Control. We relish having control over things, situations, and people. The power to control gives us the perception that we are in control, in charge and have power. This is one of the reasons why a man would often rather build a deck, mow the lawn, take on a landscaping project, or remodel the bathroom rather than spend time with …
This, the Year of St. Joseph, is over halfway completed. Have you taken advantage of the graces God is offering you in this holy year? God is giving us the opportunity to obtain incredible graces and plenary indulgences (removal of sin and the punishment due to sin) by faithfully fulfilling a devotion to St. Joseph. Why should we take on …
What do you love? Typical responses are my spouse, my children, my family. But let’s probe this further by asking another question: What are you afraid of losing? Responses range from: my job, financial security, defaulting on my mortgage and losing my house, my health, my life, friendships, status and honor among peers, followings and fans, reputation, being liked, chocolate, …
The lack of toilet paper. Grocery stores’ empty shelves. Restaurants, schools, libraries, and churches on shutdown. People working from home. As COVID-19 extends its infectious tentacles to the four corners of the earth, infecting hundreds of thousands of people, the fear of death, sickness, lack of food, resources, and revenue becomes reality. It’s a bit unsettling. I feel a bit …
As the COVID19 pandemic escalates, and the world shutdown reaches epic proportions, the critical nature of this global infection is nearly beyond imagination. We are told to keep our hands clean, avoid people who may be carrying the virus, avoid gatherings and social settings that could transfer the virus; if you have contracted the virus, self-quarantine. Avoid human to human …
Have you noticed the advertising initiative created by the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearing House aimed at encouraging fathers to be better dads? Whether it is the billboard campaign “Dad Jokes;” the videos, “Dance like a Dad, where dads “show off their moves”; or the activities page of their website, “Take Time to be a Dad,” which spells out ways to …
How can we understand God, His motives and will, when He is apparently unresponsive to our prayers? What are we to do when after years of seeking Jesus, begging on behalf of our children, and persevering in our intercession for them, their situation worsens? There is an account of a man whose child suffered permanent brain injury and nearly died. …
It may sound odd or melodramatic to say that your child has enemies. Yes, even the youngest of children have enemies. Do you know your child’s enemies? Can you identify the major evils that threaten your child’s salvation? Recently, an ever-growing army of radical, hostile terrorists enlisted children as young as nine years of age into their militia, arming …
Have you ever heard someone say in response to the idea that the evils our children encounter daily—peer pressure, the perversion of sexuality, pervasive media, and the like—“Well, we survived, didn’t we?” The appropriate response to such a comment is, “I don’t want my children merely to survive; I want my children to thrive. I don’t want my children to …
Have you ever seen someone, perhaps a child, attempt to open a flower before it blooms? When someone attempts to pull back the petals on a rose for the purpose of peering inside, they destroy the flower. Flowers are analogous to women. A flower’s petals open and spread when it receives the warmth of the gentle sunlight, without which it …
