Tom Lancia's blog

My son is almost 13 months old and one of the books he really likes (and so do I) is called, I love you stinky face.  In this book the mother tells her son, “I love you my wonderful child,” but the son replies with a series of questions.  One of the questions is, “But Mama, what if I was a super-smelly skunk and everyone called me stinky face, would you still love me then?”
The boy’s mother comes up with a clever answer to every question and also tells her son that she loves him, no matter if he is a one-eyed monster, an allegator, or any other creature.
I love this story because it is cute and funny, but also because it speaks so much of God’s Love for us!

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Chris Stefanick, one of the speakers for our upcoming Steubenville Conference, shares some great news from Pope Benedict XVI. Read below:

Sometimes we’d prefer that our lives be a different story than the one God seems to be writing. In our fragile existence it doesn’t take much to turn a romance into a drama, or an adventure into a tragedy. At a glance, the story of Chiara Badano—an only child conceived after 11 years of marriage, who died at 18 after a bout with a painful form of bone cancer—looks like an empty tragedy, but not from the perspective of the Divine Author.

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Growing up I was never a big reader. You never would have caught me sitting down in my free time to read a book (this has changed over that past few years though). I think God knew this about certain people and that's why he would just jump to the point like He did with the 10 Commandments and the Beatitudes. Another list Our Church gives us is the Works of Mercy and today I thought I would reflect on the Spiritual Works of Mercy with Youth Ministers in mind.

So Youth Leaders here is a to the point Reflection on the Spiritual Works of Mercy:

Spiritual Works of Mercy Read more »

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it’s Not about buying/receiving gifts, but instead it is all about giving Thanks for the blessings (gifts from God) in our lives and of course…plenty of good food.

As I was kneeling after communion this past weekend, I couldn’t help but tear up with joy for the love and blessings Jesus has given me. I had just received God in the Eucharist (which means Thanksgiving), while I held my 9 month year old son sleeping in my arms and my beautiful wife kneeling next to me. I don’t know why I am so blessed, but I am so thankful that I am! Read more »

Have you ever found yourself saying that? I have!

Being from a big family, it seemed like every chore was questioned. If my mom told me to cut the grass, I would say, “I cut it last time” or “I was the 3rd or 5th person to cut it (I was 1 of 6 boys and 1 sister).”

Another way we all judge fairness is by what everyone else gets to do that we can’t! You know what I’m talking about, we all have said it at some point…It’s not fair, (“fill in person’s name”) has an Xbox, (“X”) get’s to go to the party, (“X”) has an iphone, (“X”) got an A and didn’t even study…or…It isn’t fair that I follow the rules and this person gets away with ignoring them…or…I try my hardest to make them happy and they still aren’t happy…or…I’m a good Christian, but I seem to get treated the worst, it isn’t fair.

I think you all get my point, sometimes life isn’t fair…so how do we deal with it?

I’ve tried complaining --- That always seemed to get me no where into trouble. Read more »

Do you know how people used to capture monkeys in the Philippines? They would take a coconut and cut a hole in it and hollow it out.

Then they would put a piece of great smelling candy inside. When the monkey would put his hand inside, he would try to pull out the candy but wouldn't be able to. The problem was the hole was Not big enough to pull his hand and the candy out. The only way for him to get his hand out was to let go of the candy.

When the hunters would come toward the monkey, he would NOT let go of the candy and get caught. It's hard to believe that the monkey would Not let go of something to save himself...but can't people be like that too? Read more »