Spiritual Coziness
Okay, what are the top five things Americans attribute to the word cozy? Number one, soft sofas. Number two, hot beverages. Number three, books. Number four, blankets. Number five, fireplaces. For us as Catholics, what is the thing that brings us coziness? It’s not a fireplace; it’s the sanctuary lamp because whenever we walk into a church and see it lit, we know that our friend Jesus is present. And there is…
Ascension Day
Have you ever been away from home for a long time? And then you finally get back home, and suddenly, you walk into your house, and all of the fears, anxieties, and worries dissolve, and you feel safe. It’s amazing. And this Sunday, we celebrate the ascension, which is Jesus Christ going back home. The crazy thing is that this is not just for Jesus. This is for us. We one day will be…
The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Finally the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. What does that really mean? When Jesus says that we’re gonna know him, we’re gonna see him, and that he’s gonna be with us always, how does he come? He comes to poverty, waiting in the poor, maybe in the…
Against The Grain
Okay, so fish are fascinating. Did you know that salmon swim upstream for almost 2,000 miles every year? This is insane. This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, and the family are like fish always swimming upstream. No matter what is going on in the culture, no matter what is happening in the world, the family is always being counter-cultural, going against the grain, bringing life, and providing…
A Christian Arsonist
So I was just accused of being an arsonist. A student just sent me a message with this AI image of myself, saying, “Thank you for setting the university on fire with Jesus.” Jesus says in the Gospel for this Sunday, “I have come to set the Earth on fire and how I wish it were already blazing.” Jesus was in no way a mediocre person. You are not called to be a mediocre person. You are called to let Jesus set your heart…
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
Getting into heaven is just like slacklining. If you’ve ever been to a college campus, you’ll notice those people who go on tightropes in the quad trying to balance on these slack lines. And so I’ve done it before, and I lasted about two seconds. The key is to keep your eyes forward and on the slack line. As soon as you start turning your head to the side or looking at other things, you lose your balance. You fall, whoa…