Faith Above Fear

  Jesus never asked us to be childish. He asked us to become childlike. There is an ocean of difference between the two. Childishness is marked by tantrums, selfishness, impatience, and the refusal to grow. Childlikeness is marked by wonder, trust, dependence, and the freedom to run into loving arms without hesitation. “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). Our Lord is not romanticizing immaturity. He is revealing the only posture in which a human soul can be saved: utter, joyful, confident dependence on the Father. Picture a three year old walking hand-in-hand with his father through the aisles of a supermarket. Suddenly he sees a bright box of sweets on the shelf. His eyes widen, he tugs at his father’s sleeve. “Daddy, please! I want that one!” The father smiles, kneels down, and explains gently, “Not today, son, too much sugar before supper isn't good for you.” The child’s face crumples, tears w...

Advent opens before us like a sacred doorway into mystery, a season the Church treasures as one of the holiest moments of the liturgical year. The very word Advent comes from the Latin “Adventus,” meaning “coming,” “arrival,” or “approach.” It mirrors the Greek “Parousia,” which refers to the glorious coming of the Lord at the end of time. In the early Church, this season was not simply a countdown to Christmas or a cultural ritual; it was a profound, soul-shaking preparation for the coming of Christ past, present, and future. Advent reminds us that Christ has already come in Bethlehem, that He continually comes to us in grace and sacrament, and that He will come again in majesty. The entire life of a Christian is held between these three comings, and Advent is the Church’s urgent call to prepare the soul so that Christ may find a welcome dwelling place within us. This preparation is beautifully echoed in the prophetic cry of Isaiah: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His path...