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Is Praying for Others a Waste of Time?
Spending your prayers on strangers: Isn’t that wasteful? I find it relatively easy to pray for those I love or those who have asked for my prayers. But, have…
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How God Uses Our Poverty
The other night, I went into my weekly holy hour slot entirely spent. On this particular night, despite feeling completely spent and alone with my exhaustion, frustrations, and poverty, I…
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Making New Friends (Some Tips for Grown-Ups)
Do you remember that feeling of the first few days of a school year? The crisp, fresh feeling of back-to-school clothes; the stiff click of opening a new pencil case;…
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Confident Expectation: The Renewal of the Church will be Slow (Part 2/2)
This is part 2 of a 2-part series. View Part 1 here. Recently, Pope Francis addressed this reality in his Angelus address. In sowing, no matter how good or…
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Confident Expectation: The Renewal of the Church will be Slow (Part 1/2)
Would we instantly renew the Church if we could snap our fingers and make every Mass-attending Catholic a mature missionary disciple? How long would it take for Mass attendance to…
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A Reflection on the National Eucharistic Congress
I was sitting in the speaker/bishop section of Lucas Oil Stadium, debating what to do. I had just watched Fr. Mike Schmitz and a small powerhouse nun, Mother Olga of…
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What is a Rule of Life?
In recent years, many Christians, especially evangelical Protestants, have discovered the power and beauty of living according to a prayerfully chosen “rule of life” (see, for example: You Are What…
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How Can I Pray at All Times?
In a number of places in the Bible, we are exhorted to pray to God without ceasing (Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18, to name a few). But how…
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Being in Control – Is It Overrated?
Ever since I was a kid I liked responsibility: oldest child, straight-A student, precocious, and reliable—I rarely disappointed. I take pleasure in a job done well, done right. And if…
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Being Mindful of Others: The Mystery of Self-Forgetfulness
A theme has been haunting me on and off for a few months now in my prayer. I find myself calling it the “mystery of self-forgetfulness.” For context: I’m a…
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