Know - Grow - Go

Whatever darkness we carry, Christ wants to meet us there. He wants to transform our darkness into light, our despair into hope. He wants to enter our lives again and drive out that darkness with his grace and mercy. So how do we make room for him? That's your homework this Christmas season: give of yourselves. Not just material gifts. Give you. Offer small acts of forgiveness, generosity, patience, kindness, and compassion. Becaus...

Christmas is supposed to be a season of hope — a season of joy and gladness, when everyone seems to be celebrating — and yet, sometimes in our own hearts, there is darkness. The Lord wants to give each one of us hope, especially at Christmas, but it requires openness and trust. We must be open to Him entering our lives. We must listen to His word in Scripture. We must spend time in His presence. We must allow Him to speak to our he...

John and his disciples in today's gospel are confused because Jesus comes bringing not retribution, but restoration. Thankfully, God doesn’t think like we do. The world’s retribution may still come for those who reject Jesus, but for those who trust him, there is healing; hope; restoration. God’s intention is that we not walk alone; that we not wander, lost in the darkness. He comes to meet us, making a path for us to restore our w...

Advent is not merely a countdown to Christmas, but also an invitation to let Christ’s light break into those dark places in our souls. If we’re honest, our lives aren’t where they should be. We are sinners; we’ve fallen short. Catholics sometimes get criticized for “guilt trips,” but the opposite is worse: pretending everything is fine and nothing is considered sinful. What we need is a reality check: yes, we do sin, but God’s grac...

Advent is a time to prepare ourselves for Christmas, to remember that Christ coming into the world is meant to drive out darkness. During these four weeks of preparation, we can join in His work by pushing back the darkness in our own lives. What can you do this Advent to drive out the darkness, even a little? Think of where it is coming from: your screens, your phone, relationships with patterns of negativity or sin? Choose one ar...

More and more, it’s becoming impossible for us to talk about our challenges as a country. It doesn’t matter if the issue is cultural, moral, economic, political, whatever — the conversation quickly gravitates towards the extremes. So our problems remain, our divisions deepen, and we don’t go anywhere as a people. Politics is not king. Tribalism is not king. Anger and fear, hatred and shame, cruelty and violence — they’re not king, ...

There is no resurrection without the cross. The trials and losses we experience – our own mini "end-times" – can become the very means by which our lives are transformed, take on deeper meaning, and prepare us to meet Christ in heaven. Consider a loss or painful trial, past or present, and bring it to Jesus in prayer, asking, "Lord, how have you used/how are you using this trial in my life to deepen my faith and prepare me for heav...

Each of us is a temple of God, a dwelling place for the Spirit. So perhaps the Gospel is inviting us to something deeper: maybe Jesus wants to help us clean out our own temple. We can’t do it alone. We need Jesus to help drive out the money changers: those fears, distractions, and habits that fill our lives with noise and confusion. If we let Him, He’ll cleanse our hearts so that what flows out of us is no longer muck, but clear, l...

Purgatory is the purification, the liberation, the healing that we still need — even after death — to prepare us for the immense, tremendous life that God has in store for us in Heaven. Purgatory is very different than Hell; it’s not “Hell Lite.” It’s got nothing to do with condemnation, fear, or punishment. It’s about a Father who loves us so much that even after death, He refuses to give up on us and leave us incomplete, too weak...

God wants to answer our prayers for ourselves not necessarily by removing the suffering, but by giving us His presence — relationship. He doesn’t always take away pain or magically fix our lives. He comes to be with us in those sufferings. And when we invite Him into those hard places, they’re transformed from within. They become something beautiful; something that can make us better, that can become a gift. That’s what God wants f...

We will never understand our faith in a deep way unless we’re willing to grapple with the inseparable relationship between Jesus and the poor. A familiar, comfortable, “me and Jesus” faith is never enough. If we really want to walk with the Lord – if we really want to know him – then we have to walk with the poor, on the margins. In a country as large and as affluent as ours, it takes special care not to lose sight of the Gospel’s ...

Even a tiny mustard seed of faith, when lived out, can transform lives in ways we may never fully see. But rest assured that God works through our small acts to shape lives for eternity, often in ways hidden from us until the fullness of time. Be mindful of those who have inspired you in your walk with God, and go out and make a difference. Share your giftedness with the world and trust that God will take care of the rest.

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Christ showed us that suffering and death, hatred and violence, do not have the last word. He did so not by eliminating or fighting or destroying them, but by accepting and transforming them. That’s why we celebrate the cross: not because it is good, but because through the cross we have also received the power to transform suffering and death. When we respond to hatred with love and violence with peace, when we forgive those who d...

Putting Jesus first – yes, even above family – keeps everything in the right order and fills our lives with God's love and wisdom. This actually strengthens the love of spouses, families, and all of our relationships! Making Christ the top priority brings lasting peace and joy — but to do this, we must be deliberate about our priorities. May we all have the grace to rightly order our lives, let go of those possessions that posses u...