The Amateur Christian

Gathering what was Scattered

Satan’s job is to scatter us - to alienate us from God, from one another, from ourselves. Today, God sends His Holy Spirit as the Advocate - the One who stands beside us and reforges the unity that God intended for us from the beginning.

The Threefold Body of Christ

The Ascension of Jesus puts the Mystical Body of Christ to work in the world. We have clear orders to honor Christ’s Body, whether we find Him on the Altar at Mass or when we find Him on the Altar of the street.

Alleluia - It’s an Invitation

We might know that “Alleluia” means “Praised be the Lord,” but did you know that’s is much more than that? It’s an invitation to shine!

A Gift at the Foot of the Cross

Even when He had nothing left to give in the world, Jesus had one last gift from the Cross. The gift of each other.

Holy Thursday: The Mystery Handed On

We are part of an epic story, bound through time by the Body and Blood of Jesus.

He Emptied Himself

The goal of Lent (indeed, all our lives) is to become like Christ, who emptied himself.

Friendship with Jesus - The Source of Life

When Lazarus was raised from the dead, he became almost as popular as Jesus. People wanted to see the man who had received new life, and they believed in Jesus because of him. What about us? Jesus is our friend, too!

Only Jesus - Shaking Ecclesiolatry

Do you find yourself over attached to a place or a practice or a process in the Church? Do you feel like your faith life wouldn’t be the same without it? That’s a symptom of “ecclesiolatry,” and our Gospel offers a remedy for it.

Go the Extra Mile

The Law gives us its “letter” - the bare minimum we need to do. However, the way of Jesus always goes farther. It’s at the hear of who we are because it is at the heart of who He is.

Be Grounded

When we feel like we’re “the ones who are left” and Mass feels empty, our Word calls us back to recommit to humility, to be “grounded” in Jesus.