A chance encounter outside a Nashville café became a lasting lesson in compassion. Inspired by Mother Teresa, this story asks us to truly see and care for the person right in front of us.

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fter months of progress, Buffy faced release with nowhere to turn and too few treatment beds available. Her story highlights the urgent need for more recovery support and compassionate pathways to help people rebuild their lives.

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A stranded mother and her family needed gas and a meal. One unexpected act of kindness helped them keep going—and reminded us that compassion can make a lasting difference.

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A stranger sat in my favorite seat at St. Bernard’s. After Mass, she shared why she had come to church—and reminded me how compassion can begin with a simple act of kindness.

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The night before Chuck’s glioblastoma surgery, a heartfelt prayer and an unexpected light brought hope. The next day, he shared encouraging news from recovery: doctors believed they had removed the tumor with good margins.

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Tony spoke at the St. Raphael Luncheon Series and delivered a talk entitled "Be Someone's Angel."

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The author copy of the book has arrived. One of my favorite things to do as an author is to open a box of new books.

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A while back as I was shaving in front of the bathroom mirror, I couldn’t help but notice the huge scar on my stomach. It reminded me that it has been 15 and a half years since I had surgery for colon cancer. Two feet of colon removed and cancer-free for over a decade and the ugly scar to prove it. In this Five Minutes with Tony, Tony discusses our scars.

Quotes: Other times, I look at my scars and see something else: a girl who was trying to cope with something horrible that she should never have had to live through at all. My scars show pain and suffering, but they also show my will to survive. They’re part of my history that’ll always be there.” ― Cheryl Rainfield

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” ― Kahlil Gibran

“Show me your hands. Do they have scars from giving? Show me your feet. Are they wounded in service? Show me your heart. Have you left a place for divine love?” –Fulton J. Sheen

Reflections: What are your scars? Have you become stronger when you embraced your scars? Have your personal scars made you more compassionate to others?

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When we think of beautiful people we generally think of physical beauty, a beautiful young girl, a smiling baby, a handsome athletic man. Beauty, as defined by Hollywood, the cosmetics companies, and clothing lines, are now the norm. Their image is what most people describe as beautiful. In this Five Minutes with Tony, Tony talks about real beauty and beautiful people.

Quotes: “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

“Do not assume that he who seeks to comfort you now, lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words that sometimes do you good. His life may also have much sadness and difficulty, that remains far beyond yours. Were it otherwise, he would never have been able to find these words.” — Rainer Maria Rilke

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

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“Yes” is a word with tremendous power. It can unlock amazing opportunities, open doors, and lead us to a richer, fuller and more vibrant life. In this Five Minutes with Tony, Tony discusses the Power of Yes.
Scripture: “Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.” –Luke 1:38
Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. –Matthew 1:20
Quote: “Let us look at her, and let us look to her, in order to be more humble, and even more courageous in following the Word of God, to receive the tender embrace of her son Jesus, an embrace that gives us life, hope, and peace.” -Pope Francis
Reflections: Have you said yes to Jesus? How did Mary and Joseph’s yes make you examine your own commitment? How do you say yes every day to Our Lord?

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One of my favorite words in the Bible is BEHOLD! The meaning is never more relevant than it is today. Let's use Advent to Behold!

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Most people spend their lives in pursuit of the extraordinary. We look at the lives of celebrities, glorify their excesses, and wish that our lives could be more like theirs. In this podcast, Tony talks about the ordinary moments that represent 99% of our time on earth.

Quote: For most of life, nothing wonderful happens. If you don’t enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are you’re not going to be very happy. If someone bases his [or her] happiness on major events like a great job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage, or a trip to Paris, that person isn’t going to be happy much of the time. If, on the other hand, happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a drink, or a nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness. – -Andy Rooney

The only difference between an extraordinary life and an ordinary one is the extraordinary pleasures you find in ordinary things. – – Veronique Vienne

Reflection: Do you find yourself missing the ordinary in search of the extraordinary? What can we do to embrace the ordinary occurrences in life? Are you comfortable with your ordinary life?

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In just a few weeks we will celebrate Christmas, and as we do we begin to experience the anticipation of the holiday. We look forward to being united with family and friends. Could we be forgetting someone that we once loved, someone that hurt us, someone, that we may have hurt? Is there someone that you haven’t forgiven or asked to forgive you? In this Five Minutes with Tony, Tony discusses Forgiveness during Advent and Christmas.

Scripture: If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” — Matthew 6:14-15
“In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.” –John 1 4:9-10
“Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 3:13-14
Reflections: Is there someone missing from your holiday because of a fight or misunderstanding years ago? Do you have a family member that has been hurtful that needs your forgiveness this Christmas? Do you see Tony’s point about forgiveness being a gift?

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The value of a lost object doesn’t lessen just because it is lost. In today’s Five Minutes with Tony, Tony discusses the value of a lost soul, and how they have great value to our Lord.

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We often read of that still, small voice that is in each of us. It is a voice guiding our path, discerning right from wrong, helping us make decisions that will forever be part of our lives. In this Five Minutes with Tony, Tony discusses a well-formed conscience.

Scripture and Catechism: “For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God. . . . His conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.” CCC 1776

“Faced with a moral choice, conscience can make either a right judgment in accordance with reason and the divine law or, on the contrary, an erroneous judgment that departs from them.” CCC 1799

“And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” –1 Kings 19:12 KJV

Reflections: Do you ever make a decision that you know is wrong but do it anyway? Do you follow your conscience? When you follow you conscience do you get a good feeling?

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