Celebrating Saint Patrick: Ireland’s not-so-Irish Saint
We are in the month of March which means everyone will become Irish soon enough! Saint Patrick’s Day is a fun filled celebration full of green beer, Irish whiskey, corned beef, and green rivers. But has anyone paused between drinks to ask, why do we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day?
Who is Saint Patrick?
Saint Patrick is the patron Saint of Ireland, but he was not born in Ireland. It is believed that he was … Read the rest
Look to Joseph, Book Review: Imitation of Saint Joseph
About the author
The Imitation of Saint Joseph was written by Fr. Matthew Kauth. Fr. Kauth is a priest of the Diocese of Charlotte, NC. He currently serves as the Rector of St. Joseph College Seminary. In addition to The Imitation of Saint Joseph, Fr. Kauth has written two other books: Charity as Divine Human Friendship and The Sacraments: Discovering the Treasures of Divine Life. As always, I am making this … Read the rest
Genesis 39-41: Joseph leads us to the Bread of Life
Intro
Towards the end of Genesis, Joseph the Patriarch is sold into slavery. Despite this very lowly place, Joseph exemplifies how to follow God. We can follow his example so we too may always place our hope in God to spend eternity with Him. After the many hours spent studying Genesis, it is great to see how Genesis ends with Joseph pointing us to Christ, just like his fathers did.… Read the rest
Genesis 34-38: Jacob’s sons sinned, God kept His Word
Reading through Genesis, we find that Jacob’s sons were steeped deeply in sin. Despite this, the covenant given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still becomes fulfilled through them. Their story serves to show us that we are never forsaken by God. Instead, God is always ready to extend His mercy to us and receive us into His embrace. God did this for the descendants of Jacob, something I have experienced myself.… Read the rest
Genesis 25-33: Join Jacob in the Great Nation of Israel
Jacob’s story is filled with sin giving him the image of a sinful scoundrel. This is definitely how he started, but, by the grace of God, he ended up as a pretty decent man of God. I also can attest to the grace of God because God has also helped me turn my own life around. By looking to Jacob’s story, we can see how God can work with even … Read the rest
Book Review: Mary and the Fathers of the Church
While I was working on a personal project about the Blessed Virgin Mary, I came across the book Mary and the Fathers of the Church by Father Luigi Gambero, published by Ignatius Press, available here. As someone who is blessed with a devotion to Mary, this book was very appealing to help me learn about the Church Fathers. Before diving into this review, I want to note that I am … Read the rest
The bloody origin of the romantic Saint Valentine’s day
Love is in the air! Valentine’s day is around the corner, but we must wonder, why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day? There must be some original reason that inspired this romantic day. The history of Valentine’s Day is admittedly unclear, but there is one thing that is certain, it is rooted in the historical celebration of the feast of Saint Valentine.
Who is Saint Valentine?
We start off with the source … Read the rest
Genesis 24-28: Learn to Trust God like prayerful Isaac
The patriarch Isaac is not highlighted much in the Scriptures but proves to be an inspiring example of what it means to have faith in God. We can look to Isaac to learn about his faith in God so we too can grow close to God like this great patriarch. Though the Biblical writings of Isaac aren’t as comprehensive as other patriarchs, there are deep truths that can be found after … Read the rest
Genesis 19: Sodom and Gomorrah, God is righteous & just
Intro
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah poses many questions. I have read through the story multiple times and spent several hours studying it, helping me to see the profound truths within the story. By understanding these truths, we can apply them to our own lives to grow closer to God every day.
When people read through the story, they question God’s mercy and unchangeable nature. The end of the … Read the rest
Genesis 16-25: Ishmael was NOT antithetical to Israel
While reading through Genesis and studying Abraham, it was very apparent that Ishmael needed to be studied as well. After taking a closer look, the truths within the story of Ishmael are very profound and answer a lot of questions about him while correcting the misconceptions many of us have. Understanding Ishmael helps to reinforce and develop our understanding of God and the story of salvation.
Conception/Birth of Ishmael
Ishmael’s conception was … Read the rest
