Aflame for Christ

Aflame 113 - Welcome Home

The radical claim of Christianity is that, through grace, we become adopted sons and daughters of God. But so many of us struggle with family wounds, loneliness, and the alienation of sin. If so, this consoling message of God's Fatherhood should give us courage - we have a good Father in Heaven, a new family in the Catholic Church, and the grace to live as a new creation!

Looking at the Crucifixion from Medical Science

We hear every week that Jesus died for our sins. But what was crucifixion, really? What made it so horrible? What were the actual, physical sufferings that Jesus endured for us and for our salvation? Understanding the medical reality of Christ's Passion helps us to understand the depths of His love for us - a God who was willing to shed every drop of His blood to save His beloved!

Aflame 112 - Traditions: Good or Bad?

We've seen the Disney-esque trope: a young person feels stifled by their traditions, and for love or adventure decides to rebel against their parents and their culture. Conflict ensues, but in the end, the parents realize that their offspring were correct: their culture and their traditions prevented their happiness.
Is this what Jesus is criticizing in today's Gospel? Do traditions and rituals forbid authentic expression of faith and love? Are we just too "legalistic" as Catholics? Not so! A deep dive into the historical background of this Gospel helps us realize the entire purpose of Traditions, which are to give an identity to us so that we can more adequately keep the first things first: the love of God and neighbor.

Dash Through the Creed 22 - Holy Orders

Some men are called to give it all for Christ, being conformed to Him in a unique manner through the gift of the priesthood. What about those mysterious priests? Learn all about how they are called to image Christ and be a true father to His people!

Aflame 111 - The Sanctifying Power of a Difficult Marriage

Marriage is fantastically difficult. It puts two imperfect people together, for life, with all of their sins and weaknesses and insecurities. What could God have been thinking by concocting such a relationship? Only that it has the immense power to sanctify us and teach us how to love. Even difficult marriages, with all of its suffering and pain, can make us profoundly holy. Hear how our Catholic Faith gives hope to those in difficult marriages - hope that God can bring something beautiful, even out of the Cross!

Dash Through the Creed 21 - Marriage

Marriage is more than just a natural relationship or a convenient partnership - it is a Sacrament given by Christ, ordered to the procreation of children and the mutual sanctification of spouses. Hear how the graces given in this Sacrament can make you holy!

Aflame 110 - Dining Well

The Eucharist can make us saints - so why do so many people receive Him frequently, and still remain unchanged? Perhaps it is because we do not have the right dispositions! What characteristics and virtues should fill our soul to receive Him, not just worthily, but fruitfully? Love, faith, desire, purity, and reverence - these unleash the immense power of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist!

Dash Through the Creed 20 - Theology of the Body

Before we begin speaking about the beauty of Matrimony or the Priesthood, we need to speak about understanding love. John Paul II left us a beautiful insight on love, called the "Theology of the Body". Here, we break it down into a very easily-understood lesson on the nature of love - what it is, and what it is not. Tune in to hear the life-giving Good News about how God made us for love!