Videos

This week I am backpacking 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mountains are my happy place!

We sometimes believe that we need to change, to eliminate sin, for Jesus to love us. The call of Matthew shows us the truth is exactly the opposite.

Along with the happy moments in life, there are also really difficult times. Jesus reminds us that it’s ok to be sad sometimes and we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help.

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent and today’s liturgy reminds us that it is also the start of a great spiritual military campaign.

Today we sing Alleluia for the last time until Easter. But just as Alleluia will return, we know the sad times of life will give way to joy.

We all want to be happy, but how much is enough? How much pain can we tolerate for the sake of something higher?

Our Catholic faith is “apostolic.” St. Polycarp received the faith from St. John and then handed it on to St. Irenaeus. And on and on for 2000 years.

On the feast of the Chair of St. Peter we recall how Jesus used a really big rock as the backdrop to give Simon a new name, “Rock.”

Everyone seems to have something to say these days. But sometimes our words cause hurt and not blessings.

St. James says that faith without works is dead. But why is there such a debate about this topic?

It’s not enough to know some things about Jesus. You have to know him personally. Who do you say that he is?

In today’s gospel, Jesus has to try two times to cure a blind man. Sometimes miracles require patience and time.

The role of temptation is often misunderstood. Being tested is a good way to measure where we’re at and to grow.

St. Valentine’s Day is all about love. But what is love all about? True love is found not in movies, but in patient commitment.

God loves us so much that at times he has sent his mother in person to remind us. At Lourdes, this also included miraculous healings.

John the Baptist knew that Jesus was the most important thing in his life. And he was willing to die for that belief. We need more Christians like that.

Having churches, schools, and money is not bad, but the early church didn’t have any of these… just the gospel and disciples to spread it.

Today’s feast of the Presentation of Lord completes the Christmas cycle. Jesus became one of us. His tangible presence is still here today.

King David shows us how much parents can love their children, even when they rebel. The love of God is even greater.

Jesus is able to calm the storms of life. But the greatest faith is to know, even if he doesn’t calm every storm, we’re still going to be ok.

St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that one way to know God is to start with creation. All creation comes from God and leads back to him. So too with our lives.

St. Paul went from persecuting Christians to becoming the most outstanding preacher of Jesus. But was this really a conversion?

St. Sebastian is the patron of athletes. He competed and won in the greatest game there is. His famous death reminds us to put God first.

Every day we begin with light overcoming darkness. The Church uses this image in two powerful ways in today’s hymn for Lauds.

God is writing an amazing story and you have been chosen. You get to play a part.

When you’re called to be set apart and chosen, the worst mistake you could make would be to want to be like everyone else. Israel did it, and so do we.

In the baptism of Jesus we learn who Jesus is. In our own baptism we also learn who we are. Like Jesus, we also begin our mission.

On this feast of Epiphany, we recognize how God reveals himself directly as in the Bible, but also indirectly, through reason and creation as he did with the Magi.

There are no limits on what God can do. God will fill us. But we need to expand our capacity to receive his gifts.

When Jesus was born, people had been waiting for a long time. What is it that we most want?

On the next days after Christmas my true love gave to me… four days of death. Welcome to the Octave of Christmas.

Today is filled with expectation. Liturgically, today is the Vigil of Christmas, a day for preparing our hearts for the coming of Jesus. After all there’s only one more sleep ’till Christmas.