I sat in the darkness, praying in adoration with over one hundred high schoolers. The monstrance holding the Eucharist was a beautiful, golden cross surrounded by a table of candles and spotlights drawing your attention to Jesus in the center. As I gazed upon it, I was struck by the strength and beauty of the cross. This is not the cross that I envision when I hear that we are to pick up our crosses daily. The one that I see is rough, wooden, heavy, and harsh. But this one dr

Part Three of an eight-part series of reflections on Lent, Holy Week, and Easter. Holy Thursday is the celebration of the Last Supper: a Passover meal Jesus shared with his disciples. While this may seem like a minor detail, it is incredibly important. Each part of the meal – the lamb, the bread, the wine – was a significant part of the story of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt. The Lamb – The Passover lamb was eaten in remembrance of the unblemished lamb sacrificed on

Jesus spent forty days in the desert preparing for His ministry. Alone. No distractions, away from everything and everyone. I don't get the impression, though, that it was a planning session. He didn't spend the forty days creating a business plan, or a dream board, or even a mission statement. Instead He stripped away everything and was strengthened by it. Granted, Jesus had a pretty significant mission to accomplish, and needed some pretty significant preparation. But in ou

Local jeweler Stacy B has partnered with me to offer a beautiful necklace complimenting my Lenten study Walking Through Holy Week. The crown of thorns is a powerful piece to wear during Lent and beyond. I wear mine as a reminder of the love that Jesus has for me, a touchstone to remind me of the strength and power of that love and the forgiveness that came from His death and resurrection. Stacy offers a discount of 10% for my readers. Simply enter the promo code GRACE when yo

Part Two of an eight-part series of reflections on Lent, Holy Week, and Easter. Imagine with me that Pope Francis has been captured by ISIS, placed on trial, convicted, and publicly executed. The response of the world would be one of shock, horror, and outrage. Even thinking about it can make us uncomfortable. When we hear a similar story on Palm Sunday every year, do we feel the same? Have you ever truly understood that the events portrayed in Palm Sunday are real? Have you

Fasting is a traditional practice of Lent. We fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday by abstaining from snacks, and only eating small meals. On Fridays during Lent, we abstain from meat. Some people do a true fast of bread and water one day a week for Lent. If food is an issue for you, there are plenty of other things for fasting - phone, internet, your car, complaining, anything! What is the deal with all the fasting? It can seem like little more than a holy diet plan, don't

Happy Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday to everyone. What funnier way to start Lent, with its somber purple and lifeless floral arrangem

Part One of an eight-part series of reflections on Lent, Holy Week, and Easter. I held a piece of jewelry once in order to feel what the people around me were excited about. This solid-looking, beautiful, gold-link chain weighed absolutely nothing. You couldn’t tell by looking at it. In fact, you would never believe it if someone told you. It was only by physically holding it and feeling it that you could understand the truth of this necklace. It was almost like holding nothi

Walking Through Holy Week is available at Catholic Arts and Gifts, Zeiglers (at one of eight locations or online - http://bit.ly/2nwFYzD), and BookPeople. Stop by and grab a copy, and while you're at it, check out BookPeople's New and Noteworthy table!

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