What Are You Still Holding Onto?

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“Go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21).

I have heard the story of the Rich Young Man countless times. As a cradle Catholic, it is one of those Gospel passages that became familiar to me at an early age. For years, though, I mostly interpreted Jesus’ words in terms of material possessions.

The young man was wealthy. Jesus told him to sell what he owned. The lesson seemed straightforward: Don’t become too attached to your stuff.

There is truth to that interpretation. But the older I get, the more I realize Jesus’ invitation goes deeper. Christ asks the young man to surrender whatever prevents him from following God completely.

And that is a much more challenging request.

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Letting God’s Love Flow: Becoming Vessels of Christ’s Light

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Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

A reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 18:15-20

Dear Friends in Christ,

Let me begin with a story from not so long ago, yet one that shines as a living parable of the light and love of God. Saint Teresa of Calcutta—known to the world as Mother Teresa—walked the crowded, dusty streets of her city, gathering the dying, the abandoned, and the forgotten into her arms.

When others averted their eyes or crossed to the other side, she knelt down, touched the wounds of the suffering, and looked into their faces with a tenderness that could only have come from God. She saw, in each broken body and lost soul, the face of Jesus Himself. The love she poured out was not her own, but God’s love moving through her—her hands became His hands, her words became the whispers of Christ’s mercy, her heart beat with the steady, patient love of the Holy Spirit. The world saw her as extraordinary, but what she did was simple: she let God enter her heart, and in doing so, she let God’s love flow out to everyone she met.

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Exploring the Cellars of the Soul

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Editor’s note: Article originally published on April 11, 2017.

I mentioned this analogy a few weeks ago when referring to the spiritual life, but I like the tangibility of it so I will mention it again. Saint Teresa of Avila likened the soul and its journey in the spiritual life to the navigation through a large a castle whereby our soul consists of several mansions. When I talked about this image with my parish’s discipleship group, I half-joked that I not only have mansions I need to order but also lots of “cellars of my soul” I need to examine and clean out.

Teresa of Avila

Save the Best Wine

On a serious note, I firmly believe there are many cellars within my soul I need to discover and maintain. A common definition of cellar means “of the lowest rank or grade”. Another usage of the word cellar is in relation to place where wine is stored. I have never actually lived in or owned a home with a cellar. However, I have tasted wine and I have experienced years where my favorite sports team resided in the cellar of the league standings.

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The Simple Catholic Sunday Funnies: Episode 39

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Welcome to another The Simple Catholic Sunday Funnies! Growing up, one of my favorite parts of Sunday was flipping to the comics section of the newspaper: a little pocket of humor, color, and light-heartedness to start the week.

Now, in that same spirit, I’m excited to share this weekly collection of wholesome, funny Catholic comic strips. Thanks to the incredible talents of artists like Father Alvaro Comics, The Catholic Cartoonist, Sam Estrada, Tomics, and Fr. Michael DeBlanc. These comics bring a joyful twist to our shared faith, reminding us that laughter is one of God’s great gifts.

Enjoy Catholic comics!

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Re-Gaining a Sense of Voyage in Life

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Editor’s Note: Article originally published on October 18, 2018.

As a child I had a fascination with maps, geography, and the idea of being on a quest. My favorite books to read as a kid included the famous Greek epic The Odyssey and the Redwall Series by English author Brian Jacques. Both included a sense of adventure whereby the main character(s) trekked across dangerous terrain and met obstacles to overcome (external and internal struggles) before arriving at their destination towards the end of the story. The word odyssey means journey, pilgrimage, or trek.

As a father of four [one is in utero!], I am able to reacquaint myself with the sense of life as a voyage. Frequently, I lose sight of reality as the flood of daily temptations, confusion, and struggles assail me. My 5-year-old daughter definitely got her penchant for atlases from me. Almost every day, she asks me, “Daddy! Can you please get me paper and markers for me to make a map?!” Cartography reigns supreme in my household—especially on rainy days!

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All About Saint Hubertus: His Story from Sin to Salvation

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Guest Post from The Shield of St. Hubertus

Who do you think of when you think of the Catholic Saints? Perhaps the Apostle St. John, the great martyrs of Saint Peter, Paul, and Cecilia? Or maybe the greatest Saint of all: St. Mary, the Mother of God? But how about the smaller ones, who few know about? They lived a Godly life, and yet are largely unknown. St. Hubertus of Liège is one of these. While not an Apostle, martyr, or God-Bearer, his life has important lessons for all, especially those who struggle with sin.

Hubertus had it all:

St. Hubertus (656-727 A.D.) was born in Toulouse, present day France to a noble family, and was heir to much Earthly wealth and power. He had world-class education, good military training, strong intelligence, and plenty of leisure time that comes with a noble life. In addition, as typical of young noblemen, he found a passion: the hunt, or la chasse, at a young age. Being his primary activity, his religious devotion dwindled, with him instead spending all of his days in the woods and fields, hunting and trapping. He would even hunt on Holy Days, a major offense to God.

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