• Here’s a fun exercise: Pretend you’re a general in Satan’s army. (Stay with me here…) Just for a moment, imagine you’re one of the bad guys. Now, ask yourself a question: “How would YOU defeat you if you were on the devil’s side?” I once described my spiritual life as feeling like I am falling into […]

  • “To give ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is to take the surest and shortest way to Christ.” – St. Pope John Paul II

  • “Every divine action begins from the Father, proceeds through the Son, and is completed in the Holy Spirit.” – St. Basil

  • Every book has a typo. I don’t care how prestigious the publisher, how persnickety the author, or how many editors looked it over; there will always be at least one typo.  It’s a law of nature, like gravity, and how whatever line you choose to stand in always becomes the slowest. Ok, maybe it’s not […]

  • “Let us run to Mary, and, as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.” – St. Francis de Sales

  • “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” John Lennon said that. It resonates because there is truth in it. If we change one word, we uncover another – possibly even deeper – truth. It’s hard for me to imagine a busier month than December. My youngest daughter has single-handedly instituted a family […]

  • “Courage, my soul. Through prayer, we can do all that is asked of us. The heart of Jesus is there, let us knock.” – St. Bernadette

  • The head coach stands at the podium after a tough loss.  He’s being grilled by the media, who are looking for answers and accountability.  A reporter asks him to comment on a specific play that was a crucial turning point in the game. He replies, “I’ll have to look at the game film before I […]

  • “And she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” -Luke 2:7.

  • This sign is above the door in the sacristy at Holy Name of Jesus in Sheboygan, where I serve as a lector. In a Catholic church, the sacristy is a room, usually near the altar, where vestments, supplies, and sacred vessels are kept, and the priest and attendants prepare for Mass. It’s kind of like […]