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Upon reading the first thirteen chapters of Mark’s gospel, one thing that struck me powerfully was the nearly continuous presence of demons. Demons are mentioned six or seven times in the first three chapters alone. Jesus, himself, is harassed by Satan in the desert. Once Jesus begins his public ministry, nearly every crowd that comesContinue reading “Demons and the Kingdom of God”

Genesis 3:8-10 “When they heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. The Lord God them called to the man and asked him, ‘Where are you?’ He answered,Continue reading “Sin and Hiding”

In recent years the Catholic Church has been racked with scandals and corruption. Hearing of the abuses that have been perpetrated by those in positions of authority throughout the Church, the bishops who seem more concerned about worldly reputation than service of their people, and the confusion of teaching coming from the Vatican and oftenContinue reading “Having Historical Hope”

I often tell my students that a particular saint is one of my top three favorite saints. I will usually go on to joke that there are nine saints in my top three, just like there are three persons in the One God, since Trinitarian math can be applied to saints as well. I amContinue reading “Cloud of Witnesses”

I was a senior in college when me grandma died. She was 92, and up until her final illness she was full of life and spunk. Many of my favorite childhood memories were at her house, of her baking doughnuts, making vats of homemade applesauce, and playing cards with my numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.Continue reading “Our Lady of the Rosary”

We are first introduced to Stephen in the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. He is one of the seven men chosen by the Apostles to serve as deacons, assistants, in the early Church, and he is described as being, “a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit.” We see that faithContinue reading “Saint Stephen: deacon, martyr, and imitator of Christ”

The fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary is the Presentation in the Temple. This mystery is an invitation to meditate on the occasion when Joseph and Mary, in obedience to the law, brought the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. The fact that this event is included in the joyful mysteries has often madeContinue reading “The Presentation in the Temple or the Joy of Obedience”

“My son, when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials.” (Sirach 2:1) “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Sacred Scripture is full of exhortations to be prepared for suffering, in the Sermon on the Mount, JesusContinue reading “The Gift of Suffering”

Today, on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, hundreds of friends gathered at the Cathedral of St. Pau to celebrate the Mass of Thanksgiving for Fr. Brian Fischer. For me, this celebration was the culmination of weeks of the Lord shouting at me of His great love. God’s love is always being poured outContinue reading “God’s Love Proclaimed”

God created us in His image and likeness and so who we are, and how we live, is meant to manifest, though imperfectly, something of who he is. Fathers have a particular call to make manifest the Fatherhood of God. This Fatherhood is one that is deeply loving but also involves disciplining us, the sonsContinue reading “Growing into His Image”