You might be aware, but two recent devastating tragedies in the US have laid my spirit low. First, today Charlie Kirk—just 31 years old, married with two young children—was fatally shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University during his “American Comeback Tour.” As soon as the shot rang out, chaos erupted, and scenes of panic followed. His death was confirmed later in the day today. Second, recently in Charlotte, 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska—who had fled the war in her homeland seeking safety—was stabbed to death on a public light rail train. The attack was sudden, unprovoked, and horrifyingly captured on video. I have a close Ukrainian fried who also fled for the same reasons and live here where I live so this hits close to home. In both cases, lives were taken in shocking violence. My heart feels raw—these are not mere news stories, but painful invitations to reflect on our culture's fractured state. What our world desperately needs is Truth, Virtue, and Wisdom—the steady voice of Christ's love and the Church’s healing presence. I’m praying—not just for the victims and their loved ones, but for all of us in this fractured world. Please join me in that prayer.

Changing your habits, your priorities, or your mind isn’t flaky—it’s growth. What’s one way you’ve changed in the past year?

"A bird in a cage is safe, but God didn't create birds for that" - Paulo Coelho Sometimes we get used to the cages that we've built around ourselves. Thinking that there's security in them. Avoiding any risk at all costs because there's a level of comfort in the known. The unknown can be terrifying. Sometimes comfort doesn't mean safetyor security though and it can actually be detrimental. Growth often comes from either 1)challenges that have come upon us without our permission and how we decide to engage those challenges or 2) challenges that we decide to take on ourselves. Question to ponder: What is a recent risk that you took that ended up paying off?

To love your neighbor as yourself. And if someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek also. Love and forgiveness. That is, the two principles that Jesus Christ brought into the New Law, to fulfill the old law (contained in the 10 commandments). But how to love? And how to forgive? To love and forgive sounds vague. It sounds good in theory and we are delighted, especially by us, when we listen to the words of the priest at the church service. But in practice? How do we do it? And, especially, how to love our enemies? It works in church, especially when you listen to this exhortation. But after you leave? How do you do it? That you see someone and the feeling of hatred, doubled by fear, is instantly aroused... About seven years ago I found the answer in a book by Daniel Siegel, an author known especially for his works dedicated to the concept of mindfulness. I took from him an idea of ​​working with love and forgiveness, an idea that he also took from the Buddhists. I introduced love and forgiveness into a therapeutic program and, apparently, this program is one with the best results. All you have to do is reserve 10-12 minutes daily (at least two months, minimum 21 days) just for yourself. To work with yourself, in a ritual for your improvement (pretentiously said, for your transformation). Find a quiet place. Sit comfortably. Allow your eyes to close. Place your palm on your chest and imagine that you are holding your heart in your hand or touching it with your fingers. Whatever you want. Breathe calmly and peacefully. Let your body breathe as it knows how. Do not force anything. Imagine that you are holding a baby in your arms (maybe even your own child). Let yourself be enveloped by the feeling that arises (I have noticed that this happens to both women and men, even if they do not have children). Let this feeling grow. Then, think of a benevolent person in your life. Give this person love, using the following formulas (each formula is repeated three times, out loud or in your mind):

In the comments about cognitive distortions yesterday, @Tim Blacke added this insightfully deep reflection that I thought would benefit from its own post. He graciously gave permission to share his words here and I am so thankful. Please take a look!!! --Begin quoted text--- 🙌 Faith Without Transformation Becomes a Mask It is amazing how easy it is to show up in life with cognitive distortions — false ways of thinking that twist reality. Even more striking, people of faith often fall into these distortions because instead of allowing their faith to transform them, they use it to excuse themselves. ✖️ Instead of repentance, they hide behind “grace.” ✖️ Instead of growth, they say, “This is just who I am.” ✖️ Instead of correction, they claim, “Only God can judge me.” 👉 This is not faith; it’s self-deception wrapped in religious language. 🔎 Cognitive Distortions in Faith - 🙈 Spiritualizing avoidance: “God doesn’t want me stressed, so I’ll just avoid that responsibility.” - ⚖️ Minimizing sin: “It’s not that bad; at least I’m not as bad as them.” - 👿 Blame-shifting with theology: “The devil made me do it,” instead of owning choices. - 🕊️ Presumption: “God will forgive me, so I don’t need to change.” Each one distorts the Truth. They feel safe in the moment but lead to bondage, not freedom. 🌟 The True North of Faith Faith is never meant to be a hiding place for our excuses. It is the refiner’s fire that purges them. True faith does three things: ✨ Truth aligns the mind – Confronts distortions with reality. 💖 Virtue aligns the heart – Turns belief into action and habit. 🧠 Wisdom aligns the soul – Teaches us to live rightly before God and others. Anything less is counterfeit. 📣 The Call Pain, failure, and sin are not meant to be covered with excuses. They are meant to drive us into transformation. To walk by faith means: - Facing reality with courage - Confessing what is broken - Allowing God’s grace to reshape us into the likeness of Christ