I never imagined that God would use my theatre degree to save my life. Since I received my acting and directing training before Method Acting got its current bad reputation, I was trained in what’s called Stanislavski’s Method, which involves a number of exercises an...
I recently discovered that the word “celebration” comes from the Latin root celebrare, which implies groups of people assembling together for the purpose of honor and praise. This is why we as Catholics say that we “celebrate the sacraments.” Celebration by its very...
How can each gift of the Holy Spirit help us stay sober in our recovery as well as grow closer to the Lord? As Saint Thomas Aquinas illuminated, God helps humanity in its process of perfection with particular habits. These habits or instincts enable us to transcend...
Starting back on June 19th, 2022 (the Feast of Corpus Christi), the Catholic Bishops of the United States began a call to action for a national “grassroots effort” for members of the Church—Christ’s Body—to place the Holy Eucharist at the center of our lives. You can...
I’m definitely not the first person to compare sin to weeds in a garden. But a recent weekend of helping pull weeds at my in-laws led me to contemplate just how apt the analogy is to our own spiritual lives and recovery. Sins are like weeds in our lives because they...
Stepping over the threshold into the rooms of recovery is one of the hardest things many of us will ever do. By God's grace, we muster up the courage to admit our powerlessness and surrender ourselves and life to a fellowship of recovery. By living sober, we realize...
In my opinion, after the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the second greatest sacrament for Catholics. It allows us to grow closer to God and helps us receive the many graces God wants to pour out over us. Confidentiality is also guaranteed. Many...
A few weeks ago, my wife and I were talking about the messiness of my relationship with my mom, and a video I had recently watched online popped into my head. The video began with sentimental background music and captions explaining the circumstances of a family: the...
Rule 1 of St. Ignatius’ “rules of discernment” stands alone in many ways, describing the experience of one who is moving in the wrong direction, away from God, and towards vice and sin. In a modern sense, this first rule also describes those of us who are diving into...
In his book Change or Die, Alan Deutschman details the three phases required to undergo lasting change in our lives: relate, repeat, and reframe. This is also what we do to find healing and freedom in recovery. We relate to others by joining a recovery community that...