Culture

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losing jesus in the headlines

I am most angry because I lost. In a quest to ‘destroy’ ideas of hate and division I lost souls. And worse? ... I lost Jesus.

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thoughts & prayers & action

It seems like “You are in my thoughts and prayers” has become synonymous with “I will do nothing in the face of suffering and injustice” for many.  Especially in the wake of a major disaster or violence, what used to be an expression of solidarity ha...

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the romance of the cross

In this moment I feel enlightened, discouraged, and feel as though we Catholics are TOTALLY selling ourselves short. Just watched an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love.) She professes no religion as far as I know but she came...

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the cardinal sins of social media debate

Does anyone else feel like social media has become a lot more contentious recently?  Maybe it was the election. Maybe it’s all the recent natural disasters. Maybe it’s our reality TV star president. Maybe it was that dang blue and black dress (don’t ...

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the beauty of the running life

With all of my races canceled and without a specific goal to train for, it wasn’t long before my own motivation to run started dwindling.

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my problems with the church

Learning to be open minded and trusting in the Church's teaching rather then fall automatically into the standard defenses

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pope francis thinks you need a friend...bad

These days I’m making a podcast about friendship with my some of my best friends and, reflecting on so many stories, I have to say, friends are super important. In fact, Pope Francis agrees! In his new document on the call to holiness in today’s worl...

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this pride month (and always) catholics can & should do better

Ways Catholics can be better about loving our LBGTQ community

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"screw your freedom!", but what does the church say?

Understanding what the church teaches on freedom.

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inviting god into your college experience

Tips in bringing God into your college experience.

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empty churches restless hearts

After traversing so much foreign territory I finally felt at home and like I could breathe. I gazed at Jesus on the altar and thought, ‘this is the most important thing I could do here’. Having received Him in communion, I knelt in worship before my ...

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why i'm more certain of god than of the earth's orbit

Do you believe that the earth goes around the sun or that the sun goes around the earth? If you are like most people your obvious answer will be, “Of course I believe the earth orbits the Sun. Any dummy knows that.” A follow-up question: Why do you b...

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when the gates of hell are encroaching

Seven years ago, during my first week in Youth Ministry, the Youth Minister at a neighboring parish called inviting me to a meeting of area Youth Ministers. We drove to the meeting together, and from that time on, planned and attended multiple events...

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it's like nfp but for mass

As my wife and I were recently discussing possibilities for our future (careers, babies, finances, obligations to extended family, the global pandemic—you know, normal stuff), it occurred to me that abstaining from sex as a part of NFP is a lot like ...

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can catholic social teaching heal our country?

Over the past few weeks since the election, I’ve been reflecting on these stories and others like them. I’ve read many articles, watched many videos and broadcasts, and had many long, deep discussions with friends from across the political spectrum. ...

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will you still love me if i am not straight

As someone who is both queer and Catholic, I’ve noticed something that bothers me about the way the Catholics I have known either talk about or interact with the queer community. Before I get into it, let me just say this: I believe, teach, and profe...

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jesus and white supremacy: a response to shaun king

A response to Shaun King's article on Jesus and White Supremacy

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you have to choose ahead of time

Choose where you will stand in difficult situations prior to facing them to ensure you make the right decision. It’s the only way to have even remote success in navigating our morally bankrupt world.

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trending on twitter: good samaritan

All this leads to “Good Samaritan” trending on Twitter a week after we heard the end of the Sermon on the Plain from our priests. Someone with a gun opened fire in the food court at Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, Indiana. Even though he had multip...

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abortion is not "camping"

Abortion is society telling women they cannot both work and mother. Cannot be both beautiful and mother. Cannot be both successful and mother. We must tell women they can.