Are you feeling low? Tired? Empty? Perhaps God is asking you to go on a silent retreat. Retreats, particularly those done in silence, allow us to set time apart for God by disconnecting from the very connected world we live in. Retreats can be for as little as...
Carlo Acutis, who passed away in 2006, will be beatified on October 10 in Assisi Carlo Acutis — soon to be Blessed Carlo Acutis —is proving to the world that you don’t need to be rich, famous, crazy smart or the coolest kid in school to make an impact. He...
In the spiritual life, the term “mountaintop experience” refers to a glorious, monumental event in which one comes face to face with God, and through which, He reveals Himself to an individual in a new and powerful way. Think back to the story of the Transfiguration...
The world will never be the same again after the Covid-19 pandemic finally ends (whenever that may be!). Every generation faces at least one mega-crisis that forever changes the way the world operates. In my lifetime so far, it had been the events on 9/11 and the 2008...
Sometimes the student becomes the master. That was the case with the relationship between Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint Albert the Great. Saint Thomas Aquinas is arguably one of the greatest theologians who ever lived. But in our efforts to honor the student,...
If you find that your life is filled with tension and anxiety, one obvious solution is to offer what you're going through to Christ in prayer. And in a rich and beautiful podcast, Dr. Edward Sri shows us why and how we can do this by unpacking the famous phrase from...
St. Francis of Assisi is arguably one of the most beloved and venerated Catholic saints (after Mary and Joseph, obviously). However, by his own admission, Francis wasn’t always the radical, holy saint we revere. He once said, “I have been all things unholy. If God can...
Good question, right? Why does the Church use so many candles? The answer lies within the tradition and history of the Church. The use of candles is a part of the rich heritage of the Catholic faith. Sure, candles probably served some practical purpose in...
A lot has been said in the media about the recent Gillette advertisement calling men to a higher standard of masculinity. I don’t want to get into the different debates that the advertisement has generated. What I would like to point out is how this advertisement...
Whether you’re a regular Mass-goer, or you attend Church once a year at Christmas, chances are high that you have come across a liturgy that either had a boring homily or painful music. If not these, then perhaps you have witnessed a priest introduce liturgical...
All of us have surely noticed the jump in Mass attendance at Christmas. Many Catholics who don’t attend Sunday Mass regularly, make it a point to attend either a vigil Mass on Christmas Eve or a Mass on Christmas Day, in an attempt to add a spiritual dimension to...
I’m not a Dad, but when I came across this video online I knew it would be worth sharing. Every family-man longs to be a good husband and a good father. And they all try to do so, often slaving at a job they don’t particularly like. It’s often draining trying to...
One of the greatest gifts that God has blessed us with is the gift of freedom. Freedom allows us to choose our actions and proves to us that we are not bound by some predetermined plan for our lives. God granted us this gift as part of the dignity he bestowed on human...
Anyone who has heard the recent news coming out of the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania is rightfully outraged. It wasn’t just that possibly thousands of people were sexually abused, but what’s especially revolting is the way these perpetrators exploited their...
If you ever visit the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, you will see huge statues of the Apostles lining the nave of that church. Each statue appears larger-than-life and any viewer is left in awe and wonder at the respect these statues command. It is almost...
Growing up, I was regularly told that we were to abstain from meat on Fridays. So, when I moved to America a few years ago, I was surprised to hear many people tell me there was no longer a need for us to observe ‘meatless’ Fridays, as the Church had done away with...
One of the things we say when referring to Jesus, is that we call Him our Redeemer. We do this because Jesus died on the cross to pay the debt that came to be on account of our sin. By His death and resurrection, He won us freedom from the bondage that comes about...
We all know Lent is a penitential time of the year. However, what often happens during Lent is that many of the penances we adopt revolve around fasting, abstinence and prayer. Some of us give up coffee, desserts or snacks, others take on spiritual practices like...
For whatever reason, the gift of tongues has become one of the most controversial gifts of the Holy Spirit. So, before you dismiss this post because of something you may have previously heard or experienced relating to the gift of tongues, I encourage you to read on....
During patriotic holidays, we are intentional in remembering the men and women who have fought for our freedom from the beginning. In a special way, military chaplains carry out their duties displaying exemplary courage and faith. They reflect the love of Jesus to...
Being a seminarian, I’m surrounded by other seminarians and I’ve heard a variety of vocation stories. What always amazes me is how the Lord calls each man differently to the priesthood. Some felt urged to explore this vocation through promptings from the Holy Spirit,...
I grew up in Goa, a small state on the west coast of India. Back in the 16th century, the great missionary saint St. Francis Xavier traveled to India and helped bring the Catholic faith to Goa. Over the centuries, the seeds sown by St. Francis Xavier, and others like...
People often ask us to pray for them, whether they’re facing challenges personally, at home, at work, or they’re battling a particular illness. The common practice is that we promise to pray for that person, putting it off to some point in the future (that, let’s be...
A few weeks ago, four seminarians from Michigan embarked on a pilgrimage to Iraq. Iraq may seem like an unusual choice for a pilgrimage destination for most of us, but the country holds a special meaning for these four men. They are all studying to be Catholic priests...
Don’t be surprised if you hear in the coming days that a few hundred thousand people are making their way to Rome. They’ve all headed there to mark the 50th anniversary of the charismatic renewal in the Catholic Church, a phenomenon that is estimated to have impacted...
Deacon Brenton Cordeiro is currently a deacon preparing to be ordained a priest for the Companions of the Cross in 2021. He was born and raised in Goa, a small state on the west coast of India. He worked for several years as a reporter, before finally mustering the courage to follow God’s call to pursue the priesthood. Deacon Brenton loves Jesus, traveling, junk food and lazing on a couch (in that order).