Written by Deepu on September 7, 2018
Community of Prayer
How often do you ask people to pray for you? How often do you pray for other people? For a long time, the majority, if not all, of my prayers were for me. Sure, I’d pray for someone if they asked me to (and if I remembered that they asked me to), but outside of
Written by Deepu on August 30, 2018
Justice
The Psalm this Sunday (Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5) resounds a little more than usual in light of the recent report on sexual abuse in the Church. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord. It’s a challenging verse, not because I don’t want justice done, but I struggle to know
Written by Deepu on August 10, 2018
You Want Easy? This Ain’t for You
Before I started taking my faith seriously, being a Catholic was easy. via GIPHY I learned what I needed to about the Church in order to present it to the teens. I prayed with the teens. I read Scripture with the teens. I served the teens. But I didn’t learn about the Church on my
Written by Deepu on June 18, 2018
Walk by Faith, Not by Sight
In the 2nd Reading this Sunday (2 Corinthians 5:6-10), Paul says that we “walk by faith, not by sight.” Sounds nice, doesn’t it? via GIPHY But what does it really mean? Does it mean to just follow and believe in God blindly? I’m sure there are anti-religious people who have used that passage to argue
Written by Deepu on June 1, 2018
Catholics are Weird
This Sunday is the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. As Catholics, we need to accept the fact that several of our teachings are kinda out there. From the outside, it seems weird. Hell, from the inside, it seems weird. We eat flesh and drink blood. via GIPHY We need to be okay
Written by Deepu on May 27, 2018
Go Deeper
On the Surface I think the reason many people don’t fully appreciate the Catholic faith, and for some the reason why they leave the Catholic faith, is because we often take our faith and the teachings of the Church at surface level. It’s very easy to read the 10 commandments, to hear the readings at
Written by Deepu on April 1, 2018
Wait, Don’t Go!
Hey you. I see you. Yeah you. What’s your relationship with Jesus Christ like? Oh, no need to look around, this is indeed a Catholic blog. I know, it’s not a question that’s asked often enough around here. Seriously – take some time to think about it. How would you describe your relationship with Him?
Written by Deepu on March 19, 2018
BadBye
When our current pastor shared the news with the parish staff that he was resigning from his position at the parish, I was disappointed. More than that, I was disheartened. Although I don’t know the reasons for his decision, I do believe some of it comes from him not feeling welcomed here. I know there
Written by Deepu on March 5, 2018
Awesome Job You
Hey! You went to Mass this weekend – good for you! It is no easy feat making Mass a priority these days. I think we often times judge and complain about those who don’t go, we don’t affirm and commend those who do go (I’m guilty of this as in a recent post I challenged
Written by Deepu on February 13, 2018
Where Did You Come From?
Dear Lent, It’s me, Deepu. Not to be rude, and not that I don’t want you here, but um, I know you come every year, and I know I’m supposed to take this season of you to prepare for Jesus’ Passion, but, like, I am not ready for you yet. I feel like there should’ve
Written by Deepu on February 12, 2018
It’s so Simple
We often talk about how challenging it is to be a disciple – how hard it is to be a good Christian. But I think we just make it harder on ourselves. Paul makes it pretty simple and straightforward in Sunday’s 2nd Reading: “Whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” – 1
Written by Deepu on February 5, 2018
How’s Your Poop?
Yeah, you read that right. Okay Deepu, really? You’re going to talk about poop? Is this the best place for that? Yup. Because God created us as not just spiritual beings, but as physical beings (one way we differ from angels). And God created everything, so if there is any place to be able to
Written by Deepu on January 29, 2018
Squirrel!
