Have you ever heard the expression, “Once a Catholic always a Catholic?” All of us know someone who never goes to church but thinks of them self as Catholic. We received that gift of Catholic identity from our family and from God. Baptism came to so many as infants. Through …

Have you decided on your New Year’s resolution yet? Every year, thousands of us decide to lose 10 pounds and join the gym, stop playing so much golf and spend more time with the kids, or if you really mean business, go to Mass more than one day a week. …

Tis the season to be merry. Or is it? Too often, we dread the holidays because of all the hassle involved in making merry. Not the least of which is getting gifts for family and friends. Thanksgiving is so simple: great food, great company and not a worry in the …

Catholics spend two days in prayer for the souls of those who have died in early November. All Souls Day and All Saints Day become the focus of our prayers as we grieve a little and remember a little the lives of those who have gone before us. When I …

Are you getting tired of listening to everyone complain? Are you annoyed with feisty Facebook reports about our government? Are you tired of folks shouting, “The sky is falling!”? It seems that every time we turn around someone is unhappy about something. The media is the one of the worst …

Have you ever found yourself doubting your faith? I am not talking about serious doubt. I am referring to “pop-up” doubts. You are driving to work and, without prompting, your mind wanders to the funeral you attended last week. You ask yourself: “What if there is nothing after death?” This …

By Jeanne Hunt Do you have enemies? Are there people you can’t stand because they have caused you great harm? Most of us might have a short list of enemies: a few politicians, a high school basketball coach, the girl who dumped you in college. And then there is the …

Have you ever dropped out or given up? Do you have piles of uncompleted projects? “Never, never, never give up,” said Winston Churchill after the London blitz. “Move forward, at all cost, move forward,” said Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain at the battle of Gettysburg. “I have fought the good fight. I …

Have you ever been a square peg? As I examine my own life, I can see those times when I decided to ignore God’s “round hole” vision for life and force my “square peg” self into God’s plans. It seems, we want to impose our version of reality on God’s …

By Jeanne Hunt One of my favorite passages in Scripture is the time Mrs. Zebedee tries to get Jesus to give her sons first-row seats at the heavenly banquet (see Matthew 20:20–28). I can really identify with her motivation. The mother’s handbook requires us to look out for our boys. …