
Cringing and the Path to Mercy
What is the cringiest, most awkward or embarrassing memory you have? I think each person has moments like this. We all have events in our lives we wish we could change. Often, it’s just silly and relatively small moments that we cringe over. Sometimes these “recall” moments are real regrets. I’ve always been a serious cringer. I’ve often gone back to embarrassing or awkward moments in my memories and physically cringed. Like, it has come to the point where my stomach clenches

In Christ Alone
In March of 2018, I cut my hair because I wanted to let dead things go. It has been a year since then and I have been through a lot of things that I did not see coming. The Season of Lent gives us the opportunity to choose to let some things go in our lives. If you are not familiar with Lent, it is a 40-day period of time before Easter in which Christians can make the decision to fast, or abstain from something, anything. Lent invites a lot of time for self reflection, prayer

Fast-Food and the Dignity of the Human Person
This past December I ended up quitting my part-time job at Subway after two and a half years of working there. During my time there I would reflect on what my motivation was while working in the fast-food industry. Understandably, as a student, I mostly appreciated making an income. I never expected that I would learn such foundational and spiritual lessons by merely making sandwiches for hours on end. I encountered and served many different people during each shift. There we

Waiting on God
It has been on my heart to make my first writing piece about feeling distant from God. I held off on writing this piece until now because after countless times of praying to feel God’s presence and answers, He made something known to me. I haven’t had it easy for the past two years. I was trying to heal from heartbreak and 2017 felt like the worst year of my life. I had a lot of trouble feeling God’s love and God’s presence in my life during that year and I would constantly p

You Are Not Alone
Life is one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given, but it can be frustrating at times. The concept of living out my life is simple but the reality of it can be a struggle; it is a package with many parts just like God. The Blessed Trinity is a mystery, having three persons in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” In the Latin tradition, our right hand goes from our forehead, downwards to the sto

The Power of Our Fathers
From the beginning of our life to the very end, there is a father, who loves us, protects us, and reminds us of who we are. They are our fathers, men who have dedicated their lives to the service of their own. The love of a father is not measured nor is it questioned. A father serves for a very long time; but a time of joy it is. The title, “Father,” is one of the most important and special titles any man can receive in his lifetime. In our Catholic lives, we are given many o

5 Reasons Why Confirmation Prep Is Important
If you were told right now that there was a chest of endless riches underground and that you’d have to dig with some effort to get to it, would you? If you were told you had to go to confirmation classes (or take your child to confirmation classes) for a year to be confirmed, how might you respond? As a confirmation catechist, I believe that there are many fantastic reasons to be confirmed right here in our Archdiocese. However, I have encountered many parents who want to ski

Society's Way, My Way, or God's Way?
As many Catholics may know, May is the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To many Marian devotees, she is considered a mother to all Christians who brings us closer to God. Throughout many centuries, Mary has appeared to many children and youth around the world, especially those who opened their minds and hearts to God, evoking to them a call to prayer and conversion of humankind amidst our world contaminated by sin – a world that strays away from the Truth and teachings of Go

Our Mother
Open hands, eyes looking down towards us with compassion and love, a face that is beautiful that seems to be untouched while having the image of maternal love and a pureness of heart, all of which cannot fully describe our Mother Mary. The mother of Jesus, the virgin, the Immaculate Conception, the holy one and the purest are just a few of the ideas I encountered growing up. Although I was taught these things I never really knew who she really was. Mary in my life was just th

Muscles, Commitment, and the Lord
Do you enjoy having a fit and toned body? I know I do. I love seeing my muscles starting to take form and the feeling of being strong and healthy. However, these results don’t appear overnight. In order to achieve this reality, I must exercise regularly. In my own life, when I haven’t been in a steady exercise routine, I often get into the head space of desiring the results while not wanting to put in the effort. I can imagine how I’ll feel when I am fit and toned. I can imag