The Victor's Crown

Mark Quaranta
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Daily Catholic reflections to help you pursue the imperishable crown. Each reflection offers wisdom from scripture and the saints, and practical insights to start your morning and grow in holiness. Hosted by Mark Quaranta. www.thevictorscrown.com

  1. 9h ago

    Doctors and lollipops

    Get the written version in your email inbox every morning by subscribing for free at TheVictorsCrown.com --- “If at first something should happen to us that seems either good or bad, we have only to recall that it has been sent to us or permitted by a loving Father who is wiser than any physician. God knows what is good for us.” St. John Cassian.  Either good or bad.  Struggling to accept goodness from the Father might sound like a surprising idea.  At least in my own life, there are times where it’s actually more difficult to accept the good. Sometimes, I feel like the child going to the doctor’s office worried about getting a shot. And then toward the end of the appointment, you hear those blessed words: “You’re all done for today. Want a lollipop?” A lollipop? What’s the catch? Maybe this is because next time, he’s going to give me ten shots! I know it’s a childish example (that I’m not sure children actually think like that). Because children can be much better at simply accepting goodness. They are all too quick to take a lollipop, hopefully with a please and thank you.  It’s in our own fallenness that we learn to distrust the Father. Even though we receive the fish, we still think there must be a snake hiding somewhere.  Why does the Lord give us gifts? There are infinite reasons, but at the end of the day, the only reason we need to know is that He loves us. Let that be enough, and accept it.  Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we know You are a good and loving Father. Forgive us our distrust, forgive us when we doubt. Help us to believe that You want what is best. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Keep fighting the good fight. Our Lady of Victory, pray for us. Get full access to The Victor's Crown at www.thevictorscrown.com/subscribe

    Doctors and lollipops

  2. 1d ago

    The price of happiness

    Get the written version in your email inbox every morning by subscribing for free at TheVictorsCrown.com --- As the bit goes, “If you think money can’t buy happiness, have you ever seen somebody frowning on a jet ski?” I’ve always thought this was funny because if you’ve ever been on a jet ski, it’s hard not to smile. But it’s a fallacy, and it barely scratches the surface of what true happiness is or what true joy is. Several spiritual writers express the idea that joy is one of the Christian’s greatest treasures and it’s Aquinas who says, “Joy is the first fruit of love.” Or in other words, love is a prerequisite for joy, which is why the jet ski example breaks down. There’s no love in things. It’s what the world gets wrong in chasing material goods, looking for happiness. True joy can’t be bought, but it does have a price. The price is love. For me, I felt indescribable joy on my wedding day or holding my children for the first time. Those moments were joyful because they cost me something. It cost me years of laying down my life, of striving to be better, to grow in virtue, to be the man that my wife and children deserve, that God made me to be. Those moments then aren’t a fleeting feeling or a flash of light but a fire that’s been burning. I’m sure there is a parallel to the priesthood or religious life. And the beautiful thing is that as that fire burns, as our love grows, as we mature and get better at loving, so too our joy grows. To the point that the fire can’t help but bring light and warmth to those around us. And for those who live in cold darkness, there is no greater treasure than a warm fire. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, You are the giver of all gifts. Grant us the grace we need to love as You love, and let that love and joy radiate the world around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Keep fighting the good fight. Our Lady of Victory, pray for us. Get full access to The Victor's Crown at www.thevictorscrown.com/subscribe

    The price of happiness

  3. 4d ago

    First/then

    Get the written version in your email inbox every morning by subscribing for free at TheVictorsCrown.com --- “The Christian life is not about me bringing Jesus into my life.”  In Archbishop Chaput’s Things Worth Dying For, he brings up this idea, which he references Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis. And when I first read about this idea, I started scribbling “wrong” in the margins. Only the day before had I written myself a resolution in my journal to literally invite Jesus into all aspects of my life. How could that be wrong?  As I read on, the full picture became a bit more clear: the Christian life is not about me bringing Jesus into my life or my endeavors. It's about Jesus inviting me to renounce my endeavors to join His life. I love that image, but something still wasn’t sitting right.  In the Catholic Church, when a question looks like either/or, the answer can usually be found by switching that to both/and. That's the lens that I've been using to reflect on this: How are both of these things true?  What I've settled on is that the Christian life is not only about bringing Jesus into my life, or, in other words, it doesn't stop there.  The analogy that comes to mind is an analogy that Christ Himself uses: on this earth, in this life, we are thirsty. We are looking for water and Christ can bring us that water, that nourishment, that refreshment. That is us bringing Christ into our lives. But He doesn't just stop there because the invitation is: if you leave this place, if you walk away from what you think you know, what you think you desire and need, your plans, and your will, He can take you to a place where you will never thirst, where you will have living water. You will be a part of His life in ways that you could never imagine, that could never have fit the box that is your life. It’s not either/or. It’s both/and. Or better yet, it’s first/then. First, Christ comes to us, and then we go to Him.  So for each of us, pray for Jesus to come into our lives but let us also pray for the grace to respond to His invitation to join His life. Let us pray. Lord Jesus, we make that prayer now. Come into our lives, every aspect of it. Breathe into us your grace so that we have the strength to join You. In Your name. Amen.  Keep fighting the good fight. Our Lady of Victory, pray for us. Get full access to The Victor's Crown at www.thevictorscrown.com/subscribe

