“Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God.” — St. Teresa of Avila Joy is an essential aspect of Christianity, and it is a sign of the presence of God in our lives. This was a teaching emphasized by Pope Francis, who encouraged religious priests and nuns to
I’m writing this blog post on a December 26th. For the last few days, families have gathered to celebrate, people have decorated their homes with lights, which symbolize hope, carolers have sung songs of joy, and even in war-torn Ukraine, people gathered to sing around a Christmas tree underground
The Chosen, season 3, episode 1, shows Jesus allowing his apostles and close disciples to take a break from their grueling ministry and rest for some weeks or months, spending time with their families. Before dismissing them, Jesus gathers them close to him and blesses them with the traditional priestly
Ever since I was a child, I have seen many paintings depicting Jesus’ sacred heart and many times they were accompanied by a painting showing Mary’s immaculate heart. There was even a school near where I lived named “Sacred Heart” and many churches. I always found the paintings beautiful,
We all have had times in life where we experience fear, distress, or anxiety. During these times, we should raise our needs to God and ask for his help, always conscious that God may be permitting the difficulties to manifest a greater good. Few of us will face the challenges
Yesterday I had the blessing of attending the burial mass for a fellow Bible study participant; she died at the age of 93. We had class together just a few months ago. She was always full of pep, full of life, and full of opinions :) I loved that at her
My adorable Jesus, May our feet journey together. May our hands gather in unity. May our hearts beat in unison. May our souls be in harmony. May our thoughts be as one. May our ears listen to the silence together. May our glances profoundly penetrate each other. May our lips
A beautiful and comprehensive prayer of petition. The Miracle Prayer Lord, Jesus, I come before You, just as I am. I am sorry for my sins, I repent of my sins, please forgive me. In Your name, I forgive all others for what they have done against me. I renounce
As I discussed in the blog post “Meditating on the nature of God helps us deal with suffering,” sometimes God permits suffering in our lives, and there is always a greater good that comes out of it. Here’s a short, inspiring reflection on suffering from Pope Paul VI. Even
Saint Anthony of Padua is the first saint I remember studying and admiring as a teenager. I wrote about him in this article: St Anthony of Padua: greater than for finding lost objects. Ever since then, I have had a strong devotion to St Anthony. This year, my wife and
In Luke 12:13-21 a man wants Jesus to intervene in a dispute with his brother and asks Jesus to tell his brother to divide the inheritance with him. He may or may not have been right about his request, but Jesus reminds him that those matters are not why
Ever since the fall, evil, sin, and suffering have been part of human existence. Suffering can be overwhelming at times. Suffering can come to our lives through the sins of others (i.e., murder, betrayals, calumnies), as some people use the gift of free will to create good, but others