Shawn The Baptist - Morning Message

This week I am backpacking 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mountains are my happy place! The post Gone to the Mountains appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

We sometimes believe that we need to change, to eliminate sin, for Jesus to love us. The call of Matthew shows us the truth is exactly the opposite. The post Caught in the Act appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Along with the happy moments in life, there are also really difficult times. Jesus reminds us that it's ok to be sad sometimes and we shouldn't be afraid to ask for help. The post Hard Times appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent and today's liturgy reminds us that it is also the start of a great spiritual military campaign. The post Fighting Words appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Today we sing Alleluia for the last time until Easter. But just as Alleluia will return, we know the sad times of life will give way to joy. The post Farewell, Alleluia appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

We all want to be happy, but how much is enough? How much pain can we tolerate for the sake of something higher? The post How Happy Should We Be? appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Our Catholic faith is "apostolic." St. Polycarp received the faith from St. John and then handed it on to St. Irenaeus. And on and on for 2000 years. The post Apostolic Witness appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

On the feast of the Chair of St. Peter we recall how Jesus used a really big rock as the backdrop to give Simon a new name, "Rock." The post Rock of Ages appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Everyone seems to have something to say these days. But sometimes our words cause hurt and not blessings. The post Watch That Tongue appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

St. James says that faith without works is dead. But why is there such a debate about this topic? The post Both / And appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

It's not enough to know some things about Jesus. You have to know him personally. Who do you say that he is? The post Personal Jesus appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

In today's gospel, Jesus has to try two times to cure a blind man. Sometimes miracles require patience and time. The post Gradual Miracles appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

The role of temptation is often misunderstood. Being tested is a good way to measure where we're at and to grow. The post Good Temptations appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

St. Valentine's Day is all about love. But what is love all about? True love is found not in movies, but in patient commitment. The post Beheaded for the One You Love appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

God loves us so much that at times he has sent his mother in person to remind us. At Lourdes, this also included miraculous healings. The post Health of the Sick appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

John the Baptist knew that Jesus was the most important thing in his life. And he was willing to die for that belief. We need more Christians like that. The post More Martyrs Please appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Having churches, schools, and money is not bad, but the early church didn't have any of these... just the gospel and disciples to spread it. The post No Second Tunic appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Today's feast of the Presentation of Lord completes the Christmas cycle. Jesus became one of us. His tangible presence is still here today. The post Come To the Temple appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

King David shows us how much parents can love their children, even when they rebel. The love of God is even greater. The post If Only I Had Died Instead of You appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Jesus is able to calm the storms of life. But the greatest faith is to know, even if he doesn't calm every storm, we're still going to be ok. The post What If the Boat Still Sinks? appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that one way to know God is to start with creation. All creation comes from God and leads back to him. So too with our lives. The post Out Around and Back Again appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

St. Paul went from persecuting Christians to becoming the most outstanding preacher of Jesus. But was this really a conversion? The post The Conversion of St. Paul appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

St. Sebastian is the patron of athletes. He competed and won in the greatest game there is. His famous death reminds us to put God first. The post Wide World of Sports appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Every day we begin with light overcoming darkness. The Church uses this image in two powerful ways in today's hymn for Lauds. The post A Good Morning Song appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

God is writing an amazing story and you have been chosen. You get to play a part. The post Act Well Your Part appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

When you're called to be set apart and chosen, the worst mistake you could make would be to want to be like everyone else. Israel did it, and so do we. The post Like Everyone Else appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

In the baptism of Jesus we learn who Jesus is. In our own baptism we also learn who we are. Like Jesus, we also begin our mission. The post What Child Is This? appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

On this feast of Epiphany, we recognize how God reveals himself directly as in the Bible, but also indirectly, through reason and creation as he did with the Magi. The post Recognizing Revelation appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

There are no limits on what God can do. God will fill us. But we need to expand our capacity to receive his gifts. The post Capable of Greater Capacity appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

When Jesus was born, people had been waiting for a long time. What is it that we most want? The post What Are You Waiting For? appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

On the next days after Christmas my true love gave to me... four days of death. Welcome to the Octave of Christmas. The post Death to the World appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Today is filled with expectation. Liturgically, today is the Vigil of Christmas, a day for preparing our hearts for the coming of Jesus. After all there's only one more sleep 'till Christmas. The post One More Sleep appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Four times each year the Church calls to mind the gifts of the earth and asks us to give thanks. Thanks to God and thanks to farmers. The post Remember the Embers appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

It's not enough to say that you are Christian. It's not even enough to believe the right things. You have to actually do it. The post You Have to Go appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

The Hebrew Bible ends with a prophecy that Elijah will return to herald the coming Messiah. Jews often leave an empty chair for him at seder meals. But what if he already came... The post Empty Chairs at Seder Tables appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

When Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego at Guadalupe in 1531 she called him "Juanito... Little John." God did some really big things with this little peasant. The post Little John appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

St. Ambrose is known for his outstanding teaching of the Catholic faith. His preaching also inspired the greatest convert in Church history, St. Augustine. The post No Ambrose, No Augustine appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Jesus knows how to fish. He hooked Andrew and the other apostles. Now it's our turn. Time to go fish. The post Go Fish appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Advent begins with the image of the mountain of God. No one climbs a mountain be accident, so we need to decide to start... today. The post Advent Mountain appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Today at 4pm, the year will end. Liturgically speaking. But a new year will also begin. Life is a lot like this. The post New Year’s Eve appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

If you want to change the world, you have to start small. The post Your Verse appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

When you have nothing, you realize that you need everything. We are meant to live connected. The post Take Nothing appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Jesus called Matthew in the very act of tax collecting. He'll call you in the midst of your sin too. The post Called in the Act appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Reject Satan. Choose God. Repeat over and over, every day, for the rest of your life. The post Fruit Through Perseverance appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

If you love someone, you want to know and share in everything about them, even their suffering. St. Francis loved Jesus like this. The post Looks Like Jesus appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Standing by the cross of Jesus was his mother. Mary also stands by us as we carry the cross of suffering. The post Stabat Mater appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Familiarity breeds contempt. It happened to the Israelites in the wilderness and it often happens at Mass. The post We Are Disgusted appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

God made the world to work a certain way. Living within the truth of that system leads to happiness. The post How It Is appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

Pain is often something we want to forget. Today we remember one of the most painful moments in American history and promise once again to never forget. The post Remembering appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

It's Red Friday! Yes, today we celebrate the holy martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora. And those other guys. The post Red Friday appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.

If you want to change the world, start small. Where there is no love, put love, and you will get love. The post Small Becomes Big appeared first on Shawn The Baptist.