Lent is a season of prayer and fasting, a time for conversion of the heart. As in all things, the Christian looks to Christ’s example and seeks his grace to be able to follow him. To look to Christ means, first, to see and hear him in the Gospel. We will hear Jesus ask us […]
Lent comes early this year. February 10th is Ash Wednesday! That’s just three weeks away, folks. So instead of waiting until the last minute and grasping at your old standbys (giving up chocolate or God forbid, coffee), why not plan ahead using our convenient list of resources below? Make this your most spiritually fruitful Lent ever! Reprinted with […]
If you still haven’t decided what is beneficial and appropriate for you to fast for Lent, you’re not alone. For most of us, the really inspired ideas are pretty rare. It’s easy to turn Lent into a diet, or a way to boast publicly of doing without something pleasurable. I don’t know if we need to identify […]
If you feel called to give up a Facebook for Lent this year, you aren’t alone. In social media parlance, the idea is “trending.” Before I explain my reasons for seriously curbing my Facebook use this season, let me first acknowledge that social media enables me to do my work as a writer with great […]
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 […]
“Do you fast? Then feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick, do not forget the imprisoned, have pity on the tortured, comfort those who grieve and who weep, be merciful, humble, kind, calm, patient, sympathetic, forgiving, reverent, truthful and pious, so that God might accept your fasting and might plentifully grant […]
Among all kinds of cultural, political, and interfaith dialogues, the one between Christianity and Islam is arguably the most interesting. Many of my friends from the Western world regard Islam as some kind of a mysterious, exotic, almost “unknowable” religion. However, some scholars, such as Hillaire Belloc, view Islam not as a totally separate religion, […]
For medical reasons, some members of the Fenelon Clan are unable to precisely follow the Church’s precept to fast during Lent. Because of our conditions, we could receive dispensation from fasting altogether, but to us, that seems like the easy way out. We almost feel as if we’re cheating. So, we fast to the measure […]
The Scripture readings for this week remind us of the value of life. Psalm 54 emphasizes “The Lord upholds my life.” God is the author and provider of life. Without God, our heart would never pulse a single beat nor would we ever take a single breath. He alone has the right to choose when […]
My favorite food is peanut butter. I eat it every day. I don’t need bread or jelly—I eat it from the jar with a spoon. Every year I think about quitting during Lent but I never do. Like an addict, I cannot think about life without peanut butter but I know life cannot go […]
Lent is a time when we make an attempt to address things about our corporeal and spiritual lives that need addressing. Many give up sweets as a gesture of putting aside objectively good things associated with feasting to live the days of mourning in preparation for when they will feast again at Easter. Some attempt […]
Tomorrow, the largest spring 40 Days for Life campaign in history kicks off in cities across America and around the world From Wednesday, February 22, through Sunday, April 1, 40-day campaigns of prayer and fasting, peaceful vigil and community outreach will be held in 258 cities all across the United States (44 states and the […]
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 […]
The modern secular world puts pressure on us to leave our faith at the office door lest we offend someone or appear to be forcing our beliefs on others. Yet we should seriously consider that our work is a vocation, a calling from God to serve others regardless of what career field we have chosen. […]
I long to take just one little bite as I watch the melted cheese slowly ooze out of the golden, toasted bread. My children wait with eager anticipation for my famous grilled cheese sandwiches. The clock reads 12:30, and today is Friday. On my periodic fast days, I make it a priority to not eat […]
