The Holy Catholic Church Oh, Bride of Christ, you’re beautiful So radiant your face. Crowned in love by holy priests Your raiment spun of grace. Attended to by angel choirs That ever sing your praise, The mother of the blessed saints Who wisely chose your ways. Protector of the Eucharist Beloved of the Queen, The […]
During a conversation with my 23-year-old son, he told me that a lot of his friends like our new pope. This isn’t the measure of the greatness of the man, but it is good to see some of Pope Francis’ major themes resonating with the young. Among the most prominent of these themes, something that […]
Today I’m very happy to share my recent interview with my friend and mentor Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle. We congratulate Donna-Marie on the release of her newest book, The Miraculous Medal: Stories, Prayers and Devotions. Enjoy! Q: Please briefly introduce yourself and your family to our readers. Hello, Lisa. Thank you very much for your interest […]
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good Morning! In the Gospel for today, Jesus reiterates the conditions for being his disciples: not putting anything before your love for Him, carrying your cross, and following Him. Many people came up to Jesus, wanted to be one of His followers; and this would happen especially in the wake of […]
Here is the schedule for the papal prayer vigil [as of Friday evening]. 5:45 pm (Rome time) — About 50 priests will begin hearing confession in designated areas under the Bernini colonnades. Pope Francis has asked that the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) be made available throughout the evening because “true peace springs from a heart that […]
A while back, I asked someone for ideas for this column. “Why don’t you write about raising kids?” came the reply. Hmm. That would assume I would know what I’m talking about, wouldn’t it? Frankly, I’m not sure that I am an expert on the subject, even though all four of my children now qualify […]
Catholics are supposed to be the champions of human rights. We are 25 percent of the U.S. population, yet Barack Obama was twice elected president and he wages numerous kinds of war both here and abroad. As Congress weighs Obama’s plan to bomb the Syrian people, Catholics and all Americans need to understand what’s at […]
What are you giving your Mom for her birthday? That question can make people cringe, either because they have no idea what to give her, or their relationship with their Moms is strained, or because they simply forgot about it altogether. Well, I’m here to solve all that. First, I’ll remind you of your Mom’s […]
With its announcement of possible reforms, China has implicitly admitted its forty year-old one child per-family policy has been a failure. The rules led to draconian abuses. There were an estimated 336 million abortions, including forced abortions and sterilizations at the hands of a powerful and intrusive family planning establishment controlling the most intimate aspects […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Wisdom 9:13-18; Psalm 90:3-6,12-17; Philemon 9-10,12-17; Luke 14:25-33) What it Means to Be a Disciple of Jesus Christ Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27) In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus makes three very demanding statements. He says […]
Cicadas at Rest I laid still long enough to see the clouds float by And feel my baby’s breath– almostly soundlessly– against my neck. I saw a pair of hawks soaring on a shared invisible current, Wings spread, gliding in tandem, as if tethered by an unseen kite string. But they were free and so […]
WONDERFUL simplicity and spirit of compunction were the distinguishing virtues of this holy man. He was chosen abbot of St. Mark’s near Spoleto, and favored by God with the gift of miracles. A child who was possessed by the devil, being delivered by being educated in his monastery, the abbot said one day: “Since the […]
It seems there might be a lesson here for America.
This Saturday Pope Francis called for a day of fasting and prayer for peace, especially for the rapidly escalating (or deteriorating) situation in Syria. Since these days are so seldom proclaimed, they present us a great opportunity to examine fasting in greater detail. In todays age where fasting and penance are almost non-existent (sadly enough […]
I’m sort of a sucker for love stories. But then again—aren’t we all? Love is the most basic human need. The music we listen to, the TV shows we watch… everything about the culture we live in testifies to the fact that we are starving for real love that satisfies. Because of this, I believe […]
Far too frequently we look around our lives and find so much going so wrong. Sometimes we know what we can do about our problems, and sometimes we don’t. But that’s where faith comes in. Here’s what I mean: The sixth century before Christ was a time of tremendous pain for the Israelites. The Temple […]
Do you make the Sign of the Cross and bow your head in prayer before eating at a restaurant? On Ash Wednesday, do you walk into work after lunch with an ashy smudge on your forehead? When asked by your colleagues what you did on the weekend, do you say you went to Mass? Do […]
LAURENCE from a child longed to be a Saint; and when he was nineteen years of age there was granted to him a vision of the Eternal Wisdom. All earthly things paled in his eyes before the ineffable beauty of this sight, and as it faded away a void was left in his heart which […]
To feed the Israelites during their wandering time in the desert, the Lord caused to appear on the ground a flaky substance that tasted like pancakes with honey. At its first appearance, the people quite sensibly asked what everyone asks upon seeing something new, “What is it?” And that very question became their name for […]
In a profound analysis of the inherent problems with “advance directives” and other such statements of how one wishes to be cared for at the end of life, Brother John Luth writes in an e-mail: In philosophy, we are taught that the first words are the most important in an argument. As Christians, we can […]
When you live a life where you try to stay as connected to your Creator as this broken world and your sinful ways allow, you change your perspective on the big picture and the details. He has control over all of it. He can guide your path, deal with the obstacles on the way and […]
