When I was a kid, my favorite cartoon was He-Man. Whenever danger was near, he thrust his sword into the air, yelled “I have the POWER!” and became the Master of the Universe. I thought that was the greatest thing ever. As I got older, this theme of “power” continually …

Ours is a mind boggling faith. God is one, yet He is three Persons who are each also God. He is invisible, yet the Second Person possesses a visible, human body. When this Second Person united a human nature to His divine nature, He became both fully human and fully …

I love the Church’s teaching on catechesis, evangelization and discipleship. The relevant documents have titles that are difficult to pronounce (Apostolicam Actuositatem is particularly fun to say at parties), but they are also some of the most edifying works you’ll ever read. I genuinely enjoy pouring over these documents, synthesizing …

Have you ever tried getting somewhere new without a map? Before Google Maps, when you needed directions, you either traced the route on a printed map, or you asked for directions. Even today, if your phone dies, you run out of data or you’re outside cell service, you have to …

I’m not a big fan of the unknown. There’s too much, well, unknown about it. I need plans. I have questions. I like to know what I’m getting myself into. I like to be prepared. One way I relieve my anxiety around the unknown is by first imagining myself “doing …

Whenever I think of Mary’s joy, I’m instantly reminded of the Joyful Mysteries: the Annunciation, Visitation, Birth of Jesus, Presentation in the Temple and Finding Jesus in the Temple. As I meditated on these events, however, I noticed a pattern: her joyful moments were also surrounded by suffering. This is, …

As someone who works in the Center for the New Evangelization, it warms my heart to see this issue devoted to evangelization. It’s also edifying to flip through these pages and read so many stories of how people from across our archdiocese live and proclaim the Gospel. Each story, in …

Jesus has some powerful things to say about the Eucharist in the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel: “The bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh” (Jn. 6:51). “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (Jn. 6:54). “For my …

As a new year dawns, most of us consider resolutions for living, thinking and feeling better. We can capitalize on the waking up of the world that typically occurs around this time. But, since improvement requires taking a hard look at where we fail, it’s easy to get discouraged and …

How would you describe a parish with a strong sense of community? You might say it’s warm and welcoming. It’s a place where people care for you and make you feel like you belong. It’s a place where there is fellowship and laughter, where the people feel like family. Parishes, …