Regnum Christi

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” – John 20: 19-23

 Sunday, the Feast of Pentecost, will be a glorious day.  We remember – and continue to experience – the remarkable gift of the Holy Spirit.

It is a gift I neither earned nor deserve.  But I accept it in faith and gratitude. Continue reading →

Picture: My kids with a team of Kenyan acrobats- funny how well they hit it off…..

In my 20 years of parenting I have gone through almost every possible clever method of Catholic child-rearing one could imagine. Most of them worked (for a while) to support the faith and values that we wanted to raise our kids with. Some were really creative, like saint card albums to create litanies for kids who can’t read yet, star charts for when a little ones does an act of virtue, representing the stars they will have when they receive their crown in heaven. Some were old-school, like regular confession, mass every Sunday (NO.MATTER.WHAT.) and praying the rosary. Continue reading →

   “The more the flower of humility blossoms in a soul, the greater is the good odor it imparts to her who possesses it, to those who behold her, and to those who are about her.” -Saint Teresa of Avila

Many years ago, I was at a board meeting with a large group of ladies.  Two new ladies had come that day and one came up to me afterwards and asked the name of a particular lady who sat close to her.  She said, “Fr. Michael, I could tell there was something different about this woman…she had a soft glow, a gentle smile, a profound peace…she only said a few words, but they had a huge impact on me.”  This woman truly was special and I believe that her daily Mass, regular adoration, strong devotion to Mary, and her authentic humility had a lot to do with it!

Our Lord asks us to pray constantly.  And deep inside, we long for that, for that peace and connection to him. Even if you’re a mom and its summertime.  So how do we reconcile that with the life He gives us and the “opportunities for self-giving” 24/7 in the summer time?

From 20 summers of experience with 6 kids, here is what works for me.  Lots of coffee dates, summer dance lessons, and double-checking my to-do list….

Continue reading →

In a couple days, Pope Francis and Donald Trump will meet face to face, person to person, two heavyweight approaching the center ring of international diplomacy.

I have been reading the advance predictions about what they will discuss and whether there will be sparks.  From what some writers suggest, this could be a titanic, awkward clash of irreconcilable differences.

Of course, the news media depend on conflict, so it won’t be much of a story if Francis and Trump get together, swap recipes, and tell family stories.  The press wants blood, and given the history of these two men, they have some reason to expect it. Continue reading →

“It’s a delight to have fallen into a friendship with this wonderful university…” – Curtis Martin

I skipped my college graduations, both undergraduate and graduate.  It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate the time and hard work that went into my sheepskins, but graduation was in a basketball arena with 10,000 other students, the program was boring and not going was an opportunity to be rebellious.

Times change.  And even a skeptic like me can show up for a graduation ceremony and have a wonderful time. Continue reading →

Archbishop Christophe Pierre

I DON’T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT PEOPLE LIKE ME AS A MEMBER – Groucho Marx

I have often recalled Groucho’s immortal words in a perverse sense when attending some sort of fancy event.  In my case, it has usually been more the case that I’m simply grateful to be in a beautiful place around beautiful people.  Whether or not I merit being there, I’m just grateful.

Put another way, I’m honored to be welcomed into a club to which I claim shaky membership. Continue reading →

Fr Vaughan Leslie

For a really good time, I likely wouldn’t join a room full of psychologists.

They might ask me open-ended questions and repeat my answers to verify.  Who knows what might be happening behind those wire-rimmed glasses?

So imagine my surprise when I enjoyed meeting a room full of folks who are graduating tomorrow from the Divine Mercy University, Institute for the Psychological Sciences Masters in Psychology program.

These almost graduates were excited to meet each other – in person.  They had met before, but only in the digital world.  This program is conducted entirely online, which means it can reach people who want to study and serve but could never go off to a far-off campus for a couple years.   Continue reading →

“The words printed here are concepts. You must go through the experiences.”  St. Augustine

The first time I jumped into the deep end of a swimming pool, my dad was in the water at a distance, but I had to swim out to him.  I had real fears of sinking to the bottom, of taking in water…but it all worked out.  This is the spiritual life…you need to jump in and commit, and little by little, you will experience the joy and freedom of flying across the water of life, being gently propelled by the grace of God. Trust in Christ, and take the plunge!!

Have you ever thought how sweet hope is? Imagine what it would be like to live without the smallest drop of hope. Unfortunately, many have done more than just imagine this. Our hearts should go out to them. It’s heart-rendingly tragic. Hope is key to living the present moment to the full. Animals don’t have it. They don’t look to the future. On the one hand, this frees them from anxieties about the uncertainties yet to come. On the other, they never enjoy the sweetness of hope.

“It is a peculiarity of man that he can only live by looking to the future—sub specie aeternitatis. And this is his salvation in the most difficult moments of his existence, although he sometimes has to force his mind to the task.” (Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning) Continue reading →