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 […]
No matter how hard we seem to try, we cannot avoid silence altogether. We are obliged, for example, to deal with the natural silence that comes with sleep, sickness, death, and sorrow. We also find ourselves dealing with moments of everyday silence that come right after waking up, during the morning commute, on a lunch […]
As the Year of Faith draws to a close, World Mission Sunday comes forward to help recharge our efforts to go forth and evangelize! So as we mark this yearly renewal, I’m seizing the occasion to revitalize the voice of one amazing catechist and missionary, Fr. John Anthony Hardon, S.J. You could say I’m doing a paper on a paper […]
Throughout this Year of Faith we have been looking primarily at what individuals and communities can do to spark a more sincere approach to the faith. We have written and talked a lot about helping ourselves and others commit to regular church attendance, catechetical growth, and finding ways to serve others in such a way […]
Throughout this Year of Faith it has become abundantly clear how important it is for each of us to live and to pray like Mary. Why? In the introduction to his October 1954 encyclical titled Ad Caeli Reginam, Pope Pius XII explains it this way: From the earliest ages of the catholic church a Christian […]
In the early 1990s, my sister lived in New Zealand and worked for a traveling science roadshow. We talked on the phone rarely. It was too expensive, and the voice delay on overseas phone calls was really frustrating. My sister began sending postcards to keep us current on her exciting adventure. One postcard stands out […]
Faith leads us into prayer and prayer leads us into God. When the Holy Spirit descends upon us in baptism and confirmation the light of faith is turned on within us. It is renewed and brightened every time we are present for the epiclesis in Liturgy, share in the Eucharist, and sincerely seek God in […]
I’m working my way through a book called Everyday Sanctity, written by Schoenstatt Sister of Mary, M. A. Nailis. With texts from it’s founder, Fr. Joseph Kentenich, this volume addresses one of the pillars of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement, everyday sanctity, which is the practice of giving everyday life the character of holiness. Although it’s become […]
Everyone agrees that too many of us professing to be Catholic do not know, live, or share our Faith as we should. In this “Year of Faith” we are being challenged to do something about this tragic situation – to learn or relearn the fundamental Truths of our Faith, and to share those Truths with […]
In response to the Holy Father’s wishes for this Year of Faith, plans are being made in parishes and dioceses all over the world to “celebrate” Vatican II in light of the 50th anniversary of the Council’s opening. But how many Catholics have an appropriate understanding of what it means in this case to celebrate? […]
With his Apostolic Letter of October 11, 2011, Porta Fidei, Pope Benedict XVI declared that a Year of Faith would begin on October 11, 2012, and conclude on November 24, 2013. The first day of the Year of Faith marks the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the twentieth anniversary of the publication […]
In this week’s Gospel, Mark paints a touching portrait that is familiar to most of us, of the Christ who loves all children: And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come […]
The Year of Faith — Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012 through Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013 — begins this week. Thursday will be the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and the twentieth anniversary of the promulgation of the original Latin version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Year of […]
It always happens. The person in the seat next to me on the plane asks, “So, where’re you headed?” Then I’ll say, “Oh, I’m headed to a conference.” Then they’ll ask, “So, what kind of conference?” Then I’ll say, “Oh, a Catholic such-n-such conference.” And then I’ll receive one of three responses: 1) Their smiles […]
The “door of faith” (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that […]
