On September 1, 2017, I made my final promise with the Paulist Fathers, promising to live the rest of my life as a member of...
This summer, I finally got around to cleaning up the tall bookshelf in my office overflowing with books and binders. I soon...
When I was a kid, there were nights at the dinner table when my dad would get quiet and start staring off into the distance. My...
When I first heard that the Catholic Bishops in the United States were calling for a three-year Eucharistic Revival for belief...
When I was a 4-year-old in 1969, I would stay with Mrs. Stack, an elderly neighbor, on weekdays after pre-school. Mrs. Stack’s...
As a teacher, the start of the school year means many things: student documents to read, a classroom to unpack, and an inbox...
A few years ago, during a Saturday session of my doctoral class called “Critical Issues in Educational Leadership,” we compared...
So many times when I come to prayer, I have a list of all the things I want God to fix in my life — my temper, my relationship...
I distinctly remember the day I sat in my junior English class after returning from Christmas break. My teacher asked us what...
“Here, try these on and see what you think.” Handing a pair of red gym shoes to my oldest, I fully expected him to quickly lace...
Ah, back-to-school season. The time of year that most students (teachers?) dread and all parents rejoice. It’s also the time...
We all have our favorite saints, and I’m no different. I have a few I turn to frequently whose stories have spoken to my heart....
Last year, I was sprawled on my bed, enjoying a day of rest after some long days of teaching. “Gilmore Girls” was my latest TV...
We are told to honor our mother and father…but what about our grandparents? Well they get a special shout-out today, in the...
I stepped through the door of the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) trembling. When I found my daughter’s son, Allen Joseph, I...
How do I invite coworkers to think about fair trade, recycling, and other everyday social justice issues? There are a...
“Pass those plates down to the food disposal,” Grandpa would inevitably boom at the end of each meal, scraping sandwich crusts...
Being a Catholic parent with young kids is one of the greatest blessings, but taking them to Mass on Sundays can often feel...
“Will you take care of my car for me after I’m gone?” My father asked me while we sat in my sister’s living room. I didn’t know...
As a medical missionary, following God’s call from Texas to Tanzania required a lot of preparation. I read books, studied...
Imagine a moment of complete free fall. If you have ever experienced that jolt in your gut, that razor chill throughout your...
It seems that every year around this time I’m inspired to write about renewal and fresh starts. That’s not surprising, of...
I drink my morning coffee with milk. For some reason, I can barely stand drinking it without. One rainy evening I’m at home on...
Easter is more than just one day, and Father Dave welcomes back Catholic speaker Mari Pablo to share how she is celebrating all...
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I began to suffer a deep depression, unlike anything I had known previously. I’m a...
The events of Good Friday are violent, to put it mildly. The crucifixion of Jesus and all the events leading up to it are...
I remember the first time I attended services at my church for the entire Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. I...
My first experience with Eucharistic Adoration occurred in sixth grade at my Catholic elementary school when my homeroom...
Often referred to as “the best-kept secret of the Church,” Catholic Social Teaching is central to our Christian faith,...
“I get nothing out of Mass.” How many times have we heard someone utter this dilemma? Depending on my mood, my mind bounces to...
My friend Madison once told me how in prayer, she’ll request signs from God — really specific signs. “God, if I’m supposed to...
I remember reading through the letters of St. Paul in college and being struck by a line that had never really stood out to me...
As our family prepared for vacation one year, we were consumed with checklists and activities. While helping my daughter into...
The book of Proverbs may have been written centuries ago for an agrarian Middle Eastern society, but its wisdom isn’t bound by...
Attention! Christmas is NOT over! January 1, we celebrate the second most significant feast of the Christmas season: The...
Patience. None of us have as much as we need. We all need it. The lead singer of Guns N’ Roses, Axl Rose, even sang about it....
The whole holiday season, my sons (4-year-old twins and a 6-year-old) were excited not only about Christmas gifts, but also...
On the grounds of Elmhurst University in Illinois, there is a beautiful, white chapel. I am waiting there for my spiritual...
Singing in Latin, genuflecting at Sunday Mass, and celibate priests — quintessential Catholic stuff, right? WRONG-O! (I know....
Having emerged from your tryptophan-induced stupor, you awoke on Friday to the triumphant proclamation that it is Christmas....
No matter how servant-hearted we are, it’s all too common for our altruistic efforts to come screeching to a halt once little...
When I was a nominal Catholic, I liked to pretend that I knew a lot about Catholicism. Realistically, I knew slightly less than...
The Catholic theologian Gerald O’Collins, S.J., has called the writings of the prophet Isaiah “the fifth gospel.” By this he...
If you’re like me, the beauty and deep meaning of Advent can get away from you awfully fast. One minute you’re lighting that...
World Youth Day, recently held in Portugal, showcases how the Church is alive with young adults celebrating their faith, but...
I have a confession to make. I am horrible at fasting. Epically horrible. My Lenten fast usually devolves into me eating...
It’s tradition in Polish culture to pay tribute to deceased loved ones with frequent visits to their gravesites, especially on...
Praying for the dead can be a helpful part of the grieving process, but it’s also part of Catholic tradition to pray for those...
I’ve never really been one to put much stock into what the proverbial crowd thinks or does. When it seemed that my entire...
While I’m not sure if I believe in the cliche of “love at first sight” as far as human relationships go, I’ve definitely fallen...
I came up with the term “broken-record prayer syndrome” shortly after my husband and I began praying out loud together. The...
I’ve taught faith formation classes to people of all ages, from preschoolers to pensioners, and by far the best questions come...
We were sitting in the shade at a playground watching our preschoolers dash from slide to slide when my best friend turned to...
Not so long ago, my prayer time consisted of presenting a long list of requests to God. Although they were heartfelt and...
Often referred to as “the best-kept secret of the Church,” Catholic Social Teaching is central to our Christian faith,...
“Who do you imagine as a spiritual director?” Carla, the coordinator at my local Ignatian Spirituality Center asked. I started...
Most of us can identify certain teachers or mentors who have had a profound impact on our lives. The same can be said for...
While struggling to find bright spots of hope and light in a world of uncertainty during the pandemic, I had the happy fortune...
Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks ...
Earlier this year my home parish welcomed a new associate pastor. He’s a friendly and vibrant young priest and a gifted...
Management guru Peter Drucker is reputed to have said that the four hardest jobs in America are president of the United States,...
My husband Arthur and I are, in many ways, total opposites. I write; he welds. I think big-picture, while he minds the details....
A listener asks Father Dave for advice about sharing details of his experience during the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Dave...
Does the thought of hosting a meal fill you with terror? Do you break out in a cold sweat when you think of holding a...
“Jesus is cheese, or, to be more precise, like mountains of cheese,” artist Salvador Dali once said. Oddly, Dali was known to...
If you, like me, are also planning a summer of contemplative reflection, the following books have all helped me. 1. “The...
A couple of years before meeting my wife, I started praying a prayer about her and about preparing both of us for marriage. I...
Hope. I thought I knew what the word meant. And I’ve practiced that “hope,” or what I thought hope was, since childhood: “I...
If you’re like me, the beauty and deep meaning of Advent can get away from you awfully fast. One minute you’re lighting that...
I always thought I knew exactly where my sons would go to school. There’s an excellent Catholic school right next to where I...
“Active waiting.” Isn’t that an oxymoron? We associate the word “active” with movement and energy. And isn’t “waiting” a...
It was another Saturday night in our house: The kids were asleep, the dog had been fed, the dishes were done. Finally, it was...