Yearly Archives: 2021

Receiving Communion

December 14, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

Receiving Communion has been much in the news lately. This post will cover what the Church teaches about when the faithful should receive Communion, as well as the Scriptural basis for this teaching. In all honesty, I went to Catholic school for twelve years, and I don’t remember being taught

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The Chosen

November 30, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

The most watched crowd-funded show in internet history is about the life of Jesus. That’s pretty cool. Even better news is that the show is compelling and well-made. The show is called The Chosen. Show creator Dallas Jenkins and his team are planning seven seasons in all. Seasons One and

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Our Lady of Lourdes

November 18, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

The three most famous Marian apparitions are at Guadalupe, Lourdes and Fatima. These three are famous in large measure due to the miracles associated with them. The miracle of Guadalupe is the most enduring – the tilma with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has survived, inexplicably, for nearly

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Graces

November 3, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

The Virgin Mary appeared to Sister Catherine Laboure twice in the year 1830 in Paris. During the second apparition (November 27), Mary showed Catherine the design for what would be called the Miraculous Medal. Mary promised that all who wore the medal would receive great graces. The front of the

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The Science of Near-Death Experiences

October 19, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

The science of near-death experiences is real. In the past fifteen years, there have been four peer-reviewed studies of near-death experiences published in scientific journals, including The Lancet, the leading medical journal in Great Britain. Collectively these four studies examine 3,500 near-death experiences. A near-death experience can occur when a

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“Everything I Have Is Yours”

October 6, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

“He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to

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How to be holy

September 21, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

I highly recommend Peter Kreeft’s book How to Be Holy: First Steps in Becoming a Saint. Kreeft is a professor at Boston College and has written many books about the faith. I’ve liked all the ones I’ve already, but How to Be Holy might be the best: it’s concise, deep

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Our Lady of Las Lajas

September 7, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the best-known apparitions of Mary. A similar but less famous apparition took place in Guaitara Canyon, Colombia in 1754. As she did two centuries before in Mexico, Our Lady of Las Lajas (Our Lady of the Rocks) left behind evidence of her appearance

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Our Father

August 24, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

Our Father, We are so blessed to be Your children! Your love and mercy have no end. May every knee bend before You, and may every tongue reverence Your Holy Name! May the communion of love that binds Your kingdom dwell freely in our hearts here on earth.

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What is Heaven like?

August 9, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

On August 15 we celebrate Mary’s glorious assumption, body and soul, into Heaven. What is Heaven like? Heaven is a communion of love. It is a love that unites the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with those who trusted in His mercy and took up their cross. It is hard

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Predestination

July 27, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

Controversy over predestination led to wars and schisms during the Protestant Reformation. For Catholics today, it may feel like a daunting topic best avoided. It wasn’t something I understood well until a priest explained it in a simple way in a homily. The Church’s teaching on predestination boils down to

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Freedom

July 13, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

What is freedom? There is a modern definition of freedom that is freedom to. These are the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights. We are free to speak as we choose. Free to write as we choose. Free to meet with who we choose. Above all, free to worship

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God is love

June 22, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8) God is love. If we want to know what love is, and how we are

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With a Father’s Heart (part two)

June 8, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

“[Saint Joseph] also teaches us that amid the tempests of life, we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.” It’s not always easy to accept the fact that we’re not

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With a Father’s Heart

May 25, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

On December 8th of 2020 Pope Francis declared a “Year of Saint Joseph.” The pope also wrote an apostolic letter, “Patris corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”) proclaiming the virtues of Saint Joseph and encouraging the faithful to follow in his footsteps. For fathers especially, the example of Saint Joseph is

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God in the 20th Century

May 12, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

The 20th Century was one of the bloodiest in human history. The damage wrought in those years shook the faith of many. Yet God never abandons His people, and is often most active amidst the greatest storms. Consider God’s work amidst the storms of the 20th Century: July 28, 1914:

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The power of forgiveness

April 27, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

Our parish priest shared a powerful story about God’s forgiveness recently that I had to share. The story concerns Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, to whom Jesus revealed the devotion to his Sacred Heart. When Saint Margaret Mary shared Jesus’ message with her confessor, Saint Claude do la Colombiere, he was

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Jesus, I Surrender to You

April 13, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

A friend shared a prayer with me, the Surrender Novena, that I had to share with you. This prayer was given to Servant of God Dolindo Ruotolo by Jesus. I found the Lord’s words in this prayer so profound and so comforting. About Father Dolindo. He was born in Naples

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Soon and very soon

March 31, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

I like to end my nightly prayers by saying, “Good night, Jesus. Good night, Mary. I love you. I’ll see you soon.” In one of the Narnia books, Aslan, the lion who is the Christ-figure in the story, tells the children that something good is going to happen “soon.” The

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First Fridays and First Saturdays

March 16, 2021 / Michael Haverkamp

Many Catholics have heard of and made the First Fridays devotion that comes from a promise Jesus made to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. Other Catholics know of the first Saturdays devotion that Mary revealed to Saint Lucia dos Santos. And many Catholics know of neither of these devotions. So what

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