Catholic Journal

Regarding Fraternal Correction

Arguably the most difficult challenge to our salvation is the call to forgiveness. Be merciful...

Things Are Never Quite As They Seem

In 1896 a German immigrant to the United States, a man named Emmanuel Ninnger, paid for his...

All Essays

Jesus’ Cherished Possession

…since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12) What a wonderful statement uttered by St. Paul! It should become the template of our relationship with Christ. There are two basic ways...

The Power of Praise

It starts with the reality of the question, “What is praise?” For most of us, we think praise is being thankful. It is not! Being thankful is a byproduct of praise, but it is not praise.  Praise describes the...

Her Name was Maria

Once I read a saying that really encapsulates what I would like to say: Life is full of surprises. Embrace the unexpected and find the joy in every moment.  This has been the experience I went through when my...

Jesus Reveals the Father’s Heart

While it is comforting and reassuring to know from the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32) that God’s love for us is such that we are guaranteed a safety net of grace were we to stray and become “big time...

Time is a Valuable Gift

Time is a very valuable gift given to us by the Lord. He is the owner of the vineyard where our “fig tree” is growing. It would be absurd to expect the fig tree to determine when its time is up. (Luke 13:1-9)  That...

It’s Not Too Late to Start Lent

I was Confirmed as a Catholic during the summer of 1996. My first Lent, the following year, was something I joyfully anticipated. I spent many hours praying about what I would “give up” in order to unite myself more...