellow Pilgrims on the Way! Food for the Head “Young people need the light of watchful guides to lead them on the path of salvation.” — St. John Baptist de la Salle How well are you serving as a “watchful guide” leading the young people in your life? Are you actively engaging and conversing with them BY NAME as you accompany them on the path of salvation? Do you know what their current struggles are? Is it with faith, or addiction, or […]
I returned recently from attending “Voice and Vision: The National Summit for Ministries With Youth and Young Adults” held at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. The Summit was sponsored by the National Dialogue and is a continuation of the efforts associated with both the Synod on Young People that was held at the Vatican in Rome last spring, 2018 and the V Encuentro that was held last fall, 2018 in Grapevine, Texas. In conjunction with these efforts, the National Dialogue is assisting the the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) to, as is advertised on the National Diologue website, […]
I was quietly sitting beside a small lake near our house this evening, and I was struck by how absolutely beautiful this world is, and how grateful I am to experience it. So I think it is no coincidence that I also had the opportunity to read a short article by Charlie McKinney of Sophia Institute Press entitled Gratitude Brings Many Blessings which highlights the ways that gratitude impacts our lives. He highlights in particular that gratitude increases humility and charity, is contagious, and finally, that it nurtures holiness. For myself, I can attest to the reality of all of […]
I was just read an absolutely BRILLIANT article about multitasking and the impact it has on your spiritual life by Claire Dwyer (you can find it here– St Francis de Sales and Multitasking), and it really hit home HARD. In particular, it reminded me that in order to put “first things first”, then we need to be about those things with God, before we can even begin to attempt to do things for, or what is even better, to work alongside Him in the vineyard. I hope you find Claire’s article as thought provoking as I did, and I also […]
To assist you in your growth towards holiness… Say Yes to Holiness Newsletter #20 Greetings, my Fellow Pilgrims on the Way! Food for the Head “Let the Word of God come; let it enter the church; let it become a consuming fire, that it may burn the hay and stubble, and consume whatever is worldly; there is heavy lead of iniquity in many; let it be molten by divine fire; let the gold and silver vessels be made better, in order that understanding and speech, refined by the heat of suffering, may begin to be more precious.” — St. Ambrose […]
Today is the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, and one of my favorite quotes of his is: With this mandate of St Ignatius in mind, and on this, his feast day, I want to declare publicly to each of you what it is that drives my ministry and is the foundation upon which the Say Yes community is built. I pray that these statements may resonate with you, and inspire you to strive for holiness each and every day of your life, so we may ALL become the living, breathing, wonder-working […]