Aflame for Christ

Aflame 77 - The Mission of the Messiah

Jesus Christ came to bring glad tidings - of what? To liberate captives - from what? To pronounce a year of favor - but what does that mean? He did not come for no purpose - hear the "mission statement" of Jesus the Messiah, and how it applies to our life this Advent!

Aflame 76 - Second Coming of Christ, Part 2

When Christ returns, what will take place? We know from Scripture and Tradition that there will be a final judgment when all will be revealed; we know that heaven and earth will pass away and God will create it anew; and we know that our bodies will rise again. Let us look at these three elements of the world to come, with eager expectation in our hearts: Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus!

Aflame 75 - The Second Coming of Christ, Part 1

We do not know the day nor the hour, but every generation is called to be vigilant, for Christ will come again. Our generation, in particular, cries out for the final redemption of Christ - what makes our times uniquely ripe for Christ's return? Tune in as we continue to discern the "signs of the times" so we can be prepared and watchful when the Lord comes again!

Aflame 74 - The Gift of Grace

God gives us tremendous graces - the gift of the Sacraments, our Catholic Faith, those daily inspirations of the Holy Spirit, and the charisms He has given us for the building-up of the Kingdom. But with such graces comes great responsibility - have we used them for holiness and for souls?

Aflame 73 - Wisdom vs Knowledge

Our world is awash in knowledge - we value science, technology, education. But knowledge needs to be tempered by wisdom - the understanding of the meaning behind it all, looking at the world from the perspective of eternity. How do we grow in wisdom? What does wisdom look like? And why is knowledge so dangerous if we lack wisdom? Knowledge alone can fill us with pride, making us believe that we are "like God" - while wisdom keeps us grounded in our proper place in the cosmos.

Aflame 72 - What If It’s True?

St. Paul rejoices that his communities realized his preaching was not a clever myth but the Truth that comes from God. But even many good Catholics do not believe that Catholicism is true. How can we know that it's true, if we can't prove it? Is there evidence that points to the reality of Catholicism? Our faith is not blind - it is always seeking to understand deeper the reasons behind our belief.

Aflame 71 - The Paradox of Joy

Jesus gives us eight guides to happiness - the Beatitudes. But the Beatitudes tell us that joy is found in paradoxical ways: by being poor, persecuted, forgiving, humble - quite opposite of how the world views happiness! But the joy found by the saints is far deeper and much more unshakeable than the happiness that is dependent upon our circumstances - it is grounded on the unchanging love for God and the pursuit of Him for eternity!

Aflame 70 - By Grace Alone

Michael Magone was one of St. John Bosco's boys who had to learn the hard way! After struggling to become a better young man, it took a crisis (and a gift) to bring him to Jesus Christ - and he quickly made progress on the path to holiness. You, too, are called to make progress in sanctity - not on your own efforts, but by grace alone!