“Don’t give up chocolate for Lent. Do something else, like pray more, or do something positive.” How many of us have heard this — even from our pastors and trusted Catholic sources? The tradition of the Catholic Church is that there are three special “works” that we should engage in during Lent: prayer, fasting, and […]
Recommended book: Practical Theology
On this Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, who is the greatest theologian in the history of the Church, we might think that his insights are beyond our reach. After all, he was a tremendously smart writer, who wrote the Summa Theologiae, which has around 4,000 articles in which he answers objections to his theology, and […]
Christ the King: Lord even in the worst times
Sometimes when we find ourselves living in times of darkness — political and social upheaval, economic uncertainty, loss of our jobs and the means to provide for our families — it can be easy to forget that Jesus Christ is still our King, and that He is ultimately in control. St. Paul tells us that […]
Powerful Spiritual Weapon
The most powerful prayer that we have, after the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (which is Christ Jesus’ own sacrifice offered to the Eternal Father) is the Holy Rosary. We might think of the rosary as a series of repetitive prayers, but it is far more than that: it is an introduction into Christian meditation. […]
St. Matthew and unlikely disciples
Many of us probably wonder, “why has the Lord Jesus chosen me to be His disciple? I have lots of baggage; I have so many wounds.” The truth is that many of the Lord’s disciples were like us: they were men and women with a “history,” with scars from wounds inflicted by self and/or by […]
Our Own St. Monicas:
St. Monica: One of the most beloved saints down through the ages. Why is this humble mother from North Africa so well known and loved? For many years, Monica prayed fervently for the conversion of her husband, Patricius, who was a pagan, and for that of her son, Augustine, who flirted with the Manichean heresy […]
Mary Magdalen: Apostle to the Apostles
One of the great women saints is St. Mary Magdalene (feast day: July 22nd). There is a good deal of confusion about her, and a good deal that we definitely know about her. First, what we know for certain about this great saint: she was from the town of Magdala, on the Sea of Galilee […]
Loving Christ above all Others
This Sunday’s Gospel (13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A) has the Lord Jesus telling us that “He who loves father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. He who loves son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me.” We might wonder how love for a family member could […]
Divine Mercy Sunday in a time of Plague
One of the very special graces that the Lord Jesus promised to St. Faustina for the “Feast of Mercy” is a “complete remission of sins and punishments” for those who will receive Holy Communion in the state of grace (several passages mention going to Confession in preparation for this Holy Communion) with “complete trust” in […]
Viral Retreat
At a time when many of our normal activities have been shut down, or have been modified due to the need for “social distancing,” we might be asking if things will ever “get back to normal,” or how soon they will do so. Maybe we should be asking another question: “How can I turn this […]
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