Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn One of the most ancient approaches to spiritual formation comes from the desert fathers who used to offer brief commentaries on various prayers. In keeping with the ancient practice, what follows is a brief meditation on the Our Father. The Lord Jesus came into this world to share his eternal […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn To commemorate the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’s death, Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed that from January 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027, Catholics will celebrate a Franciscan Jubilee Year. The faithful have been granted the opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence, provided that all conditions are met. Pope Leo XIV […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Ten seconds. Ten measly seconds. That’s all it takes to ruin your day—and maybe even your life. Your teacher catches you copying off the student next to you. You blow a semester of your kid’s tuition on a bad bet. You take a drink for the first time in four […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Holy Family, pray for us! “O God, who were pleased to give us the shining example of the Holy Family, graciously grant that we may imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity.” – Collect, Feast of the Holy Family Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/33580695623

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn This is what Pope Leo XIV told reporters he did when he realized he would be named the new Pope. His response is the type of surrender we all need. Follow his lead. Take a deep breath and say this prayer next time life throws something unexpected at you. “I […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn We thank you, Lord!

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn This series of four essays addresses as battle domains the four tenets of the prevailing cosmological thinking of our time: Moralistic Therapeutic Deist Universalism. Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 each designate a means that we must employ daily to allow God to stop these prevailing tenets.  “Where are […]

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Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn This series of four essays addresses as battle domains our daily fight against the four tenets of the prevailing cosmological thinking of our time: Moralistic Therapeutic Deist Universalism. Part 1, and the subsequent parts each describe a means that we must exploit daily to allow God to reverse these dominant […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn “What strength the soul draws from prayer!   In the midst of a storm, how sweet is the calm it finds in the heart of Jesus.   But what comfort is there for those who do not pray?” ST. THEODORE GUERIN

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Part 1 of 4: The Liturgy of the Hours  In “Our Constrained 21st Century American ‘God’, I picked apart the dominant spiritual and moral belief template of our age: Moralistic Therapeutic Deist Universalism, which was first exposed by Christian Smith and Melinda Denton in 2005. Below are the four cosmological […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn I met Andy on a recent Mariam pilgrimage to Spain, France, and Portugal. He had a pleasant personality and a terrific sense of humor. I became more and more aware from talking with him that he was fighting some serious health issues. Over breakfast one morning that our group was […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn “The most holy and important practice in the spiritual life is the presence of God.” – Brother Lawrence Learn more from Brother Lawrence HERE.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn “If the Apostles and Martyrs, while still in the body, can pray for others…how much more after their crowns, victories, and triumphs are won!” – St. Jerome Image: Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn In All Things, BE A MAN OF PRAYER“If you would suffer with patience the adversities and miseries of this life, be a man of prayer. If you would obtain courage and strength to conquer the temptations of the enemy, be a man of prayer. If you would mortify your own […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn When you see a red octagon, I’d imagine the first word that pops into your head is “Stop!” Or when you see a check mark on a test, you can safely assume that you got the answer correct on your test.  Symbols are perhaps the easiest way to convey a […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn “My dear brothers and sisters, not only is prayer very powerful; even more, it’s of the utmost necessity for overcoming the enemies of our salvation. Look at all the saints: They weren’t content with watching and fighting to overcome the enemies of their salvation and with keeping well away from […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Chaplet of the Holy FaceOn the cross, make the Sign of the Cross and pray:     “O God, come to my assistance; O Lord make haste to help me. Glory be…”On the single bead, in honor of the sense of touch of Jesus, pray:  “My Jesus Mercy,” followed by the […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Read Part 1 of this 3-part series here.  In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus affirms the truth that prayer is ultimately a relationship of love in three simple, but deeply profound, verses. To elucidate this truth more deeply, let us examine these verses individually. Make Prayer The […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn When a person becomes convinced of the necessity of prayer, very often they will begin by focusing on the mechanics of prayer: How do I pray and how often should I pray? Where should I pray and at what time? Whom should I pray to most, the Father, Son, or the […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn The Our Father is our foundational prayer as Catholics. If you’re like me, you’ve said it a few times. As in, a few thousand times. Tens of thousands if you pray the Rosary or Divine Office regularly. It’s easy for something so familiar to become muscle memory and to forget […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn What is white space? It is empty space. (It can be any color.) And it is necessary. Think for a minute about a word: between each letter and then between words, there are spaces. There are spaces between lines on a page, and then when there is a larger space, […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn “I’ll pray.” What better response could we find for any challenge or difficulty? St. Paul tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), remaining like the widow petitioning the judge until he heard her request. God is our loving Father, and he wants to hear our prayers, so how […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn St. Brigid, spread your mantle about us.Let us drink from your well.Kindle your flame in our hearts, heads, and hands.Lend us your cup, your harp, your arms,That we may be creators, healers, protectors,Keepers of the flame.St. Brigid spread your mantle about us,Covering us with hope and harmony, joy, and love.Shine […]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Ite ad Joseph, the saints have said, which means Go to Joseph. Have you gone to St. Joseph? Do you think of asking his intercession? There are some formal ways we could do that. There are several prayers that one could recite and pray: the Litany of St. Joseph, the […]