If you’re a Marvel fan, what would it be like if Iron Man was real? If you’re a Harry Potter fan, what would it be like if Hogwarts was real? If you’re a Pokemon fan, what would it be like if Snorlax was real? Now, imagine that you’re an Old Testament Jew. What would it be like to realize that the Messiah was real? That’s what you would be dreaming about. That the Messiah, the Son of God, is true and real. In the gospel for this Sunday…

Every time I read the Prodigal Son story, I get misty-eyed. My heart is leaking. It’s so beautiful because this passage reveals the absolute, incomparable love of the Father, which transcends reason. It transcends mathematics. It transcends politics. It transcends everything in the world. We cannot calculate it. We cannot understand it, but we can receive it. In the gospels, if Jesus were speaking to a hundred…

So this weekend is Palm Sunday, which means that we will hear from the entire Passion of Jesus Christ at mass. So, prepare your body to stand for a long time. What is so beautiful about this Sunday is that we learn about God’s infinite love. Jesus Christ goes to the greatest lengths to prove His love for us. This is so beautiful because, as Christians, this Palm Sunday reminds…

Eight simple words can change everything: “In the name of Jesus, I reject temptation.”

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus confronts temptation directly, and rejects it with clarity and authority. We’re invited to do the same. Whether it’s lust, gossip, pride, anger, or any other struggle, we don’t fight alone. We dare to use His name.

As Pope Benedict XVI taught, Christianity isn’t just an idea, it’s an encounter with a Person. And nothing is more personal than calling on His name. This Lent, make it simple. Use the name of Jesus and reject whatever pulls you away from Him.

I am awful at chess. Like, bad. But the other thing is I try to protect all of the chess pieces on the board, which means I don’t honestly try to protect my king. This is the only thing that you need to win the game. And if you don’t have the king, you lose. Jesus Christ is trying to get this across in the gospel today. You have everything if you have Jesus and nothing else in your life. But if you don’t have Jesus, if you don’t have the king…

Remember when Hiccup loses his leg in “How to Train Your Dragon”? It’s an emotional rollercoaster. The love that Hiccup has for his family and Toothless leads to him sacrificing one of his legs. Hiccup’s love costs something, and the gospel for this Sunday, Jesus, is very clear: it is easy to love when it’s easy to love, but real, true, authentic, Christ-centered love costs something. Are we just loving Jesus when it’s easy when…