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When we read the lives of the saints it can appear like prayer comes so easily to them; almost as if they were soaking in a hot tub of grace. But then when we go to pray we are confronted with the harsh reality that “Prayer is HARD.” It can feel much more like struggling to swim laps in an Olympic sized pool.
In this video (8:15), Fr. Mike shares some wisdom from the fourth Pillar of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Our Life in Prayer.
Read moreIn these 43 minutes, you’ll learn:
How to begin to pray and where to start
Why prayer should happen daily
How to grow in our spiritual maturity through communication with the Lord
The word of God teaches us that our life on earth is warfare and the Lord reminds us that if we have decided to follow the Lord we must be prepared for combat. The Sacrament of Confirmation strengthens the Gifts of the Holy Spirit within our souls and transforms us into “Soldiers of Christ” the King. With the “Cristero” martyrs of Mexico our battle cry must be “Viva Cristo Rey”—long live Christ the King!
The devil exists, has keen intelligence (in a perverted way), is exceedingly sly and crafty, and is constantly at work and persistent in his work (temptations). However, God, Mary, His angels and saints are far more powerful than the devil. Two extremes must be avoided with respect to the devil. These were warnings given by the Servant of God Pope Paul VI. The first extreme to avoid is to deny that the devil exists. Indeed this is one of the tactics of the devil. On the other hand, we should never give the devil too much importance. Individuals, fearful alarmists, speak more of the power of the devil than of the Omnipotence of God Himself. Let us avoid the two extremes!
Read moreThe Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen describes hunger for the Eucharist --- In the Mass, the Words of the Gospel, in the Poor, and in our Common Prayer.. Christ is present, really present. While watching this 25 minute video, keep in mind that Archbishop Sheen passed away while adoring Christ in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.
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As I look at my children every night before going to bed, I wonder what their futures will be: what type of vocation they’ll have, what kind of relationship they’ll have with each other. I wonder what kind of relationship they’ll have with God. And then, as I slowly leave the room and quietly close the door, I realize that the answers to those questions are contingent upon me, their father.
As a Catholic father, I have even greater demands on me, and these expectations are something I must fulfill, particularly because I vowed to follow through at each of my children’s baptisms. Now I’m far from being the father of the year (I pray that our Lord will allow me to raise my children well everyday), but with Father’s Day coming up, I’ve been thinking about how fathers, and Catholic fathers in particular, need to be bold. What does it mean to be a good Catholic father in this day and age?
I only have about four years’ experience of being a father, so this may not be much that I’ve picked up, but here are four ways we as fathers can really live out our vocation in a heroic way. Because that’s what we’re called to do: to give a heroic witness to our children.
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Thank you for your generous support!
Thank you for your generous support!