Did you get a load of Paul today in the 2nd Reading (1 Cor 7:32-35)? Can you believe that guy? Did he really think that a person can be distracted and torn between their spouse and God?! Does he even know what he’s talking about? Not me. . . Nope. Uh-uh. . . Well. Okay,
Written by Deepu on January 20, 2018
You’re Not Too Old for This …
All those of you out there who volunteer – you are awesome. You give of yourself to something bigger than yourself. A parish is more than just Mass on Sundays (although that is the most important thing we do here). It is a community. It is a family. We are sisters and brothers in Christ
Written by Deepu on December 24, 2017
Check Your Pride at the Door
God kinda puts David in his place, doesn’t he? In 2 Samuel 7 we have King David, living in his nice house, and then he remembers that he left God in a little tent, and realizes he needs to make God a better house. Then God tells David (through Nathan), “Um, you kidding right? I
Written by Deepu on December 18, 2017
Holiday
I recently was on vacation to Australia and New Zealand. It was a last minute trip – something I’ve never done before, and something I definitely didn’t imagine doing at this stage in my life. My wife, the amazing blessing that she is, suggested me joining her brother on a portion of his trip to
Written by Deepu on December 10, 2017
Hello McFly
Ya know, the more I learn about God, the more I learn about the Catholic Church, and the more I grow in my faith, the more I realize how much of an blind idiot I’ve been. I think about how ignorant I’ve been – because I have blatantly ignored God. How could my “faith” in
Written by Deepu on November 19, 2017
America’s Got Talent
This Sunday (and last Sunday as well), Jesus really seems to be hitting it home that we need to be stepping up our game (Matthew 25:14-30). It seems pretty clear that having faith isn’t enough. Last week, the lamps of the virgins represented their Christian faith; the oil was their good works. Those without oil
Written by Deepu on November 5, 2017
Hey…um…Priest Guy
Todays’ Gospel (Matthew 22:1-12), we can get a bit confused. Everything Jesus says sounds all well and good until He says, “Call no one on earth your father…” via GIPHY This is probably where many Protestants would say, “Ha! The Catholic Church is wrong and they don’t follow Jesus’ teachings!” And this is probably where
Written by Deepu on October 29, 2017
It Don’t Matter if You’re Black or White
Today’s Gospel (Matthew 22:34-40) speaks of something that almost all Christians and many non-believers have heard: the two greatest commandments. Love God totally and completely and love your neighbor as yourself (I’m paraphrasing, of course). I can talk about this in very vague ways that won’t offend anyone. But the Church teaches that we can
Written by Deepu on October 15, 2017
Why Mass is a Bit of Heaven
I totally followed along in today’s Gospel (Matthew 22:1-14)… up until verse 11. I get the whole people rejected God’s invite so He invited everybody else part. But then God kicks some poor guy out because He’s not dressed up? Wait where’s that unending mercy thing? But then it hit me: I’ve heard of Mass
Written by Deepu on October 8, 2017
Hook, Line, and Sinker
People often times say that Jesus (aside from you know, being God) was a really nice guy. And yeah, there’s some truth to that. . . but then I read something like the Gospel today (Matthew 21:33-43) and I’m like via GIPHY Here’s Jesus, coming with a seemingly innocent and hypothetical situation. But He’s totally
Written by Deepu on September 24, 2017
Too Late to Apologize
I’ve struggled with today’s Gospel (Mt 20:1-16). I will admit that I can be pretty selfish, and when I see someone getting the same payment or reward for doing less than I did, I complain. But as it shows in the Gospel, God is above that. He promised the Israelites way way back in the
Written by Deepu on September 17, 2017
Have Mercy
I was in a liturgy class a few years ago, and something that stood out to me from one of the first nights was a line from a book we were reading. I can’t remember the book or the exact quote, but it basically said that if we celebrated Mass as fully as we are
Written by Deepu on September 10, 2017
Is That Velvet? No, Dissuade
In the Book of Ezekiel, which is where today’s 1st reading is from, we hear that we are called to “dissuade the wicked from his way.” It goes on to say that we are responsible for the wicked if we don’t speak out against their evil ways. That sounds like some serious responsibility on our
Written by Deepu on September 3, 2017
Super Duped
I’ve heard many people say that the translation of the Bible that you use is irrelevant, as long as you actually use it. To that I say: I agree. Mostly. Words are powerful. And replacing one word with another can be completely change the feel of what was said. For example: If someone was to
Written by Deepu on August 27, 2017
Loaded Question
In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks His disciples: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And then in response to that, Jesus makes Peter the first pope, the rock that the Church is built on. Now, unless you’re 6, you’ve heard that passage
Written by Deepu on August 20, 2017
Yes, Yes You Should
The Catholic community is one of the best things to be a part of. Those of you who are Catholic might not believe me. Well, several years ago, I wouldn’t have believed me either. I’m going to share (hopefully briefly) my journey in the Catholic Church – the purpose isn’t to really share about me,
Written by Deepu on August 8, 2017
In with the Old, In with the New
There are a lot of Christians out there who ignore the Old Testament. The biggest reason is that when Jesus comes and then the New Testament is written later, it nullifies the Old Testament. It’s not needed anymore. But the truth is it is very much needed. There is so much richness and depth to
Written by Deepu on July 30, 2017
Solomon the Wise
If you read last week’s post, you’ll remember (will you though?) that I mentioned the wisdom of Solomon. You looked at that first reading (you definitely remember that reading), and you saw why he’s so wise. Because God gifted him with a wisdom that is unmatched. Why did God give him such wisdom? Because Solomon
Written by Deepu on July 25, 2017
Word to the Wise
It’s kind of interesting that in the Book of Wisdom, where this past Sunday’s 1st reading comes from (Wis 12:13, 16-19) we get some fancy schmancy words that you probably don’t understand – temerity, clemency, lenience, repentance, people…the list goes on. How are we supposed to understand the Word of God when we don’t understand
Written by Deepu on July 9, 2017
Confirmed
According to the 2nd Reading today, you belong to Christ. One of the definitions of belong is to be properly or appropriately placed. God has a specific purpose for you. Do you know what that purpose is? When was the last time you really asked God what your purpose is? I don’t care how young
Written by Deepu on July 9, 2017
Me First!
