Jesus said:"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,for I am meek and humble of heart;and you will find rest for yourselves.For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." (Gospel of Matthew 11:28-30) I was fortunate to attend elementary … Continue reading The Burden That Can Free You Forever
anxiety
Podcast Episode: When You Can’t Consider Forgiveness, Consider God
Bob: Forgiveness — the thing everyone agrees is good for you, like vegetables or sleep, and that most of us find equally difficult to actually do. Mara: Today we're looking at work from Tom Delaney (O.F.S.), a Franciscan educational psychologist exploring what to do when forgiveness feels genuinely impossible — the theology, the psychology, and … Continue reading Podcast Episode: When You Can’t Consider Forgiveness, Consider God
How to Worry Less and Connect More
Ever wonder how the big names in Catholic spirituality seem so calm and collected? They seem to have found and be connected with something that gives their view of the world, and the way they engage with the world, a deep abiding peacefulness. I can laugh and say, "It's like they know something we don't! … Continue reading How to Worry Less and Connect More
2026 Catholic Men’s Conference – Thank you!
Presenting at the 2026 Catholic Men's Conference on the campus of Saint John's University and Saint John's Abbey (Collegeville, MN) was an honor and a pleasure. I want to extend my warmest gratitude to all of the conference attendees, who showed up in their hundreds, I also am grateful to the attentive organizers who did … Continue reading 2026 Catholic Men’s Conference – Thank you!
Come see me at the Catholic Men’s Conference!
Please attend the 2026 Catholic Men’s Conference at St. John’s University, February 28th, 2026. I will be presenting and facilitating three breakout sessions on the topics of effectively managing money worries with the wisdom of the Franciscan tradition, as well as the importance of real companionship in the lives of young men from a Franciscan … Continue reading Come see me at the Catholic Men’s Conference!
“New Things” in Theology Point to the Science of Mental Health
(photo: Sherburne County, Minnesota (USA), Tom Delaney, 2025) And just like that...it's winter here in Central Minnesota. The snow fell overnight while a stiff wind blew from the north that shook the forest. Fittingly, today's Liturgy of the Word includes the beautiful canticle from Daniel (Chapter 3) and ... Cold and chill, bless the Lord;Praise … Continue reading “New Things” in Theology Point to the Science of Mental Health
Little Flowers: Forgiveness and Liberation in Captivity
(photo: Robben Island Prison, Michael Coghlan, 2011) Storytelling is a way to do a few important things. Telling a story is a way of teaching, such that a person gains an awareness of something, or an understanding, insight, or new point of view -- the things we associate with instruction and learning in general. Because … Continue reading Little Flowers: Forgiveness and Liberation in Captivity
Love & Forgiveness: Research-Informed Action is the Way Forward
Dr. Tyler VanderWeele, the director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, recently published an article in Psychology Today, which was also shared as a research update from the Human Flourishing Program. Both the article and the research update recapitulate main points of the recent research by VanderWeele and Lee (2025) on the possibilities … Continue reading Love & Forgiveness: Research-Informed Action is the Way Forward
Is there divine forgiveness for suicide?
One of the greatest tragedies and griefs that a person may experience in their lifetime is the death of a loved one when they take their own life. The despair of the loved one that first led them to taking their own life doesn't stop there, but rather extends its devastation to encircle the living … Continue reading Is there divine forgiveness for suicide?
Perfectionism Works Better with Self-Forgiveness
(photo: Al Shahed Press, 2025) My spiritual director was a priest in his elder years who had "seen it all, done it all." During one of our meetings, he commented, "I have heard confessions - thousands of them, maybe more, who knows how many? In all of that time what I saw was that I … Continue reading Perfectionism Works Better with Self-Forgiveness
Live and Forgive 