Admitting My Sins
The Sacrament of Reconciliation lies in wait for us Catholics. In many parishes, the lines at the confessional are short. A parish with 2500 families generally schedules one hour a week for confessions, additional options available “by appointment.” We...
Fo’ Yo’ Mama
How exactly do you thank your mother for being your mother? I mean, seriously… this woman carried you in her body for nine months; she endured back-breaking, ankle-swelling discomfort, sleepless nights, weird food cravings, dramatic weight gain, and hormone...
The Day I Told Someone Getting Drunk Doesn’t Honor St. Patrick
You never know who God is going to bring into your life. This past week I had an amazing experience of God while waiting for my dinner. “Iced tea, please.” I requested with a genuine tone. “You guys goin’...
Why Do Catholics Abstain From Meat On Fridays During Lent?
Picture it: You’re in a hurry. You’re focused on school or work or family or friends, where there are a thousand things going on. You stop real quick to eat in the middle of the day. Halfway through the...
Why Do Catholics Put Ashes On Our Heads On Ash Wednesday?
“Excuse me, you’ve got some dirt on your head.” Ash Wednesday is just around the corner and every year someone says that to me on Ash Wednesday. Maybe it has happened to you too. In the past it used...
Dead.
Our God makes the dead rise. It isn’t an abstract thought or concept. It isn’t a philosophical metaphor. There are certain scripture passages that strike me (1 KGS 17:17-24, GAL 1:11-19, LK 7:11-17) because they center around one of...
The One Bible Verse I Always Pray With
There is no question I receive more from people online or at events than “Hey Mark, what’s your favorite Bible verse?” Of course, questions about whether or not Matt Maher has more gray hair than I do come in...
Her Fiat Pierced My Heart
Mary is the person that always points me in the direction of her Son. I haven’t always had a big devotion to our Blessed Mother Mary. Growing up, I knew who she was, and I prayed my Hail Marys,...
And While We Were Praying…
Imagine that your young adult son walked out your front door one day in early December, and that you haven’t heard from him since. Imagine that you get a phone call from the police in late January telling you...
“…And He Breathed His Last” (Mark 15:37)
If you have ever been blessed to be by the side of a loved one while they breathed their last breath, you know the sound I’m about to describe. It is a haunting, raspy, rumble that stems from the...