This past Sunday, I arrived at Mass carrying more than I realized.
Actually, we arrived six or seven minutes late, which isn’t exactly the peaceful beginning to Mass that every Catholic parent dreams about. But my stress had started before we even left home.
My wife had given me some unexpected news about her student loans. She is a public school teacher and has been working toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness. We had expectations about how things would go, but the news we received didn’t match those expectations.
Immediately, my mind started calculating: money, bills, food, gas, and the future.
I had already allowed myself to become anxious at times this year over rising food and fuel prices. Now another financial uncertainty had been thrown into the mix, and my mind was tired.
I teach part-time, freelance as a writer, work part-time in sales for a Catholic comic book company, and run The Simple Catholic. With ADHD, ideas also tend to arrive faster than I can organize them.
Sometimes it feels like I am juggling a dozen balls at once while someone keeps tossing more into the air. Creativity is a gift, but without prayer and proper rest, even gifts can become exhausting.
I knew I needed God, but I didn’t expect how persistently He would remind me of His presence throughout that Mass.
Editor’s note: Article originally published on September 11, 2019.
Gratitude is everything. Everything in this life originates proceeds through gratitude. I am incredibly grateful to have lived through a tornado and only have water in the basement it’s not even that much water.
According to Blessed Solanus Casey, “Gratitude is the first sign of a thinking, rational creature.” Thankfulness breeds kindness, productivity, and leads to reciprocity between individuals. Ingratitude walls us off from others. The primary culprit of ingratitude is selfishness—pride. Pride suffocates us. It kills us. Gratitude is the oxygen by which we breathe in blessedness and breathe out all other virtues.
Suffocation through Selfishness
I’ve been so selfish. Jealous. Of others’ successes over mine. I worry. I’m anxious. I doubt. I despair. Why? Because of I have not double downed on gratitude. I failed to always puts the big scope, the greater picture, in front of me. Life is like a mural. If you look at it too closely or only in portions you see ugliness.
Gratitude allows us to see our lives as chapter of a grander story. A good story. A beautiful story. A true story. I did not intend to write this post I don’t even know how these words are forming in my mind this is just me talking it out my feelings my gratitude now my sincere regret for being selfish and ungrateful. I’m just an instrument these are not my own words. These are His words.
Growth with Gratitude
I’ve been crying tears of joy this whole time I’ve been composing this post. That’s just so crazy for me to think about. The last day and a half I’ve experienced tangibility with the divine I can’t describe in words. But I do know that I am thankful. I am thriving since being more intentionally grateful.
It is both frightening and joyful. Have you ever had such an experience that is indescribable?
Please share your indescribable experiences and how you maintain a grateful attitude in the comments.
Perhaps we know someone like Thomas—or perhaps part of his story is our own.
Thomas had made choices that hurt those he loved and carried him away from God. Though he continued with daily life, his heart felt empty. He wondered whether God could still want him.
Then a friend noticed his pain. Instead of judging him, the friend listened, helped him, and prayed for him. This kindness gave Thomas hope. He began to pray again: “Jesus, if you are still there, help me.”
In time, Thomas returned to Mass and made his first confession in many years. As he heard the words of absolution, a heavy burden began to lift. In the Eucharist, he met Jesus not as a distant figure, but as a living and merciful friend.
His life did not become perfect overnight. Yet through kindness, prayer, and the sacraments, his wounded spirit began to heal. Thomas discovered that Jesus knew everything about him and still loved him. By God’s grace, his spirit was alive again.
Today, September 24, 2026, is a historic day for Catholics as Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen is beatified. His remarkable ability to communicate timeless truths with clarity, wit, and warmth has inspired generations of Catholics, and his writings have had a profound influence on my own faith.
As the Church celebrates Blessed Fulton Sheen, I wanted to revisit this post and share some of my favorite passages from his beautiful book, The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God. May his wisdom help us grow in love for the Blessed Mother and, through her, draw ever closer to Jesus Christ.
Archbishop Sheen once said, “God does not love us because we are valuable. We are valuable because God loves us.” His wit and wisdom always brings me comfort and keeps my intellect sharp as well. I believe that Sheen’s close relationship with God is a major factor in allowing him to write about the faith in such a way that draws others [like myself] deeper to the Truth of the Gospel.
One of the best book on Mary I’ve ever read!
A few years ago, I wrote an article for Catholicstand.com called Mary—Perfect Reflection of Christ’s Light and the American bishop provided to be a great inspiration on this subject. Below I want to share inspirational and rich theological quotes from Sheen’s The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God. I hope you find his words both enjoyable to read and insightful to the Catholic faith!
“She existed in the Divine Mind as an Eternal Thought before there were any mothers. She is the Mother of mothers—she is the world’s first love.”
“The mark of man is initiative, but the mark of woman is cooperation. Man talks about freedom; woman about sympathy, love, sacrifice. Man cooperates with nature; woman cooperates with God. Man was called to till the earth, to “rule over the earth”; woman to be the bearer of a life that comes from God.”
“The Gospels did not start the Church; the Church started the Gospels. The Church did not come out of the Gospels; the Gospels came out of the Church.”
“As Eden was the Paradise of Creation, Mary is the Paradise of the Incarnation, and in her as a Garden were celebrated the first nuptials of God and man.”
“The love of God is reflected in the soul of the just, as the light of the sun is magnified by a mirror. So Mary’s Son is the Sun; for she is the moon.”
“God, Who made the sun, also made the moon. The moon does not take away from the brilliance of the sun. The moon would be only a burnt-out cinder floating in the immensity of space, were it not for the sun. All its light is reflected from the sun. The Blessed Mother reflects her Divine Son; without Him, she is nothing. With Him, she is the Mother of Men. On dark nights we are grateful for the moon; when we see it shining, we know there must be a sun. So in this dark night of the world when men turn their backs on Him Who is the Light of the World, we look to Mary to guide their feet while we await the sunrise.”
Blessed Fulton Sheen had a remarkable gift for making the mysteries of the Catholic faith both understandable and beautiful. His words about Mary remind us that authentic devotion to the Blessed Mother never ends with her; like the moon reflecting the light of the sun, Mary always points us toward her Son.
As we celebrate Sheen’s beatification, may his witness inspire us to seek Christ with the same joy, conviction, and love that marked his life. Blessed Fulton Sheen, pray for us!
When I started The Simple Catholic, I simply wanted to share my love for the Catholic faith and help make its beauty a little easier for others to understand. Over the years, God has opened doors for this little corner of the internet in ways that I never could have anticipated.
That is why I am grateful to share that Feedspot has once again recognized The Simple Catholic as one of its Top 100 Catholic Blogs on the web for 2026 . I am humbled by the recognition, but even more grateful for every person who has read, shared, commented on, or been encouraged by something I have written.
Editor’s Note: Article originally published on January 5th, 2021.
Hate is not truly the opposite of love. It’s actually indifference.
At least with hate you are invested in the subject, person, or thing you despise. There exists a relationship. Granted the relationship is bad. But a relationship still.
Indifference involves complete detachment from a person, subject, or thing.
Indifferent people don’t care.
Such individuals only view the world for how much pleasure they can gain from it.
Indifference leads to boredom. Boredom leads to further apathy.
A vicious circle of falling further from the Truth—that we were meant to love.
Love God, others, and ourselves.
What is the remedy for indifference?
Humility. Think less of yourself.
Start small. Try to do one thing today that inconveniences you, but helps another.
Take down the wall of indifference in your life brick by brick. 🧱
And rebuilt your life on the True Cornerstone— Jesus!
