The Woodlands: A Place for Exploring the Spiritual Life

Part 2 of the 4-part series The Heart of Things: Love and the Life of the World.

Part 1 of the 4-part series The Heart of Things: Love and the Life of the World.

This is the final post in a four-part series on the dimensions of faith—its nature as a gift, its power to transform us, its practice in prayer, and its promise of salvation. If you prefer to listen you can do so here, at Apple Podcasts, or at Spotify.

This is the third post in a four-part series on the dimensions of faith—its nature as a gift, its power to transform us, its practice in prayer, and its promise of salvation. If you prefer to listen you can do so here, at Apple Podcasts, or at Spotify.

This is the second post in a four-part series on the dimensions of faith—its nature as a gift, its power to transform us, its practice in prayer, and its promise of salvation. If you prefer to listen you can do so here, at Apple Podcasts, or at Spotify.

This post begins a four-part series on the dimensions faith—its nature as a gift, its power to transform us, its practice in prayer, and its promise of salvation.

God’s love makes us one—and makes us whole.

This is the final part of Living Faith, a four-part series about following Jesus with authenticity, compassion, and courage in everyday life.

When our daughter was seven, a psychologist told us that her way of processing the world fell within the autism spectrum. Meredith is bright and cheerful, with a quirky sense of humor and an eye for what others miss. Her contributions to conversations often come from an unexpected angle.

Like most of us, Meredith wants to be herself—and she wants to belong. But social cues didn’t come naturally. So, with determination, she learned how to pick up on neurotypical signals in order to build connections.

Her colleagues at work and fellow church choir members are mostly neurotypicals. But they’ve welcomed her as she is, and she belongs—not because she blends in, but because they’ve made space for her to be fully herself.

That’s the kind of community Jesus calls us to become: where each of us is true to ourselves and committed to the common good.

If you want to know what you believe, watch what you do.

This is Part 3 of Living Faith, a four-part series about following Jesus with authenticity, compassion, and courage in everyday life.

Sister Agnes asked the class, “Given what you think about God, do you believe there’s a hell?”

No hands went up. We were freshmen. First week of religion class at the Archdiocesan High School.

After an awkward silence, I piped up: “A loving God wouldn’t torture people for all eternity.”

My classmates gawked. Fidgeted. Stared at their desks.

Sometimes faithfulness starts fires.

This is Part 2 of Living Faith, a four-part series about following Jesus with authenticity, compassion, and courage in everyday life.

After American B-2s bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, I sent out a pastoral note and a set of prayers to the people of the diocese I serve. One recipient scolded me for criticizing President Trump.

For the record, I didn’t criticize Trump. I didn’t comment on the wisdom or folly of that military action. My best guess is that this line sparked the reaction:

Let us remember that we follow one Lord. Neither a political party nor even a nation may rightfully claim our absolute allegiance. That belongs to Christ alone. And so, following his example and teaching, we offer prayer as the paradoxical weapon of grace and justice.

What disturbed this person, I suspect, wasn’t a political critique—it was my view of how Christians relate to the state.

You’re living a story that began before you were born.

This is Part 1 of Living Faith, a four-part series about following Jesus with authenticity, compassion, and courage in everyday life.