The joy of conversion, Christian community, and the Catholic faith
Congratulations to Patricia-Cullen-Sanford, the winner of an autographed copy of my upcoming book, Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story. We held the drawing at the 2018 Dallas Ministry Conference (DMC). It draws 8,000 to 10,000 clergy, religious and ministers from parishes and schools in the Diocese of Dallas and the North Texas area. Earlier I wrote...
Featured on NewEvangelizers.com Most Christians are really atheists who feel trapped in their family’s religion. They need not be Christian to enjoy the holiday season. This cynical explanation is how David Silverman, president of American Atheists, rationalized the giant billboard in Times Square. Images of Santa and Jesus encourage the huge crowd of shoppers to...
There it was printed on a carry-on bag: “Keep Calm and Carry On.” I was fascinated with it and visually followed it past me in the airport. After a glorious time during a quick three-day trip to attend my daughter’s grad school commencement, we said a sad goodbye outside the airport. Soon after she pulled...
Five years ago I wrote this first post on JOYAlive.net. Celebrate a half decade of blogging with me! The ceremony was awesome with the crowd cheering loudly and stomping their feet from different areas of the gym as each of the 410 high school graduates received their diploma. All the expected components were there: the...
Have you ever been grateful for something negative that happened to you? Well, maybe not while it’s happening. A friend of mine is a classic doting grandmother. Nothing fills her with joy more than a visit from her little grandson, who lives hundreds of miles away. She talks about nothing else before, during and after...
Before Pentecost, the disciples were fearful orphans subject to their whims of the moment. Sad and grieving without Jesus, they lacked self-direction and self-motivating guidance. He was their protector who promised to stay with them always. Then the mighty rushing wind of the Holy Spirit breathed into them a divine life of spiritual maturity. After...
“Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence.” (1 Peter 3:15,16) When we are baptized we are commissioned as evangelists. We grow into this role with God’s grace through the sacraments, prayer, blessings and crisis that strengthen us....