Simple Holiness

The Holy Spirit fully alive

We just experienced Pentecost in our Catholic Christian faith, which is the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Christ. Originally, the feast day signified the coming of the Spirit as tongues of fire upon the frightened, discouraged followers of Jesus, as they huddled together unaware of what their next move should be.

Making the right and good decision

It may seem that making the right and good decision in every situation we face is a difficult thing to do. But I am here to say, “It’s really not that hard.” Making good, right, ethical decisions comes down to the habits we form each day, which eventually form us to become the people we are.

The development of character

Character is often misunderstood and seemingly mysterious in our current culture. It describes our innermost nature and temperament, and it is the way others fundamentally experience us. Our reputation, on the other hand, is what people think of us, and it can often be fabricated to portray the persona we want people to see, or believe us to be.

Lent: An annual examination of conscience

Lent is once again upon us, and we have the blessed opportunity to take a step back and realign ourselves and our lives with our faith. I do love Lent — and I need Lent!

Freedom amid chaos

Catholics have a unique and unprecedented opportunity to impact the world for good at this very moment in history. We are situated in a culture that is racing with confusion.

The joy of saying yes to our vocation

When we hear the word “vocation,” many of us may think about priesthood or consecrated life. And yet, the meaning of vocation is the choice of our employment, especially when our choice requires great dedication, because the work we choose is particularly worthy. When a priest, a religious sister or brother dedicates their lives to the vocation to which they have been called, this is not only their work, it becomes the mission of their lives.

Gathering safely this season

As we find ourselves in the season of Advent, we have the opportunity to consider how we will approach the holidays: Will it be buying more presents, or being more present? How will we keep everyone safe, and not create “super-spreader events?”

Saints point the way

We likely all have our favorite saint: our namesake, the saint we chose for confirmation or a saint to whom we reach out due to a specific need. Saints are a staple of the Catholic Church. Nov. 1 was All Saints’ Day (which we celebrated this year at our Sunday liturgy, rather than making a special return to our churches for Mass, on what in other years is a holy day of obligation). With this day, we annually reflect on our devotion to these holy and venerable human beings who provide a map for living a life dedicated to God.

Are we living in a new Apostolic Era?

What difference would it make if we were living in a new Apostolic Era? What if the Christendom era really is over, and we have entered a new phase of humanity? For Christians, we may meet these questions with little curiosity because we are so busy with our everyday lives that we have no time to ponder such things. And yet, our responses will make all the difference.

Embracing joy

Embracing joy feels so good, especially as we begin a new school year and all the possibilities it holds for learning during the continued emergence from the pandemic.

Cardinal virtues help manage hard times

With at least some restoration in sight of what appears to have been our previous experience of normalcy, we may have some hope for a better, healthier, calmer future. For those who have been fully vaccinated, many are often no longer wearing masks.

Maintaining holiness in a secular world

Without question, I am a borrower. I listen to radio broadcasts, read articles and editorials, and consume information from books. Twenty-five years ago, I came across a booklet in which one sentence has captivated me for a quarter century. The sentence read: “Rather than saying the Church has a mission, it would be appropriate to say that Jesus’ mission has a Church, for the mission of the Church is to carry on the mission of Jesus.”
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