What is apologetics, and how is it related to catechesis and evangelization? Apologetics sounds a bit like “apologize,” and the two words do share a common root. Stated simply, apologetics means to give an account or defense, or perhaps an explanation. The Christian idea of apologetics can trace itself back to Saint Peter, who advises [...]
Just as it is helpful for women to talk to women now and again regarding the spiritual life, the same holds true for men! David N. Calvillo’s book, Real Men Pray the Rosary: A Practical Guide to a Powerful Prayer, is a forthright conversation with men (and us women who sneak a peek) about his own [...]
We all walk around with secrets. I’m not sure if I should thank God for that aspect of human nature. Some of them are good secrets. They remain unspoken for a variety of reasons. Perhaps we’re afraid people might think we are foolish or unreasonable for harboring thoughts of something we can never achieve or [...]
A local Catholic leader has warned about the weakening of the Christian presence in Palestine as a result of the construction of an Israeli security barrier. Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali, who is responsible for the Palestinian regions of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, made his comments while speaking to international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to [...]
Question: Hi Mary! I’m 16, and discerning. At the moment, I feel God wants me as a sister, but I’m still unsure. There’s a guy I know who has expressed his interest in me, and I feel the same way. I’ve asked several people if it would be wrong to date if I felt drawn [...]
Around Mother’s Day, all of the card and flower commercials will say something to this effect: “Your mother was in labor with you for 2½ weeks, so now you should thank her by spending $19.95 on our Flowers-by-Mail.” They tell us that we should honor our moms at least once a year. We all know [...]
Wrapping up our series on the sacrament of confession, I’d like to deal with what I feel to be are the two most important parts. Frequently two questions are asked with this sacrament: What should we confess, and how often should we confess it? Due to poor catechesis (or worse) there are some who advocate that you should [...]
When I stood before the altar at the Easter vigil eight years ago and answered, “I do (believe all that the Holy Catholic Church teaches to be true),” I meant it. I loved the Eucharist; I loved the communion of saints; I loved the unbroken line of popes; I loved the entire Hebrew Scriptures. Marian [...]
On a number of occasions I have written about the loneliness of disability. I suppose readers might be apt to think loneliness is not unique to people with severe disabilities, and they are right. Most lonely people are not disabled. You don’t even need to be alone to be lonely; a person can be lonely in a crowded [...]
“Forgive me, Father, for I have worried.” Even when I’m behind the screen, I am sure that my priest knows that it’s me – that parishioner with N.A.P.S. (Nutty, Anxious Parent Syndrome). Worrying is my hobby. I worry about the economy, politics and toy recalls. I practically obsess over germs and the weather, especially during [...]
If we want to solve the crisis of the confessional, we need to begin actually teaching these principles, and begin applying them in our own confessions. In many cases, this will require a fundamentally new outlook in the way we approach this sacrament. Yet it is only fitting, as the sacrament provides us a new way to live our life.
On the evening of the Boston Marathon bombing I was doing a radio interview about a book I’d written. Before getting to me, the host asked listeners to pray for victims of the atrocity in Boston and for the nation. When my turn came, I said, “My prayer is ‘deliver us from evil.’” The host [...]
How many times have you — as a parent — sat in Mass and not heard a word the priest said because you were playing referee, peacekeeper, or bad cop in the pew? Since I can answer that question in the triple digits, I was thrilled to learn about the new DVD “Understanding Sunday Mass: A [...]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 15:1-2,22-29; Psalm 67:2-3,5-6,8; Revelation 21:10-14,22-23; John 14:23-29) Being Drawn into the Life of the Trinity Peace I leave with you. (John 14:27) Rarely is a passage from Scripture as Trinitarian as these few verses. This passage comes from Jesus’ farewell address at the Last Supper: the [...]
What a privilege it was to serve Mass recently! It is something I have had the honor to do only 3 or 4 times in my adult life. For someone who just recently received his Medicare card, today was both a day for gratitude and for awe – gratitude for the gift of life and [...]
Indonesian websites describe the country as a tropical paradise and ecological wonderland. Its lush forests, mist-enshrouded mountains, and palm-studded beaches draw visitors from all over the world. Komodo National Park, covering a large aquatic and terrestrial area between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores, is one of the most ecologically diverse regions on earth. The [...]
Imagine a Bishop exercising his rightful authority to assure authentic Catholic teaching and practice in Catholic Schools. If this proposition sounds reasonable, then you will find Bishop Vasa of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, CA to be a reasonable man. He had requested/required that all Catholic School teachers to publicly affirm Catholic Church teaching and [...]
One of the greatest obstacles to presenting the Sacrament of Confession is exposing perfectly good Catholics to a worldview they are completely unfamiliar with.
Make no mistake about it: The Church in our day is in the midst of a terrible, and in many ways unprecedented, crisis of faith. This objective reality, however, is largely lost on the overwhelming majority of Catholics, both clerical and otherwise. While some Catholics, with deliberate intent, actively promote the various agendas that underlie [...]
Do you think you would benefit spiritually by spending thirty hours in prayer and meditation? Yeah, right, you are likely thinking. Where would I find time for that? I’m a very busy mother. Motherhood has its ironies. When we are pregnant and feel the need to “rest up,” sleep is often hard to come by. [...]
It is the incoherence of the faithful and the pastors what undermines the witness of the Church. The apostles were simple people, but they were not afraid of anything or anyone. Those were the concepts at the center of Pope Francis’ homily during a Mass at the Church of Saint Paul Outside the Walls earlier [...]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145:8-13; Revelation 21:1-5; John 13:31-35) Loving Others as Jesus Has Loved Us I give you a new commandment… . As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. (John 13:34) They say couples who have been married a long time start [...]
When last we met, we looked at Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical which inaugurated modern Catholic social thought. We now continue our magical mystery tour by turning our attention to Pope Pius XI’s Quadragesimo Anno of 1931. Before we explore the major themes of this incredibly important document, however, it would serve us well [...]
