St. Catherine of Siena Catherine was born March 25, 1347 and died on April 29, 1380. Catherine was the 23rd child of Jacopo and Lapa Benincasa and was from Siena, Italy. From an early age, she made a lot of time for prayer and meditation and at the age of 18, she...
Teresa was born on March 28, 1515 and died on October 4, 1582. St. Teresa of Avila was born into the age of exploration in Spain, just two decades after Christopher Columbus opened exploration for Europe in the Americas. At the...
What is a Doctor of the Church? Before we dive into this series on four amazing female saints, it is worth examining the question: what is a Doctor of the Church? Doctor comes from the Latin word “docere” meaning “to teach." A Doctor of the Church is someone...
The Bible has many references to angels. This will certainly not be an exhaustive treatment, but we will give some context to what angels are and then discuss the three archangels. What are Angels? The word “angel” comes from the Greek word “aggelos” meaning...
Basis of Moral Theology – Object, Intention, and Circumstance Human acts are freely chosen because God has given us the gift of freedom. When we act deliberately, we are the author of our actions. If we act, then those actions can be morally evaluated as good or evil....
Boy Scouts of America – A Love Letter to a Organization of the Past I am an Eagle Scout and a former Scoutmaster. I loved Boy Scouts of America. As a young boy and then a teen, I went to Boy Scout summer camp almost every summer. I went to the National Scout Jamboree...
Who is St. Gregory the Great? Gregory was the son of a wealthy Sicilian who owned large estates in Sicily and a mansion in Rome. It is reported that Gregory was the best student of grammar, logic, and dialectic in the city of Rome and also did a course in legal...
If you have not read part 1, please read that first for the appropriate context: https://catholic-link.org/catholics-statues-icon/ Thought, Word, and Spirit The Catholic sees the world as more than merely natural. There is far more that is hidden from our view than we...
In this two part series we will explore 1) Icons and Statues in the Catholic Worldview and 2) Images and Statues in Secular Culture Forbidden Images The First Commandment expressly forbids the worship of anyone and anything other than God. “I am the Lord your God, who...
The Holy Rosary The Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the most popular devotions of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. The image of the Rosary is inseparable from the Roman Catholic Church. Certainly, there are countless devotions in honor of the...
Full of Grace In the first chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, we hear that the Blessed Virgin Mary is to be the Mother of God. The Angel Gabriel greets Mary with a strange greeting. The angel says, recorded in the Greek, “Chaire, Kecharitomene… (Lk. 1:38).” St. Jerome...
Outside the Church There is No Salvation Can non-Catholics be saved? It is a big question, with a nuanced answer. Let us begin in 3rd Century Carthage. St. Cyprian coined the following perennial adage of the Church: “extra Ecclesiam nulla salus” which means “outside...
The Virtue of Justice Before we can begin to understand patriotism as a virtue, we have to first look to the broader virtue of piety. And before we can begin to understand piety, we have to understand the broader cardinal virtue of justice. The word “cardinal” comes...
St. Bernardine – A St. Paul of the 15th Century St. Bernardine was from Siena, Italy and was ordained a Franciscan priest at the age of 24 in the year 1402. He took upon himself the poverty of the Franciscan Order and expressed an acute awareness for the needs of...
A Priest in Doubt A German priest named Fr. Peter of Prague was struggling with his faith in the Most Holy Eucharist. He saw around him a lack of interest on the part of the laity, a general immorality and laziness of the clergy, and a lack of reverence for the Sacred...
Racism is Always Evil There are some things that are always true, no matter when, where, or whom is involved. One of these truths is that racism is always wrong. It is a form of discrimination which is always unjust and, therefore, morally wrong and incompatible with...
Husband of Mary, Father of Jesus, and Model of Faith in God St. Joseph was betrothed to the Blessed Virgin Mary when Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jewish custom, betrothal was the first of a two-part ceremony. In the first part, the erusin,...
There are no limits to the many wonderful things that a Catholic could have in their home. This list is simply six suggestions of things that Catholic homes should try to have on hand. Enjoy! 6 Things Catholics Should Have In Their Homes A Crucifix The symbol of the...
With all the evil and suffering in the world, how does the less than twenty hours of the Passion of our Lord atone for all of the evil of human history? Many new Christians hear the saving message that Christ died to save them upon the Cross. But, how exactly does...
I would like to offer a few songs to listen to during Holy Week, the Triduum, and Easter. I tried to incorporate some Byzantine Catholic chant from the Divine Liturgy or the Divine Office as well. PALM SUNDAY Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord (Latin Rite)...
FAITH IN TIME OF WAR, Servant of God Emil Kapaun: Fr. Emil Kapaun’s cause for canonization is proceeding forward, and he is currently recognized by the Church with the title: Servant of God. He was a priest and chaplain in the United States Army during the Second...
The Best-Laid Plans The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. We layout the best plans for our Lenten journey. We seek to approach Easter having undergone a well thought out and executed routine of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. If you are like me, this...
What Is A Priest? The popular definition of a priest is given as an ordained person with the authority to perform certain rites and administer certain sacraments. Properly speaking, however, a priest is one who offers sacrifice. This is what a priest is. This is what...
<< This article is the sequel to Does It Matter What You Wear To Mass >> Serving on Sunday If you are involved in a liturgical ministry of any kind on Sunday, thank you for your service to Christ and His Church! Your efforts are appreciated. There are many...
What is a relic? A relic is a part of the body, clothes, or personal item that remains as a memorial of a departed saint. The teaching of the Church on the veneration of relics was summarized in the Council of Trent in the 16th Century. At Trent, the Church proclaimed...