Passionately Catholic Archives

Passionately Catholic: Be Salt in a Bay Leaf World

March 12, 2021March 9, 2021 Admin

Ponder this, I’m not much of a cook, but I have noticed on occasion, a bay leaf floating in my stew. In all my years of life, I’ve never really given much thought to bay leaves until now. I have to wonder if bay leaves are really necessary. Do they really make a difference in any given recipe and would they be missed if they were no longer available? My hunch is that most of us would never miss bay leaves if they were left out of a stew. Unlike bay leaves, salt is one seasoning that certainly would be missed if not part of a super stew.

Passionately Catholic: Becoming a Super Spreader of the Gospel

January 18, 2021January 19, 2021 Admin

There’s much concern in today’s COVID world about containing the virus and avoiding the spread. We are told to wear our masks in public, to keep at least six feet between us and to avoid crowds. If we all comply, we will not contract the virus, or so we’re told.

Passionately Catholic: Live and Love Every Day

January 16, 2021January 19, 2021 Admin

Recently, I went through the drive-through at a local coffee shop. After I received my coffee, the employee said to me, “I just want to tell you that you have a very kind smile.” I looked at her and remarked back, “I bet you have one as well, I just can’t see it.” She was donning a mask and I was not. What are we all missing under the mask?

Passionately Catholic: What We Are All Missing Under the Mask

January 14, 2021January 19, 2021 Admin

Passionately Catholic: God Is in Control

January 12, 2021January 19, 2021 Admin

Ponder this…

After watching the election results of our pro-life, pro-American president, a reassessment of the future of America must be made by all God-fearing Christians and patriots. Freedom, as defined by God and fundamentally endorsed by our country, has been incrementally removed from our daily lives. I’ve heard some say, “Not to worry, God is in control.”

Passionately Catholic: How Much Prayer Do I Need?

November 18, 2020November 17, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

Someone once asked St. Francis de Sales how much time should be spent each day in prayer. Francis responded that he wants you to devote at least 30 minutes each day to prayer. The man was dismayed by this answer and explained that he was really busy. The saint said to him, “In that case you need to spend an hour each day in prayer.”

Another Hospital Blocks a Priest from Visiting a Patient

November 16, 2020November 15, 2020 Eric Burk

Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital prevented Father Steve McNally from visiting COVID-19 patient Eugene Conti in the ICU for two weeks after Conti was admitted in September, according to The Roanoke Times. Conti died without receiving last rites.

Passionately Catholic: Commandment #1

November 16, 2020November 15, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

We’ve all heard about the Ten Commandments, so let’s talk about those pesky little often-inconvenient truths. And let’s face it, we don’t like anyone telling us what we can, and especially what we cannot do, not even God. So do these commandments still apply to us today? You betcha. God knew everything when He gave them to us.

Passionately Catholic: Don’t Give to Caesar What Belongs to God

November 11, 2020November 10, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

The pandemic has brought with it many mandates on how we are to live, work, and play. And well, there’s not much playing right now. We must keep our distance, put on our mask, and avoid most gatherings. This is for our own safety and the safety of others, as we are continually reminded.

Passionately Catholic: Pray, Sleep and Don’t Take the Tag off the Pillow

November 9, 2020November 8, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

One of the most frightening things I remember as a child was I thought that I might accidentally remove a tag from my pillow. Remember the warning Do not remove under penalty of law? The thought of being put in jail for removing the tag would keep me up at night. This begs the question, what keeps you up at night? Losing sleep because of our worries takes valuable time away from good sleep needed to function on all cylinders in the next day. How do you stop your thought induced insomnia? Here’s a recipe you might try.

Passionately Catholic: Hell, It’s Not Tropical Vacation

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

Most of us live our lives not thinking all that much about where we are going to spend eternity. I think I can safely say that many believe they will be in a better place when they die.

Passionately Catholic: What Is the Mass?

November 2, 2020November 1, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

Did you know that Catholics don’t go to church services on Sundays? We crazy Catholics actually do something called assist at the holy sacrifice of the mass. If you don’t understand this, don’t feel bad, many Catholics don’t understand what the mass is all about either.

Passionately Catholic: The Gift of Family

October 30, 2020November 18, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

One of the most underrated career choices is motherhood. Being a mother is more than a career. It’s a vocation. It’s actually a calling from God, the author of life. In today’s modern world, motherhood, fatherhood, and family life are often seen as optional choices to be made at the sole discretion of a woman or a man.

Passionately Catholic: Love Your Neighbor, Every Neighbor

October 27, 2020November 18, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

The two great commandments are to love God and to love your neighbor. And your neighbor being virtually everybody else in the whole world, is this even possible? Let’s examine how good we are at loving our neighbor. Ask yourself these questions. Do I get aggravated with others easily? Am I quick to judge the behavior of others?

Passionately Catholic: Pesky Commandment Number 3

October 25, 2020November 18, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

God gave Moses the Ten Commandments thousands of years ago. Today, many of us don’t know them, disregard them, or believe that they are surely outdated. But unfortunately for us, God knows everything, and He knew what He was doing way back then, and for all of eternity.

