the blog
Reflections for the journey
Only 15 Days Left For Joan of Arc Comic Book Kickstarter Campaign!
Hey, Everyone! In case you were not aware, I am a HUGE fan of the work being done over at Voyage Comics. I made mention of one of their previous projects, The Monks of Skellig Michael, in a post a few weeks ago. (You can click here to see that post--Star Wars, Hope...
Happy Easter! Our Lord IS Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Happy Easter! The day is here! Our Lord IS Risen today! As you celebrate this great day, hopefully with your family and friends, I invite you to spend the less than 15 minutes it will take for you to listen to this MAGNIFICENT Easter message from Bishop Robert Barron....
“Awake, O Sleeper! Arise from Your Sleep!”and “Get On Board, Little Children, There’s Room For Many A’more”
On this Holy Saturday, as we wait in silence by the tomb of our Lord, it can be difficult to understand that Jesus is actually still going about the work of His Father today. In fact, I would argue that the work He is "doing" today is just as important as the work He...
Spy Wednesday, Gollum, Judas, and Our Choices
Today is Wednesday of Holy Week, also traditionally known as "Spy Wednesday", because this is the day that we read the Gospel account of Judas's betrayal. I also read a brilliant article entitled,"How Judas is the Gollum of the Gospels" written by Philip Kosloski in...
Star Wars, Hope, and Holy Week
Ok, folks, I am just going to go all "fanboy" on you all for a moment, because I am ABSOLUTELY pumped after seeing the new Star Wars Episode IX trailer! (I included the link at the bottom of my post in case you haven't seen it yet) Anyway, I have been a HUGE Star Wars...
Mental Toughness, the Masters and the Spiritual Life
I absolutely adore the changing of seasons, particularly as winter gives way to spring. The grass begins to green up, trees blossom and here in the South, azaleas bloom. If you are a golfer, or a fan of golf, blooming azaleas are a sign of another beautiful occurrence...
Benefits of Eucharistic Adoration
The Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama is holding its first ever Eucharistic Congress this coming June 28-29. In anticipation, and to help prepare for the Congress, I was asked to speak about the Eucharist in Scripture and the many benefits of Eucharistic Adoration for...
Pivot Into The Arms of God (Or the Easy Way to Still Experience God’s Love and Mercy this Lenten Season)
We stand at the advent of Passiontide--that often forgotten, but intense time that occurs just prior to the beginning of Holy Week. In some churches, all the statues and crucifixes are covered, and the absence of these signs make our worship space seem even more...
Called To Be Unique Images of the Father’s Love
“Theology of the Body” (TOB) is the name given to a series of 129 talks that Saint John Paul II gave each week from September 1979 to November 1984. His talks on human love in God’s divine plan were drawn from Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church, but were...
Make the Way of the Cross
It's a Friday of Lent, and the traditional day to go join a community to pray the Stations of the Cross. But even if you are unable to join a community, here is a beautiful resource for you to be able to still make the Way of the Cross with Bishop Robert Barron's...
Being Christian Is Not For the Faint of Heart
Recently I wrote an article for the One Voice, my diocesan newspaper, about Curtis Martin’s latest book, Making Missionary Disciples: How to Live the Method Modeled by the Master. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Curtis, he is the founder and chief executive...
Why Can’t We Just Stick To Our Lenten Resolutions?
We are now a week into the Lenten season, I am frequently hearing from those around me, “I just can’t seem to stick to my Lenten resolutions.” I can easily identify with this frustration since I have often struggled with this issue myself in the past, but I...
Setting Aside Our False Idols
The Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent is always the story of Jesus going out into the desert for 40 days and being tempted by Satan. Saint John Chrysostom tells us that Jesus never said, or did, anything that was not for our instruction, and the temptations in the...
Oh, No! I Ate Meat On A Friday Of Lent!
Oh, No! I Ate Meat On A Friday of Lent! So did I just ruin my entire Lent? In a word, no. No, your Lent has not been ruined. In fact, I would contend that you have actually been given an opportunity to have an even MORE grace-filled Lent than if you hadn’t eaten meat...
Immediate and Delayed Gratification for Lent and Beyond
Was reading an article today entitled "The Evolution of Anxiety: Why We Worry and What to Do About It." by James Clear, author of the book, Atomic Habits. Why am I highlighting an article concerned primarily with behavioral psychology and stress management? Because...
We Are All Missionary Disciples
For those who may be unfamiliar, missionary discipleship is a term made popular by Pope Francis, especially in his encyclical, Evangelium Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). In paragraph 120 of his encyclical, Pope Francis writes: “In virtue of their baptism, all...
3 Keys to Opening the Door to a Grace-Filled Lent
Lent is a clarion call to change. It is our opportunity to reject self-satisfaction, and the idea that we are already “good enough” or “not that bad,” and do battle against our triteness, shallowness, and dullness – – all signs of indifferent hearts and...
FB LIVE EVENT! 4 Ways to Have a Grace-Filled Lent on Thursday, February 28, 7:30pm
Christina's next FB Live Event will be focused upon 4 ways that will help you prepare to have a grace-filled Lenten season. Join us LIVE on Facebook on Thursday, February 28th at 7:30pm. To participate in this LIVE event, simply go to the...
Proclaim A Year Acceptable To The Lord
Today, the Gospel is the story of Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth, reading from the prophet, Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of...
First Things First
Merry Christmas! (And yes, it is STILL Christmas!) I hope this finds you still rejoicing in the great gift of Him who humbled Himself to become like us as a babe in the manger at Bethlehem! My post today is an outgrowth of my spiritual mentorship ministry work, and...