Learning to be Quick to Listen

From a Catholic perspective , social media and texting can be a great gift. It has made communication easier and faster. We can quickly share information or ask and answer questions with a simple text. It also allows people to express their thoughts in writing, which for some is easier than speaking in person. The ability to connect with people far away or to keep in touch with friends and family has never been more accessible, allowing us to build up our communities even when we're not physically together. While there are many positive aspects of social media, we also need to be mindful of its downsides. Digital communication can miss essential non-verbal cues like tone and body language. This can lead to misunderstandings, even when the person sending the message has good intentions. The written word can be easily misinterpreted, and once a message is sent, it can be saved forever. Receiving a text message can also activate a hit of dopamine , which may explain why a generation o...

In his Summa Theologica , St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that God's love for us is not a passive emotion but an active, creative force . This divine love, or charity, is the very reason for our existence. God, in His infinite goodness, desired to share His life and love with us, His creation. This profound truth is echoed in Psalm 149 , which proclaims that "The Lord takes delight in his people." This delight is not a fleeting pleasure but a deep, abiding joy in the very being of His children. We are not an afterthought or a mistake; rather, we are "very good," created in His image and likeness. This inherent goodness , a reflection of our Creator, is the foundation of our relationship with Him. The Church Fathers, from St. Augustine to St. John of the Cross, consistently emphasize that God has a perfect plan for each of our lives. This plan is not a rigid script that removes our free will , but an invitation to co-create our destiny with Him. God's love for u...

A game of sorts unfolds in today’s Gospel as the Pharisees challenge Jesus with a familiar rabbinical exercise: "Which commandment in the law is the greatest?" They're looking for the central pillar, the one law that undergirds all the others. Jesus, the Word of God incarnate , responds with an answer that gets right to the heart of the matter. He tells them it’s all about love, echoing the words of the prophet Hosea who said, “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” The greatest commandment, Jesus says, is to love the Lord our God with our whole being—heart, soul, and mind. The second, he adds, is to love our neighbor as ourselves. These aren’t two separate rules but two sides of the same coin. If our actions follow the letter of the law but lack love, we’re missing the point. We can’t truly love God while hating our neighbor, and we can’t truly love our neighbor without seeing the face of God in them. But why are t...

As the summer break winds down and the new school year begins, Catholic students around the world are preparing to return to the classroom. This time of transition can be both exciting and overwhelming. New schedules, new teachers, new classmates, and a new academic workload can easily pull our focus in a million different directions. Amidst all the hustle and bustle, it's crucial to remember the most important thing of all: our relationship with God . The start of a new school year is the perfect opportunity to rededicate ourselves to Him, to invite Him into our studies, our friendships, and our extracurricular activities. Let's make a conscious effort to keep our eyes fixed on Him, seeking His guidance and strength in everything we do. Keeping God at the center of our lives isn't always easy, especially with the many distractions that come with school. But by making small, intentional choices each day, we can cultivate a deeper connection with Him. Start each morning wi...

St. Teresa of Avila, a mystic and Doctor of the Church, often spoke of the profound reality of hell, not as an abstract theological concept, but as a terrifying consequence of a life lived apart from God's grace. While she didn't dwell on the specific question of the blessed's knowledge of the damned, her writings emphasize the overwhelming love of God and the sorrow of rejecting that love, a sorrow that finds its ultimate expression in hell. She understood hell as the definitive absence of God, a state of unimaginable suffering. This perspective aligns with the Church's teaching that at the Last Judgment, "the truth of each man’s relationship with God will be laid bare" ( CCC 1039 ), implying a full understanding of eternal destinies. For Teresa, the fear of hell was not meant to paralyze but to ignite a fervent pursuit of holiness and an unwavering commitment to God's will, driven by profound gratitude for His mercy. The apparent paradox of the blessed...

We live in an age of unprecedented access to information. Google has become synonymous with knowledge, a vast ocean of data at our fingertips. Yet, despite this abundance, something crucial seems to be missing: wisdom. There's a profound difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts, figures, and theories.  Wisdom , on the other hand, is the application of knowledge to live a meaningful and virtuous life. It's about discerning truth, making sound judgments, and acting with compassion and integrity. Think of the Wise Men. They possessed limited knowledge about the Messiah. They knew one thing: follow the star. The chief priests, with their vast knowledge of scripture, failed to recognize and embrace the truth before them. Saint Basil the Great exemplifies the power of wisdom. He possessed immense knowledge, but his true legacy lies in how he lived. He applied his learning to address the pressing needs of his time, combating heresy and esta...

The human heart, a mysterious organ, pumps lifeblood through our veins. Yet, it is more than just a biological marvel. It is the locus of our deepest emotions, desires, and beliefs. It is the wellspring of both our greatest joys and our darkest sorrows.  Beneath the surface of our outward appearances, our hearts hold secrets, dreams, and fears. They are the silent keepers of our true selves, the part of us that yearns for authenticity and connection. As the biblical character Samson discovered, our hearts can be both our greatest strength and our most vulnerable weakness.   However, the heart is not always a reliable guide. It can be deceitful, leading us astray with false desires and misplaced affections. The prophet Jeremiah lamented the heart's propensity for deception, recognizing its capacity for both good and evil.  To navigate the complexities of the heart, we must cultivate vigilance and honesty. By guarding our hearts and choosing truthful speech, we c...

Music has an incredible power to move our souls and connect us to something greater than ourselves. When it's inspired by God and created for His worship, its impact can be even more profound. Sarah Kroger's song " Belovedness " is a perfect example of this. You may have seen Sarah as she led praise and worship sessions during the recent National Eucharistic Congress   celebration  in Indianapolis. Kroger's lyrics resonate deeply, highlighting our human tendency to focus on our flaws and insecurities. We often dwell on our failures, shame, and self-doubt , forgetting the truth of our identity as beloved children of God. The song reminds us that God sees us differently. He finds us beautiful, worthy of love, and cherished. This message is particularly important in today's world, where we are constantly bombarded with  negative messages  and unrealistic beauty standards. "Belovedness" offers a counter-narrative, reminding us of our inherent worth ...

Ever let your tongue create problems for you? If you answered no, surely you must be ready for sainthood. Two years ago, while on retreat at Manresa, I discovered the healing power of the Epistle of James. It was as if the Holy Spirit opened the Bible to the first page and forced me to read. When I did, I discovered a small, concise how-to guide for living my life everyday. Do I always follow it, no. Does it speak the truth, yes. Last week at our small Christian community session, my wife was filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaimed a serious life lesson that I want to share with you as well. She said we should all take a sheet of paper and draw two circles on it. In one circle, we are to place all of the things we can control. The other circle is for things we cannot control. We should then focus on the circle of things we can control. If we are walking with the Lord, that circle will not be very full and we will not be burdened with a heavy load. If you still have not read The Shac...