Passionately Catholic: Obey Him to the Brim

October 23, 2020November 18, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

Not many people like to be told what to do. Even as young children, we didn’t like to be told to clean our rooms, do the dishes or come home at a designated curfew. We want to do what we want, when we want and how we want. But is this what the Lord is asking us to do? Let’s take a look at sacred scripture for the answer.

Passionately Catholic: Seek the Lord

October 12, 2020November 18, 2020 Admin

Ponder this…

Thankfully, we live in a free country. We are free to speak, to worship and to pursue happiness, but this freedom comes with limitations. We are not free to rob a bank, steal a car or deal in illegal drugs, just to name a few.

Passionately Catholic: Authentic Freedom Given By God

October 10, 2020November 18, 2020 Admin

Ponder this…

Passionately Catholic: Calm Your Spirit

October 8, 2020November 18, 2020 Admin

Ponder this…

Are you in a state of fear due to the coronavirus outbreak? Just a simple trip to the grocery store can strike fear into your otherwise calm spirit people wearing face masks and gloves, empty shelves that are normally fully stocked and people standing six feet apart at the checkout are unsettling images.

Passionately Catholic: Give Your Undivided Attention

October 7, 2020November 18, 2020 Admin

Ponder this. God is intentional in everything he does, even in creating the universe and every creature living in it. God has intentionally put us on this earth for a reason. God created the first man, Adam, and put him in a garden of paradise to till the soil. In other words, God put Adam to work right away.

Passionately Catholic: Cry to Heaven

October 6, 2020November 18, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

It’s hard to believe that most of us are confined to our homes and have limited access to commerce and recreation. Want a night out with your significant other. Sorry. No can-do. Want to spend time enjoying family and friends at a park. Sorry, social distancing in place. Want to watch baseball, basketball or other sports in person or on television? Sorry, closed for the season.

Passionately Catholic: Fear Is in the Air

October 5, 2020November 18, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

Are you in a state of fear due to the coronavirus outbreak? Just a simple trip to the grocery store can strike fear into your otherwise calm spirit. People wearing face masks and gloves, empty shelves that are normally fully stocked, and people standing six feet apart at the checkout are unsettling images.

Passionately Catholic: Take Care of Your Soul

October 4, 2020November 18, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

Did you know that you were made up of not only your body, but your soul as well? Each of us is a unique creation by God with a body and a soul. Let’s explore this for just a moment. We know we have a body because we can see it. But what about our soul? Even though we can’t see, feel, or touch it, we intuitively know that our thoughts and our feelings go beyond our bodies.

Passionately Catholic: The Choice Is Yours

October 3, 2020November 18, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

We make choices every day, whether or not to press the snooze button in the morning is but one of the choices we make each day. Most choices like pressing the snooze button seem inconsequential, but if pressing the snooze button makes you late for work and potentially threatens your job and your livelihood, the snooze button option becomes a bad choice.

Passionately Catholic: Give Others Some Time

October 2, 2020November 18, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

Have you had the opportunity to travel by air lately? If you have, you may have noticed the body language of our time. It’s called, please don’t engage me in being pleasant language. Don’t make me look at you while I’m sitting, standing, or walking to my connecting flight. There’s no need to make eye contact to smile or to exchange a mere hello. We have so many more important things to do, like playing mind numbing computer games, watching YouTube animal videos, or reading the hundreds of important emails we get every second of every minute of our day.

Northam to Stand Down on Church Ban: God Wins

September 27, 2020September 26, 2020 Eric Burk

After losing in court last week, Governor Ralph Northam agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by four Madison County men who argued that the governor’s restrictions on churches violated the Virginia Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Virginia statute for religious freedom. According to The Roanoke Star, the only COVID-19 restrictions remaining against Virginia churchgoers after the Tuesday decision is the mask mandate.

Passionately Catholic: Embrace Life

September 23, 2020October 6, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

There are new terms that have recently entered our daily vocabulary. One of these rather annoying terms is social distancing. Who would have imagined that there would be six foot markers on the floors of commercial retail and even religious establishments, indicating our limitations to access one another.

Passionately Catholic: Commandment

September 21, 2020October 6, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

We’ve all heard about the 10 commandments. So let’s talk about those pesky little often inconvenient truths, and let’s face it. We don’t like anyone telling us what we can, especially what we cannot do. Not even God. So do these commandments still apply to us today? You betcha. God knew everything when he gave them to us.

Passionately Catholic: Work Has Great Dignity

September 20, 2020October 6, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

We hear from many of the people running for public office, the promise of free stuff, free healthcare for all, free education for all. Free cell phones, free food, and the list goes on and on. Many of us have bought into the idea that we deserve free stuff. But have we really thought about what the Lord has said about this?

Passionately Catholic: The Gift of Family

September 19, 2020October 6, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Ponder this…

One of the most underrated career choices is motherhood.

Being a mother is more than a career, it’s a vocation. It’s actually a calling from God, the author of life. In today’s modern world, motherhood, fatherhood, and family life are often seen as optional choices to be made at the sole discretion of a woman or a man.

Passionately Catholic: The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

September 18, 2020October 6, 2020 Admin

Ponder this…

Did you know that Catholics don’t go to church services on Sundays?

We crazy Catholics actually do something called assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. If you don’t understand this, don’t feel bad. Many Catholics don’t understand what the Mass is all about.