    First/then

  4. 5d ago

    The ordinary means

    Get the written version in your email inbox every morning by subscribing for free at TheVictorsCrown.com --- I was recently going through some of my old writings, reflections I wrote almost eight years ago now. When I re-read them, there was something there, even in those early ones. But there has been a lot of life lived since then. A lot of wisdom gained through struggles, trials, and hardship. And through victories and successes too. As I’ve grown in wisdom — bit by bit — I’ve come to appreciate more the people around me who I think are truly wise. Older generations, I’m looking at you. Speaking on behalf of folks my age: I don’t think we always recognize wisdom when we see it. Our culture has convinced itself that getting old is the worst thing that can happen to you. That slowing down, having wrinkles, no longer being at the top of your game — that’s failure. But I’ve come to believe the opposite. It’s in those years that a person has the greatest potential influence. There is so much left to give from a life well lived, from wisdom that took decades to earn. We’d do well to pay attention. Let us pray. Lord, grant us wisdom and the humility to seek it from those who have walked further than we have. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Keep fighting the good fight. Our Lady of Victory, pray for us. Get full access to The Victor's Crown at www.thevictorscrown.com/subscribe

    The ordinary means

  5. 6d ago

    Our Lady of Victory

    Get the written version in your email inbox every morning by subscribing for free at TheVictorsCrown.com --- I was recently going through some of my old writings, reflections I wrote almost eight years ago now. When I re-read them, there was something there, even in those early ones. But there has been a lot of life lived since then. A lot of wisdom gained through struggles, trials, and hardship. And through victories and successes too. As I’ve grown in wisdom — bit by bit — I’ve come to appreciate more the people around me who I think are truly wise. Older generations, I’m looking at you. Speaking on behalf of folks my age: I don’t think we always recognize wisdom when we see it. Our culture has convinced itself that getting old is the worst thing that can happen to you. That slowing down, having wrinkles, no longer being at the top of your game — that’s failure. But I’ve come to believe the opposite. It’s in those years that a person has the greatest potential influence. There is so much left to give from a life well lived, from wisdom that took decades to earn. We’d do well to pay attention. Let us pray. Lord, grant us wisdom and the humility to seek it from those who have walked further than we have. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Keep fighting the good fight. Our Lady of Victory, pray for us. Get full access to The Victor's Crown at www.thevictorscrown.com/subscribe

    Our Lady of Victory

  6. Oct 5

    Earned

    Get the written version in your email inbox every morning by subscribing for free at TheVictorsCrown.com --- I was recently going through some of my old writings, reflections I wrote almost eight years ago now. When I re-read them, there was something there, even in those early ones. But there has been a lot of life lived since then. A lot of wisdom gained through struggles, trials, and hardship. And through victories and successes too. As I’ve grown in wisdom — bit by bit — I’ve come to appreciate more the people around me who I think are truly wise. Older generations, I’m looking at you. Speaking on behalf of folks my age: I don’t think we always recognize wisdom when we see it. Our culture has convinced itself that getting old is the worst thing that can happen to you. That slowing down, having wrinkles, no longer being at the top of your game — that’s failure. But I’ve come to believe the opposite. It’s in those years that a person has the greatest potential influence. There is so much left to give from a life well lived, from wisdom that took decades to earn. We’d do well to pay attention. Let us pray. Lord, grant us wisdom and the humility to seek it from those who have walked further than we have. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Keep fighting the good fight. Our Lady of Victory, pray for us. Get full access to The Victor's Crown at www.thevictorscrown.com/subscribe

    Earned

  7. Oct 2

    Hearing and listening

    Get the written version in your email inbox every morning by subscribing for free at TheVictorsCrown.com --- Anyone with kids knows there’s a big difference between hearing and listening. One of my sons has excellent hearing. My wife and I are continually amazed at what he picks up across the room, in the car, when we’re whispering. But that does not make him our best listener. Hearing is the first part. Listening, at least in the way I mean it, is the next: the act of receiving and obeying. Two very different things. At Mass, we hear the Gospel read aloud. But are we listening? Are we receiving it in a way that actually changes how we live, how we behave, how we treat people, how we make decisions on Monday morning? We’re called to be not just hearers, but listeners. Not just hearing the word of God but living by it. Let us pray. Lord, give us ears to truly listen. Not just to hear Your word, but to receive it, and to live by it. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Keep fighting the good fight. Our Lady of Victory, pray for us. Get full access to The Victor's Crown at www.thevictorscrown.com/subscribe

    Hearing and listening

  8. Oct 1

    Brick by brick

    Get the written version in your email inbox every morning by subscribing for free at TheVictorsCrown.com --- “The secret to building the city of God within us is this: we have to build on a brick by brick basis in the reality of the present moment.” — Chiara Lubich At a recent family dinner, one of my nephews proudly shared his realization that this day is only lived once. As soon as it’s over, it’s gone. Profound insight for a 14-year-old. But it goes even further than that. It’s not just this day. It’s this moment. That’s what Lubich is getting at. Building the city of God within us happens brick by brick and each brick is the present moment, lived well. You can look at an empty lot and imagine the wall that will one day stand there. Once the wall starts going up, you can look back and see how far you’ve come. But both of those — the future and the past — exist only in your mind. All you actually have is the brick in front of you. There’s a simplicity in that. We don’t have to solve tomorrow or next year. We don’t have to carry the weight of what’s already behind us. If we take care of the present moment, we will be ready for whatever comes next. One brick at a time. Let us pray. Lord, help us to be fully present in this moment not anxious about tomorrow, not lost in yesterday. Just here, with You, building. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Keep fighting the good fight. Our Lady of Victory, pray for us. Get full access to The Victor's Crown at www.thevictorscrown.com/subscribe

    Brick by brick
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About

Daily Catholic reflections to help you pursue the imperishable crown. Each reflection offers wisdom from scripture and the saints, and practical insights to start your morning and grow in holiness. Hosted by Mark Quaranta. www.thevictorscrown.com

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Quaranta
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    168
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Quaranta LLC
  • Show Website
    The Victor's Crown