St. John the Baptist was called by God to be the forerunner of His divine Son. In order to preserve his innocence spotless, and to improve the extraordinary graces which he had received, he was directed by the Holy Ghost to lead an austere and contemplative life in the wilderness, in the continual exercises of […]
Blessed Cardinal Newman once said that “Faith is illuminative, not operative; it does not force obedience, though it increases responsibility; it heightens guilt, but it does not prevent sin. The will is the source of action.” When you take a moment to analyze Blessed Newman’s words, they can easily be directed toward the spiritual relationship […]
THERE are in Rome three patriarchal churches, in which the Pope officiates on different festivals. These are the Basilics of St. John Lateran, St. Peter’s on the Vatican Hill, and St. Mary Major. This last is so called because it is, both in antiquity and dignity, the first church in Rome among those that are […]
THIS learned father and apostolic man flourished in the second century. He was by birth a Sicilian, by profession a Stoic philosopher. His esteem for virtue led him into an acquaintance with the Christians, and being charmed with the innocence and sanctity of their conversation, he opened his eyes to the truth. He studied the […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 2nd Reading: 1 John 2:1-5 Responsorial: Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-9 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48 Opening Our Minds and Hearts to God’s Glorious Plan He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. (Luke 24:45) We all know what it feels like when […]
Sitting in Adoration “Go to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and simply let Him Love you” St. JohnPaul II Kneeling or Quietly sitting in Adoration Yielding and passive and prayerful- there is that. Yet, so much is astir For with the faintest, softest “Yes” He comes to you! His heart bursting with love Radiating His […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion Mass Readings: 1st Reading: Leviticus 13:1-2,44-46 2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1 Responsorial: Psalm 32:1-2,5,11 Gospel: Mark 1:40-45 The Power of the Cross to Cleanse Us of the Leprosy of Our Sins The man … began to publicize the whole matter. (Mark 1:45) Have you ever watched a […]
I always have been taught that faith is a gift. And who doesn’t love receiving gifts – especially if it is the perfect gift, something sorely needed, something for which we have asked? That could be faith in anything, I suppose: faith in your family’s helping when times get tough, faith in being justly rewarded […]
El escándalo es acerca de una mujer Americana que vive en Irlanda y declara ser una mística católica pero esconde su identidad auténtica, engaña a muchas personas, toma millones de dólares y es protegida por personas influyentes. Hace varios años Kathryn Ann Clarke, conocida como “Anne una apostólica laica ha ido viajando alrededor del mundo […]
Working with the ‘least’ among us in nursing homes Over the years, I have had some interesting and exciting professional experiences as an interviewer and a writer. But nothing quite compares to my time visiting people in nursing homes. I’ve lived in six states, visited a number of facilities, and my interest hasn’t waned. Sometimes […]
Last year I remember rushing into mass minutes before the opening song. Exhausted from hours of setting up for a ministry event, I was unable to prepare for mass properly. Sliding into my usual spot I jumped to attention as the procession began. My eyes naturally scanned the area directly across the expanse to those […]
On a hot summer day the kids and I were headed to the grocery store. Our house doesn’t have air conditioning and it gets hot—the thermometer in the living room read 85 yesterday—at 9 PM!—so when we’re in the car we try to make up for it. We had the air conditioner cranked up as […]
The most powerful countries and institutions in the world promoting homosexual “rights” are finding resistance even where gay activists thought the battle had been won. The goal of normalizing same-sex relations through legislation is hitting roadblocks in legislatures, courts, and among people around the globe. While activists have succeeded in getting western societies to require […]
My mother and stepfather were recently privy to a conversation between myself and a good female friend. Both of us are first time mothers navigating the trials and tribulations of our sons’ first years. Stealing a few minutes to enjoy some coffee and dessert while our husbands minded the boys in the next room, I […]
IT was the happiness of this Saint to receive from his cradle the strongest impressions of piety by the example and care of his illustrious and holy parents. He was born at Chateau-neuf, in the territory of Valence in present day France, in 1053. His father, Odilo, who served his country in an honorable post […]
Marlise Munoz collapsed in November 2013 from a blood clot in her lungs while pregnant with her second child. She was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Ft. Worth, Texas, a public hospital operated by the Tarrant County Hospital District, where she was put on life support. Media reports said that in the weeks […]
The Epiphany of the Lord Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-2,7-8,10-13; Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6; Matthew 2:1-12) View NAB Reading at USCCB.org Giving our Hearts to the Lord They opened their treasures and offered him gifts. (Matthew 2:11) What’s the best gift you have received this Christmas? How about the best […]
Today in many intellectual circles, Christians are viewed with condescension and derision. We are seen as naïve simpletons who lack the courage to accept the world at face value. We insist on weaving elaborate theologies and worshiping a God who is invisible because we are too weak to cope with the fact that existence is […]
“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of Liberty.” – Thomas Jefferson A recent video by Fr. Robert Barron, “Gay Marriage and the Breakdown of Moral Argument,” called to mind just how right Jefferson was. In his commentary, Fr. Barron said: In his great text, After Virtue, the philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre […]
In my last column, we began covering the sacrament of confession by stating that modern Catholicism suffers from a crisis of the confessional. Here on this site, on social media and in emails, readers have shared their thoughts with me on why this is so. According to the wisdom of the crowds, the biggest problem […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 5:27-32,40-41; Psalm 30:2,4-6,11-13; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19) Experiencing the Grace of Repentance and the Grace of the Holy Spirit We must obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29) Is this the same Peter who had denied that he even knew Jesus? Doesn’t it take years—if ever—for […]
Born in Aquino, Italy, in 1225, at “the Roccasecca, the castle whose name means ‘dry rock or fortress’”, Saint Thomas Aquinas is thought to have been “one of the most powerful thinkers in the history of Western civilization”.[i] In 1231, Thomas was sent by his parents to the Benedictine abbey of Monte Cassino, “in the […]
Warriors, monks, Christians: the Knights Templar were all these things, but according to the pope they were also heretics. These knights for Christ had once been some of the most respected people in Europe and known as models of Christian virtue. But as the world began changing they incurred the wrath of kings and priests […]
In most Catholic communities, “discernment” is a buzz word. Normally when I hear this word, my mind automatically connects it with another word: vocation. To be honest, this word used to frighten me. Every time I would hear the word at Mass or at another gathering, anxiety would soon follow. The following thoughts would stream […]