Matthew 10:37-42 was the Gospel reading at Mass last week, and it can be challenging to really take in. Jesus basically says that He comes first (which we already know) – that not parents, not even your children, should come before Him. It makes sense, but when I look at my children, it can sometimes
Written by Deepu on June 18, 2017
Jesus? Is That Really You?
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The majority of our Christian brothers and sisters of other denominations don’t believe in the true Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. They believe that when Jesus said (in today’s Gospel) “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me
Written by Deepu on June 11, 2017
Easier Said Than Done
Oh Paul, you make things sound so easy. The advice given in the second letter to the Corinthians (from our 2nd Reading today) sounds so simple. Too simple. It makes it sound easy, which I think leads to many of us not really adhering to that advice. If I went through that whole list, I’m
Written by Deepu on June 4, 2017
No Matter What the Pentecost
I love learning about our Church. I got this book—The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. It’s awesome. It takes certain words or phrases within Scripture, and explains them in more detail, and anything that references the Old Testament is noted. There’s so much depth to Scripture. For example, the first line of the First
Written by Deepu on June 1, 2017
Welcome the Wear-y
Awhile ago, I was talking with a teen who got Confirmed last year. We were talking about how she hasn’t been going to Mass lately, but has been attending service at a non-Catholic Christian church. When I asked why, she said that one time when she went over the summer, a woman came up to
Written by Deepu on April 19, 2017
His Achy Breaky Heart
God aches for you. Let that sink in for a minute. God aches for you. I heard or read this somewhere, I can’t remember exactly where, but it stuck with me. It’s such a beautiful insight and thought about God’s love for us. So often we go through life, blaming God for the things that
Written by Deepu on April 13, 2017
Talk to God
In Exodus 17:3-7 (well, really in a lot of Exodus), the Israelites were not happy campers (literally). And they were bold people. They had no issue complaining to Moses about their suffering. The reason why they were wandering the desert for 40 years was because they complained. And yet God still answered them (even though
Written by Deepu on February 26, 2017
Let’s Go [insert Sports Team]!
Why do you (or others if you don’t), wear sports attire (hats, jerseys, shirts, etc.)? Is it because of the history of the team? Is it because of the experiences you’ve had watching the team play on your own or with friends and family? Is it because of the love of the game, and although
Written by Deepu on February 19, 2017
Not Your Father’s Bible Study
Studying Scripture outside of Mass is important. Like, really important. But why, Deepu? Good question, fair reader, thank you for asking. For one, how many of us really pay attention to the readings at Mass? For two, for those of us who do pay attention, how often do we hear it and actually reflect on
Written by Deepu on February 12, 2017
The Juggle is Real
Three kids. Three. That’s what we’re up against now, Beth and I. I know it can be done, and I know we will be able to handle it (I think). A lot of people tell us it’s a game changer because then you go to zone defense instead of just man on man coverage (I
Written by Deepu on January 15, 2017
4>3
Did you know that? There’s the 1st and 2nd Reading, and the Gospel, right? What’s missing? If you said the Responsorial Psalm (usually the song between the 1st & 2nd Reading), then you are correct. Technically, it is a reading, taken from the Book of Psalms. Every week there is a different Psalm—however, due to
Written by Deepu on January 1, 2017
A New Year. Big Deal.
I’ve probably talked about this before, but this time we’re gonna get real. I have tried to start new habits on January 1st of many years (or January 2nd depending on how I celebrated December 31st—hey, I said we’re gonna real). But each and every New Year’s Resolution came to an end—either it was too
Written by Deepu on December 18, 2016
Righteous
How righteous are you? I don’t ask this in a judgmental way, but in reflective way. In the Gospel today (Matthew 1:18-24), Joseph is called a righteous man, and that he wouldn’t expose Mary to shame. via GIPHY In our age of being so connected to so many people through social media, that would definitely
Written by Deepu on October 22, 2016
Holy Daze
Obligation. That word makes going to Mass sound like a chore. Holy Days of Obligation makes it feel like we’re being forced to attend Mass. But in all reality, we are obliged to. The Church isn’t trying to force us, but trying to guide and remind us that we need to go to Mass—not for
Written by Deepu on July 29, 2016
50…45…40…30…20…10…
In the First Reading this past week (Genesis 18:20-32), we hear the story of Abraham pleading with God for the innocent lives in the city of Sodom. Previous times when reading this story, I thought that this was a lesson for us to always go to God, to always ask God for mercy and forgiveness.
Written by Deepu on June 22, 2016
7/3/16 – Independence Day: The Resurgence of Will Smith
I’m really excited about seeing the sequel to Independence Day. I remember seeing the original for the first time in theaters back when I was in middle school. It was such an entertaining movie with a good balance of comedy and action. The actors were great—Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, and of course, Will Smith. When
Written by Deepu on June 19, 2016
6/19 – Luke 9:18-24
The more I learn about Scripture, the better it gets. There have been so many times in my life (and by that I mean like, 98% of the times) when I’ve heard, read, or even prayed over Scripture, and I got nothing. I would read it and think, “That’s a nice story,” or “That didn’t