Living the Christian faith comes down to these three ways of life: prayer, humility, and obedience. No matter who you are or where you come from, if you truly want to be a committed and faithful Christian: (1) you must spend some serious time engaged in vocal prayer (both privately and with the community in […]
A reflection on today’s Sacred Scripture: “One of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice” (Luke 17:15). Jesus always responds to prayers made in faith. The faith of the ten lepers brought them a miraculous cure, but the faith of one brought him back to the feet of Jesus, where […]
Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman once said: “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.” If the will is the source of action and faith is illuminative because it comes from God, then […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Malachi 3:19-20; Psalm 98:5-9; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19) Joining All Creation in Praising the Lord Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth. (Psalm 98:4) Rivers “clapping their hands.” Mountains “shouting for joy.” What extraordinary images these poetic descriptions of nature evoke for us! These […]
It’s the great dilemma for Catholics. We know that we are to share Christ. We are to go into the highways and byways and even into the Internet superhighway and tell the world about Jesus Christ and His Church. But we don’t know what to do about that troublesome word: proselytizing. Evangelism is good. Proselytizing is bad. […]
By now you probably have heard that a massive typhoon hit the Philippines last Friday. Named Haiyan (or Yolanda), the typhoon is reportedly the strongest ever recorded in history, with winds of 195 miles per hour and gusts up to 235 mph. Early reports coming out of the country say that as many as 10,000 people lost […]
When I was in college, I prayed and discerned a vocation to become a sister or a nun. I was enthralled by the Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart, since I had had the honor of working with and forthem at a Catholic School in Florida. Fortunately for me, I was assigned to work with […]
“Sing to the Lord a new song” (Psalm 98:1). A reflection on today’s Sacred Scripture: Today’s Responsorial Psalm speaks of the freshness of prayer we experience with a new life in Christ. Our prayers of petition become enhanced by prayers of praise—that is, God becomes the object of our prayers and we begin to honor […]
Over the past month I have been in contact with Mr. Adam Janke of the organization St.Paul Street Evangelization as part of a new series where we interview ministries and apostolates worthy of recognition. If anyone would like to be interviewed (or you know someone who should be interviewed) please contact me. Kevin Tierney: What […]
Horrific details are emerging of atrocities carried out in a Christian town in Syria in what is being seen as the worst act of anti-Christian persecution since the war in Syria began. Inhabitants of Sadad, near Homs, who fled the largely Syrian Orthodox town when rebels attacked last month, are now returning home to discover […]
As persons and as a Church we have been challenged during the Year of Faith to reach deep within ourselves to truly know, understand, and live the reality that God is a Most Holy Trinity, that God chose to become incarnate so that we would know Him in the most intimate ways possible, and that […]
It now seems so long ago, but just eight months ago Pope Benedict the Beloved resigned the papacy. Catholics had no modern frame of reference for such an event, and many with agendas of their own in the news media, and even in the Church, used our shock and dismay to sow discord and doubt. […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (2 Maccabees 7:1-2,9-14; Psalm 17:1,5-6,8,15; 2 Thessalonians 2: 16-3:5; Luke 20:27-38) Living in “this age” while awaiting “the Coming Age” He is not God of the dead, but of the living. (Luke 20:38) The Gospels are filled with accounts of how Jesus’ enemies tried to trap him […]
A third-inning, bases-loaded double off Fenway Park’s Green Monster was the spark the Boston Red Sox needed to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 and clinch the World Series championship. The star who supplied that pivotal hit was right fielder Shane Victorino, who celebrated as he stood on the base by pounding his […]
The United Nations’ latest report on human trafficking should drive fear into our hearts and souls. But what exactly is this crime? According to the United Nations, the problem centers on the sexual exploitation of women and girls. The report was scoured in an effort to discover whether or not the United Nations was also […]
…Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. He said to the host who invited him, ‘When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a […]
“It seems to me that a principal cause of the loss of faith is the dropping off in the practice of the family rosary … the abandonment of the family rosary is a main reason why so many Catholics have lost the faith…. the Church of the future is going to consist solely of those […]
One of the most challenging parts of the prayer Jesus taught his disciples — The Lord’s Prayer — comes near the end: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. That’s not necessarily meant to be a challenge on the surface. At first glance, it actually should bring us great joy. […]
It was such a weird assignment. But, then again, it was a college sociology class, so that may explain a lot. Assignment? Deliberately do something counter to social mores, observe reactions of those around you, and write about it in your journal. One student – a middle-aged man with a large beer belly – went […]
Have you heard about how everything will be okay in this world once the Pope consecrates Russia to Mary’s Immaculate Heart, as stated by Our Lady of Fatima? Have you heard the latest revelation from Medjugorje? Maybe you wonder what the person calling themselves Maria Divine Mercy is saying. One thing is for sure: We […]
When I visited a fertility clinic for diagnostic tests a few years back, the place was packed to the gills. The nervous energy pulsed through the air as women considered investing their savings for treatments. But this isn’t just another infertility story. This one includes a miracle from an obscure Medieval saint: St. Leopold of […]
When my fiancé and I were still just dating, we approached our priest and spiritual director and asked him how we might discern if we were called to marriage together. He leaned back in his chair and said, “You have to know how to pray, and what to ask when you pray.” Father went on […]
Halloween is the only time of year when adults take seriously the idea of spending a night in public as someone or something different. Whatever their reasons (e.g. cultural tradition, social engagement, etc.), they seem to revel in stalking the streets in costumes and cosmetics that they wouldn’t normally where in order to score some […]
Not too long ago, I came across two seemingly different perspectives on the relationship between God’s action in our lives and our faithfulness. This question had been on my mind lately. After four years of infertility and now some roadblocks in the process of adoption, I’m starting to wonder “What gives?” I’m sure it’s a reflection […]
