Sunday, May 8, 2022068The word sacrifice means several things. In a religious or cultic sense, it may mean “the offering of animal, plant, or human life or of some material possession to a deity, as in propitiation or homage” But in everyday usage it may mean the giving up of something that is considered valuable by one person for something of higher...
Friday, April 8, 20220124Many of us want to grow in holiness and draw closer to God. Our perception of our personal holiness or closeness to God often revolves around how many prayers we say, how many spiritual books we read, how often we attend church, how often we receive the sacraments of the Eucharist and Penance, or whether we are good parents or good...
Friday, March 11, 20220231I want you to know how much I believe in and love Lent, and I want you to know how much I wish that no one would say “I don’t believe in Lent.”
Sunday, February 13, 20220342There is an adage in one of the Nigerian languages (Hausa) that says “Zumunci a kafa ta ke,” translated directly as “fellowship (or relationship) is on the foot.” This means that true fellowship is shown through physical presence. This adage reminds us of the need for demonstrating fellowship or relationship through physical...
Friday, January 14, 20220205By Father Jacob Dankasa
Special to The Texas Catholic
In our lives there may have been times when we made a wrong decision, took a regrettable action, made the wrong choice, carried out an act in error, or made promises we were unable to fulfill. Those are moments that we may look back on and wish we didn’t have things like that in...
Friday, December 17, 2021062In my last column I reflected on how we can live out our desert experience every day. I presented John the Baptist as a model for our own type of spiritual desert. He invited the people to the desert to have an encounter with God, to change their lives, to repent of their sins, and to abandon themselves to God (Mk. 1:1-11). This was an...
Monday, November 15, 2021091In the Scriptures the desert is seen as a place of encounter, a place where people connect with God. The people of Israel encountered God in the desert, and he provided them with manna from heaven. In the desert God made a covenant with them, to be their God and make them his people (Exo. 6:7). At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the...
Friday, October 1, 20210249We’re familiar with the story of the great Apostle Peter, one of the most dedicated followers of Jesus. Peter’s love for and dedication to Jesus can be described as ardent, zealous, and enthusiastic. Peter had a very strong and fearless personality, and he was very ready to go all the way for Jesus. His love for Jesus could make him...
Friday, September 3, 20210172In my August column I reflected on the patient faith of Jairus, whose daughter Jesus raised from the dead despite the interruption caused by the woman with the flow of blood who touched Jesus’ cloak. Jairus had the patience to wait for Jesus, even when he was told that his daughter was dead (See Mark 5:21-43). In this article I want to...
Thursday, August 19, 20210111We hear about faith, and we talk about it all the time. It’s easy to proclaim that I have faith in God, especially when faith is used as a noun meaning a Christian faith or a Catholic faith. Of course, a Christian is one who believes in the trinitarian God. But our struggles arise when faith is used as a verb, as an action word —...
