One of the most central elements to the Catholic pro-life movement is prayer. As Catholics we have the power of the communion of saints and in my own reflection, I have come to identify a handful of saints who could be considered “co-patrons” of the pro-life movement. The Holy Family exemplifies for us a common […]
They are at it again. In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus’ opponents enlist a lawyer to do what lawyers do best- ask a question that puts a person on the hot seat. “Which commandment of the law is the greatest?” (Matthew 22:34-40). If the law consisted in only the Ten Commandments, this would be tough enough. […]
As many of you have already witnessed the disturbing video of a young Chinese girl involved in a hit and run and seemingly ignored by the whole world as she lay on the street with life-threatening injuries, it prompts the question: do we truly see ourselves as children of God? If you were to pose […]
“For our gospel did not come to you in word alone but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction” (1 Thess 1:5). In ancient times the city of Thessalonica was an important trade city situated along the Via Egnatia, the Roman Empire’s major east-west thoroughfare, running from Byzantium to the […]
We continue our reflection on the mysteries of the rosary as a means of entering more deeply into sacred mysteries made present in Holy Mass with an examination of The Sorrowful Mysteries 1. The Agony in the Garden And going out, he went, according to his custom, to the Mount of Olives. And his disciples […]
Adoration is not for a handful or a selected few. It is for everyone. It is what our loving Lord asks for, and more importantly, what He deserves. Blessed John Paul II went so far as to urge EVERY parish in the world to have Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. Let me put one hour of Adoration […]
Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Cathedral Family and friends, [O]ur Holy Father’s teaching during his visit to Germany…. [concerned] the weakening of the Faith there and the fact that only 31% of his own country considered themselves Catholic. His words tell the reason why. “God is increasingly being driven out of our society… Are […]
An especially busy month in the persecution of Christians in the Muslim world, September also witnessed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton release the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. Ironically, aside from Iran and Sudan, none of the countries that habitually appear in this series were designated as “countries of particular concern,” defined by the […]
Despite their flattering words, they were trying to trap him, to force him into a no win situation. Consider the circumstances. They are living under the iron boot of a brutal empire which filled the earth with its idolatry. Patriotic Jews longed to throw off the tyrants’ yoke. They prayed for an anointed king who […]
Most Catholics have heard about Saint Don Bosco and the order he founded based on the spirituality and charism of Saint Francis de Sales, today called the Salesians, which are divided up into Fathers, Brothers and Sisters. The idea of founding such a religious community within the Catholic Church was primarily to help young boys, […]
As a priest I am called upon to administer the sacraments of healing: anointing and confession. Often these sacraments are dispensed together, when I visit people in their homes, at the hospital, or at nursing homes. Most people are familiar with confession but frequently I am met with a look of bewilderment from the patients […]
The Joyful Mysteries continued… 3. The Nativity of the Lord And it came to pass that when they were there, Mary’s days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger: because there was no room […]
Jesus said “Behold, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28-20). In all the centuries since His resurrection, with the rising and the setting of the daily sun, Christ has descended to be with us, always. Every time a priest has proclaimed “This is my body…. This is […]
What has heaven to do with earth? Does the Divine One care about the comings and goings of men? After all, He is “the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome” (Deuteronomy 10:17). Even Solomon wondered whether or not the Creator really deigns to walk among His creatures: […]
Chapter 6 Mary and the Brothers of Jesus If Mary is ever-virgin, who are then the “brothers” of Jesus mentioned in several places in the Gospels? Mark 6, 1-4 — He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. And on the sabbath he began to teach in […]
Andrew Sullivan was a member of Miles Jesu for 28 years, a priest for seven years and served as General Secretary of the Society of Miles Jesufor four years. Miles Jesu, a Catholic religious congregation underwent a visitation by the Vicariate of Rome in 2007 and later a Commissioner was appointed to take control and re-found […]
When my family visits other parishes during our travels, we’re touched and uplifted spiritually. If I copied Geoffrey Chaucer and his tales of Canterbury, I could call them Biever Tales. But then people would think of something else, and my purpose would be lost. In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, many pilgrims share stories on their journey. In their […]
At age 16, my life was about rock ‘n roll. If my own band was not performing on Saturday night, I was out in the audience, watching another band. It would have never occurred to me to spend my Saturday nights at a Catholic conference or retreat. True, no matter how late I was out, […]
A number of saints have described the rosary as an effective weapon for helping Christians prevail in the spiritual battle that ever rages in our midst. In fact, so great is the rosary’s power that St. Pio of Pietrelcina even went so far as to say that it’s not simply a weapon; rather, “it is […]
We live in such turbulent stressful times. We hear of disaster after disaster, Hurricane Irene, earthquakes, the Japanese tsunami, a record number of tornadoes, disastrous floods in the North East, fires and drought across the South West. Economically, each day seems to bring bad news. We may yet tip back into a recession. Crime and […]
There are two devotions close to my heart and vital for the future of our Church and for the salvation of our souls — The Eucharist and the Rosary. May we rediscover each day a deeper and more abiding reverence and love for the Blessed Sacrament. May we also use this month — one which the Church […]
I’m really not one to talk about voluntary sacrifices I make — the whole “do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing” thing. It’s something between me and God. But, I happened to casually mention to a friend that I was basically doing another Lent for 40 Days for Life, […]
Christians in one corner of Iraq have tripled in number over the past 15 years according to a leading bishop who is grappling with an influx of people escaping persecution and oppression. Christians in Ankawa, a suburb of the Kurdish capital Erbil, have increased from more than 8,500 in the mid-1990s to more than 25,500 […]
The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary – celebrated by the Church on October 7 – is my favorite Marian feast day in the liturgical year. The reason for this has less to do with my love of the Rosary than my intrigue over the Battle of Lepanto. Perhaps you remember that the Battle […]
