It can be debated how faithful Americans have been to President Washington’s vision, but in any event it should be noted that the virtues he outlined aren’t good and necessary because they’re American; Washington extolled them as American ideals because they were first good and necessary. Indeed, truth, justice, peace, and harmony transcend not only the United States, but humanity itself. They are attributes of God himself. 

Saints are people who lead “heroically virtuous” lives worthy of imitation. That need not be grandiose; in fact, it usually isn’t.

I’m very grateful for the opportunity to explore subjects that matter with fellow curious Catholics, and I invite you to listen in on our conversation!

One of the most beautiful aspects of our educational ministry is its interwovenness with everything else. Done right, education is the process of becoming oneself in every facet of being - mind, body, heart, and soul.

Life is like that sometimes. God calls us to leave the familiar for the unknown, and we feel the sacrifice in all the littlest ways. But we, too, can dry our eyes, put our fears aside, and trust in him. Without fail, he will guide us to where we’ve been called.

These months can be harsh and hazardous, but they’re also an opportunity to contemplate anew the unrepeatable beauty of God’s creation. If he so loves and carefully crafts each of the one septillion snow crystals that fall through the air each winter, how much more does he love and craft each one of us, the creatures who bear his very image and likeness?

When we prioritize authentic relationship with God and neighbor, we open our lives to “magi moments,” those grace-filled times when we catch a glimpse of God’s plan and are drawn deeper into his mystery.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were united in their unwavering commitment to God’s will. They loved one another deeply because their first love was God. This God-centered, divinely inspired, charity is the key to peace and harmony in every family.

May this sacred celebration renew our spirits and deepen our love for one another.

Lessons and Carols is a traditional Christian service that combines scripture readings and festive hymns to celebrate the story of Christ’s birth.

By preparing our hearts to receive Jesus as John did, we ready ourselves to become generation-changing saints too: where the world clamors for retribution, we show forgiveness; where there’s an appetite for darkness, we bear the light; and where there’s hatred, we love like John.

(But) Advent is a time for choosing. When Jesus comes to us, will our hearts be heavy and lethargic? Or will they be light and swift to respond? 

It would have boggled the Roman mind, and very often we don’t grasp it much better. But the simple fact is that in Jesus’s kingdom to reign is to love, even if it costs everything.

If we are to inherit the life of God himself, we can’t wait. We must live into his will right now, and every moment thereafter.

But as the story of the widow’s mite makes clear, generosity is not primarily about the size of the gift; rather, it’s about the disposition of heart with which the gift is given.

We’re desperate to get it right - to find the words that will unite us once and for all with God and each other. In true Jesus-fashion, he gives even more than was asked for: not just one, but two great commandments. And his answer is what it always is: love.

Perhaps above all, saints don’t wait. They understand that now is the time to serve, now is the time to love, now is the time for all on Earth to be as it is in Heaven.

Jesus makes very clear in today’s Gospel that service is his whole reason for being.

But before that makes us sad, and before we walk away from the whole thing, we should keep this in mind: the things that appear to be of absolute necessity from our vantage point are often nothing more than grains of sand from God’s vantage point.

Think about the people you struggle to love most, and then remember that Jesus has stopped at nothing to be one with them too. Are we called to anything less?