Why We Look Up: Making Sense of Our Catholic Faith Book

	Introduction	11
Part 1	Having Faith
	Creation Was Signed	15
	We Are Made of the Love of God	16
	Stars and Sand	17
	Why We Look Up	17
	What Is Faith?	18
	How to See for Ourselves the Truth of Our Faith	19
	Faith Fulfills Our Human Nature	21
	The Gifts of Faith	23
	Faith Doesn't Change Things, It Changes How We See Things	26
	Thy Kingdom Come	27
	The Joy Is Just Knowing	27
	The Myth "If Only ..."	28
	The Secret of Happiness: Knowing What We Have When We Have It	30
	The Secret of Peace	32
	What Having Faith Is All About	33
	Why Hard Things Happen	34
	Why Hard Things Can Happen: Life Was Meant to Be a Struggle	35
	Why Suffering?	36
	The Greater the Burden, the Greater the Opportunity	37
	When Someone We Love Dies ...	37
	We Are Never Alone	39
	God Frees Us from Having to Do Everything So We Can Do Something	40
	You Only Need to Do Your Best	42
	Give It Back to God	43
	But What About "Ask and You Shall Receive"?	44
	Don't Forget to Listen	45
	The Best Reason to Pray	46
	What Is a Personal Relationship with God?	47
	We Judge God Backwards	48
	He Couldn't Love You More	50
	We Don't Know Why God Loves Us	51
	Why Do Some Grow So Much More Than Others?	53
	How Love Grows	55
Part 2	Living Faith
	The Life of Faith Is Love	59
	What Is Love?	59
	Sin Is Selfishness	61
	The Golden Rule: Why It Works and How to Make It Work for You	63
	The Ten Commandments	64
	Greed	66
	The Corporal Works of Mercy	68
	The Spiritual Works of Mercy	69
	The Only Sure Sign of Love	70
	There Are Many Ways to Give Up Your Life	71
	The More You Put Into It, the More You Appreciate It	72
	The Exercise of Faith Strengthens It	73
	No Good Work Is Ever Wasted	74
	Faith Is Its Own Reward	75
	Love Is Its Own Reward	76
	Try to See Things from Others' Point of View	78
	Apologizing, Who Looks Bad?	78
	So What If I'm the Only One?	79
	Love Surpasses Justice	80
	God Does Not Keep Score	81
	How We Will See Our Sins	82
	We Are All Far from the Kingdom of God	83
	How "Judge Not, or You Will Be Judged" Really Works	84
	Forgiveness Is Understanding	86
	Forgiveness Is the Decision Not to Hate	87
	Forgiveness Is a Vote of Confidence in Self	88
	People Have the Power Over You You Give Them	89
	The Charity of Friendship and Love of Family	91
	How Many People Can Hold Your Hand?	92
	The Religion in Romance	93
	We Want Our Feelings to Be Returned	94
	The Difference Between Enjoyment and Idolatry	95
	The Difference Between Needs and Desires	96
	It Is Balance That Gives Joy	97
	The Ingredients of a Great Life	98
Part 3	Practicing Faith
	We Were Made to Be a Family	103
	The Glory Be	105
	The Role of Christ in Christian Faith	106
	Five Reasons We Believe That Jesus Rose	107
	The Six Symbolisms of the Candle	110
	The Cross and the Basics	112
	The Four Meanings of the Cross	112
	The Life of Christ	113
	Comments on the Beatitudes	115
	The Our Father	116
	Why Do We Hail Mary?	118
	The Hail Mary	118
	The Spirituality of the Sacraments	119
	Five Meanings of Mass	121
	How Mass Re-Presents the Cross	122
	Three Liturgical Moments	123
	Four Reasons to Come to Church	124
	Five Values of Confession	125
	Comments on the Calendar	127
	How to Have a Really Happy Advent	129
	How to Make a Really Good Lent	131
	Twelve Reasons to Give Things Up	134
	Love the Year	137
	A Practical Creed	140
	A Daily Prayer	141
	About the Author	142