Jesus chose to be in Mary’s womb. He chose to come into the world just like everyone else. He was dependent on his parents for food, clothing, shelter, and protection. When he was in the temple as a child, he willingly went back with his parents and obeyed them until it was his time to…

After Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel, she went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who was carrying John the Baptist in her womb. How joyous Elizabeth must have been? The last time she saw Mary, she was only her cousin. This time when she saw Mary, not only was she her cousin, but also…

On Memorial Day, we remember the men and women who have served in the military and fought in battles and did not return home. We remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be free. As Catholics, we have many saints who did the same for the faith. The martyrs gave their…

Love your neighbor as yourself. If you do not love yourself, how can you love others? We are all God’s children. He loves all of us. Why should we deny ourselves the love that God gives us? Once we accept God’s love for us, we need to share it with others. Some people love themselves…

How do you find joy when you are facing the difficulties of life? How do you have patience and understanding and compassion and forgiveness and love for yourself? We are all made with unique gifts and talents. We have to judge ourselves by standards meant for us. If you judge a fish by its ability…

Hardships and struggles and pain will lead to joy. However, it’s hard to trust in the midst of hardships that everything will work out. God doesn’t promise an easy life. In fact, Jesus says we will be hated because of His name. Jesus faced many difficulties in His life. As He was about to be…

How wonderful was it to see the Lord ascending into heaven? What were the disciples feeling as they watched Jesus leaving them? Were they sad that Jesus left them? They had spent every day of the last three years following Him. Were they in awe of the sight of Him ascending into heaven? If Jesus…

Jesus was not the only one who suffered on Good Friday. There were others but the one I’m drawn to right now is Mary, his mother. Here she is watching as her only son is taken prisoner, sentenced to crucifixion, scourged, forced to carry the cross after being badly beaten up a rough hill, nailed…

What boxes do we put ourselves in? We identify ourselves in many different ways. We can be American, Pennsylvanians, Pittsburghers, athletes, accountants, coal miners, artists, actors, writers, singers, rich, poor, and so on. Sometimes we get stuck into boxes thinking that they define who we are. These boxes can be anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, bipolar,…

Jesus calls us to be like little children. What does that mean? Children trust their parents. They don’t worry about how they are going to get food, clothing, toys, or where they will find shelter, love, or protection. They trust their parents will provide everything that they need to be safe and healthy. We are…