The Hopeful Millennial

Over the last two months our faith has been challenged probably in a way that it never had previously in our lifetimes. Certainly it has left us with mixed emotions and struggles of how practicing our faith has changed. In order for us to grow, it is important for us to reflect on how our faith has been impacted and, more importantly, what are we going to do as we move forward?  Over the next few weeks, we will start to see the state reopen, including the return to the public celebration of the Mass. I know we all have been longing for the return of this opportunity. I want to remind all of us that the heartbeat of the Church never stopped. The Mass never stopped being said by our religious across the globe. Many churches allowed you to still go in for private prayer and in some places Adoration. While we all miss the Sacraments and being able to receive Our Lord in the Eucharist, the fact remains that our Church is alive and well. Our priests (and their staff members) are doing th...

Over the two last months we’ve spent more time than ever in separation from one another and from the Eucharist, the Source and Summit of our Faith. Over the last week, I have gotten some feedback from our young people and the struggles they’ve been dealing with in their spiritual lives. Struggles we probably all can relate too.  As I went to write this reflection I found myself thinking about the seasons we go through in our spiritual lives. We have seasons where our faith is on fire, we have seasons where we move easily through it and it doesn’t require a lot of effort, and then we have seasons where even praying the Our Father seems like it is the biggest struggle in the world, let alone going to Mass and living out our Catholic faith.  What do we do then? Maybe this is where you find yourself now. Being at home and unable to physically access the Sacraments has tested you in a way you couldn’t have imagined. Over my life, I know I have never experienced my faith being refin...

I grew up watching classic 90’s television, which included one of my all time favorite shows, Boy Meets World. There were some incredibly powerful episodes on the show as we watched our favorite trio grow up under the always caring eye of the teacher Mr. Feeny. In the finale of the series, Mr. Feeny left his students (and all of us) with some final words of wisdom, “Believe in yourselves. Dream. Try. Do good.” Over the last several weeks I have watched the world start to pull itself back together and we all have an opinion on when and how things should happen. We’re struggling with wanting our lives back. Yet, I have also seen more people come together to do good and protect the most vulnerable among us. We’ve had people step up and make masks and PPE for those who can’t or those who need it in the healthcare field. We’ve had donations come in for the Team Kentucky Fund and other organizations to help provide for the people in our state. We’ve had volunteers to pick up groceries ...

Stop. Right this second, just stop. Take a breath. Maybe close your eyes for a moment and breathe. This time of trial can very easily overwhelm us; often we forget to stop and breathe. We get caught up with everything that we have to do for work, for school, or for our families, even in the midst of this pandemic. Our minds race because we are so worried about what is going to happen in the next weeks, or months. Our hearts ache for all the things we are losing this year and all the end of school year traditions our young people won’t get to experience. Our souls are longing for peace and so we are restless. Almost a month ago, I wrote my first reflection and I quoted St. Augustine. I think today that quote still holds true, maybe even more so. “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." I am the first to admit the struggles of balancing working from home full time with my three year old son. I miss seeing our young people, c...

Resurrexit, Sicut Dixit, Alleluia!  He has risen, as He said, Alleluia! Greetings to all those who read this blog. I hope your Easter was filled with love, laughter, and the remembrance of Christ’s fulfillment of His promise! However you celebrated, dressed up or in pjs, delivery or home cooked food, big traditions or little ones, I hope it was a joyous day. This week of the Octave of Easter is a wonderful reminder that Christ’s resurrection was simply the beginning of the next chapter in the story. Death was not the end. Suffering was not the end. The darkest times the Disciples had ever lived through in their lives may have seemed like the end, but God was just getting started. The death of Christ is not the end of the story,  rather it is the start of a new beginning. I know it is easy to question our suffering in the midst of everything going on. When we reflect back on the Gospels from Holy Week, we see how God allowed His Son to suffer in the most horrendous ways ...

Tomorrow starts the beginning of the Easter Triduum. A sacred celebration of the summit of our Liturgical Year and the time for us to journey together in Christ’s Paschal Mystery. Holy Thursday or the Mass of the Lord’s Supper reminds of us of our call to be servant leaders. In John 13:14-15, Jesus tells his disciples, “If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you out to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” Reflecting on Christ’s words, we should ask ourselves how we can serve the vulnerable and the least of these during this time. Our usual ways to serve others have been dramatically changed; however, we can still answer the call to serve those around us. Write letters, sew masks, decorate the sidewalk with positive chalk art, stay healthy at home, video chat, pick up groceries for your neighbors who can’t get out, leave a surprise package on someone’s doorstep, or flood social media ...