Advancing from high school to college should be a monumental step in a child’s life. It is seen, rightfully so, as another large step forward into maturity, independence and adulthood. But what about your child’s path to sainthood? Is the college they are attending fostering that growth? To young men and women who value their soul, entering college is like stepping into the Lion’s Den.
It’s the first Friday in Lent, and we all know what that means – salads, grilled cheese sandwiches, tunafish, pasta, and probably a McFish or two. We all know that Fridays in Lent mean we have to abstain from meat. But do we know why?
Like I mentioned before, Lent is more than just giving up chocolate. Two great Catholic websites are have the same message for you. Matthew Kelly from dynamiccatholic.com and the folks over at uCatholic.com want help you grow as much as possible between now and Easter. You can sign up at each website for a special Lenten program sent to you each day via email. And honestly, they both look great. And since they are free you should sign up for both!
Going to Confession is a great way to kick Lent off life a champ. If it’s been a while for you than even better! Fr. Mike and Ascension Press have put together this great video explaining what Confession is all about – and more importantly what it isn’t.
Lent is right around the corner, and if you are like me your first reaction is something akin to grumbling. Batten down the hatches, here comes Lent! Immediately my mind regrets the loss of whatever it is I’m going to give up. Chocolate? Dunkin Donuts? Soda? – It’s all too horrible to imagine.
But hold up for a second. Rather than look at Lent as a chore, I encourage you to look at it as a leader. First and foremost, Lent is about reconnecting with our Lord and strengthening our spiritual life with Him. As leaders, don’t get stuck thinking about how Lent is going to be a burden for you. In fact, don’t think about you at all. Ask yourself – how can this time be used to strengthen the spiritual lives of those around me, like my loved-ones?
In “The Way of the Wild at Heart” John Eldredge explained that every man is called by God to be a King like Christ. Our calling is to serve and lead in a way that strengthens, supports, and lifts-up the people around us. They are our kingdom. This task is both a great honor and a great responsibility.
[This video is graphic and mature. It is not recommended for children.]
The most recent controversy concerning the undercover videos taken at Planned Parenthood has been all over the news. As a nation, we’ve been arguing whether or not this company sold baby parts for profit. But the greater issue revealed in those videos is the fact that we have baby parts to sell. A lot of baby parts.
If the abortion industry is OK – than it is OK to value children more for their organs than for their whole being. Are humans disposable? Recyclable?
This is a mature video. If you are mature enough to have an opinion on the issue, than you are mature enough to watch this.
“The average boy will spend more time watching television by the time he turns 6 years old than he will spend talking to his father over the course of his entire earthly life.”
From Bishop Olmsted’s apostolic exhortation “Into the Breach,” and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix comes this 10 minute, documentary-style short film that seeks to create awareness of a crisis in masculinity found in today’s society.
If you’ve read the original exhortation, you understand what a welcome gift it is. Please watch this video with your family, pray for your children, and share it with your friends.
St. Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975) was a passionate champion of Christ. His work and his writings have brought many souls to Christ. He has an earnest, plain-as-day style that is easy to ready and understand. His life work is very inspiring, and is well worth learning.
Today I would like to draw your attention to one book in particular, The Forge, written by Escriva in order to inspire his fellow priests and lay people to a deeper love of Christ and His mission. Like many of Escriva’s other writings, The Forge is formatted as a list of thoughts. Each chapter organizes the thoughts together under a certain theme. Because of this format, reading the book is like having Escriva himself there in the room giving you really good advice.
The Forge contains 1055 points for meditation, arranged in thirteen chapters. Many of these points, written down for the most part in the 1930’s by the founder of Opus Dei, refer to events in the author’s own life, although they are usually related in the third person.
This weekend, I welcome you to read the first chapter of The Forge. It’s available online here.
iPieta is one of the best apps available for Catholics. It may not be the only app you’ll ever need, but if you had to pick just one the sheer volume of content available in iPieta makes it a worthy choice.
There are many apps that focus on very niche uses. For instance there are many rosary apps, many bible apps, and many apps that list thousands of prayers. All of these are very useful. Where iPieta succeeds is that it’s all of these things and much, much more.
Already up to speed with the current Synod of the Families, and want to skip to Cardinal Sarah’s awesome speech? Click here.
[From the USCCB] The Synod is an assembly of bishops from around the world who assist the Holy Father by providing counsel on important questions facing the Church in a manner that preserves the Church’s teaching and strengthens her internal discipline.
[From the Archdiocese of Vancuver] Pope Francis has announced an Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for October 2015 on topics related to the family and evangelization. The Oct. 4-25 synod will have the theme: “The vocation and mission of the family in the church and the modern world.”
In short, a large amount of Bishops from around the world are gathering together to discuss the topic of the family, including what the church teaches about the family, and more importantly how bishops and priests around the world can better support the family. It is important to remember that while the Synod is a serious and important event, the bishops themselves can not change Church doctrine. Only the Pope can do that. And in reality he can only really declare what is already true. He can’t actually change anything.