Tag: Mystical

God’s Mercy Gives Us the Strength to Cope with Life The young Church, after the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles on the first Pentecost, experienced joy and apprehension. The joy came from the fact that the men and women gathered in the Upper Room, some 120, were afraid until the extraordinary event. Jesus of… Continue reading The Importance of Coping Skills

We humans have an itch for knowledge and power. It seems to be in our DNA. In many areas of life, we are well-served by the restless striving for a better handle on things, all sorts of things–career choices, professional advancement, family relationships, concord with the neighbors, right down to eliminating weeds in the garden… Continue reading The Not-So-Secret Message of Fatima

This talk was given during the display of the exhibit “The Eucharistic Miracles of the World by Blessed Carlo Acutis” at Saint Mary-Saint Andrew Church, Ellenville, New York on May 3, 2023 Christian friendship is so important and is so often taken for granted.  Mutual friends can become part of each other’s lives so much… Continue reading Blessed Carlo Acutis and Friendship with Jesus in the Eucharist

Love of God The more we love God, the more we will grow in holiness. And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” (Luke 1:46) Greatest Virtue and Commandment As we grow in the theological virtues, we grow in sanctifying grace. Having covered the virtues of faith and hope in the last chapter, we now… Continue reading Loving God and Our Neighbor

The sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. (John 10:3-4) This past weekend Christ taught us about Himself as our Good Shepherd. Just… Continue reading Remaining in the Fold – SpiritualDirection.com

“Jane” was besieged with thoughts of shame. These thoughts portrayed her entire life as one of dismal failure. She felt like she was diseased and disgusting. She could not imagine God or anyone else loving her or even wanting to look at her. She said, “I feel like walking shame.” Jane is afflicted with a… Continue reading Exorcist Diary: Demons of Shame

Fathers of the Church and Theologians The Fathers of the Church and approved theologians have addressed the Church’s serious concern that due respect be paid to the Most Blessed Sacrament, that souls not fall into the sin of sacrilege by receiving the Body and Blood of Christ unworthily, and that scandal not be given to… Continue reading The Church Fathers on Receiving Communion

Of all the resurrection stories, perhaps my favorite is the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). Two downcast disciples are wandering away from Jerusalem, away from all their hope, when Jesus walks up and joins them. He playfully pretends not to know what is going on. He wants them to acknowledge their loss so that his… Continue reading Emmaus and the Eucharist – SpiritualDirection.com

To be a Christian is to be plunged into the mystery of the Trinity. This mystery is one of both primordial and eschatological love for humanity.  Just how radical this love is defies any attempt to articulate. Yet the Word of the Father has spoken it once and for all in the silence that followed… Continue reading Through the Wounds of Christ the Father Transforms our Wounds

I was a bit surprised when “Sean” told me that he was starting to eat compulsively. He said, “I can’t stop eating. This has never happened before.” The family is locking up the refrigerator at night or else he will eat everything inside. Oddly, Sean has never had a compulsive eating problem in the past… Continue reading Exorcist Diary: Demons of Obesity