Pope Francis: My Thoughts on the Man

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Pope Francis seems to be beloved by many. At the same time, some accuse him of being the Anti-Christ. Those who believe that Pope Francis is the Anti-Christ believe that he will change Church teaching and lead us down the road to Perdition. I have found that most people who take this stance are arch-conservatives, steeped in Tradition, finding Pope Francis too liberal for their liking. These are people who don’t like change. They find the old ways appropriate, because that is what they know to be true. Francis’ approach to finding new ways of reaching the marginalized and oppressed has left these arch-conservatives in fear of Church teaching changing. Yet, Pope Francis has not changed one iota of Church teaching to date, and it doesn’t look like he ever will.

With that in mind, I paid close attention to Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, so that I could come to better understand the man. I am a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. I watched all the coverage and listened to all of his homilies/speeches.

So just exactly what did I observe? I saw… Read more…

Forgiveness: St. Maria Goretti

MARIA Goretti

Does Forgiveness Elude You?

Forgiveness is difficult for many of us; yet, not so for young St. Maria Goretti.  Maria died at age eleven, from mortal stab wounds caused by unwanted advances of a young man. Forgiveness for this young man was one of her last words uttered before dying. She not only forgave him, she openly prayed for him, while suffering from those stab wounds prior to her death.

How many of us would be so forgiving? How many of us pray for those who wish us harm or have hurt us physically, emotionally or spiritually? Read more…

Road of Virtues: Twist and Turns

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The road of virtues is not necessarily a straight path. Sometimes we take two steps forward and one step back. Sometimes we take the long road, finding out that the short-cuts weren’t worth it. Together, you and I have traveled the road of virtues for the past 20 months. In that time we have reviewed and studied every virtue in the Virtues Guide – Second Edition. In series of posts, I have defined the virtues, explained why it is important to embrace the virtues and provided suggestions for how to practice the virtues.

Now it’s time to… Read more…

Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove

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Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove

Have you ever heard that phrase before? It was new to me until the day I had to deliver some bad news on an audit. The auditee said that I had an “iron fist in a velvet glove,” meaning that I delivered a hard punch, with not much comfort, since velvet wouldn’t soften the blow of an iron fist very well. In my innocence, and to some degree of arrogance, at first I took it as a compliment! Then I got to thinking about what he said.

How we deliver truth is… Read more…

You Get More with Honey!

Honey dipper

Honey versus Vinegar

What’s your choice? “You get more with honey than you do with vinegar” – a classic American idiom that speaks volumes. I think all of us would choose the sweet taste of honey over the bitter taste of vinegar. I think all of us would choose to be spoken to in truth with respect and dignity, versus in a cold, unfeeling manner.

I have learned a great deal about the importance of practicing tact. I have found ways of speaking truth, with tact. For example, have you noticed how all of my posts have a positive spin on… Read more…

Sharing YOUR Faith Story – DVD Review

Ward DVD Cover

Faith: a very personal word stemming from a very personal relationship with God, resulting in an inability to clearly articulate just what it means to you. Sound familiar? Are you like so many people who steer clear from talking about religion, let alone your own personal faith, for fear of rejection, confrontation, or appearing ignorant? Fear no longer! Your faith sharing story is your story. No one else can write it and no one else can articulate it better than you. Easier said than done? I understand. That’s why I am excited to share with you a new DVD by my friend, Nancy Ward, titled, Sharing YOUR Faith Story DVD.

In this three part DVD, Nancy tells of her… Read more…

Tact: Life Lesson Learned!

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Tact has always eluded me, until I began researching and practicing the virtues. I saved this virtue for discussion until now, because I had much work to do in this area, myself, before I could write about it.

Bluntness, or lack of tact, can diminish the quality of relationships. It is confession time for me. I have a classic example of how the lack of tact can destroy relationships. Here goes:

While I was still working as a technology audit manager, I was attending one of those “off-site” kumbaya type meetings, where I thought complete truth would be openly accepted… Read more…

Honesty with Tact: Can It Be Done?

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Honesty truly is the best course of action. The thing that I like most about honesty is that I never have to worry about what story I may have told in the past, because truth is Truth, and the truth doesn’t change. Therefore, if I live in truth, I speak consistently, and by doing so, I build good character.

Through honesty, we build integrity in the eyes of others and with God. Let’s face it, the only thing we get to take with us when standing in judgment before God, at the end of this life, are our sins and our integrity. I don’t know about you, butRead more…

Lie: The Unforeseen Consequences of Lying

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Do You Lie? The Unforeseen Consequences of Lying

How easy it is to lie, sometimes for convenience; sometimes to hide bad behavior or embarrassment. When we lie, we begin traveling down a slippery slope. The more we lie, the further we move away from God.

Lying easily becomes a nasty habit, a vice, a habitual sin. Lies lead to destruction of relationships with others, but most importantly, it deteriorates the relationship we each have with God. Rather than facing the truth, we see ourselves as we want to, and not as we truly are, in all reality. We even tend to… Read more…

Truth Be Told! Is There Any Other Way?

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Truth Be Told

Is there really any other way to live? I mean, really, live? When we fail to tell the truth, we deaden ourselves. We move away from the Light of Christ and we move towards the Prince of Darkness. We move from the true good to the absence of God in our lives. So, I ask you again, is there really any other way that you would want to live, other than with the fullness of Truth?

Truth Defined

Truth is defined as living an upright life, both in action and speech, tactfully and with kindness. God is… Read more…